Our Published Travel Books East of Tangalla, a barren landscape sits in the middle of an otherwise heavily forested area. Dark red soil and an utter lack of trees are the hallmarks of Ussangoda, a region thought to have been hit by an ancient meteor. It’s hard to imagine another explanation for this strange anomaly of nature. The walk from ...
Hotels in Tangalle Twenty kilometers north of Tangalla lies the large rock of Mulkirigala, reminiscent in shape to Sigiriya. The rock houses an impressive series of cave temples dating from the third century, similar to those of Dambulla. A mix between Sri Lanka’s two most famous sites, Mulkirigala sounded like a winner. It was the sleepy Sunday following the Sri ...
Sri Lanka Cook Books One of the Sri Lanka’s most typical dishes, and perhaps my favorite, is kottu. Combining rotti bread, veggies, a variety of spices and (optionally) egg, cheese or chicken, it’s one of the country’s few specialties in which rice plays no role. And the best part is, you don’t ever have to look for a restaurant which ...
The village of Dickwella’s claim to fame is the Wewurukannala Temple, where Sri Lanka’s largest Buddha serenely sits. But the Wewurukannala Temple offers more to the visitor than just a big statue. Its marvelously kitschy image house, an illustrated Hall of Sin, colorful statues and a resident elephant are just the highlights of this riotously entertaining place of worship. Entrance ...
Tangalle Hotels No, Dickwella and the Hoo-maniya Blowhole is not the perverted name of a new punk band, but the twin objects of our first day trip outside of Tangalla. The blowhole is a natural wonder formed by cliffs along the coast, and the town of Dickwella, is a frantic coastal town where activity can reach a level of absurdity. ...
Dream Beaches We arrived in Tangalla with mixed emotions. Now on the southern coast, we were undeniably in the final stretch of our tour through Sri Lanka. There was still a lot to see — the attractions of the country’s southern extreme are considerable — but our journey’s approaching end was tangible for the first time. Still, we’d only have ...
Our Latest Travel Book: Palermo, Sicily A major center of Sri Lankan pilgrimage for Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists, Kataragama is a normally sleepy village, which completely transforms every evening when a riotous spectacle of color, fire, music and worship gets underway. We planned on taking the bus from Ella to Kataragama, but the tuk-tuk driver taking us to the station ...
Hostels in Sri Lanka In some places, you have to work hard, catch a lucky break or be extra creative to get great pictures. And then there’s Ella. I didn’t even have to move from our porch. Or look at what I was taking pictures of. Or hold the camera. That would have required putting my drink down! Nope, from ...
Ella Hotels A hike up the conical Adam’s Peak is one of the top things to do in Sri Lanka. Legions of people complete the hike daily, both pilgrims and travelers. Jürgen and I are always primed for an adventure… as long as it’s convenient. After learning that you must embark for the the summit at 2am, we immediately, instantly ...
Buy Tea From Sri Lanka Here On the second of our three days in Ella, we hopped onto the morning train, having decided that we couldn’t pass up a visit to nearby Haputale (ha-POOT-a-lay), a town on the southern extreme of Sri Lanka’s hill country celebrated for its beautiful surroundings and tea plantations. The finest view in Sri Lanka! Everyone ...
Hotels in Ella With an unbeatable setting high in the hills, tiny Ella has earned a reputation as one of Sri Lanka’s most beautiful villages. With its views over the Ella Gap and some incredible nature walks, the town has become one of the most popular destinations in the southern hill country. We spent a few days here, and had ...
Sri Lanka Travel Insurance The Lahugala Reserve, occupying a mere six square miles in the jungle east of Arugam Bay, is one of Sri Lanka’s smallest national parks. We combined a short tuk-tuk excursion to the reserve with a visit to the remains of a legendary queen’s palace. It may be small in size, but a tremendous variety of animals ...
The bulk of our stay in Arugam Bay was spent in the comfortable confines of The Danish Villa. Tucked back far off the town’s main road, this small hotel has just five rooms, all with attached bathrooms and most with air conditioning. With capacity for fifteen guests, the place feels more like an aristocrat’s tropical escape than a traditional hotel, ...
Birding For Beginners There’s more to do in Arguam Bay than just surfing and chilling out in beachside bars. The village is surrounded by some amazing and largely undeveloped nature. One sunny morning, we took a tour of the Pottuvil Lagoon, just to the north, hoping to see the elephants and crocodiles which make their home there. Bright and early ...
Happy New Year Sri Lanka Song Sri Lankan New Year, that is. The holiday, which brings normal life on the island to a complete stop for two full days, is observed on either the 13th or 14th of April, depending on astrological calculations. Unlike the Western holiday, there is no sharp division between the “old” and “new” years — no ...
Sir Lanka Cookbook After ten weeks spent searching the eateries of Sri Lanka, finally we discovered an establishment that serves up the elusive dish of Rice and Curry. “What might it taste like?”, we wondered, nervously anticipating our first bites of this mysterious meal. “Like a pygmy unicorn?” Yes, it must taste like a pygmy unicorn! A creature almost as ...
Hostels in Sri Lanka A laid-back village on the eastern coast of Sri Lanka, Arugam Bay is one of the best places in the world for surfing, and has been a favorite of the long-term community for decades. Thanks to the steady presence of chilled-out expats, the town has a cool, low-key vibe which we’ve not seen anywhere else on ...
Cuddle Elephants The two well-known national parks near Habarana are Kaudulla and Minneriya. So we were more than a little skeptical while listening to this guy pitch the Hurulu Eco-Park: a little-known reserve that doesn’t even appear in our guidebook. “Don’t worry!” he cried, “All the elephants are in Eco-Park!” Sure they are, buddy. But what were we going to ...
Travel Insurance For Sri Lanka During our stay in Polonnaruwa, the owner of our guesthouse had arranged a trip to the Eco-Park of Habarana. We’d heard good things from other travelers, and were anxiously awaiting the afternoon hour of departure. But we ought to have been looking forward to the trip with apprehension, instead of excitement. Here’s a little tip. ...
Book Your Polonnaruwa Hotel Here Exhausted from a morning spent exploring Polonnaruwa’s massive archaeological site, we sat down for a much-needed break. I leafed through our guide book, and took a big gulp. We had already seen a lot, but weren’t even midway through. And the ruins which remained threatened to be even more amazing. After passing the Rankot Vihara, ...
