Midlifers Go East
The beginning
We arrived in Sri Lanka after grabbing around 4 hours sleep on an overnight flight.
So excited for our adventure to begin, tiredness didn’t enter our heads and we were giddy to arrive at the island of golden beaches, misty mountains and mighty elephants.
Our first stop was Negombo.
Only a short 15/20 minute ride from the airport it was convenient for us to just catch our breath and lay our heads for the next two nights.
Our hotel was perfect for a short stop but what I didn’t plan on was getting up in the middle of the first night freezing and having to find my hoodie. Shane had the air con set far too cold for a minute I thought I was back in Manchester!
Anyway, air con off, a good nights rest and we started our first day with a hearty breakfast in the hotel.
At breakfast we couldn’t help but be surprised by the live tropical fish that adorned every breakfast table.
They were housed in small bowls the size of a teacups. At first sight we thought they were plastic but quickly realised they were in fact real. We felt sorry for the poor blighters but realise it’s not our place to question other peoples cultures and what they think is or isn’t acceptable. We understand we may come across this many times during our travels.
Overall, we enjoyed our first two days in Negombo. We got the feeling by speaking to the locals that it’s a place that people tend to use like ourselves to start and finish their Sri Lankan trip as it’s conveniently located to the main Airport in Columbo.
However, saying that, we really did enjoy it. It exceeded our expectations and was just perfect to spend the first couple of days just chilling and enjoy the beach.
There were lots of things to see in the local area but we were more than happy to just recharge.
We sampled the local food and drink and enjoyed our first Sri Lankan curry. We had to laugh in one restaurant we chose, as the owner had no beer license but was happy to serve us beer disguised in a terracotta teacup (ensuring we hid the can out of sight of course!)
So, overall a great introduction to Sri Lanka. We look forward to seeing what the rest of this beautiful island has to offer. I think we may well be in for a real treat.
Onwards to Galle
Day 3 we packed up our not so unpacked rucksacks as today we were moving South to the Colonial city of Galle which for many centuries was the capital of the Southern province.We ordered a ‘pick me’ taxi (Sri Lanka’s equivalent of Uber) and was picked up shortly after.Even though its a set fare the driver did ring us beforehand to try and increase the price – of which we wasn’t having any of it. So, with the fare finally agreed we got on our way.We booked the taxi to take us to Columbo’s Maradana railway station and from there we would take the train onwards to Galle.Our adventures got underway immediately as our taxi driver navigated his way ‘Sri Lankan style’ through the busy rush hour streets of Negombo. Tailgating, horn honking and constantly on his phone. Surprisingly I was quite chilled and thought ‘I’ll keep an eye on the road for him.’Thankfully we arrived safely at the station so proceeded inside to get our tickets.Unsure of which ticket booth we needed we headed to the first counter. The guy there said the 1st/2nd class is the second counter so we moved along to the next one. The guy there said its the 3rd counter so we moved over again and the same guy just moved over to that counter. We had to chuckle!Only 2nd class was available so we purchased our tickets for a grand total of £1.25 each and made our way to platform 5.We picked up some water and spicy masala nuts at the station kiosk and waited for the train.Two trains arrived at the platform first and it was only with the help of a lovely old man that we didn’t get on a wrong train.I kept asking “is this the train to Galle?” of which he just smiled his toothless grin and shook his head indicating no. Luckily he was getting on the same train as us so that put my mind at rest.The train arrived a little later and thats when the chaos really started.The folks wanting to get off the train were readily hanging out of the open doors before the train had even come to a standstill. The rest of us on the platform then had to fight against them to get aboard once the train stopped. I was worried we wouldn’t even fit on with our humongous rucksacks in this free for all!I don’t know how managed it but we clambered on just in time as the whistle blew.
Each carriage was rammed to the rafters with not a cat in hells chance of ever getting a seat but we were just glad we made it on.The only place left to stand was in the toilet section between two of the carriages but we were amongst fellow travellers one guy in particular from the Welsh Valley’s of all places.We stood there cramped but at least we had a breeze as we were also by the open doors. The train chugged down the coastal track with wonderful views of the ocean on the right hand side making this an extremely scenic journey.We were kept entertained throughout as a variety of different food and drink sellers weaved their way through the jam packed carriages making it look effortless.I couldn’t help but imagine a British rail food cart trying to attempt this, ‘no way José!‘ but the thought made me laugh. So, first up we had the ‘Samosa guy’ carrying his basket of tasty treats high above his head. Then the ‘Bombay mix guy’, followed some time later by the ‘fried prawn guy’ (god knows how long they’d been sat in his basket).Further along the journey we had the ‘scratch card guy’, all the different scratch cards displayed on a circular peg dryer that we would use to dry our socks and smalls. Hilarious!Then the young Eastern European travellers wanting to capture that perfect Instagram pose, dangerously hanging out of the trains open doors risking life and limb.Next, the sound of drums as a guy was playing the bongos in the next carriage along.But the highlight of the journey was when Sri Lanka’s equivalent of ‘Enrique Iglesias’ started crooning Sri Lankan folk songs with a microphone and portable speaker in tow.So, although the journey took 3 and a half hours and our feet ached like crazy we certainly got our introduction of how train travel would be throughout the island and what an introduction it was.
Galle Dutch Fort
We arrived in Galle and were pounced upon immediately at the exit to the railway station by the local Tuk Tuk drivers all offering rides into the old Dutch Fort.
We agreed a price of 75p and with heavy rucksacks in tow we were quickly on the way to our next accommodation that I had booked within the old Fort itself.
