After getting married on 1st March,we immediately took off from Mumbai T2 on the evening of 4th March on Sri Lankan Airways. It was an approx 4 hours journey from Pune to Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. This was my wife's first International trip.
The immigration & Visa on Arrival was very smooth and not crowded at all as I was anticipating. (Sri Lanka had made Visa on Arrival or ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) free till 30th April for Indian passport holders. Otherwise the usual fee is $20 for tourist visa & $30 for business visa on arrival.)
The immigration officer simply put a small visa sticker, stamped the passport and let us pass through.
On exiting the airport our driver cum guide Priyal was waiting to receive us.
He drove us for around 20 minutes and we reached our hotel in Negombo at 1:30 Am. Our hotel was a 4 star transit hotel called Amagi Aria situated on Colombo road, Kurana in Negombo.
The view which we got in the morning was a total surprise and exhilarating, with access to lake this property came out as a surprise. However we couldn't spend much time here and left after a good American breakfast towards our next destination Kandy with intermediate stops in between
Travel tips:-
Change the currency at the airport itself as the rates here are good. On contrary to the belief that airports have expensive rate of exchange, I found that Colombo airport has very good rates. It is highly recommended to get your forex done here itself as outside you would get less than what you get here at the airport. I exchanged USD & EUR here. In case you want to exchange INR this is best place to do so. Please note you would find it difficult to exchange INR inside the country. Your driver might be able to help you find few places to exchange INRs, however the rate of exchange wont please you.
Also buy sim cards from the airport itself, they have good deals on weekly & monthly packages. I got a local SIM free from my driver cum guide , I recharged it with 1299 LKR. I got 600 international minutes, 350 local minutes along with GB data(6D+4N). Which I believe is sufficient for the entire trip.
Visa being free at the moment there is no charges & formalities to be done unlike other countries like Thailand etc. Previously ETA form was required to be filled online in advance on the link below.
https://eta.gov.lk/etaslvisa/etaNavServ?payType=1
We loaded our bags and started our Journey towards Kandy with our first stop being the Pinnawala elephant orphanage.
The roads in Sri Lanka are small but clean and smooth. The passing by towns and scenic nature is strikingly similar to South India. I was strongly reminded some chase sequences from a bollywood movie Chennai Express. Occasionally when you pass through towns you will meet some traffic, otherwise its a smooth ride through the nature on the ever winding roads.
We passed through a small town called "Kajugama" which Priyal told us is famous for Cashews. Small roadside shops under a tree with a wooden bench filled with Cashews packed in plastic bags passed by frequently. Every other shop or tree housed local Cashew sellers.A small packet cost about 200 LKR,according to Priyal a KG would cost around 600-800 INR.
We then left the highway to merge with A1 and passed the last town of Kegalle to reach out destination after approx 2 hours 30 minutes.
The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was established by the Sri Lankan Department of Wildlife Conservation in 1975 for feeding and providing care and sanctuary to orphaned baby elephants that were found in the wild.
Pinnawala has the largest herd of captive elephants in the world.Started with 5 elephants it currently has around 96 elephants living since 3 generations.
You can experience an impressive sight of elephant herd imposingly bathing in the Oya river. You also get a chance to feed the elephants on specific timings.
But our guide Priyal had a surprise here , he took us to a small little place somewhere near the town of Mawanella just off the road which housed only 3 elephants. Here one can experience other activities like elephant feeding, riding & bathing with the elephant.They offer a collective package which includes all the above activities; prices vary according to the duration of the activity. Though a small place they had good number of German tourists there.
After a quick change we got on an Elephant named "Nila". We had a ride of about 20 minutes where the mahoot made us familiar with lot of herbs and spice trees along the route.Post the ride we went to the nearby river where Nila obediently lay down in the river. We bathed him with some powder and hard coconut shells for about 15 minutes which he seemingly enjoyed it.Post this activity we fed him with a tray full of fruits and cucumber.After this sumptuous lunch he then agreed to give us a shower bath with his trunk. This also went for about 15 minutes. Post this we said goodbye to the elephant and the mahoot, changed and left for our next stop; Spice Garden.
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Spice Garden:
Spice garden was a roadside nursery with a Ayurvedic pharmacy and product showroom about 30 minutes away from Mawanella. It was a short tour of about 25 minutes where in a representative from the garden took us on a short tour explained about various spices & their uses in daily life as per Ayurveda. They had products for weight loss, hair gain, face glow, back pain, body pain etc
After finishing this short tour we just crossed the road to an unnamed restaurant which served Indian food made by Sri Lankan chef. It was a buffet and included some local Sri Lankan items as well. There was a live counter for Rotis and the guy there served us hot rotis. We ordered fish as Ala Carte as the buffet was vegetarian.
