Sri Lanka: An island trip from Sigiriya to Mirissa is written by Jacob Gowland Jørgensen.
Sri Lanka, a dream country to travel in
Sri Lanka has been on my dream destination list for many years. In fact, I have been on and off for over 15 years, but I had decided that in 2020 I would visit some of the countries that were at the top of my list.
In Asia, Sri Lanka stood at the top along with Nepal, so the two Buddhist countries became the destination of my first trip that year.
I did not regret that decision. The green island has so much to offer that I can well understand that there are a number of Danes who keep coming back here.
A green island in the Indian Ocean
Sri Lanka is only half the size Denmark and is therefore nicely manageable as a destination.
The island has a common past with the huge country to the north, India. Yet Sri Lanka has a character all its own. The island is characterized by the fact that it lies in it Indian Ocean and has a different religion as well as an ancient cultural history.
For it is as if Sri Lanka has threads to the entire Indian Ocean. Their Sinhalese language is closely related to the Maldivian just south of. But in the primarily Buddhist and religion-tolerant Sri Lanka, I saw several times young couples go hand in hand while Maldives practices sharia Islam. So there are also clearly some differences.
The green, swaying palm trees and the temperature send thoughts towards Thailand. But where they are still heavily challenged in English in Thailand, the level is really high in Sri Lanka. The giant tropical trees by the roadside filled with flowers made me think Madagascar, but where they are struggling with severe poverty and poor infrastructure there, Sri Lanka is a far richer country.
The English colonial history and beautiful cliffs have Sri Lanka in common Seychelles. But where the beautiful islands have massive import restrictions that make prices match the Danish, Sri Lanka is as cheap as Thailand and Vietnam . Sri Lanka shares its love of spices Mauritius og Zanzibar, but Sri Lanka has far more cultural highlights than the two islands.
Nature is also always close in Sri Lanka, just like Reunion, one of the most underrated places in the Indian Ocean, but where Reunion has deep European roots, Sri Lanka is its own.
Because it is Sri Lanka. All its own and yet recognisable.
Dambulla in the highlands
My journey to Sri Lanka started with a drive from Negombo International Airport to Dambulla in the Central Highlands. Because here the ancient Sinhalese culture stands strong, and it is here that the royal cities and the most important temples are located.
Before then, however, you had to land properly, so I had chosen to start at Diyabubula Barberyn Jungle & Art Hideaway. It is such a lovely place that I have written an entire article about it.
The resort is perfectly located for day trips, which is important in Sri Lanka, because trips always take longer than you think, so the distance matters.
Sigiriya: The Lion Rock with the many many steps
Sigiriya is one of the most visited attractions in Sri Lanka, which could also be seen in the ticket price to enter the area. As much as $ 30 in a country where everything else is pretty cheap.
Sigiriya is also known as Lions Rock, the Lion Rock. In front of the cliff are the remains of a temple city, and upstairs is a temple and a fortress on the giant cliff.
It is divinely beautiful, and there is, so to speak, only one chin at it: there are 1200 steps up, and it just goes up. Therefore, many choose to arrive early in the morning so they can climb up while it is not hot.
My schedule had been far too optimistic, so I could see that if I wanted to see the royal cities as well, I would have to be creative. So I wandered around the rock and enjoyed the scenery and the atmosphere.
Sigiriya is truly a unique place - there is not much else to say.
Anuradhapura – Sri Lanka's first capital
Anuradhapura was Sri Lanka's first capital 2900 years ago, and here stands a whole string of Buddhist stupas and shrines.
I have come here with a guide who tells me that because it is sacred territory, the ground must only be walked on with bare feet. So on hot stones we wander into the huge area. Directly towards the white stupa Ruwanwelisaya, which rises 55 meters into the sky.
The lotus flower is an essential part of the Buddhist rituals and it is found in all forms here. The legend is that because the lotus flower has grown out of the mud into the finest flower in the open air, it symbolizes the evolution one goes through when following Buddhism. From earthly mud to free spirit.
My guide shows me how to offer a lotus flower to the Buddha. We devoutly walk left around the stupa and admire the elephant decorations, its white belly and the shining tower.
Ruwanwelisaya Stupa is the oldest stupa in Sri Lanka. You can clearly feel a great deal of respect from the visitors, who apart from a few tourists are all locals.
Buddha was born in what is now Nepal as a prince and found his way under a tree in the northeast India at the city of Gaya. That is why the tree is an incredibly important icon in Buddhism. Also here in Sri Lanka.