As we drove into the Fort through the old gate we could see immediately why this place has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Galle dates back to the 13th century possibly much earlier and has a colourful history.
Previously under rule by the Portuguese, the Dutch and then the British in 1796. It remained a British colony until 1948 when it became an independent island nation.
Most of the architecture was from the Dutch however It was the British that had built the original lighthouse.
The Fort is situated on a headland of which 3 sides overlook the sea and there are remnants of its Dutch past all around.
Aside from its rich history we were enchanted by its network of narrow streets, colourful cafe bars, quirky shops and galleries.
The old Fort itself isn’t that big so you only really need a day or so here to explore.
We got up early the next morning to take a few pictures just as the sun was rising and to get our steps in.
So by 6am we were already walking the pathway that runs all the way around the forts walls. It takes you passed the lighthouse, the Meeran Mosque, the clock tower and the Maritime museum. Passing many lookout posts, bastions and canons.
However we wasn’t alone and were surprised just by how many locals were taking their morning exercise, most probably to avoid the heat of the sun later in the day.
During our walk we came across some of the local wildlife. We first saw a large monitor Lizard that frightened us both half to death but then we were fascinated by its slow movements around the foliage.
Followed by the peacocks. The calling sound of the peacock so loud and unique drew our attention to the rooftops and high up in the trees. Upon the rooftops we watched one of the males open up their elaborate feathers and show off to the females nearby.
The people here are really lovely and everyone greets you as you pass by.
We got talking to a lovely Sri Lankan couple who was on a weekend break from Columbo.
The guy was a real character, he was telling us about the time he spent 10 years working in Liverpool for one of the shipping companies and that he could speak ‘Scouse’ and rhymed off a few sayings.
He also went on to say that the clock tower that stood before us was ‘the only clock in the world that has a different time on all four sides’. We were like ‘wow’ and then he said it’s only because it’s broken and laughed his head off.
We were also entertained later on in the day as we people watched whilst enjoying a beer. A brawl started between two Tuk Tuk drivers, one of the drivers picking up a traffic cone and launching it at the other.
It was quickly brought under control and we found out it had started because one of the guys wasn’t from the area so was trying to take local trade.
Times are hard here at the moment especially after Covid and recent conflict so poaching on one’s livelihood isn’t a good idea.
It was also here we got to sample the local snacks and tried our first vegetable Roti and vada (which are a donut shaped lentil fritter) they were spicy and delicious and best of all 40p for 3. We sat on a bench in the sun and enjoyed them whist watching the peacocks.
So overall we would highly recommend Galle old Fort. It is a beautiful place steeped in history and well worth a visit.
Unawatuna
Moving on from Galle we booked the next 4 nights at Unawatuna, a popular beach resort in the south.
Being only 15 minutes drive from Galle it seemed a perfect place to start our beach chill out.
We jumped into a Tuk Tuk and gave instructions to the driver where we wanted to go.
After 15 minutes I had a quick look on google maps to see our location and could see he had not taken the best route.
He hadn’t done this on purpose, it became evident that he misunderstood us as spoke little English and was taking us to a different location.
We were up and down dirt tracks that had steep hills and the Tuk Tuk driver had to go full throttle and zig zag to make it to the top.
I had visions of us having to get out whilst he made it up the hill alone.
After stopping a few times to get directions we finally arrived in Unawatuna 45 minutes later.
We could see straight away that it had more of a beach vibe. It’s not the type of place with big hotels with pools, but lots of small hotels and homestay’s (Sri Lanka’s B&B’s).
The road that is just off the busy main road runs parallel to the beach is lined with many restaurants, cafe bars, shops and boutiques.
The beach here is beautiful lined with lots of colourful beach bars all with plenty of loungers for sunbathing and tables and chairs to eat and drink.
You can walk from the very top end of Unawatuna beach to Dalawella beach (around 2 miles).
It’s a beautiful stretch of beach where we passed a beach bar that had one of the now popular Instagram rope swings, charging 500 rupees the young and glamorous pose to get the ultimate beach photo/video as they swing out over the sea.
It’s just around this section of beach we got to see a local fisherman stilt fishing off poles that are embedded into the floor of the sea.
It’s a traditional method that’s passed down from generation to generation, they make it look easy but it does require balance and skill.
Further along we passed ‘frog rock’ just before arriving at ‘Turtle beach’.
We were extremely lucky to get to see the turtles. We’d been here the previous day and saw none but the sea was much more choppy so maybe that was the reason.
There were so many swimming around us in a somewhat lagoon created by the reef.
So beautiful to watch we were amazed at how close they were. Shane felt quite emotional by the experience.
We tried to keep our distance the best we could and unlike others not interact with them.
One thing we didn’t agree with is that some locals were selling seaweed to tourists on the beach to feed the turtles.
We imagined this human interaction could interfere with their natural habitat and surely not ethically correct.
Back at our hotel was where we got to see more of the local wildlife.
Our accommodation was set back just off the busy street and had a jungle backdrop.
We had read in the reviews that a lot of monkeys can be seen here especially in the morning and later at dusk.
The monkeys here were the purple faced langur and they would come to see if a treat could be had, but also to pick at the fruit high in the trees.
You could hear them arrive with the rustle of the palm branches overhead and their chant.
We got to watch groups of them play and feed in the trees, we absolutely loved it, we could have watched them for hours.
At night Unawatuna comes alive, many of the bars playing live music.
There is also a great vibe on the beach with all the beach bars set up for dining all candle lit if you want more of a chill or romantic setting.
It was still always in full swing as we headed home, mainly with the Eastern Europeans and Russians dancing to the euro music they seem to favour.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our time here. Next stop is Mirissa beach an hour further down the coast, let’s see what that has to offer.