After a simple lunch we started our journey again and the took a short stop at Gems Gallery after about 45 minutes.
Gems gallery was actually a small showroom by the road , Upon entrance they showed us a small clip of 10 minutes on how gems are extracted, their history and different families of Gems. This I personally felt a cut through version of Tram ride offered in Gems Gallery in Pattaya & Bangkok, except this one was in a small room with the film being showed on a projector.Later they showed us some raw , unfinished stones and their final products post final finishing.From here we proceeded to see a cultural dance program at The Royal Kandyan followed by a Fire Show.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-Jw6QglHdE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
After watching the show for about an hour we made our way to the Tooth relic temple.
The Temple of Tooth Relic is a golden-roofed Temple also known as Sri Dalada Maligawa which houses Sri Lanka’s most important Buddhist relic – a tooth of the Buddha. During puja (offerings or prayers), the heavily guarded room housing the tooth is open to devotees and tourists. However, you don’t actually see the tooth. It’s kept in a gold casket shaped like a dagoba (stupa), which contains six dagoba caskets diminishing in size.
As well as the revered main temple, the complex includes a series of smaller temples, shrines and museums. It also houses the grave of the elephant on which the relic tooth was carried in Esala Perahera or the Kandy festival.
The temple is located in the royal palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country.
Priyal accompanied us inside the temple and gave us insights on the Importance of the temple to the locals and the country. We were lucky enough to walk inside during the evening puja time. We witnessed the traditional drummers offering Thankfully the Tooth Relic is open for public to see for the duration of prayer.We walked by the lake while he shared his thoughts on the Buddhist religion, the temple and politics.
We left the temple after it was dark and proceeded to our Hotel Mahaweli Reach. It was a splendid property by the side of river Mahaweli Ganga. It was around 8.30 we checked in and came down for dinner by pool side by 9.30.The hotel served us with a delicious international cuisine for dinner.
Travel tips:-
Keep an extra pair of clothes handy in case you plan to bath with an elephant. Also you may need during the temple visit later in the evening.
There are lot of Spice Gardens & Gem galleries en route Kandy. Gems though I found worth but expensive, Spice Garden I would strongly recommend to verify and confirm before you buy things. However it is good to visit and see the various Spice trees and learn their benefits.
Dress yourself conservatively and wear outfits that cover your shoulders and legs at the Tooth relic temple, photography at certain sections of temple is prohibited.
Entrance fees for Pinnawala is 3000/1500 LKR.
Bathing,Feeding & Riding may be upto 5000 LKR (may vary place to place)
Entrance fee for Tooth Relic Temple is 1000 LKR. The shoes keeper may ask for a small amount of tip when you exit the temple.
Around 10 in the morning we checked out from the wonderful hotel and proceeded to Nuwara Eliya which means "City of Dawn". We took a quick stop at a Batic shop to change money in the city area. Then we started straight to Nuwara Eliya. As we left the city area wild nature started sweeping on us. The town buildings were soon replaced by mesmerizing Tea estates. The concentration of the tea estates starting getting dense as we started climbing higher up towards the British made town also known as "Little England".Nuwara Eliya is the highest place in Sri Lanka & a cherished as Hill station by locals & tourists alike. It is home to the world famous "Ceylon Tea". As we were spending time counting the tea estates that were passing by Priyal stopped at a place called Damro Labookellie Tea Centre and Tea garden.
Damro Labookellie Tea Centre and Tea garden offers an breathtaking view of surrounding Tea gardens along with professional tea tasting experience.
It overlooks breathtaking views of tea gardens in all shades of green that carpet the slopes of surrounding hills & valleys. Damro Labookellie Tea Factory is considered one of the oldest Tea Factories (Second oldest) in Sri Lanka.
The Tea Lounge also boasts a spacious terrace, which is the perfect place for any weary traveler to relax & unwind and savor an array of refreshments, along with a freshly brewed cup of the finest tea brewed at the factory.
A guided Tea Factory tour helps you understand the manufacturing process & varieties of teas brewed in Sri Lanka. The guide also explained how tea arrived in Sri Lanka from China in 1824 and then later from Assam & Calcutta.
After buying some masala tea & local Ceylon tea we started again towards Nuwara Eliya crisscrossing through the lush Green tea estates.
The first look upon entering the town made me realized why it is called Little England. We were greeted by the Colonial style post office standing dominantly on the circle just opposite to Nuwara Eliya bus station.
We spent some time in the area around Badulla road & had a lip smacking surprise for Lunch in a restaurant called Sri Ambaals - The restaurant actually served typical North Indian food !!! Had Chole Bhature to my hearts content.
Gregory Lake was created in 1873 by the British era Governor at the time, Sir William Gregory. Initially built for electricity production it is now a picnic & recreation spot for locals & visitors alike.
