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 ...
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, ...
Hotels in Sigiriya Prince Kassapa had always harbored a secret jealousy towards his half-brother Moggallana. Upon the demise of their father, King Dhatusena, the throne would surely pass to Moggallana, whose mother was the Royal Consort. Kassapa, on the other hand, had been born of a common concubine. But he was not the sort of youth who resigns himself to ...
Twelve times a year, and occasionally thirteen, life in Sri Lanka grinds to a halt for the observance of a Poya Day. Sri Lanka’s brand of Buddhism follows a lunar cycle, and full moon days are especially meaningful. These poya days are public holidays, allowing the faithful to visit their favorite temple and take a break from work. It’s forbidden ...
Hotels in Anuradhapura For nearly ten centuries, Anuradhapura was the capital of Sri Lanka and its most important city. Found in the steamy, low-lying North Central Province, Anuradhapura has long lost its political significance, but remains the spiritual capital of the island, and is still one of the world’s major Buddhist pilgrimage sites. Excavations date the settling of the region ...
As incredible as they were, our three weeks in Kandy were almost too busy. Every day, we were out exploring the city or the sights around it, and always ended the day in a state of desperate exhaustion. But the fact that we had a cozy home to return to was a real consolation. The Hill House, on the eastern ...
DIY Wood Carving During our weeks in Kandy, we passed by the Rajanima Craft shop a number of times, and finally decided to visit on our second-to-last day in the city. One of the guys working there was happy to take some time out, show us around the shop and explain a little about the craft. About 25 guys work ...
For our three-day road trip that would bring us to Ritigala, Sigiriya and Dambulla, we needed a lot of energy. Luckily, we couldn’t have chosen a more restful place to spend our down hours: The Back of Beyond Eco Lodge in Sigiriya. Located just past the temple which sits in front of Pidurangala Rock, Back of Beyond lives up to ...
Hotels in Unawatuna On our way to the beach village of Unawatuna, just a few kilometers up the coast from Galle, we saw a sign that read “Unawatuna: Tourist Paradise!” Which just goes to prove what we’ve been saying all along — Sri Lankans have a hilarious and darkly ironic sense of humor! Unawatuna, paradise for tourists. Ha! That’s a ...
Please Like Us on Facebook Without the presence of three large lakes near the city center, Anuradhapura would never have been able to flourish as it did. Tissa Wewa, Nuwara Wewa and Basawakkulama ensured that the populace would always have rice and fresh water, even during the long months between monsoons. Not only were they vital to the city’s prosperity, ...
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 ...
Learn About Hinduism A mighty promontory jutting out into the Indian Ocean, Swami Rock divides Trincomalee’s Back Bay (to the north) from the Dutch Bay (to the south). It’s an impressive natural landmark in the otherwise low-lying city, and has always played an important role in the city’s affairs. Before the arrival of the Europeans, Swami Rock was home 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 Travel Health Insurance Here Good morning, class, and welcome to Advanced Sri Lankan Driving. I’ll be your substitute instructor today, as Mr. Pinnaduwa was fatally injured in a brutal head-on crash last night. Let’s get right to it, shall we? Lesson One: Honking Before starting the engine, make sure to test your car’s horn. It’s your most important ...
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 ...
Snorkel Gear Sri Lanka has the extraordinary privilege of welcoming five of the world’s seven species of sea turtle to its shores. The turtles, who travel around the world and across entire oceans, somehow know to return to their natal beaches when the time comes to reproduce. At night, they emerge from the ocean and lay their eggs in the ...
Hotels In Jaffna In 1618, the Portuguese built an enormous fort in Jaffna, to help protect their hard-won new property. Colonial-era forts are fairly common across the world, but Jaffna’s must be one of the very few which continued to see action until the late 20th century. Recently re-opened to visitors, it was one of the first things we checked ...
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, ...
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 ...
Order Tea From Sri Lanka Here On the road back from Nuwara Eliya to Kandy, we made a short detour to the Mackwoods-Labookelie Tea Estate. This storied business was started by the British Captain William Mackwood in 1841, and today owns an incredible amount of land to the city’s north. On the bus into Nuwara Eliya, it seemed that every ...
