TRAVEL SWAG : LANKAN DIARIES
For quite some days I have been looking out for a reason to
blog again .
A perfectly planned trip like this just beckoned my way.
Since the
day the flights got booked I had made a mental note of several pre- travel –
travel and post travel activities lined up for me.
To gather people and to zero down to a place is not only a tedious
task but also demands thorough research which was well derived by one of our
fellow backpacker.
We had a self- planned and pre-decided itinerary to travel to Sri Lanka. We had short listed 4 places to travel trying to keep it short , simple yet exciting .
“ There is more to you than meeting expectations, deadlines , seemingly endless web of activities or the dull monotonous routine “
We started off with Kandy ; Travelled along Nuwara Eliya ; Bentota and concluded
at Colombo .
Day 1 : Kandy , Not a
place for flash packers :
Very frankly , when I landed here , I had an assumption
that this place will be a perfect tourist destination considering the fact that it is relatively a bigger and well known city in the country .
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Kandy City viewed from our homestay "Satyodaya" |
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Kandy City viewed from the Lakeside |
Since it was the same day we landed , the traveled mood and body allowed us to visit only two destinations : Kandy Tooth Relic temple and the Kandy Lake.
At the Tooth Temple , we did not wish to expend as we were skeptical about the entry fees
( Since we belonged to foreign tourist category , the entry fee being charged was a little too much ) .
To visit this place , be sure to go completely covered from shoulder to toe ( Yes , this is applicable for men too )
At the Tooth Temple , we did not wish to expend as we were skeptical about the entry fees
( Since we belonged to foreign tourist category , the entry fee being charged was a little too much ) .
To visit this place , be sure to go completely covered from shoulder to toe ( Yes , this is applicable for men too )
 |
The Kandy Tooth Relic Temple |
Since the climate was humid , sipping juices was just the right way to prevent ourselves from dehydrating .
One very peculiar juice that we tried here was the “Woodapple Juice “. I somehow loved the raw , acrid sour and slightly sweet flavor of this refreshing coolant.
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Juice Piyega** ??:P:P |
There was a lake which is located in the heart of Kandy . Unlike lakes in India , this was a very clean water body and could see locals enjoying the scenery round this lake .
It was a Home away from home .
The drive from Kandy to Eliya is quite a curvy one along the tea scapes and I did not compromise on my motion sickness :D
Here , we were made acquainted with the tea production process by a sweet and sincere lady and then we went “ROLL-ING”** into the tea gardens of Pedro Estate to smell the fresh tea leaves.
It is no wonder that this place produces one of the finest tea in the world .
Towards the sunset time , we happen to explore a peaceful place called : Lake Gregory .
The time was just right to be there .
The multi hued sky , peaceful waters and a cup of tea made our visit worth the travel .
The evening at both the places Kandy and Nuwara were spent playing Teen Patti which not only passed our time but created memories to last longer .
Day 3 : Bentota , A Paradise on the western coast :
We traveled from Nuwara Eliya to Bentota via cab and halted at an authentic place for lunch.The food was absolutely yummy and filling .
Quite frankly I have no memory of the road enroute Bentota as I slept all my way to avoid throw back and allied problems .
In Lanka , the food is rich in spices and condiments and more or less the platter looks the same but tastes different at each place .
We stayed at Mr.Lal Residence on the Pitambari Road which took us quite sometime to figure out .
We headed straight to the beach the same evening we reached there .
This pristine low-key blue sea with white soft glossy sand right in the center of the coastal town is definitely a beach paradise in Lanka .
Not a single shop or shack lie in its periphery which keeps it secluded and passive and we just wanted that .
The following day ,after a sumptuous breakfast we headed straight to the beach under the guidance of Mr.Lal to do some water sports .
Pretty much disappointed by the fact that water sport there was not available during this season ,we took off on a “Lagoon Safari “ which was right behind the sea .
Very little did we know that this would prove to be one of the highlights of our stay at Bentota.
A couple of monitor lizards ; baby crocodile ; dense forest ; clear blue skies along its bay kept our ride quite engaging
At one patch , we halted where an ayurvedic doctor educated us about how cinnamon / cardamom / vanilla and cloves are freshly produced without being tainted.
Post that we pampered ourselves with a basic Ayurveda body massage which kind off relaxed us ( how can we forget the hot sunny weather) .
After a warm bath at our stay we headed for lunch ( Let me tell you the lunch was the best so far we had tasted in Lanka ; prawns dipped in coconut gravy ) .
On the same sunny afternoon we visited the turtle hatchery at Undurva Beach which was one of the MAJOR highlights for this trip and guess what?? we were lucky enough to witness a turtle who had hatched the same time .
OFCORSE** , Hawkbill Turtle was definitely one of the most beautiful of them .
The guide did allow us to pick and carry some of the turtles and have a closer look at how these longest living mammals look like.
Not to forget , the hospitality extended by Mr.Lal and his family was something we will cherish always.
Day 4 :Colombo , The Progressive Capital City
We landed in Colombo taking a bus from Bentota bus stop .It was a local bus playing old Tamil songs .
