Travel Explorer Magazine Issue 4

TRIED & TESTED: SRI LANKA
Words & photos by Sam
Sri Lanka has always been high up on my list of
destinations to see and explore. It’s diversity in culture,
history and wildlife really appealed to me. Having
previously visited Thailand and Costa Rica in the past two
years, I was keen to see how the destination compared.
I flew direct with Sri Lankan Airlines which took just
over 10 hours and 45 minutes. The service on-board was
excellent and choice of entertainment was endless (you
can also fly indirect from regional UK airports). Colombo
Airport is located around 45 minutes north of the city.
Rising like a phoenix, Colombo is attracting overseas
investment and new developments are springing
up around the city including the ‘Lotus’ which once
completed will be the tallest building in Southern Asia!
The city is of course home to an array of historic colonial
buildings drawing on Dutch, Portuguese and British
influences, not to mention a host of beautiful temples.
From Colombo, we took the 4 hour journey to Sigiriya
through local villages and along the the modern network
of motorways which, while in good condition can still
have speed challenges when tuk tuks decide to join the
rest of the traffic.
Sigiriya, is set within the ‘Cultural Triangle’ and is an
ideal location to base yourself while exploring the various
historic ruins of Dambulla, Anuradhapura, Sigiriya and
Polonnaruwa. The iconic attraction in the area is the
rock which dominates the landscape for miles. On and
around the rock are ruins of a former capital city which
dates back to the 5th century. Climbing up requires a
good level of fitness and a level head for heights but once
you make it to the top, you have stunning views which
will literally take your breath away! History tells us that
King Kassapa (477-495) orchestrated the location of the
rock and the remains are an interesting insight to the
past. I would recommend avoiding midday at certain
times of year due to heat.
The next day, we visited Polonnaruwa, home to the
‘Polonnaruwa Primate Centre’. It is home to three
species of monkey native to Sri Lanka, the grey langur,
the toque macaque and the purple faced langur. When
you walk into the boundaries, they are literally running
everywhere! You are surrounded by these beautiful
animals doing what they do best, hanging out! We had
the pleasure of meeting a conservationist to explain
the various behaviours and the challenges that they are
facing in Sri Lanka. I would highly recommend anyone
who loves monkeys to visit.
I’d also recommend visiting the temple complex which
sits around the conservation centre and home to 11th
and 12th century ruins of the second capital city of Sri
Lanka. Here you will come across sacred temples which
today are still worshiped by Buddhists. Architecturally,
they are stunning structures and I really enjoyed our
time here.
After a busy morning, we were very hungry indeed
and took lunch at a local husband and wife operated
farmhouse. We were treated to a traditional Sri Lankan
lunch (Dhal curry; Gotu kola, Malum, Wambatu moju, all
on a giant leaf) while in the surroundings of the beautiful,
peaceful countryside.
This afternoon, we went in search of wildlife in the
Minneriya National Park. Located between Habarana
and Polonnaruwa, the park is home to asian elephants,
spotted deer, leopards, sloth bears and crocodiles. For
bird lovers, Minneriya is also home to pelicans, storks
and eagles to name but a few.
The next day we travelled from Sigiriya to Kandy which
took 5 hours but this included a quick stop to see the
Dambulla caves which are well worth the climb. Inside
there are impressive Buddha carvings which are
thought to date back to the first century. When King
Valagam Bahu took refuge here, having being driven out
of Anuradhapura, he converted the caves into a rock
temple with various improvements been made over the
years by other rulers of the land. Step out of the temples
and the views of the countryside are jaw-dropping!
In the afternoon, we arrived into Kandy which is the
cultural center of Sri Lanka. It’s a busy city located in
the hills with great views around the lake. The main
attraction in Kandy is the Temple of the Tooth which is
home to Sri Lanka’s most sacred relic which is a tooth
of the Lord Buddha. Around the grounds you will see
various Buddhas which locals and people from all over
Sri Lanka will come to pray. The most surprising and
interesting thing I came across within the grounds was
the embalmed elephant which belonged to a former
king who loved him so much, he wanted him on display
for his people to see. On the grounds of the temple are
buildings such as the Royal Palace and the Audience Hall
which are also worth a visit.
Continue reading Sam’s report from Sri Lanka online at
www.rbcollection.com/srilanka
26 | RB COLLECTION | TRAVEL EXPLORER
Travel Explorer Magazine Issue 4.indd 26 15/01/2018 12:46