[kiki_13]

I had done a typical tourist tour of Sri Lanka back in 2010 with my friends. Since then, there was this itch to get the genuine feel of the country. Luckily that was realised with the backpacking trip across Sri Lanka in September 2017.

For the ease of reading, I have split the travelogue according to the places. Feel free to read the part that interests you the most.

Sri Lanka for Dummies

Colombo- remnants of the colonial past

Anuradhapura - a fascinating ancient city

Dambulla and Mihintale - captivating caves and mountains

Jaffna Peninsula- where war-history is buried deep

Polonnaruwa - royal ancient city

Nuwara Eliya and Ella - the hill country

More photos from Anuradhapura, Mihintale and Ella


Some more photos from Polonnaruwa

Sri Lanka for Dummies

Sri Lanka is a beautiful island country with fewer hassles of travelling in a third world country. Clean cities and villages, less population and good roads. Here are a few pointers to ponder before travelling to Sri Lanka.

Visa: Indians get a visa-on-arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo. The fee is $25 per person. You can obtain this visa in advance by applying online - http://www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa/ and pay $20, provided you have an international credit/debit card to make the payment. The airline staff at Jet Airways insisted that we should have this visa before issuing the boarding pass. We clarified with the supervisor: if we have a return ticket and confirmed accommodation, the immigration officer will let you board the flight. On arrival in Sri Lanka, you will need to fill up the address of your first day's accommodation.

Flights: There are frequent flights from Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai. If you opt for weekdays, the price will be a lot different. We paid INR 10,200 for a round trip for one person.



Currency: Sri Lankan Rupees (LKR) is approximately 2.25 times against INR. So INR100 = 225LKR or INR 44=100LKR. It is a dollar friendly country, so it makes sense to carry currency in USD from India. 1USD = 151LKR approx. There are many counters at the exit gates of the airport to change the currency. All the counters offer the same rate at a given time. These counters work 24hrs. In case you don't change at the airport, there are many shops and banks throughout the country to change the currency.

INR can't be changed at the airport, and options are limited to Colombo city and Jaffna. These were the only two places we found authorized money changers for INR. In a nutshell, carry enough USD- change at the airport and on the way back home change LKR to USD.

Note: This information is from 2017.

Expenses: Unlike India, Sri Lanka is not a dirt-cheap country to do a backpacking trip. Accommodation generally boasts a minimum standard, and the prices start at LKR1500 without air-con, with attached bathrooms. Mosquito nets and tissue rolls are provided at most of the guest houses. More expensive options with creature comforts are easily available at LKR3500 onwards.

A good meal (rice and curry) at a regular restaurant will cost you LKR300. Plain Tea is LKR20. Fresh fruit juice is LKR100. A cream bun will cost LKR50.

Ancient Cities and temples have a hefty entry fee for foreigners, Dambulla cave temple entry fee LKR1500 as an example. Calculate these expenses under a separate head on your daily budget.



Transport: Mass transport is generally very cheap in Sri Lanka- buses and trains are not crowded, thanks to the low population. You can get a reserved ticket on a long-distance train as early as 10days in advance. We booked our tickets mostly 2 days in advance. The tourist rail between Colombo-Kandy-Nuwara Eliya-Ella can be full, so please plan ahead.

A 3hr bus ride costs LKR200, well maintained Ashok Leyland buses are comfortable and trouble-free. There is no advance booking for buses. All the buses sport a board in English and a route number. State-run buses are red in colour and boast an emblem of SLTB. Private buses are painted white. Both have the same prices, and they stick to a regular timetable, enforced by punching stations en-route. Air-con Toyota Coaster buses are more costly and faster, as they don't stop anywhere other than the big towns.

Tuk-tuk and taxi cars are available with ease and are generally more expensive. A taxi from Colombo Fort Rly Station to the airport will cost a minimum of LKR1500 whereas by bus is LKR100, for a comparison. While hiring a tuk-tuk, a good idea is to fix the fare. Expect to pay a minimum of LKR100.

Guesthouses offer bicycles on rent expect to pay LKR300-500 for a day. There are many options to rent bicycles at Ancient Cities, in case the bicycles from the guest house are not good enough.

Roads are excellent across the country. They are divided as A for highways and B for secondary roads, and so on. Most of the highways are two-lane.

Language: You will have a tough time unless you are on a package tour with a guide. You don't find many people speaking English when you ask for directions or vegetarian food. Sinhala is the primary language, and Tamil is spoken in the Hill Country(Kandy and further up). Jaffna Tamil is totally a different language, and knowing Tamil helps here. Official boards are in Sinhala, Tamil and English.



