The Srilankan Highlands

Kandy

Kandy Lake

Back in Colombo, my plan was to take the train to Kandy which was the capital of Sri Lanka for over 200 years before taking the famed train from Kandy to Ella up in the Sri Lankan Highlands. The train ride from Colombo to Kandy takes around 3 hours.  

The World Heritage Site of Kandy is located in the central highlands at around 1600 Feet and became the capital of the Sinhalese kings in 1592 who preserved their independence during the period of European colonial rule until 1815, when the British ousted Sri Wickrama Rajasinha and exiled him to Vellore in India. Kandy became a centre for both Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism and its most important temple is Dalada Maligava or the “Temple of the Tooth”, where a tooth of the Buddha is believed to be preserved.

Temple of the Tooth

I stayed at Hanthana Jungle View Holiday Home which was at a height on the edge of a forest reserve and about 3 Kms from the city. The main area of the city is a large man made lake surrounded by various Buddhist and Hindu temples. In the morning, I set out walking and spent the day visiting the temples and going around the lake. There are restaurants and shopping areas along the lake that make for a pleasant day out. 

The temples I visited were the Temple of the Tooth and four Devalayas or temples for Gods. These are Vishnu, Kataragama (Murugan), Pattini and Natha (Avalokiteswara). 

Dance Performance

I hadn't heard of a Goddess called Pattini earlier. On researching further, I found out that Pattini (also called Kaṇṇaki by Srilankan Tamil Hindus) originated in South India and is considered a guardian deity of Sri Lanka. She is a patron goddess of fertility and health, particularly protection against smallpox. While female deities do not occupy major positions in Buddhism, Goddess Pattini is an exception. The Pattini cult in Sri Lanka dates back to the 2nd Century A.D and is an example of the Hindu-Buddhist synergism.

The Kandy lake is well kept and clean and made for a pleasant walk. In the evening, there was a traditional dance performance at YMBA (Young Men's Buddhist Association) which showcases Kandy and Sri Lankan dance forms and also includes a fire walk. Though tailor made for tourists, it gives a good introduction to Sri Lankan dances. 

Overall, Kandy is a pleasant experience and a must see before heading higher up to the hills. Next day I caught the early morning train to travel to the town of Ella.

Ella

Train to Ella

The train to Ella goes through some beautiful landscape before it reaches Nuwara Elia and then onwards to Ella. The train is surprisingly modern and spotlessly clean, unlike the trains in India. Its one of the best train journeys that I have undertaken in South Asia and a must do in Sri Lanka. I made the reservation online and the train was nice and comfortable, not at all crowded and mainly filled with tourists and upper middle class Sri Lankans. It was Thursday 9th November and the total journey took around 7 1/2 hours 

Ella is a beautiful hill town surrounded by forests. I stayed in a Hotel called Ella Waterfall view which had rooms dramatically facing the Kuda Ravana Waterfalls. One could sit in the porch sipping tea and watch the waterfall! In the afternoon, it rained and the waterfall turned big and brown. The hotel is 1.5 km up from the main streets and can be reached in a nice 20 minutes walk.

Ella Rock Hike

The next day early morning, a little way below from the hotel is the train line and I followed the tracks in the other direction for a trek to the Ella Rock View point. It took around 1 1/2 hours and it was a pleasant walk uphill through a black bridge, small waterfall, forested trees, cave temples and then a dramatic view from the view point. A little further up is view point 2 and from there I could see the Main Ravana Waterfalls far away which is on the main road and quite beautiful. According to legend, it is said that Ravana had kidnapped princess Sita, and hidden her in the caves behind this waterfall.

In the town near the railway station, there are tons of restaurants and shops filled with tourists and is a great place for meeting up, buying food and souvenirs, eating in the restaurants and people watching. 

Nine Arches Bridge

The following day, I walked down to the main road from the hotel and a few Kms from there is the hike to Little Adam's Peak Trailhead which is another view point and easily accessible. After finishing that, I took the route to go to the Nine Arches Bridge which is one of the most photographed sites in Sri Lanka and an instagrammable location. It gets quite crowded and one has to go there based on the train timings so that one can photograph the train moving over the bridge. There's quite a jostle to select the right spot for the photos!  

A few days in Ella and it was time to finish the journey and go back to Colombo. I took an express bus through Wellawaya going down south of the Island and taking the newly built E01 expressway to drop me at Makumbura east of Colombo. We went past the new Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport and the infamous port of Hambantota lay further south. The total journey took around 4 1/2 hours and is very smooth indicative of the infrastructure that Sri Lanka has been building with generous help from the Chinese. 