Mirissa
Our next stop was Mirissa beach.
Some people do Sri Lanka in the opposite direction to us and do all the inland sightseeing first, then relax at the back end of their holiday on the beach. We decided to do it in the opposite direction as we felt we needed the first couple of weeks to relax, then we would venture inland to discover more of what this jewel in the Indian Ocean has to offer.
Mirissa is renowned for its nightlife and whale and dolphin watching.
The stunning Mirissa beach is popular for water sports such as surfing and snorkelling.
The surfers would head down to the beach when they knew the surf was good, their surfboards strapped onto the tops of Tuk Tuks.
The best surfing to be had was to the right side of the beach due to the reef. We enjoyed sitting on the beach watching them catch a wave.
We were impressed immediately with Mirissa, it seemed to have a better beach vibe for us than Unawatuna and had more chill out bars and quirky cafes.
We walked the first day all the way from the top end of the beach to the very far end which brings you to ‘Coconut Tree Hill’.
Coconut Tree Hill has become somewhat of a tourist attraction as it’s a great place to watch the sunset under a cluster of coconut trees and to take Instagram photos.
As we found out, unless you get there at the crack of dawn its full of youngsters posing, leaning against the palms, looking out to sea in the hope of capturing that perfect shot that wouldn’t look out of place on the cover of ‘Vogue’.
It’s was entertaining to watch and so cheesy. I was going to ask Shane to take my photo and maybe send it off to ‘Saga Holiday’s’, but thought otherwise! (ha ha).
Another great beach to visit in Mirissa is ‘Secret Beach’. Not so secret with the numerous signposts and car park at the bottom of the hill. It’s located just on the other side of the cliffs from the main Mirissa beach.
It doesn’t take too long from the car park on harbour road – around 15/20 minutes.
It’s a sweaty hike uphill, then back down but well worth the extra effort to arrive at such a beautiful beach. You pass houses along the way selling ‘King Coconut ’ and bottles of water.
When you arrive there you’ll find there are two coves: the Palm Cove, which has a lot of natural shade but the swimming area is much rockier or the lagoon side, which we found much better for cooling down, it’s quite shallow so everyone just sits in it like a bath.
There are three or four beach bars all with loungers that tend to be free as long as you purchase food or drink.
You can also take a Tuk Tuk there if you don’t fancy the hike but we like getting our steps in and it made the cool dip when we arrived much more rewarding.
In Mirissa we stayed at a small place with just the four rooms.
The family were lovely and so welcoming.
It was in a perfect location only a few minutes walk to the beach.
We had a lovely terrace overlooking the street which was great to people watch and work on the blog.
We did have to laugh though as the bathroom had three showers. One electric, one standard and one we can only assume was a back up.
I wouldn’t mind but it was only a small bathroom so two of them were positioned over the toilet.
Unlike the last place which had a jungle backdrop, I didn’t expect we would see monkeys here but the first evening we got to witness them and their cheeky antics.
We could hear them up on the roof and then they would use the electric power cables to travel through this urbanised area as there are not as many trees.
This species of monkey are the Toque Macaque.
Unfortunately, Toque Macaques are endangered due to habitat loss. Since they only live in Sri Lanka and cannot move elsewhere, any habitat loss is especially devastating.
Furthermore, they are widely viewed as pests as they raid crops and homes. Environmental groups are working to improve the local habitat for these monkeys.
However, we did like to watch them as it’s new to us and not something we get to see back home.
Another thing we would hear from our terrace was the sound of Beethoven’s ‘Für Elise’, as several times a day, a shrill, electronic version of this classic is broadcast loudly from the ‘Choon paan men’ .
These are Sri Lanka’s bread Tuk Tuk’s who circle the streets selling bread and other baked goods.
Shane was in his element being a bread lover and had me flagging down a few to purchase their tasty buns filled with a spicy caramelised onion sambol and croissants.
It was here in Mirissa that we found a local cafe called “The Junction”.
It was a typical ‘Roti shop’ where they serve all types of filled Roti as well as Sri Lankan breakfast, curries and other street food snacks. Only a small place on the main road it was always busy with locals and travellers alike, most probably because the food was so tasty and inexpensive.
We loved the vegetable Roti which has a spicy potato and vegetable filling. A bit like a samosa but not fried.
We also sampled the chicken curry which they serve with dhal, green beans, spicy potato and a sambol which is a spicy condiment made with dried chilli and other ingredients such as coconut and sugar.
Always delicious, we visited a few times during our stay.
Another dish we enjoyed in Sri Lanka was the popular ‘Devilled chicken’ which is chicken pieces that are stir fried in a sweet, sour, hot and spicy chilli-based sauce with onion and peppers.
Not overly spicy as we thought it might be, you can taste it’s a dish that is a combination of Sri Lankan and Chinese cuisine.
When the sun goes down in Mirissa that’s when the vibe up’s a gear.
There are many bars and restaurants on the side streets and main road, but the chilled vibe is definitely on the beach.
One after the other the beach bars are all set for dining and drinking, all displaying their ‘fresh fish’ on ice as well as an array of local and western dishes. You can sip cocktails watching the sun go down and you find all the bars compete offering ‘happy hour’.
Many have live music, others playing chilled music.
Later still, the club scene really comes alive and many of the bars host party nights. We were informed that they take it in turns and you tend to know which beach bar is hosting the party that night as they let off fireworks to highlight their location.
We spent 6 nights here in Mirissa and got to know the owners of our accommodation quite well and would chit chat each day.