Food: Mostly non-vegetarian food, and many don't understand the concept of vegetarian food. Buddhism doesn’t mean vegetarianism. Don't be surprised if you find tiny chicken pieces in your vegetarian kottu rotti. Rice and curry is the staple diet where curry can be dal fry, vegetables, egg, fish, chicken, pork etc. Fruits are superb and cheap. You will find a lot of sugar and salt in food, so asking for less sugar in fruit juice will save you from a high glycemic index. Bakeries open at 6am, and locals flock there for breakfast on the way to work or school. String hoppers (idiyappam) is a standard breakfast menu served with dal fry and coconut chutney.

Weather: Sri Lanka has a tropical climate, making it a hot and humid zone, except the hill country - though precipitation is pretty high. The sun is up early, and bright daylight by 5.30 am. South and west get rain between May-September, North and East during Oct-Jan. Carry sunscreen, hat, umbrella or rain poncho.



Civic sense: People are well behaved, not throwing waste on the road, diligently following traffic rules, stopping for pedestrians to cross, and everyone wears a helmet, including the pillion. Garbage is well managed. Waste is segregated at the source, then collected and processed. You don't see people multitasking with their mobile while on wheels.

Cultural Sensitivity: Abstain from taking selfies standing in front of statues, especially those with religious significance. Showing your back to the Buddha is considered offensive amongst Buddhists.

If you are flying to Colombo and stick to the tourist circuit, you will never encounter anything related to the past war. So there is nothing to worry about the security across the country. Military presence in the country is scanty, and we were never asked to show ID proof. Yes, you can travel to Jaffna and further to the islands -Delft, Nainativu. No special permit is required.

[kiki_13]

Colombo- remnants of the colonial past

It was the first time; someone was waiting at the airport, holding a placard with our name. Officials at the airport were cordial with smiling faces. After the formalities of immigration, we headed to exchange the Dollars for Sri Lankan Rupees. Our chauffeur Rohita has worked in Oman and is back home after retiring. Chatting about myriad topics -including religion, war, car prices, economy, education, waste management - we reached "Stay with Travel Writers" homestay. We were surprised by how clean the city was and thought it must be because it was late in the night. In the following days, we realised that cleanliness was part of the culture and people are not used to littering.



Stay with Travel Writers is owned by Shehan, who will gladly help you with places to stay and visit. This nice house is tucked away in a quiet residential area, a 10-minute walk from the IDH bus stop at Gothatuwa. Rooms are tastefully furnished with clean toilets. There is a big drawing-room, where you can meet fellow travellers, some useful books to refer to. If you are not keen on staying inside the city, this is an ideal location.



There are frequent buses to Pettah (Fort area) from Gothatuwa, route number 152 (LKR25, 45min). Perera and Sons bakery at IDH was our first taste of Sri Lanka. It is very easy to find a bakery in Colombo than to find a restaurant to eat a proper meal. People are very busy and stop at the bakery for a quick bite. Walking around in the Pettah market - where each passage has its own speciality, ranging from Ayurveda medicine to home appliances to jewellery and gadgets - we came to an old restaurant by the name Neelagiri. It is here we had our first Sri Lankan meal, veg biriyani washed down with EGB ginger beer. Fort Railway Station and Central Bus Station - from where you can get connected to any part of Sri Lanka - are close to the Pettah market.



Fort area is a nice place to explore on foot. Few authorised money changers here give a better rate ( 1 USD = 152 LKR approx) than the airport. Vehicular traffic is less, and you can walk down to Galle Face from here, passing through Clock Tower, Central Bank of Ceylon and continuing until Kollupitiya. From there, a tedious bus ride in rush hour traffic brought us back to Pettah, through Slave Island and South Beira Lake. Seema Malakaya Meditation Centre is almost in the lake and seemed to be an apt place for meditating.



Viharamahadevi Park is sprawling greenery bordered by Town Hall, National Art Gallery and Natural History Museum. One can enter the park from three streets [Mw- Mawatha is the Sinhala word for street] - Ananda Coomaraswamy Mw, Dharmapala Mw and FR Senanayake Mw. Get into route number 138 bus from Pettah to get here. There is a canteen where you get meals and snacks, and many pushcarts selling tasty Elephant House Ice-cream. To get back to Pettah, take the bus 120/122. Coincidentally, we boarded the same bus on the Gothatuwa-Pettah route for the third time. By now, the ticket collector was used to us and would give us the ticket to our stop. We bought a new local mobile connection from Hutch, and the only document required is a copy of the passport. From the Fort Station, we booked our train to Anuradhapura, which was not difficult to get. There was a serpentine queue for the Kandy train though.