Overall Experience and Thoughts

Politics and Infrastructure 

I covered most part of Central and Southern Sri Lanka and plan to travel to the North and East in another trip. Overall, I found the country to be peaceful and no visible signs are apparent of the latest economic turmoil that the citizens had to go through. The political discourse in the Sri Lankan TV channels were civil and very respectful considering the cacophony and bias in Indian TV channels. There is an understanding that the country has to reestablish its credibility and the people are cautiously optimistic. 

Wherever I went, there was appreciation for India and her economic progress, Modi's leadership and the Chandrayaan landing on the Moon. India is regarded as a successful country and on the right path to a bright future.

Infrastructure and cleanliness is better than India which I have experienced in most of the South East Asian countries. All across kids can be seen going to school like in Kerala and literacy is high. 

Religion and Culture

Culturally, the big revelation to me was the diversity of people and religions. There are the Sinhalese in the south, Sri Lankan Tamils in the North, Indian Tamils in the highlands and tea estates. There are also Burghers who are descended from Portuguese, Dutch, British and other Europeans who settled in Ceylon. The Buddhists are predominantly in the south, Hindus in the North, Muslims mainly in the eastern coasts and Christians spread across in the major cities.  

The Sinhalese descend from Bengalis and Oriyas who had crossed over when Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka and 30% of the Genetic make up of Sinhalese is still Bengali. This is reflected in their food which unlike the Tamilian Sambar and Rasam consists of yellow dal similar to Bengal. However, food is cooked in Coconut Oil by Sinhalese and Tamils alike. Another similarity is the Kandyan Saree used by the Sinhalese where the style of draping is believed to have been derived from the Bengali style of draping a sari.

Food

Food is diverse and includes influences from India, Indonesia and Malaysia. There are Idiyappam and Egg Hoppers like in Kerala to Kottu Roti which is a Muslim and Tamil influenced dish. Indonesia influenced Sambal is used along with Rice and curries like Jackfruit, Dhal (lentils) and Fish. The Dutch Burgher community has Lamprais which comes from Dutch “lump” and “rice” is a combination of meat, rice and sambal chili sauce, wrapped into a banana leaf packet and steamed.

Summary

Overall Sri Lanka is a great and inexpensive tourist destination and gives a diverse and enriching experience. The beaches are lovely, the hills and highlands are pristine and beautiful and the cities bustling and full of life. Sri Lankans are an easy going welcoming people full of warmth and generally happy disposition in spite of coming out of a brutal civil war which went on for decades, ethnic tensions, recent terrorist attacks and political and economic instability.  For Indians, we can take an example or two from the Lankans, savor the stable democracy we have and keep our cities and countryside clean and tourist friendly. 

The Western Coast

Hikkaduwa

Serendipity Lake

I took a train from Colombo to Hikkaduwa which is a beach town in the South of Srilanka. The railway line goes along the coast and is the best way to travel to the western shore beaches. On reaching Hikkaduwa, I went up to a Lakehouse Villa Serendipity Lake. This is a beautiful property located in a 3 acre estate with sprawling gardens and an infinity pool. Home made lunch is available at the villa and Jay who is the caretaker is a great resource for local contacts and activities that can be done around the area.

On the Bike

I hired a bike for a few days to be able to move around. The Hikkaduwa-Narigama beach was a short 10 minute bike ride away from the villa. Over the next few days, spent time at the beaches, eating local food, rowing around the lake, enjoying a Srilankan Ayurvedic Massage and taking a basic diving lesson at the Poseidon Diving Centre. Hikkaduwa is one of the good places to learn diving in Sri Lanka.

From Hikkaduwa, I took a bus and moved on to Galle further south, one of the best preserved Colonial forts in Asia and a world heritage site.

Galle

The Galle ramparts

Founded in the 16th century by the Portuguese as a fortified town, it is the best representation of European planning principles with South Asian architectural traditions. The streets are built in a grid format with clusters of buildings along side them. There are rows of houses facing the streets with verandas shaded by high overhanging roofs supported on slender columns. Bastions are located at strategic points. Inside the houses are internal courtyards like South Asian homes and creates the settlement’s unique character. Many of the houses have been converted to coffee shops and boutique restaurants and one can spend many hours walking inside the fort, taking in the sights of the sea.

Galle Lighthouse

It is worth spending a few days in Galle and I walked around the Fort streets and along the ramparts every day morning and evenings. Before entering the fort, in the early morning one can watch the goings of the Fish Market and sip Kanji with the locals which is a rice gruel popular among many Asians. 

The Galle Heritage Foundation protects, conserves and develops Galle Fort and I hope that the town sustains itself as a living city managing the tourist flow and demand for new restaurants and hotels without compromising its authenticity.