We went over to a temple which was solely for the purpose of protecting and displaying a tree that had a branch from the original Buddha tree and is therefore about 2500 years old. The branch had been brought here from India, grafted on, and worshiped as a shrine.
To that extent, Anuradhapura is also worth a visit if one is interested in Sri Lanka's cultural history and religion.
Habanara – pure pleasure
Habanara is close to Dambulla and Sigiriya and late afternoon I landed at Hotel The Other Corner. When I walked over the small suspension bridge, calm settled over my body, which had been working all day.
The hotel consists of traditional style cottages set in a pleasant garden and to my delight I found that I was staying right next to the pool. So it didn't take many minutes before I was splashing around in the water looking at the birds and trees. Lovely.
After a really good local dinner served by some of the many friendly people found in Sri Lanka, I went to bed early with a book and slept like a baby in my cozy cabin.
In the morning, the local monkeys said goodbye to me as I crossed the suspension bridge on my way to new adventures.
On the way around Sri Lanka
There are many ways to get around Sri Lanka. There are several train lines, there are public buses and there is a sea of tuktukes.
It is most popular to hire a driver, because it pays, and then you get the most out of your time. And you don't have to drive yourself. Because if there's one thing you shouldn't do, it's driving yourself.
Traffic is dense and unpredictable as pedestrians mix with bicycles, mopeds, tuktuks, trucks, buses and animals on narrow roads without sidewalks. Even as a passenger in a car, you just have to get used to the fact that the traffic is so intensive. However, I saw no accidents and no scratches or dents.
It also means that it takes time to get around. If you count on 25-30 km per hour, if you drive all the time, it is not entirely wrong.
Ella, the princess of the mountains
I had been recommended to visit the town of Ella, which is located in the low mountains of the southern part of the island.
Ella, along with nearby Kandy, are two very tourist-friendly cities. There are one beautiful view after another and there are plenty of places to stay and eat. In addition, it is located in tea country, where you can taste the leaves directly from the producers of the famous Ceylon tea.
The main reason why I had gone to Ella was now that I would like to get out for a bit of hiking, and it was easy in this area.
In Ella I also had a somewhat different hotel experience. When you travel a lot, you gradually find out how to find them good hotels, but here I simply hadn't done my homework properly and had fallen for the pictures of the view.
Staying at Ella Mount Heaven was like being an involuntary participant in the reality show Hotel Hell, where everything – apart from the view – was completely on the fence.
In fact, I can't remember ever staying in a place that was so dirty, where so many things were broken, where the design was so outlandish, where the food was so bad, and where the owners were arguing in the middle of the restaurant. On the other hand, there was also a hellish noise.
It was the first and only time in Sri Lanka where I really did not feel comfortable.
The classic train journey from Kandy to Ella
The city's absolute pride and tourist attraction is the train bridge, 'The 9 Arch Bridge'. It was built by the British to get the tea from the mountains to the coast. Here runs the train that takes lots of tourists out on the most popular of all Sri Lanka's train travel: The train journey from Kandy to Ella.
I had now opted out of the train journey for time reasons, but had to see the bridge, so I took a nice walk from the town to the viewpoint at the valley before the trip continued south.
The others on the trail were a good mix of visiting families Europe - including at least three Danish families - and local pairs of friends and lovers who were out for a walk in their beautiful area.
Ella is a really nice and beautiful place.
Sri Lanka and wildlife – Yala National Park
There are a whole host of national parks in Sri Lanka, however Yala National Park is one of the most famous, and of course I had to visit it on my first trip to Sri Lanka.
We left in a safari truck, where you get a really good view of the animals and nature from the barn.
At the lagoon there were countless birds of all colors and young crocodiles ready for a feathered lunch. On the trail we saw monitor lizards, buffalo, deer and hares. We even saw a 3 meter long python, which the guide was very excited about because it is extremely rare to see them.
A whole little Noah's Ark.
The leopard is the king of Yala National Park
Although there are so many animals in the national park, the leopard is the king. It is one of the least difficult places to see this impressive predator in the entire world. But the point is precisely that it is 'less difficult'. Not easy.
We were driving off when we suddenly stopped, turned around and drove carefully to a place where an animal track crossed the dirt road. Apparently a leopard had just wandered over here a minute ago. We waited patiently with binoculars and camera at the ready, but all we got to see were its footprints in the sand.