At Gothatuwa, close to the homestay, a serendipitous finding - Red Leaf Fruit Corner - was a relief in a place popular with non-vegetarian restaurants. This place is an excellent way to enjoy a fruit diet. Relishing authentic Sri Lankan food, delicious coconut rotti and Wellawahum (Sri Lankan pancake) for dessert, we shared travel stories with the owner Weerakone. He recommended adding Jaffna to our itinerary. Popular for the fresh fruit juice and pickled fruit salad, Red Leaf is busy in the evenings.

[kiki_13]

Anuradhapura - a fascinating ancient city

After sipping the delicious tender coconut and munching on snacks, we headed to the Fort Railway Station to board our train to Anuradhapura (2nd Class, 450 LKR). Alternatively, you can take a bus from CBT, which runs hourly. Many locals use the train to commute. The train was similar to Indian trains, contrarily clean, comfortable seats, with plenty of leg space and individual food trays. Train Ticket Examiner will promptly check your tickets. Friendly station security showed us to our seats. The train was delayed by an hour due to a mechanical problem and reached Anuradhapura by 4.40 p.m.

Lakeside Tourist Guest House (Dbl non AC 2000 LKR) was a 2 km walk from the station. Sharath - a local gentleman, stopped by to guide us. A popular landmark in the area is the provincial council building or the walkers' bakery. Both are very close to the old bus station. Manager Ranatunga is a cheerful and helpful person who speaks English. Tenny and Seba were two friendly dogs, Tenny being upset as the owner had left for Australia a day ago. The rooms are clean and tidy, with a small shared balcony overlooking Nuwara Wewa. Opposite the provincial council building, Walker's bakery and the restaurant was our food source during our stay here. They dished up delicious Sri Lankan meals and occasionally pasta.



A bicycle is a must to cover the vast area of the ancient city. Most of the guesthouses rent a bicycle, starting at 350 LKR a day. Entry ticket costs $25 for foreigners and half the price $12.5 for SAARC countries. You will have to produce your passport at the ticket counter. The ticket counter is at the archaeological museum and gives good background information about the ancient city. Shri Maha Bodhi - The sacred fig tree has grown from a cutting brought from Bodhgaya (in India) by princess Sanghamitra (who introduced Buddha's teaching in Sri Lanka). On Sundays and poya (full moon) days, expect large crowds.



Abhayagiri Dagoba - (Dagoba is the Buddhist stupa, a mound-like structure with relics used by monks for meditation). This massive Dagoba is a treat to the eyes, and the engineering skill of the people back in the 1st and 2nd century BC leaves you stupified. Jetavanarama Dagoba - was as big as Abhayagiri when built and was the third tallest monument in the world next to pyramids in Egypt. Unfortunately, it couldn't retain the tallness all these years. It is easy to get confused between Abhayagiri and Jetavanarama Dagoba. Thuparama Dagoba - the oldest in Sri Lanka, was constructed around the 3rd Century BC.



Samadhi Buddha is a fine statue of Buddha in the state of meditative consciousness. Ratnaprasada houses the finest Guardstones in Anuradhapura. Other places include Kuttam Pokuna (twin ponds), Elephant pond - not many tourists come to this pond but go to the twin ponds. Near twin pond, we saw a lady selling Beli Mal Bomu - Beli is Sinhalese for Bael fruit, and Mal is the flower. The fruit is said to be indigenous to Lanka with plenty of nutrients. It is known to cool the body from inside. Sun-dried Bael flowers are brewed in boiling water. Jaggery enhances the taste of this drink.




Elephant pond is situated in the middle of woods and a nice place to relax and take a break from cycling around. The spell of rain had made the pond look fresh and full of life. You can spend some time rambling around. Uttara Moola, nearby the Elephant pond, has a lot of ruins of the monastery and again, not many come to this site. You get to see the greenery, and if lucky, you will spot a peacock or a monitor lizard too! A vast expanse of ruins garnered moss and spread out to the jungles behind is riveting.



A short spell of rain brought the temperatures down and enhanced the green hue of the surroundings. We stopped by a small shack to enjoy black tea and coconut roti while waiting for the rain to abate. Isrumuniya Vihara has a separate entry fee for the rock temple. It has a small museum that has a collection of some delightful carvings. From the top, you get a good view of the city and the Tissa Wewa behind.