As such with these many attractions Gregory Lake is a family friendly historic location of SriLanka, attracting many holiday makers who visit the country.
On the shore of the lake, you can enjoy leisure activities such as rides in swan shaped paddle boats, normal boatrides, pony rides along the shore, water walking balls, watersports such as jetskis, windsurfing and etc. Or you can just spend time around relaxing on the shore of the lake. After darkness we headed towards our Hotel named The Oliphat Bunglow away from city center.
This property is situated high up hill in Central Nuwara Eliya at a place called Shantipura. The surrounding view of mountains and tea plantations is picturesque and tranquil. While heading towards the property at night we couldn't guess that in the morning we would be greeted warmly by the nature in the form of tea gardens & a lake.
Late night while climbing through darkness on a winding hill gave an aprehensive feeling as to where we were headed into the darkness, and creepy thoughts started sweeping in the mind. A few thin line of houses went pass as our car was climbing the curvy hills. Occasionaly few dim street lights appeared after few kilometers and the car finally halted.
And further down on the right of the dead end was an small colonial style gateway to the hotel. The hotel was a colonial style bungalow. We were served with lovely cup of Ceylon tea while check in process was being managed,Initially scared with the aloofness we checked in, came for dinner which was superb in terms of menu and taste. Having slept with feeling of spookiness we woke up to experience tranquality and exhilaration by the view we got from the room.
With only seven guest rooms, the Bungalow has an intimate feel. It felt like staying at a traditional inn in the English countryside. I was strongly reminded of a town called Ambelside in Lake districk,UK.
After savoring a quick breakfast we started towards Nanu Oya a station near to Nuwara Eliya to board our train to Ella. We came down the same path unwinding it on our way to the main town. What seemed spooky and scary at night now looked like happy nature wearing nothing but green. The aroma of the tea estates was just great. It took us around 20 minutes to reach the railway station. Upon reaching there we found out that the train has been delayed by 50 minutes.
Nanu Oya is the railway station which falls on Kandy-Badulla railway line much famous for the scenic beauty and also mentioned as one of the lesser known beautiful train journeys by National Geographic Channel(https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/lists/transportation/spectacular-lesser-known-train-trips/).The train ride takes you through stunning landscapes of Green lush tea plantations.Complete route includes Kandy to Ella to Badulla but the most preferred and conventional one is the Nanu Oya to Ella.
The train was a small diesel engine pulled unit with blue cabins. It was like going back in time. Had seen such engines during childhood hauling from my hometown Pune .
There were travellers from Germany, France, & Australia to name a few along with the friendly locals.
As train slowly went zigzagging its way through lush green tea gardens, multiple tunnels, quaint hills, thick jungles and beautiful countryside, occasionally tea pickers with colorful sari-dressed kept popping out of the sea of green and rolling away. We arrived at Ella after a 3 hour journey and memories of a lifetime. Priyal was waiting outside the station with a big smile ready to welcome us.
Nine Arches Bridge was our next destination which lies on the extension of the same line towards Badulla;which we just got off from at Ella.
The Nine Arch Bridge in Ella is on the Damodara loop and stretches to 91 meters at a height of 24m. The scenic nine arches make it a very picturesque spot especially as it is located in a dense jungle and agricultural setting. A forest on hills is booming above the hill and below, tea leaves are being cultivated.
The bridge was built at Gotuwala between the Ella and Demodara stations during the British Colonial period. Locally it is known as ‘Ahas Namaye Palama’ meaning nine skies bridge in Sinhala. The name derives from the visual experience. When you stand below the bridge and look up you can see the sky through the nine arches.
The unique part about this bridge is that it is built entirely from rocks, bricks, and cement with no use of steel or metals throughout the structure. The bridge was commissioned in 1941 and the story goes that as the bridge was being planned World War I broke out. The steel and metal materials destined to be used in the bridge were reassigned to be used for military purposes. The materials were then gathered in the form of rocks, bricks, and cement to make sure the bridge construction still went ahead.
The bridge is very close to the main street in Ella town. Priyal dropped us to the nearest spot where the cars could go, from there you can enjoy a hike for 20 or so minutes.A tuk-tuk will also take you there for 200 rupees,yet you have to walk down for 5 minutes through a tea estate and few backpacking hotels from the drop off point or You can access the bridge from other side of the railway bridge also where tuk tuks can take you till the mouth of the tunnel through which the train emerges.The side we came down meant we had to trek down for 10-15 minutes as there was tuk-tuk access till a certain limit but if you aren’t up for the trek and adventure you can literally get dropped right at the bridge in a tuk-tuk through the alternate route.