After Galle, it was time to move on further south to the surfing town of Ahangama and it was a short bus ride before I got down and walked towards the YoYo Surf Hostel, a popular place for young people who come from all across the world to learn surfing in the seas of Sri Lanka. 

Ahangama and Wellgama

With My Surf Instructor

Ahangama is located just a few Kms before Weligama and these are all surfing beaches and very good for beginners who want to learn Surfing. People from all over the world come over and stay for months to learn surfing before practicing in choppier waters. Prices are affordable and stay is cheap. There are many hostels that are dotted across the landscape.

Petti Petti Mirissa Restaurant

Yo Yo hostel had a smiling and affable Manager, Kosala who greeted me as I arrived. He was part of an extended family who had leased the land and built the hostel. The action shits to this hostel especially after the South East Monsoons when surfing moves from the Eastern Coasts to the Western Coast. Due to Sri Lanka getting both South East and North East monsoons, the action shifts from one coast to the other depending on where the winds and rains were coming from.

Next few days was going along the coast in a hired bike, trying some surfing lessons and hanging by the beaches. Welligama beach has a clutch of affordable surfing schools. Further South is Mirissa beach from where one can go for whale spotting and turtle tours. Badora Spa is a good place for an authentic Srilankan Ayurvedic massage. 

Behind Yo Yo Hostel, along the railway tracks, there is a fabulous restaurant run by a Sri Lankan family called Machan Curry Pot. I spent some of my evenings there having some authentic local cuisine and engaging with the family as they cooked the food in the kitchen. 

Soon it was time to return back to Colombo and move on to Kandy, the cultural capital of Sri Lanka. 

Colombo

Colombo - Bustling Metropolis

The road to Colombo from the Bandaranaike International airport is a beautiful drive through a newly built toll road that goes from Negombo to the city in the South. As one enters the town, sign boards written in Sinhalese, Tamil and English comes to view and gives the impression of a well managed city. It was an hour's drive from the airport to my guesthouse in Central Colombo.  

Galle Face

The Fort and Cinnamon Gardens Area

Next day early morning, before the traffic started, I travelled to the North of the City to Colombo Fort and spent the day around the Fort walking further south to Galle Face and then to the Colombo National Museum in Cinnamon Gardens. Just behind the Museum is a street art gallery with rows of shops lined up with some good paintings.

Curry Pot

Cinnamon Gardens, also known as Colombo 7 district is the most affluent neighborhood of Colombo and this and the Fort area are well kept and managed with good roads, orderly traffic management and adequate walking areas. Like any tropical area, best time to explore is in the early mornings as it gets hot in the afternoon and then rains in the evening as the heat brings in the water from the oceans to form thunderclouds.

I sought out a place called Curry Pot located on the Marine drive road for lunch. This is a spread of precooked food that you can choose by mixing and matching and was a great introduction to Sinhalese food. Its a small place but the food is fresh and authentic.

Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya and Gangaramaya Temple

Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya

The next day, early morning, I travelled to Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya which is one of the greatest Buddhist temples in Colombo and a must see for visitors. I was lucky as it turned out to be a full moon day and a holy occasion as it was the end of the Buddhist Vassa which is a three-month annual retreat observed by Theravada Buddhists. The Vihara was full of devotees and I spent almost 2 hours visiting the shrine campus. 

Gangaramaya Temple

Later in the morning, I had breakfast at the Commons Coffee House in Cinnamon Gardens, an Oasis of peace with some fine coffee. From there I travelled to the Gangaramaya Temple which has an unique architectural design and serene surroundings.  The temple has a collection of antiques which include old watches, pottery, gems, statues and ivory works.

Antiques and Porcelain

On my exit from Colombo after the Sri Lankan trip, I picked up some antique Raksha masks and wooden frames from Lakpahana in Cinnamon Gardens which has a good collection. A must buy is Sri lankan porcelain which I sourced from the  Dankotuwa Porcelain Signature Showroom which is nearby.

Impressions of Colombo

After staying in Colombo both during entry into Sri Lanka and my return, I found it to be a bustling city with different neighborhood districts like many Asian cities. It is clean and well managed. The city is dramatically changing as new high rise buildings spring up. Near the Fort, a new Port City SEZ is coming up cementing Colombo's reputation as the largest port in South Asia. The city is in need of a Metro and a Light Rail System which is proposed, but caught up in political shenanigans at this time. 

Youngsters are generally stylish and office going women dressed in skits or trousers though I saw a few women wearing the traditional Osariya or Kandyan Saree drape for special occasions. I couldn't help noticing that the women loved their large leather handbags which looks like a must have accessory!