The homestay here was one of the best stays ( read : terms of architecture and home décor )
Unlike other tourist we did some shopping of the local stuff for our close ones dans India.
I personally felt items like souvenirs are very rare here except for some linen fabric .
To enter the national zoo like Local Lankans ( obviously to skip the seemingly exorbitant entry charge :D ) we did some major stunt by speaking the number of tickets in Sinhalese which was almost successful until we were caught by the security person for asking I-Cards to check the nationality.
Phew !!! We somehow managed out of that prank and got a tuk-tuk to drop us right to the Colombo beach .
This beach was crowded with local visitors but we chose a recliner to rest our bags and the view was perfectly uninterrupted.
A late mid night flight from Colombo brought us back to our homeland.
This being my first official trip out of India ; I got soaked in its experience like flipping through the pages of an ancient medieval book and then I thought I should :
What in particular I noticed about this place ??
So , this was the story of Lanka viewed from my lens .
PS : The words marked with ** asterisk are self discovered ones which only the fellow backpackers will relate to and have become their mundane slang.
Day 2: Nuwara Eliya , The Tea Capital of Lanka
The drive from Kandy to Eliya is quite a curvy one along the tea scapes and I did not compromise on my motion sickness :D
Here , we were made acquainted with the tea production process by a sweet and sincere lady and then we went “ROLL-ING”** into the tea gardens of Pedro Estate to smell the fresh tea leaves.
 |
Neatly Trimmed Acres Of Green Tea Estate |
 |
Tea Leaves Left For 30% Moisture Removal Process |
The time was just right to be there .
The multi hued sky , peaceful waters and a cup of tea made our visit worth the travel .
 |
Lake Gregory with multi hued sky |
We traveled from Nuwara Eliya to Bentota via cab and halted at an authentic place for lunch.The food was absolutely yummy and filling .
Quite frankly I have no memory of the road enroute Bentota as I slept all my way to avoid throw back and allied problems .
In Lanka , the food is rich in spices and condiments and more or less the platter looks the same but tastes different at each place .
We stayed at Mr.Lal Residence on the Pitambari Road which took us quite sometime to figure out .
We headed straight to the beach the same evening we reached there .
 |
Loosing sight of the shore |
Not a single shop or shack lie in its periphery which keeps it secluded and passive and we just wanted that .
 |
Sunny palm fringed Bentota Beach |
Pretty much disappointed by the fact that water sport there was not available during this season ,we took off on a “Lagoon Safari “ which was right behind the sea .
Very little did we know that this would prove to be one of the highlights of our stay at Bentota.
Once a year , Go someplace you've never been before - Dalai Lama
 |
Lagoon Safari through the lush green jungles of Bentota |
 |
Monitor Lizard |
 |
Monitor Lizard |
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Sleeping Croc |
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Welcome Drink : Tea with fresh farm cardamom / cinnamon / vanilla /clove |
After a warm bath at our stay we headed for lunch ( Let me tell you the lunch was the best so far we had tasted in Lanka ; prawns dipped in coconut gravy ) .
 |
Coconut gravy in prawns or prawns in coconut gravy ?? finger licking for sure |
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So many of them waiting to dive in the ocean |
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Isnt' She beautiful ?? |
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Shaddi Karega** ?? :P :P |
OFCORSE** , Hawkbill Turtle was definitely one of the most beautiful of them .
The guide did allow us to pick and carry some of the turtles and have a closer look at how these longest living mammals look like.
 |
Hold them within 2 fingers |
“You Satis , We Satis “ was his mantra and that made us feel much at home in a unknown terrain "
Day 4 :Colombo , The Progressive Capital City
We landed in Colombo taking a bus from Bentota bus stop .It was a local bus playing old Tamil songs .
The homestay here was one of the best stays ( read : terms of architecture and home décor )
Unlike other tourist we did some shopping of the local stuff for our close ones dans India.
I personally felt items like souvenirs are very rare here except for some linen fabric .
To enter the national zoo like Local Lankans ( obviously to skip the seemingly exorbitant entry charge :D ) we did some major stunt by speaking the number of tickets in Sinhalese which was almost successful until we were caught by the security person for asking I-Cards to check the nationality.
Phew !!! We somehow managed out of that prank and got a tuk-tuk to drop us right to the Colombo beach .
This beach was crowded with local visitors but we chose a recliner to rest our bags and the view was perfectly uninterrupted.
 |
Unhurried Conversation with the waves |
"Soft sand in my feet , watching residual waves , wind ruffling my hair kind of tamed my restless soul "
A late mid night flight from Colombo brought us back to our homeland.
This being my first official trip out of India ; I got soaked in its experience like flipping through the pages of an ancient medieval book and then I thought I should :
“Relax , Unwind , Recapture “
- Sri Lanka is not a country for flashy backpackers
- People in Lanka are extremely warm and affectionate
- Places in Lankan Territory are clean , organised and well maintained
- Lanka is far away from western influence yet modern to some extent
- Lankan Food is full of variety of spices and condiments
- Lanka places a special emphasis on a family life living
So , this was the story of Lanka viewed from my lens .
PS : The words marked with ** asterisk are self discovered ones which only the fellow backpackers will relate to and have become their mundane slang.
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