Sri Lanka - Part 1

 SRI LANKA

Hello. I am back to bring you a new experience on a new trip. This time the trip was to Sri Lanka. Again, not the whole country. I covered the central, southern and some part of the western side. You will know the places as you go on. Without wasting much time, let's get into it.

First up, to clear up all your doubts, Sri Lanka is a beautiful country. Post Covid and the 2022 economic crises, it has returned to normalcy now. One can get all items here and there are no turmoil. The visa process, currency, accommodations and transport, I will talk about them in the next part. Let me first introduce you to the places.

KANDY

There is only one international airport in the country - Bandaranaike International Airport. It is about 40km from the city of Colombo. You would think why am I mentioning airport when the heading says Kandy. The reason is transportation. The city of Kandy is about 114km from the airport, and another 10km more from Colombo. However, from the airport there are taxis available to reach Kandy. That's the only transport available. From Colombo, though, one can catch a bus to reach the city.

Kandy is the second largest city in Sri Lanka, after Colombo. It is located in the central province of the country. It is a semi-hilly region with summers being cooler than other coastal cities. Being at the center, Kandy acts as a hub in connecting the northern and southern as well as the east-west coast. Kandy is known for its gems. Rare gems like the blue sapphire, ruby, garnet, white sapphire among others is available here. That's a tip for shopping in this region. There are a lot of good places surrounding this area. Let's visit some of them.

Temple of Tooth Relic:

The Temple of Tooth Relic is one of the most sacred and revered Buddhist temples. Legend says that the tooth of Lord Buddha was smuggled from India and is being worshipped here. It was believed that whosoever possessed the tooth, would automatically rule the entire region. It is hence said that the erstwhile king of the region smuggled it and ruled the region. Buddhism is a major religion in Sri Lanka. A lot of people throng the temple to worship by offering flowers. The temple is adjacent to the Kandy Lake. However, common people are not allowed in this lake, as the water from the lake is used for worship and only a few Buddhist monks can enter here.

(The temple complex of tooth relic)

(Temple for Lord of health)

(The temple of tooth relic)

(Kandy Lake)

(A fountain next to the lake)

(Queen's hotel - a hotel from the British era)

(A street view in the city)

(Big Buddha statue on the top of the hill)

(A cave on the road on the way to Kandy. This was the earliest routes to reach Kandy from Colombo)

Pinnawala Elephant Orphange:

Around 40kms from Kandy, is the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. Here, orphaned and injured elephants are taken care of. It holds the largest herd of elephants in the world. Wild elephants wandering around the forests are bred, fed and looked after here. A small stream also flows by where the elephants are bathed. The orphanage is run by the government. Apart from orphanage, there are many private operators who look after the elephants. One can experience an elephant ride, bathe an elephant, feed an elephant. There are also museums dedicated to the study of elephants.

(Bathing of elephants)

(Elephant feeding)

(Museum showing the skeleton of an elephant)

There are a few more places like the Peradeniya Botanical Garden which holds a large collection of orchids. Also, the Ambuluwawa Tower, which provides a 360-view of the city. As said, the region is known for its gems. So, one can see a lot of gem museums and gem shops. The prices are reasonable and makes a good shopping experience. A lot of herbal and spice gardens are also present. Here, rare medicinal plants and herbs are grown. Medicines are also sold here but these are expensive. I would not suggest them buying here.

(Sunset at Kandy)

(Sunrise at Kandy)

NUWARA ELIYA:

After a good night's sleep at Kandy, our next stop was Nuwara Eliya. Nuwara Eliya is a hill station located at about 100km from Kandy. The place is famous for its tea. The famous Ceylon tea is grown in this region and the place is surrounded by tea estates. Although Nuwara Eliya is just 100kms away, it takes a longer time to reach the place as the route wades through hilly areas capturing amazing sceneries.

Hanuman Temple:

The first stop on the way to Nuwara Eliya was the Hanuman temple. It is one of the few Hindu temples in the area. The temple is on a small hillock. The view from the temple is mesmerizing. Since the route is through the hills, amazing views and waterfalls on the way.

(Hanuman temple)

(View from the temple)

(A small climb up to the temple)

(Pine trees on the way)

(Water falls seen on the way)

(The meandering Mahaweli Ganga river)

(Ramboda waterfalls)

Tea Factory:

Nuwara Eliya is famous for its tea. So, the next stop was a tea factory. Damro tea is one of the largest tea producing companies in the country. Here, an orientation is given on how tea is manufactured. The tea is very different from the normal ones we get in India. We also get to taste a cup of tea and of course there is a shop where you can consult and buy tea as per your liking. We also got to stop at a tea estate to capture some magnificent pictures.