On our last evening they said they would like to cook for us and brought up to our terrace a typical Sri Lankan meal of dhal and noodles.
To be completely honest it wasn’t to our taste and also a very large portion.
But due to their kindness and generosity we felt obliged to eat it and not be disrespectful.
With effort we consumed the majority of it only for them to return to try and give us some more.
Next morning, packed up and ready to leave, the family made a lot of effort to say goodbye and see us off. We will always remember their warmth, kindness and hospitality.
Hiriketiya & Dickwella beach
Our final beach destination was Hiriketiya.
I hadn’t read too much about this place as all the buzz seemed to be about Mirissa.
However I fell upon a few write ups that stated it shouldn’t be missed.
We had a few more days we could allow for the beach so I booked 4 nights.
Wow! was we glad. For us this was the best place yet.
Hiriketiya beach is a small horseshoe bay with palm fringed golden sands.
It’s fast becoming one of Sri Lanka’s premier surf destinations and you can watch the surfers ride the waves all day long.
But it’s not just for surfers there is still room to swim.
It has cool cafes serving incredibly fresh brunch and beach bars serving up cocktails from mason jars.
It just has that really chilled vibe about it and the type of place you may take up yoga if you stayed there long enough.
We absolutely loved it.
‘
Hiri’ as it’s known has lots of little lanes so we made sure we walked every nook and cranny not to miss a thing.
We passed by so many beautiful accommodations, many with a more upmarket boho-vibe.
Trendy tree houses, eco lodges and yoga retreats.
They use coconut palm leaves to thatch many of the buildings which give the place a ‘Tiki’ feel.
If you didn’t know better you could be in ‘Tahiti’ or ‘Bora Bora’.
Dickwella beach lies next to Hiriketiya you could say they partly overlap.
Our accommodation was between the two bays so we could walk to either quite quickly.
Whereas Hiriketiya is all about the surf and the cool place to be. Dickwella is really no more than a street with some shops and hotels. But what is ‘wow’ is the beach. The beautiful stretch of sand runs for 2km.
Reefs protect it from the winds and high waves, so this is one of the ideal ‘bathing’ beaches in Sri Lanka.
At the top end of the beach (towards Hiri) it’s lined with many ‘Tiki’ style beach bars offering ‘loungers’ and ‘day beds’.
A perfect place to chill and swim in the calm sea.
There is not so much towards the other end but it’s a great beach to walk.
We walked the whole stretch of Dickwella beach one day and continued around the coast to the next bay which was Batheegama. Beach.
Batheegama is a quiet beach, we passed one beach bar with a couple of instagram swings.
But if you walk to the end of the bay this is where you will find turtle point and if you keep an eye out you get to see the mesmerising sea turtles that call this place home.
We were lucky and could see the turtles just as we were walking along the beach but we didn’t swim with them this time on this occasions although many people were.
I don’t think there is too much going on ‘resort wise’ at Batheegama apart from a few hotels and beach bars around turtle point but we really enjoyed the ‘beach walk’ from Dickwella.
The next day we ventured in the other direction as I’d read about the ‘Hummanaya Blowhole’ which is the only known blowhole in Sri Lanka and it is considered to be the second largest blowhole in the world.
It was a 6km walk and as we like getting our steps in we set off for another adventure.
We chose to keep to roads closest to the coast as more scenic and in the hope of a sea breeze.
You can take a Tuk Tuk for a couple of rupees if you don’t want to walk.
We passed a place called ‘Nilwella’ which has a small sandbar that connects to ‘Blue beach island’.
We found out this is a private island often used for camping that gives great views of the ocean and sunsets.
We continued past ‘Nilwella fishery harbour’ and then after a few minutes walk stumbled upon ‘Serene beach’ which was a beautiful deserted beach.
We stopped here for a moment to rest. The breeze was amazing so cooled us down a treat.
Sitting there we both said ‘how lucky are we’ that we get to do things like this every day. It still doesn’t feel real.
Onwards we walked to ‘Kudawela beach’ which is one of the quietest beaches in the country and incredibly peaceful.
You can find a few places to stay here and there is a spot by the end of the beach where people surf.
We stopped to refuel at a lovely place called ‘Calma’.
They serve a great brunch and amazing coffee.
We could have sat there all day but we had a ‘blowhole’ to see.
We then walked the full length of ‘Kudawella’ beach heading towards Hummanaya bay and it’s here you see all the signs for the ‘blowhole’.
You pass through a small, quiet village dotted with local vendors selling handicrafts and street food.
We purchased tickets at the kiosk for a few rupees and then climbed the rugged steps before reaching this natural attraction.
The Hummanaya Blowhole is a natural wonder that sprays a jet of sea water into the air between two giant rocks; sometimes reaching heights of over 80 – 100 feet .
The best time to see this is during high tide, as you can experience the salty spray on your skin as seawater jets towards the sky and falls back on its wide-eyed audience.
We got a soaking but was glad of it in the midday sun.
We were going to get a Tuk Tuk back to Hiriketiya but decided against and walk it back.
We were up for the challenge and glad we did as we got to see an enormous ‘land monitor lizard’, ‘peacocks’, ‘flying fish’ and 3 different types of monkey.
One species of monkey was the ‘Grey Langur’ which we hadn’t seen before so this now meant we had seen all 3 species of monkey found here on Sri Lanka.
Grey Langur have fine silver fur, with black faces, ears, fingers and toes.
Shane missed a photo opportunity of one langur leaping with its baby from the palm trees.
It would have been fantastic picture with the ocean in the background.
Finally back in Hiriketiya and over 10 miles walked we couldn’t wait to flop in the sea to cool down.