If you have time, it can be obvious to take both a morning and an afternoon safari in Yala National Park, in order to increase the chance of seeing the majestic animal. But there are no guarantees – it's not a zoo.
Lavendish Okrin Hotel in Kataragama
After the crazy hotel experience in Ella, I was a bit desperate to find a good hotel at Yala. Fortunately, I also found that in the form of the Lavendish Okrin Hotel in Kataragama, only 12 kilometers from the national park.
Here it was bright, open and in control of things. I gladly threw myself into their large evening buffet. And the next day with just as much joy in their pool.
Like so many other places in Sri Lanka, they also lacked guests here, so the nice waiters in the restaurant were more than happy to visit and have their picture taken.
Sri Lanka in full harmony
Out in the hotel courtyard there was a strip of trees and plants with signs on.
I had, of course, seen the local written language before, but it struck me how precisely the round, harmonious signs reflect most of the Sinhalese community. Where you feel good and want to do good.
At an Ayurvedic resort – relaxation 'Sri Lanka style'
The next week I spent at this Ayurvedic resort Barberyn Ayurvedic Beach Resort, which can almost be described as a spa hotel in the absolute best local style.
There are quite a few of them in Sri Lanka and in southern India, and it is absolutely recommended if you want to come home a healthier person. Just remember to choose one where you know they will take good care of you. They do that to that extent at Barberyn.
The Blue Whales in Mirissa
I have seen blue whales before Iceland, and therefore I went crazy when I discovered that it was the season to experience the world's sovereign largest animals - and even saw only a few kilometers from where I lived on the south coast.
From the port city of Mirissa, you sail out to sea in the early morning hours. Here you can experience dolphins, sperm whales and not least – but most importantly – blue whales. Sri Lanka is said to be the place in the world where there is the greatest chance of seeing the blue whale. Because a whole population of young blue whales live here, precisely where the deep ocean currents meet land.
We sailed out on the gently rocking sea with a seasickness tablet in my stomach and I had an excellent view right up front.
It didn't take many minutes before we saw something big on the surface some distance ahead, and four times we saw the big tails of some young blue whales. We weren't that close, but precisely because of that you could feel how big the animals really are.
Unfortunately, there were as many as 10 boats out, so it was difficult to see and follow. Although they have regulated how the boats are allowed to sail, only the slightly larger two-story boats followed the rules, while some small boats seemed indifferent. So be aware of who you book with.
We also saw quite a few dolphins enjoying themselves swimming, jumping and playing in the water right in front of us. It was quite a pleasant morning on the sea off Mirissa and a nice moment on my trip to Sri Lanka. Even if the waves made it almost impossible to photograph the animals.
Negombo Lagoon
Colombo's international airport Bandaranaike International Airport is located in Negombo 30 kilometers north of Colombo. Practically speaking, it is also an area where you are close to the water, which is why there are a number of international hotels here.
As Sri Lanka's answer to White Sands, a long narrow isthmus runs between Negombo's lagoon and the sea. In a few minutes you can walk from one side to the other and enjoy the view and the light.
Unfortunately you cannot swim on either side due to rocks and other debris, so choose a hotel with a good pool. This was my last day in Sri Lanka, so I had chosen the Jetwing Lagoon, which had a pool no less than 100 meters long in the middle. There was also a large saltwater pool by the beach.
After eating simply and vegetarian for a week, it was a big change to arrive at Jetwing Lagoon's blast of an evening buffet that was as delicious as it was big.
The last positive surprise of the day came when I saw how much this hotel actually worked with sustainability in really many different ways. They recycle bathing water for plant irrigation, avoid plastic, use solar cells, have local products and much more obvious.
Sri Lanka as a travel country
Sri Lanka has the potential to become the next big travel destination in Asia. There is absolutely no doubt about that.
Today, fewer visitors come to the emerald-green island than there are to Denmark, but it is unlikely to continue like this. So if you love Southeast Asian countries like Thailand og Malaysia and have a penchant for beautiful islands in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is an obvious choice for a trip.
Have a nice trip to Sri Lanka.
These are the places you must see on your trip to Sri Lanka
- Yala National Park – Sri Lanka's second largest national park
- Cave temples in Dambulla
- Lion Rock Sigiriya
- Anuradhapura – Sri Lanka's first royal city
- See the blue whales in Mirissa
- Ruwanwelisaya
- Take the classic train journey from Kandy to Ella
- The 9 Arch Bridge
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