(Tea leaves being dried at tea factory)

(Damro tea estate with a waterfall in the vicinity)

(Tea estate on a close-up scale)

Nuwara Eliya Post Office:

A popular attraction in the Nuwara Eliya post office located at the center of the town. It is one of the oldest post offices in Sri Lanka. It was built during the British rule and the architecture is impressive. This is just a view-only attraction in the town.

(Nuwara Eliya Post office)

Victoria Garden:

Another must-see place is the Victoria Garden. It is a botanical garden. It holds a lot of trees and a variety of flowers like the lotus, roses among others. The park is well maintained with clean surroundings, huge trees, ponds, fountains, dining areas, children's park. There is also a toy train in the park where kids can enjoy a ride.

(Entrance to the park)

(Lotus pond)

(Fountains in the park)

(Toy train)

(Children's park)

Gregory Lake:

Gregory lake is an artificial lake constructed during the British reign. The lake is named after the British Governor General Sir William Gregory. Water sports and recreational activities are conducted in the lake. The surroundings of the lake are surreal. On the one side, is the town of Nuwara Eliya and a turf club while on the other is the tea estate. One can also see the peak of Pidurutalagala - the highest mountain in Sri Lanka.

Boating is available here. Although expensive, the ride is worth it for the views.

(Tea estate along the lake)

(View of the town from the lake)

(The peak of Pidurutalagala mountain)

Seetha Amman temple:

Well, we have all heard of Ramayan. Of course, there is a part of the legend that happens in Sri Lanka as well. How can we miss that. One of the major places of Ramayan is the Seetha Amman temple, which is mentioned as Ashok Vatika in the epic. It is said the demon-king Ravan kidnapped Seetha and held hostage at Ashok Vatika, pestering all the while to marry him. It is the same place that is a temple now. A beautiful temple which has Ram, Seetha, Lakshman as the main deity here. If you get down the temple, there is a small waterfall and a small rock. Here is where Seetha sat in the memory of Lord Ram. It is said that her tears flowed down the stream here. It is also the same place where Lord Hanuman requested Seetha to allow him to escort her to Ram. There is a statue which depicts Hanuman showing the ring of Ram. There is also a huge footprint of Lord Hanuman.

(Seetha Amman temple)

(Footprint of Hanuman and the place where Seetha was put up)

(The stream behind the temple)

(The waterfall)

(Statue of Hanuman showing Ram's ring to Seetha)

There are a lot of other waterfalls and treks one can undergo in Nuwara Eliya. Some of them include Lover's leap fall, Hakgala park, trek to Pidurutalagala, a stay at the golf course etc. However, since they require more time, we could not see all of them.

Nine-Arch Bridge:

One of the most popular tourist destinations in Sri Lanka is Ella. Ella was one of most sought-after places during the British era. People used to come here to beat the heat as the place is very cool throughout. Even now, one can see a lot of Europeans here and European style accommodations and restaurants. Trekking is popular here as there are many caves and waterfalls. Ella is about 55kms from Nuwara Eliya but the journey takes a while.

The main attraction here is the Nine-Arch Bridge. The bridge, also called the Bridge of the Sky, was built during the colonial era. As the same says, there are nine arches which act as a viaduct. The bridge was constructed for a railway line which connects Ella and Demodara. According to some, this journey is one the best train journeys in the world. 

The bridge cannot be seen easily from the road. A 1.5km trek along the forest leads you to this beautiful location. As soon as the bridge ends, the train enters a tunnel which makes the place even more beautiful.

(The nine-arch bridge)

(The tunnel next to the bridge)

(View from the bridge)

(Train traversing on the bridge)

(Bridge as seen from above)

(Pine forests along the trek route)

Ravan falls:

This is another place where Ramayan comes into picture. The Ravan falls is a huge waterfall about 82ft and is three tiers. The waterfall is visible on the road from Ella to Yala. There are many caves here too. Legend says that demon king Ravan hid here. Some also say that he hid Seetha here for a few days before moving her to Ashok Vatika. One can climb up the third tier from where one can also access the Ravan Ella cave.

(Ravan falls)

I will stop at this juncture. There is more to follow. I have covered half of my trip here. I will soon post the second one. Let me know about this blog in the comments. See you until next time!!