Planning a trip to Sri lanka
10 things you should know about this country
- It is known as the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean” . Although the country is shaped like a tear, you certainly won’t shed any upon reaching there; your reaction will be quite the opposite.
- All most all tourist places have an entry ticket and there could be three kinds of pricing- 1) Locals 2) SARC countries 3) Foreigners who do not belong to 2nd category. Please note that a foreigner may be expected to pay 60 times more than a native. ( Something tells me to slip this point way below in my list)
- Sri Lanka is to the world, what 5 seconds of summer is to the music industry-sometimes underrated, but gradually gaining popularity. There are 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites here, which is a lot for such a small country; I visited 6 of them in my 12 days stay.
- It provides a very full-filling vacation as it has mountains, highlands, national parks, beaches, back-water, history, heritage, archaeological sites, botanical gardens, culture, good food, warm people and great hospitality.
- There are varieties of accommodation options to choose that fits different pocket sizes and luxury requirements. One can also opt for comfortable home- stays, B& B, heritage properties or super-luxurious properties.
- The Local food is delectable, vegetarian options are easily available and the ingredients are of a good quality. Tropical Fruit-shops can be seen like specks on the highways, with water-melon disks hanging like red lights.
- Most tourist sites require you to walk/ trek thus one needs to be prepared in respect to fitness, comfortable clothes and shoes.
- Men and women are expected to cover their legs and hands upto the elbows before entering a Buddhist Temple. There is a strong essence of Buddhism which does not go un-noticed while you are there.
- Colombo City has shades of Mumbai and Delhi but it is a distinct personality of its own; unlike the latter it is cleaner and is burdened by lesser human weight, people look happier and a tourist can walk around without fear of any conspiracy from locals. Colombo City also attracts tourists with bulging pockets that get emptied at casinos.
- What you may like to take back home, other than' spirituality' are masks, pottery, Noritake, wooden handicraft, tea, precious gems and bartik textiles.
Planning the trip
- You first divide your trip into 4 major heads -Unesco World Heritage Sites, National Parks, Mountains/ Highlands, Beaches, Colombo.
- Allocate days to each of the above head judiciously depending upon your preference and number of sites you intend to visit.
- You can choose to stay in Habarana or Sigriya and cover the following points of interests namely- Sigriya Rock, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Pidurangala Rock, Dambulla Cave Temple, Minerva National Park.
- Kandy - Kandy Cultural Show and The Tooth Relic Temple are the most important attractions.
- Mountains - Nuwara Eliya- Attractions here are Tea- plantations, Horton Plains (World's End) Rolling Hills here are a home to some luxurious resorts.
- Ella- Ella Rock, Mini Adam's Peak and Adam's Peak- All these are treks.
- Beaches- You can choose from many beaches Sri- Lanka boasts of, the entire coast line in the south is dappled by resorts. Some of the popular beaches are Mirissa ( Also a point for Whale watching Trips) Unawattuna, Jungle Beach, Hikkaduwa, Bentota. The points to consider before you choose a place to stay are 1)accessibility from Gall Fort 2) does it have a sandy beach. Many of the resorts have a rocky sea- front. If your travel dates are from May- Dec, these beaches have a rainy season, the beach that may appeal to you is Trincomallee in the East
14th April Airport pickup and proceed to Sigriya
15th & 16th Day 1 Proceed to Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage and then to Cultural triangle includes Sigiriya ( (Citadel-Lion Rock, Pidurangala Rock, World Heritage site), & Dambulla (Golden Temple, Cave Temple).
Day 2 Proceed to Pollonnaruwa Ruins & Back, optional Elephant Village tour
17th April Sigiriya to Kandy
Activities: Temple of the tooth relic, City tour, Cultural Show in Kandy & Botanical Gardens
18th & 19th Kandy to Nuwara Eliya
Activities: Labookele Tea Estate, Ramboda Falls, Tea Plantation, Seetha Temple, Lake Gregory Sightseeing, Hakgala Gardens, Visit to Devon and St. Clairs in Kotagala / Talawakelle & Horton Plains tour.
20th April Nuwara Eliya to Ella
Activities : Ella, Mini Adams Peak, Ella Rock, Demodara Bridge
21st April Ella to Udawalawe
Activities : Ravana Falls, Wellawaya and Yala Safari Tour
22nd April Udawalawe to Mirrissa
Activities : Whale Watching
23rd & 24th Mirissa to Galle
Activities: Galle City Tour including rampart & Unawatuna Beach
25th April Galle to Colombo
Activities: Turtle Hatchery, Mask Museum Ambalangoda
26th April Airport Drop