We couldn’t face walking all the way back to our accommodation just to change for the evening so we stayed as we were for something to eat and drink.
We didn’t feel out of place as surfers were still coming and going as the sun was going down.
It’s that type of place and that’s what makes it special.
We had one last treat as we headed back to our accommodation.
In a really dark area along the roadside I spotted something bright flickering.
I realised it was a firefly and when we looked around there was lots of them. High in the trees they sparkled like fairy lights.
It was amazing. I’d always wanted to see them so now I can tick them off my list, or hopefully see more.
So Hiriketiya and Dickwella you did not disappoint.
You most certainly were a ‘hidden gem’ the beach, the vibe, the views. Amazing!
Udawalawe
It was now time for us to move inland.
We could have stayed weeks at any of the beaches in the south but Sri Lanka has so much more to offer so our first stop inland was at the Udawalawe nation park where we decided to do a safari.
We originally planned to head straight to the town of ‘Ella’.
However we were aware of the many national parks in Sri Lanka where you can do safari and thought it would be a shame to miss out whilst here.
We had done safari’s a couple of times in Kenya so that’s why we was going to give it a miss.
But then I read that Sri Lanka is one of the world’s best places to go on a safari outside of Africa.
Famed for its amazing wildlife, known as the ‘Sri Lanka Big Four’ (elephants, leopards, sloth bears, and blue whales), it’s no wonder that safari here is popular.
There are 20 different national parks in Sri Lanka, ‘Yala’ being one of the more popular ones but ‘Udawalawe’ was in the direction we were heading so that’s the reason we chose the park.
We stayed at a lovely place with just the two lodges only a short drive to the national park entrance.
It was the first place where we had the luxury of a pool so perfect for relaxing on our first day.
We got even luckier as a group was just checking out when we arrived so we had the place to ourselves.
The next day we planned the safari. The best time to go is either early morning or late afternoon as this is when you get a better chance of seeing the elephants and other wildlife.
We decided on the early one and were picked up from our lodge at 5:45am. It was quite exciting heading out in the dark.
We were 3rd in the queue at the entrance into the park as the park officially opens at 6am. Once into the park we were immediately on the lookout for the wildlife.
We were really lucky as within half hour we came across a herd of elephants. What made it even more special was that they had a baby with them which was only 3 months old along with another young one.
We stopped for quite some time to watch them. The young elephants were playing, it was so adorable to see.
They are such magnificent animals and it was the closest we had ever gotten to them.
As I previously mentioned we had done safari and seen ‘African elephants’ but I can’t recall ever being this close, it was a real privilege.
Venturing on in our open sided 4×4 we were thrilled to see lots of different animals.
We saw spotted deer (proper Bambi’s), mongoose, wild boar, buffalo, land monitor lizards, giant squirrels crocodile and monkeys.
Unfortunately we didn’t get to see any sloth bear or leopard it’s just luck of the draw.
The park is also home to lots of bird species.
We saw eagles, peacocks, painted stork, green bee eaters and so many other beautiful birds.
A few hours into the safari we stopped at a ‘safe place’ by the side of a lake where we were served breakfast.
It was just perfect. I can’t think of many places better than this to take breakfast.
We were joined by a few cheeky toque monkeys who had a beady eye on our breakfast.
What else we loved about this national park is that it’s so green with many wooded areas and magnificent mountains as a backdrop.
Much different than the vast African plains such as the ‘Masai Mara’ that we had travelled through on previous safaris.
We didn’t want it to come to an end. But we were grateful to have seen so many different species of wildlife.
It exceeded our expectations and that’s what made it so special and I cannot believe we were going to give it a miss. We highly recommend doing a safari when visiting Sri Lanka.
You won’t see the same variety of animals as you would do in Africa but you will travel through amazing terrain with an abundance of wildlife.
Ella
For our next stop we moved further inland to the town of Ella.
Tucked away in the misty Sri Lankan countryside, Ella is surrounded by mountains covered with cloud forests and tea plantations, making it one of the island’s most popular destinations.
Ella has become a very touristy place because of the train that travels from Kandy to Ella or vice versa.
Referred to as one of the most scenic train journeys in the world, it brings tourists in there thousands as they tour through this beautiful island.
Ella is full of amazing things to do, from hiking the green mountain peaks of ‘Ella Rock’ and ‘Little Adam’s Peak’ and visiting ‘Nine Arch Bridge’. The impressive bridge is 25 meters high and a mammoth 91 meters long!
Located just outside Ella town and on the same route as ‘Little Adam’s Peak’, you’ll find it hidden up in the dense green hills among low-lying clouds.
On our first day we decided to walk the 45 minutes to the bridge.
It probably wasn’t the best of walks because the first part had to be walked on the main road out of town. It was then signposted on the left down ‘Jungle Road’ and then a steep walk down to the bridge.
You can take a ‘Tuk Tuk’ or taxi but as you may realise by now, we do like to walk where we can.
We were very lucky as just as we were approaching the bridge a local said “come quickly, the train is coming”.
We didn’t have enough time to cross the track – as the video would have been better from the other side, but we still got to see the train pass by this iconic spot.
From here we decided to hike up ‘Little Adam’s Peak’, as we had read it was relatively easy and was pretty close by.
There are three steps to the climb, with the last one being more challenging to reach, but the incredible views of the valley and mountains in front of you make it all worthwhile.
On the way up we passed the ‘flying Ravana zip line’.
The two wire zip line stretches for more than half a kilometre and gives a birds eye view of the beautiful countryside and valley.
We didn’t go on it ourselves, however it was definitely fun to watch.
