Sri Lanka (Part 2)

This is the second part of my Sri Lanka Travel Blog. For Sri Lanka Part 1 click here.

 

Ella

Luckily, somewhere in the middle of nowhere we managed to wave down a tuk-tuk and headed for the Ravana Falls and afterwards for the tea factory, where we had a little private tour as the official tour was closed already. Sometimes it pays out to be late. ;) Unfortunately, there were no pics allowed in the factory.

After enjoying another nice breakfast at our Hotel,  we packed up and were ready to head to the southern beaches of Tangalle. At first we planned on taking one of Sri Lanka’s notorious buses down south but at the end we decided to take a private driver hire to Tangalle as the bus ride would have taken us at least a whole day to get to the coast. Notably, private driver hires in Sri Lanka are still very affordable and probably the best and fastest way to get around in Sri Lanka. Especially, if you want to do the some sightseeing along the way. You just have to bargain your way thru to a decent price.

Anyways, the trip to Tangalle was pure torture with our driver – the hotel owner. This was the first moment when I discovered that I can actually get travel sickness. His hand seemed to be semi-attached to the horn and his driving style was just horrible… the speedometer wasn’t working  and I think all warning lamps which were available were lit up… Where he could – or even not could – he tried to overtake… I believe I have seen my creator coming – a dozen times, probably! Totally suicidal this guy!

 

Tangalle

Tangalle is a small town located on the southern tip of Sri Lanka and is in particular popular by independent travellers who wish to spend, away from the hustle and bustle of the beaten tracks, a few quiet and relaxing days soaking up in the sun.

We got our self a little villa at Palm Paradise Cabanas. Yep, very backpacker style! But surprisingly the villa was cheaper than the cabanas (off-season). It was a very short walk to the beach, a small private beach cove just for guests of the hotel. Another upside of the off-season is that we had the hotel and beach alone just to our self. Ok, there were also various crabs, shell creatures, and some hotel-owned dogs.

In the first place we were actually planning on heading for Sri Lanka’s Surfers Paradise Arugam Bay but in the end the weather forecast did guide us to Tangalle.

But, well, we all know what the weather forecast is usually good for in the end…

But hope dies last… Baam, the next day it cleared up after noon and I was set for some seascape shots.

 

As always, time to head on… Our last destination – Bentota, a tourist attraction on the West Coast.

Ah yes,  before I actually head on, there was something else. I wasn’t sure if it even was worth mentioning here, especially after I got ripped off there. :D But then I read that it may be the second largest blowhole in the world (25-30m high). The talk is of the Hummanaya Blowhole, located approximately 14km west of Tangalle.

If you ever want to go there, please be aware that access to the blowhole itself is free, even if the locals there are demanding an entrance fee. The entrance fee is for the Blowhole Information and Study Centre – which honestly is not even worth considering going there. The signs there are a little misguiding with the aim to rip-off tourists.

I loved the collective “aaaaaahhhh” every time the water blow-up shot high :)

 

In order to get to Bentota, we hired a tuk-tuk driver – no worries we didn’t take a tuk-tuk – to drive us to Matara, forty-something kilometers west of Tangalle, from where we took the “Express” train along the coast to Bentota. We would have taken the train all the way, but the connection Matara to Tangalle is still under construction at the moment. Taking the bus was also an option, and is besides the train one of the cheapest means to get around in Sri Lanka, but was out of option for us due to timing issues.

The Express” train from Matara to Bentota is pure cattle class and way, way older than the train we took from Kandy to Ella. Another authentic Sri Lankan experience!

 

Bentota

With just 15 minutes (surprisingly) delay we arrived in Bentota and were immediately ambushed by tuk-tuk drivers and had to bargain very hard (!) for the 2km drive :D. Haggling can be so much fun! :)

For our stay in Bentota we booked 4 nights at Centara Ceysands Resort – at a special rate as the Resort has just recently re-opened under a new name after an extensive restoration and renovation. Pure decadence, if you are used to backpacking for a while.

The Resort itself was amazing! Set on Bentota peninsula Centara Ceysands Resort enjoys a superb location with the Bentota River on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other, ensuring dreamy views from most areas of the resort along with a natural environment. The resort is accessed by a short boat ride across a lagoon… and isn’t that in itself cool?

Travelling so far as backpackers we have been pretty much an attraction for the staff as it seemed they have never seen backpackers at the resort. They also didn’t really got along with our backpacks and didn’t know how to handle them. One even almost teared off the top cover of my backpack if I had not said anything.

 

Kande Viharaya Temple

With our new local friend Max showing us around, we went to Kande Viharaya (temple on the hill), which includes the tallest sitting Buddha statue – with a height around 48m – and a history dating back to 1734. Thousands of devotees flock the holy grounds of the Kande Viharaya daily, seeking mental & spiritual relief from all the troubles & worries of day to day life.

It was really interesting to be shown around and getting the Buddhist teaching explained. So was it definitely an authentic experience to watch locals practice their believe. And as we could judge, there were almost none tourists.

 

Living the good life…

…sitting with your loved one in the surf of the Indian Ocean and watching the sun set. There is no better way to finalize a journey as this!

 

I hope this gives you an rough idea about Sri Lanka. Some people say it is like a little India, but apparently less crowded and way cleaner and that you either hate or love it. For me personally, I must say it started out with the first and developed to the latter.

Further, just by the look on our trip itinerary I can judge that we maybe just have scratched on the surface. Two weeks are definitely not enough time and if you want to see the tourism unspoiled Sri Lanka you may have to go farther north and east as from my knowledge this areas are still very undeveloped in terms of tourism. One could easily get lost there for months, if not even longer, exploring this “Pearl of the Indian Ocean”.