We along with 3 close friends (couples) had visited Srilanka for 5 nights (25th Nov to 30th Nov.).
Our stay was as follows:
a) Kandy - 3 nights
b) Nuwara Eliya - 1 night
c) Colombo - 1 night.
While this stay was just enough to get a taste of Sri Lanka, it was inadequate to experience the true flavour of this Island country.
Our actual experiences are highlighted in the succeeding paragraphs to help intending travellers fine tune their itinerary to enjoy the most this country has to offer.
On arrival at Colombo, we were allotted a dedicated minibus, which remained with us throughout the tour. The driver also acted as a tour guide.
We started with Pinnawala Elephant orphanage, Srilanka's most popular tourist attraction enroute to Kandy from Colombo after arrival. This orphanage is world's largest collection of captive elephants from new born to elderly including orphaned and abandoned elephants as well as those injured in the wild. Some more than 50 elephants proceed for bath together through the township every morning to a nearby river and also return together. We were fortunate to observe them while returning after a bath together and saw the baby elephants being fed milk by baby milk bottles. A rare sight indeed!
All tourists must coincide their visit here to the elephant's bathing time which is an unique experience and not to be missed.
On completion we checked in at our hotel in Kandy, a historical hill city about 480 m above sea level, surrounded by mountains.
It is a popular pilgrimage destination, since it is home to the Temple of Tooth (which houses a sacred tooth of Buddha), which is a must do.
Other Kandy attractions include Kandy Lake and Royal Botanical garden. The botanical garden attracts 2 million visitors annually. The garden includes over 4000 species of plants including orchids, spices, medicinal plants and palm trees. National herbarium of Srilanka is attached to this garden.
An Upper Lake drive offers a picturesque view of the town and lake that must not be missed.
An evening Kandian dance performance which is distinctly Sinhalese and is associated with the idea of National Dance takes you back in Srilankan cultural history and is a worth a watch.
Besides local sightseeing, we also made day trips to:
-Sigiriya Palace (a UNESCO Heritage Site) and Dambulla Rock Temple both are a must see and can be covered on the same day.
Dambulla Rock Cave Temple is located on a vast, isolated Rock around a mile at the base. The first cave is recumbent image of Buddha, 47 Feet long cut out of the rock dating back to 1 BC. There are other images of deities associated with Buddhism in other caves.
Then we proceeded to Sigiriya Palace and Sigiriya Rock fortress which is a UNESCO World Heritage site dating to 5 AD. Sigiriya Palace is one of the best examples of ancient urban planning and claimed to be the Eight Wonder of the World by the locals. It contains the ruins of an ancient rock fortress on the flat top, at a height of approx 350 m. It takes about 45 mins to climb to the top. On the way you can enjoy ancient caves. There are 1200 steps to the summit, which must be attempted by all tourists.
-A tea factory which offered a first hand experience of production of various grades and types of tea leaves. This also included a Tea tasting experience.
-Noritake Crockery Factory Outlet that has a wide range of Japanese crockery at competitive rates. A favourite with high end restaurants and hotels. Worth a visit for bargain crockery souvenirs
-A spice garden cum sale outlet as Sri Lanka is famous for spices.
A stay of 3 nights at Kandy are adequate.
From Kandy we left by road for Nuwara Eliya, a historical hill station with an altitude of 2000 m. It is the Tea capital of Sri Lanka and a hill resort famous for its cool climate.
We visited the Must See attractions including Victoria park, built to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897 and attractions of particular interest to Hindus including Hanuman Temple, Ashok Vatika (Hakgala Botanical Park) and Sita Aman Kovil (Supposed to be the only Kovil in the world dedicated to Sita. Kovil is a Tamil Style Architecture)
We missed taking the train ride from Kandy to Nanu Oya railway station in Nuwara Eliya, which covers a distance of about 194 kms in approx. 4 hours and the journey provides spectacular views while taking you through narrow tunnels and lush green tea gardens.
We also missed visiting Adam's peak, which has a spiritual significance for all Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims. The Buddhists believe that the footprint marked at the summit is of Buddha, while the Hindus believe it to be of Lord Shiva. The Muslims claim it came from Adam. Adam's peak with elevation 2200 m Approx., provides a beautiful sunrise view.
It is also a trekkers paradise and takes about 4 hours to trek till the peak with multiple halts to cover a distance of approx. 7 kms and there are 5500 steps.
We found it much cheaper to buy Sri Lankan Souvenir and masks at the hotel in Nuwara Eliya as compared to Colombo and Kandy.
Both, Adam's Peak and the train ride should be included in the tour as far as possible. Advance reservation is recommended for the train ride. Don't rush through this scenic hill station and devote a minimum of 3 nights here.
From Nuwara Eliya we went by road To Colombo, the biggest city of
Sri Lanka. Colombo is famous for it's rich colonial heritage, shopping centres, stylish restaurants and beautiful art galleries.
We visited the Dutch church dating back to 1749 and Kelaniya Buddhist temple dating back to 6 BC.
Besides visiting branded clothes Factory outlets for bargain shopping, Batiks, Buddha Statues, lacquer ware, tea and spices are famous shopping items to shop for.
Due to paucity of time, we missed a chance to go on an open deck bus city tour to explore Colombo. It's an experience worth enjoying in the evening or night.
It can be inexpensive for budget travellers, if they travel by public transport and stay in guesthouses. Budget friendly tourists can consider travelling during rains ( Apr to Jul) for good bargain rates.
With so much to offer, a minimum of 3 nights would do justice
We didn't visit Galle, a mere 2 hours drive from Colombo. Galle is famous for 17th century Galle Fort, built by the Dutch, now a world heritage site. It's a modern town with Dutch style resorts, hotels, restaurants and art galleries
Should be included in your tour with a minimum of 3 nights planned here.
Suggestions about the flight to be taken and stay
1. Our flight from Mumbai was at 0530 hrs. And we were required to report for check in at 0230 hrs. As a result we had depart our homes by around 0130 hrs. Thus the entire night was spent in transit.
Taking an evening
flight at 1930 hrs. could have been a better choice and had permitted a full night
sleep before commencing the trip.
2.On arrival at Colombo, we
were to head straight for Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, which was a 2 hours
drive and enroute to our first city Kandy. While it saved an extra night at a
hotel, it resulted in serious discomfort since morning rituals became a
problem, which were neither found convenient to perform at the airport nor on
the flight itself. This was a major issue for Indian travellers accustomed to
clear their bowels in the morning and bath. We were, therefore, forced to
arrange a temporary accommodation at Colombo after arrival for this very
purpose before commencing the sightseeing.
Arriving at Sri Lanka the previous evening could have solved this problem and to be kept in mind while planning a trip .
3.We spent 5 days in Sri Lanka with 3 nights at Kandy and just 1 night each at Nuwara Eliya and Colombo, which was felt grossly inadequate
Minimum stay recommendation is 12 nights with 3 nights each at Kandy, Colombo, Nuwara Eliya and Galle to enjoy the most of what Sri Lanka has to offer in and around these places. However, a day can be reduced at Nuwara Eliya in case of shortage of time.
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