It wasn’t too late in the day when we made our way back down from ‘Little Adam’s Peak’, so we decided we would head back into town for a coffee then walk to the waterfall that we could see from our terrace.
Following google maps we headed in the direction of the waterfall.
We walked quite a way down the main road and then made a turn off to the right in what we hoped was the right direction.
Uphill we trekked until we came to a sign that said we had arrived at the ‘Ravana Ella prehistoric cave and ancient temple’.
We stopped for a moment to read the history of the cave and temple, where it is believed that ‘King Ravana’ abducted the goddess ‘Sita’ from Ayodhya with a peacock shaped chariot and hid her in this cave.
Shane said we ought to check it out, as we had accidentally stumbled upon it.
I could see the steep steps uphill and didn’t know if I had the strength after walking all day.
Anyway, after a bit of persuasion from Shane we paid the 50p entrance fee and headed up the steps.
We didn’t realise quite how many steps, so we climbed and climbed what happened to be around 700 steps in total.
The first 500 steps are stone and well formed and not too bad, but the last 200 or so are boulder steps. We had come this far so were determined to make it to the top.
Eventually, we reached the top to find it was just a small cave, no more than a grotto around 30 meters deep and this wasn’t even where the temple was.
However, the legacy around it made it somewhat worthwhile.
So, we headed all the way back down the steps to find that the ancient temple, which was also carved into a cave, had only been 50 meters from where we had purchased the tickets.
It is believed that this temple is also associated with King Ravana.
Inside there are frescoes on the walls and ceiling dating back to the period of the Kingdom of Kandy and carved into the rock is a Buddha laid on its side and other intricate carvings.
We never got to see the waterfall after all, maybe we would find it the next day.
So, we flagged down a ‘Tuk Tuk’ to take us back into town.
Even though we were exhausted the ‘Tuk Tuk driver’ had us in stitches as he gave us a lesson in Sri Lankan.
As we passed certain animals along the roadside (like a dog for example) he would replicate the noise they make then tell us the word in Sri Lankan.
He made all sorts of animal noises and did them really well.
He did a cat, chicken, monkey, cow, goat, elephant, each time adding the animation.
We didn’t see all these animals – the driver was just on a roll!
We had it all the way back into town it was hilarious!
The area around Ella is known for its many waterfalls.
Ravana falls just a few kilometres outside Ella which is perhaps the most well known and easily accessible as it is straightforward to walk to from the roadside.
We actually passed it on our way up here and our taxi driver was kind enough to pull in so we could admire and take a photograph.
We stayed a kilometre from the main street in Ella up on the hillside.
It was amazing as the views of the surrounding countryside were spectacular and we could see the smaller ‘Kuda Ravana’ waterfall from our terrace.
The quickest way to walk back into town was down the rail tracks.
It seemed alien at first as we wouldn’t dare walk on the rail tracks back home, but here it is a pleasant walk, nodding and smiling to the many locals you pass who use the tracks as their foot highway and when a train chuggs along you just stand aside until it has passed.
The town itself has a bustling atmosphere, with plenty of great cafes and restaurants to enjoy after a day in nature.
Some people say the town has been ruined since the place has become more touristy and I can see what they mean by that.
It has probably lost the charm of what it once was.
On our last day in Ella we decided once again to head in the direction of the waterfall that we could see in the distance from our accommodation.
This time, instead of walking on the road we headed in the other direction down the rail tracks.
It’s funny when you walk along the rail tracks as you pass several cafes that must be there purposely for people walking the railroad as there is no access to them from any roads.
Further down the track it did lead us to the waterfall but to the top of it, so we couldn’t really appreciate its splendour. (Not such a big deal as we did get to admire it in all its glory from our terrace).
However, what we did realise was, that where it had brought us to was the pathway that leads up to ‘Ella Rock’, which is another popular hike.
So, we made the decision to hike Ella Rock instead.
It was a nice walk as it was a steady climb through many tea plantations and extremely scenic.
The path first leads you to ‘Ella rock view point’ where you can stop and rest and have the opportunity to buy juice and coconuts from a few makeshift stalls.
The last part of the climb from here takes around 20 minutes.
It is a bit steeper but people of all ages were climbing and the view from the summit makes it all worthwhile.
Overall, we enjoyed our few days in ‘Ella’ and the scenery was amazing.
You could use it for an overnight stay before or after the train journey, or add a few days longer if you like hiking and walking trails.
Some other day trips that are in easy reach from Ella are the ‘Diyaluma Falls’, which is Sri Lankas second biggest waterfall, ‘Lipton Seat’ and the ‘Dambetanna Tea Factory’.
Ella to Kandy Train
The Ella to Kandy mountain train ride is said to be one of the most scenic train journeys in the world.
This stunning train journey winds through the misty, hilly countryside and tea plantations right through the heart of Sri Lanka.
It takes 7 hours in total but it’s a journey that you are sad to see come to an end. The time flies by as you watch the beauty of this magnificent country go by.
We decided to book it in the opposite direction than most people do.
I had researched previously that if you do it in the direction of Kandy to Ella, you need to book a ticket months in advance during high season, in the hope of getting on the train and most importantly of all getting a seat.
As we were touring Sri Lanka the other way around – beaches first then moving inland, this worked out perfectly for us and I only booked the tickets after our first week here.
I booked through one of the popular websites online, who send confirmation etc, but you do need to get your tickets printed off at the station and it’s a good idea to do it in advance if you can – I visited the station the day beforehand and they printed them off for me without a problem.
As this train is so popular the station was packed on the morning of our journey.