Before we started our mini little hike we treated ourselves to a King Coconut water by the road a specialty of Sri Lanka and then made our way through the small concrete path cutting though the forest & climbing steeply up the hill.It was very crowded given that it was weekend and many locals had also come down to enjoy the place. There were few corn & coconut sellers who seemed to enjoy a good amount of business in the little jungle.But once a train had passed the crowd got thin. We were lucky enough to witness couple of trains passing before we made our way back to our car.
We made a quick stop in the town at the main street for a late lunch.The main street gave a unique feel of a colonial styled village with restaurants & cafe nestled against the Green Jungle & tea estates of Sri Lanka. We were happy enough to savor on some German Chicken Schnitzel & English fish and chips at place called Cafe Chill before Priyal drove us back to Nuwara Eliya which was a 3 hours journey back.
Seetha Amman Temple is a temple about 5 Kms away from Nuwara Eliya, where we took a quick stop before heading to our hotel. Sri Seethai Amman temple is a unique temple it has been made at the place where Seeta Mata spent her days in the prison of Ravana aprox 5000 years ago. It is also unique in a way that it is one of the very few temples dedicated to Seeta.
After breakfast we left the Oliphant Bunglow surrounded by tea gardens to reach Bentota a coastal town on the west coast of Sri Lanka. The total journey was about 6 hours plus. Soon the tea landscape had disappeared and were replaced by thick jungle. We stopped on the way by Kelani river at Kithulgala for River Rafting. It was about 2 hour worth of adventure. We experienced about 5 major rapids and few minor ones before we had got down of the raft and changed back. Along the route later we had a quick south Indian food by the highway at a government run restaurant nestled under the thick dense trees by the Kelani river.
Today we were heading to Galle another coastal city in South of Sri Lanka which was destroyed by the 2004 tsunami.
Galle is a fort city built by the portuguese in the 17th century.It is a mix of traditional sri lankan & Portuguese architectural style.The World heritage site of the Galle fort is the largest remaining fortress in Asia built by Europeans.
This city was almost destroyed by he massive tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which occurred off the coast of Indonesia a thousand miles away. Thousands were killed in the city.
The famous Galle International Stadium, which is considered to be one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in the world.The ground, which was severely damaged by the tsunami, was rebuilt and test matches resumed there on 18 December 2007.
On the way we took a stop at Turtle hatchery at a place called Kosgoda. Just behind the hatchery we found an untouched pristine beach full of shiny blue water hidden. We spent some time clicking pictures over there.
Priyal again stopped on the way at a secluded but beautiful beach by the roadside. Since the road was running parallel to the seashore we saw numerous big and small beaches passing by, but this one was the best given the view. The water was lapping peacefully on the sand and the sand mixed with green grass alongside the road. There were natural round boulders acting as barriers between the sea and the Asphalt road.
Next we went to a small town called Meetyagoda. This place is famous for Moonstone mining , a speciality of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is known to produce the best quality of Moonstone in the world and according locals Meetyagoda is the only place in Sri Lanka to mine Moonstones.
Priyal took us to a mine in Meetiyagoda where the owner explained how the moonstones are mined.
Usually a mine is dug about 30 feets. The soil sand dug is then washed & cleaned to separate stones from soil and normal stones. These stones are then categorized according to quality, size and preciousness. They are then polished, cut & sold. Next to the mine they had a small workshop & a museum selling variety of Moonstones.
After buying a rainbow moonstone for myself , we left for Galle. We first headed to the 16th Century Portuguese made fort. The fort still today is in a very pristine condition & looks very much maintained. We took a walk around the coast witnessed the enthralling Cliff Jumpers & made our way back after an hour through the splendid Dutch style houses.
Soon the country side with small roads turned into a 4 lane highway and we reached a town called Beruwala to check in to our Hotel, Cinnamon Bay.
We started our Journey back to Beruwala, had a quick Lunch at KFC in the town. The Galle port was distinctly visible at a distance from the Galle Cricket ground. As we drove back the Sea accompanied till Beruwala vanishing frequently en route.
Today we relaxed and enjoyed the hotel property. The hotel has access to a small, beautiful beach. There were locals offering a ride to a nearby Island in a traditional long tail boat. Due to time constraint we couldn't experience the adventure.
We left in the afternoon and reached Colombo in 2 hours. Spent sometime in a shop called Kandy buying clothes then later we went to another store known as House of Fashion.
Priyal also took us to the Independence Square gave a good explanation about the prominence of the place. We then drove through the Galle Face a prominent area in Colombo followed by the Business & financial area. The Galle face promenade is like a chowpaty in Colombo where people come to spend evenings. Then we went past some government buildings & entered the Pettah area. It is a crowded place with bus stand & lot of local shopping area.
Finally we drove back to Negombo to catch our flight to Mumbai.
We made it in time back to home before the Corona screenings were intensified at the airports & were safely in before the lockdown started.
#lockdown
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