We were moving onwards after Kandy so we had all of our luggage in tow.
I booked first class tickets in the air conditioned carriage as I didn’t want a repeat of our last train journey, where we stood up for almost 4 hours.
You can still book second/third class reserved tickets as well to guarantee a seat but they don’t have air conditioning.
We had no idea where the first class carriage would be when the train arrived at the station. The platform was a bit manic with the amount of people.
However, someone said it’s best to stand in the middle so we did just that and they were correct. When the train came to a halt our carriage was directly in front of us which saved us the worry of having to push past several people all hurrying to clamber aboard.
We met a lovely Canadian lady at the station from Toronto named Viki.
She was travelling solo and when we got chatting we found out we were on adjacent seats in the same carriage.
So, when the train pulled up we had planned for me and Viki to get on asap and then Shane would pass all the bags up.
However, we needn’t have worried as we had more time than we thought to get to our seats before the train departed.
So we settled down in our seats, excited for our journey and to see what magnificent scenery lay ahead.
The train had barely left the station when the ‘Instagrammers’ left their seats and rushed to the open doors between each carriage.
This is a slow train so you often find locals sitting or standing by the open doors to embrace the welcome breeze as the train chugs along. However, they now have to step aside so that the ‘Instagrammers’ can take that all important photo of themselves hanging half out of the train with the wind rushing through their hair.
An hour into the journey most have the ‘photo’ and probably a few ‘likes’ by now, so everyone can return to normal.
As we had a first class assigned seat it meant we could move about more freely.
The carriage is air conditioned so has no open windows but there is nothing stopping you moving to other carriages in 2nd/3rd class if there are any available seats if you want to feel the breeze or stand by the doors for a while.
It’s 7 hours remember – so important to stretch your legs!
There is a food carriage mid way where you can buy tea, coffee, beers and soft drinks along with an array of snacks.
The journey was just as amazing as we had read.
We saw a waterfall so magnificent, breathtaking views of lush green tea plantations that seemed to stretch on and on forever, mountains, viaducts, valleys, and dense jungle.
We decided to take some refreshments in the food carriage.
It had a few seats where you could sit by the open windows.
We ended up sitting there for over an hour drinking little cups of sweet milky tea and snacking on samosas.
Our new friend Viki joined us for a ‘cuppa’ and we had a lovely time getting to know one another.
She was well travelled and had lived a colourful life, so had us entertained with many tales as we chugged along admiring the scenery.
Viki said she had enjoyed the journey so much, that if she did it again she would book it in one direction then book it straight back, just to stay on the train all day.
That confirms how fantastic it was – as that would indeed be a fourteen hour round trip.
We would highly recommend taking this train journey if you ever visit Sri Lanka. You would certainly not forget it!
Sigiriya the ancient rock fortress and Pidurangala
Our last stop inland was Sigiriya which is an ancient rock fortress situated close to the town of Dambulla in the central province.
Sigiriya Rock also known as ‘Lions rock’ was designated a World heritage site in 1982.
Sigiriya is one of the most valuable historical monuments of Sri Lanka. Referred by locals as the Eighth Wonder of the World, this ancient palace and fortress complex has significant archaeological importance and attracts thousands of tourists annually. It is probably the most visited tourist destination in Sri Lanka.
Sigiriya is visibly breath-taking and can be spotted from miles away, rising majestically between the surrounding landscape.
According to the Sri Lankan history, Between 477 and 495 A.C, King Kasyapa constructed his royal palace here to hide from his brother’s attacks.
After his death, Sigiriya turned back into a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century.
The word Sigiriya or Sinhagiri refers to the 1200 steps that must be climbed to reach the pinnacle of the Lion Rock Fortress.
Whilst we were here we planned to climb Sigiriya Rock but also Pidurangala Rock which lies just to the side of Sigiriya.
Pidurangala Rock was used as a Buddhist Monastery when King Kasyapa arrived in Sigiriya.
The monks were originally living in Sigiriya caves but were asked to move to Pidurangala so that Kasyapa could build his fortress on Sigiriya.
Pidurangala is almost the same height at Sigirya but just 1 meter shorter, but the climbs are very different.
On Sigiriya you only have to climb the steps on the staircase that lead to the top, however, these are a bit daunting to look at as they are erected onto the side of the rock face and if you don’t like heights (like Shane), it may be a challenge.
Pidurangala is harder and less visited because the path up has a strong incline but does have a more natural feel.
The first section isn’t too bad as there are some steps but when you reach the second section (at the huge reclining Buddha) the terrain becomes more difficult, where you do have to climb up big boulders near the top.
At the base of Pidurangala Rock, you will find Pidurangala Sigiri Rajamaha Viharaya, which is a white temple.
You pass through the temple first just before the climb and it’s here women can loan a scarf or sarong to cover their shoulders and legs if you haven’t brought your own.
It’s a lot cheaper to climb Pidurangala rock with an entrance fee of £2.50 in comparison to Sigiriya which is around £29.
Overall, we didn’t find it too hard.
It was a little challenging near the very top with the larger boulders but we did manage to scramble up them successfully.
A French guy gave me a helping hand and pulled me up the very last one.
I didn’t realise but there had been an easier route to the left that Shane had already taken.
However, we made it to the top and the view over to Sigiriya makes this climb so worthwhile.
We both felt a sense of accomplishment so sat for a while at the top enjoying the vista.
A lot of people climb Pidurangala early to watch the sunrise or later to see the sunset.
I personally wouldn’t want to be clambering back down over those boulders at dusk but we did see that there was some overhead lighting that would possibly illuminate the way.
Also, if you head there early morning (ticket office open from 5am), it is advised to take transport (Tuk Tuk/taxi etc) as the area is home to wild elephants who may be roaming these parts just before sunrise.
So with Pidurangala now ticked off the list it was time to climb Sigiriya.
Shane had a lot of apprehension about this one.
Not because of the height – as the two rocks are almost the same size, it was the steps on the last section that were unnerving him. He had to try and mentally prepare before losing his nerve.
We decided we would do the climb early morning before it got too hot and to avoid the crowds, so we arrived around 6:30am.
There were still plenty of people there (probably with the same idea), but not overly busy.
The climb is divided into 3 parts. You start at the main gate and water gardens, then the boulder gardens to the Lion’s Paws and finally the Lion’s Paws to the top of the citadel, which is where the challenge lay for Shane because of his fear of heights.
You can see on the photos the stairs clinging to the side of the rock and they do look precarious.
We started the climb first through the water gardens pathway and then the initial ascent begins through a naturally formed entrance between giant boulders overhead.
The steps that lead you to the halfway point are mainly stone, some are quite steep but we just took our time.
We were joined on this section of the climb by a group of macaque monkeys. We never tire of seeing them, so were happy they were tagging along.
At the halfway point is where you see the entrance through Lion Gate. All that’s left now are the claws, but scientists believe that the lion sculpture used to be much larger with head and shoulders.
We took a rest here to catch our breath and it gave Shane a moment to psych himself.
However, I didn’t let him sit there for too long in case he lost his nerve.
So, we headed on up to that dreaded staircase.
I told Shane to just focus on the steps and keep looking up and hold onto the rail.
It was better that we started the climb earlier as there weren’t too many people on the steps. It meant we could just take our time to reach the top.
When it gets busier later on in the day you have to wait on the staircase to let people pass who are heading back down from the top. Something we purposely wanted to avoid.
After stepping foot on the last step we had to congratulate ourselves on the feat we had just accomplished.
Many people with a fear of heights turn back around and cannot go any further than the Lions paws so it was a massive achievement for Shane to make it to the top.
The only worry now, was how he would be going back down, but for now we would enjoy the beauty of this amazing place.
At the top are the remains of this magnificent lost kingdom. Weathered stone ruins, lush green land, a water filled pool and to top it all a perfect view of the surrounding countryside and Pidurangala rock.
We spent a while at the top trying to visualise how it would have been centuries ago when this was brimming with life and animals and amazed how ancient workers built this structure. Even the irrigation was sophisticated and is still in use today.
The archaeological site reminded me of Machu Picchu, only on a much smaller scale. It is fascinating how an entire kingdom was built on the top of a virtually inaccessible, gigantic rock.
Once we had explored all there was to see we decided to head back down.
On the way down there was a lady who was more petrified than Shane. We both gave her encouragement and this actually helped Shane with his own fear as we made the descent slowly back down the steps.
The worst wasn’t completely over yet, as on the way back down you are re-routed along a walkway that clings to the sheer side of the rock and this leads you to the ‘Mirror wall’.
The Mirror wall is a fifth-century brick wall that would have originally covered the whole stairway flanking the rock face.
During King Kasyapas time, the wall plaster was polished to create a mirror effect and so smooth and shiny that the king and his consorts could see their reflection in it – hence the name.
The Mirror Wall also includes the Sigiriya graffiti. The origins of the graffiti can be traced to the period following Kasyapa’s rule, when people from all over Sri Lanka made pilgrimages to see the Sigiriya Maidens as well as the gardens and the palace ruins. Inspired by what they saw, thousands of messages have been left on the mirrored surface of the rock.
Directly above ‘mirror wall’ you find a spiral staircase that leads you up you up to a small pocket in the rock which is around 100 meters above the ground.
Here you will find the Sigiriya Frescoes that were painted in 480AD.
Some say the frescoes are celestial nymphs carrying flowers to shower kings and mortals below.
Others suggest that they are queens and concubines of Kasyapa’s harem.
The ladies of the Sigiriya fresco paintings have been the subject of speculation for nearly 1600 years.
I headed up to the frescoes alone as there was no way Shane was going to subject himself to another set of stairs fixed to the face of the rock.
Finally, we slowly headed back down together the stone steps that lead you to the boulder garden and passed by ‘Cobra hood cave’. This rocky projection earned its name because the overhang resembles a fully opened cobra’s hood.
This then leads you onto the exit at the South Gate.
They also have a museum in the grounds Your entrance fee to the Lion Rock includes the museum, so it’s certainly worthwhile to drop in as we did.
It’s the product of over three decades of intense archaeological research, picking apart the clues left behind by its long-gone inhabitants.
At the museum, you can see an intricate model of the site, and onwards from there, you’ll be treated to a display of artefacts, from tools to sculptures and jewellery.
There is also a replica of the cave with the frescoes so Shane was at least able to witness them as he couldn’t face the staircase to see the real thing like I had.
As we headed out of the ground’s we came across a family of grey Langur monkey so stopped for a while to watch them.
All the monkeys we have seen on Sri Lanka have fascinated us but these are our favourites and we have a giggle as I say they look like Shane with his grey hair and tan. Ha ha
We had a great day and were thrilled that we had accomplished the climb and visited the museum.
Sigiriya is a must see attraction in Sri Lanka and if you visit, it should definitely be on your list of places to visit.
Tomorrow we head back to the coast and close to the airport for our last evening before leaving.
Sri Lanka has been amazing and a magnificent place to start our adventure.
Follow us to our next stop – Thailand.
Home to Buddhist temples, spectacular islands and the land of smiles