I feel limited by words. There are many more ruins and interesting paths to venture into in the ancient city. Few more pictures of the serene ancient city.

[kiki_13]

Dambulla and Mihintale - captivating caves and mountains

Cave Temples of Dambulla are remarkable and prominent in most tourist pamphlets. Buses from Anuradhapura to Kandy go through Dambulla (LKR 200, 1.5hrs) get down at the Golden Temple. If you get down in the town, there is a bus station, from where you can take a bus to Golden Temple on Kandy Road. The ticket office is halfway through the steps on the other side. After buying tickets (1500LKR per person), start climbing stairs again towards the Cave Temples. Of the five caves, the first two are very large.



The first cave contains a statue of Vishnu, and around the wall is the depiction of a seated Buddha. The second cave is the most impressive of them. It holds the statue of the Kings, after whom the cave is named. A vessel inside the cave collects water that constantly drips from the rocks and is used for sacred rituals. The roof of the caves is covered with mural paintings that depict scenes from Buddha's life. The third cave contains a charming reclining Buddha. Buddha in the fourth cave is seated in a meditative pose. The small dagoba is believed to have been broken by the thieves, who were under the impression that it contained jewellery. The last cave has statues of Hindu deities and Vishnu along with a reclining Buddha.



It was here that we met a German-speaking Sinhala guide. He learned German at the Goethe Institut in Colombo. It was interesting to speak to him in German. The Germans with him seemed fascinated to hear two non-Germans conversing fluently in German. The return bus to Anuradhapura (LKR 110, 2hrs) took a different route going through many villages with frequent stops.


Dambulla Cave Temples


Pond outside the caves

Mihintale

From the New Bus Station in Anuradhapura, you can ride a bus to Mihintale (LKR 30, 45min). Make sure you get down in town next to the petrol pump. Our bus dropped us at the University of Mihintale, and we had to walk almost 2km to reach the ruined hospital. Here we met a group of guys from Hong Kong who seemed to be lost in the ruins. We explored the ruined hospital with them and went separate ways as they decided to visit the museum. There is a towering set of stairs to reach the ticket office. The other entrance by the old road on the west is easier and avoids the staircase.



Near the ticket office is the Refectory, and one story above is the stone inscriptions of Mihintale. Ambasthale Dagoba is where the King and Buddhist monk Mahinda met. This is believed to be the beginning of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Mahaseya Dagoba is the largest stupa in Mihintale. The steps to reach dagoba are carved in the rock. At the foot of the dagoba is a small temple that has reclining Buddha and technicolour modern frescoes.



Aradhana Gala - the meditation rock is reached by a steep climb on the rock. You need to face precarious rocks and strong winds, but a spectacular view of the greenery around is enthralling.


Trivia: 1840 ancient granite slabs make this staircase

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Jaffna Peninsula- where war-history is buried deep

There are no beaches or many tourist attractions in Jaffna and unless you are anthropologically inclined about the war and the history, you can skip Jaffna from your itinerary. The Jaffna Tamil is in no way close to Tamil spoken in India, still, they will understand if you speak Tamil to them. They use red rice mostly to make dosa, idiyappam. Jaffna is peculiar for its educated, hard-working population. After graduation, most of them migrate to Australia or Europe for better prospects. British Council and many UN-funded NGOs are active. You can exchange your INR for LKR at Jaffna. 1INR=2.25LKR. This part is not as prosperous as the rest of the country.



The first-class train to Jaffna from Anuradhapura starts at 9:15am (LKR1000 per head) reaches Jaffna by 12:15pm. The route is scenic and goes through Vavuniya, Mankulam (famous from the movie Kannathil Muthamittal). The Vanni forest area, which isolates Jaffna from the rest of Sri Lanka is dense. We stayed two nights at Theresa Inn (Tel: 2228615, 071856 5375, LKR2000 without air-con) next to British Council on Racca Road. Owner Joseph is helpful, and he will pick you up from the railway station. He has a tuk-tuk for hire and two-wheelers for rent. There are many other lodges around the railway station, and getting a room with an air-con is ideal unless you are counting your pennies. Jaffna is very hot and humid.



We met a local who volunteered with International Red Cross during wartime. Despite many options, he chose not to take refuge in foreign countries. He had unbiased views, and stories were really gripping about the 30 years without electricity and access to the outer world. Point Pedro is the tip of Sri Lanka on the east side, though the beach here is not really accessible or clean. The buses (No. 750/751, LKR70, 45min)to Pedro Point can be picked up from the bus stand near Nallur Kovil. Nallur Bhavan is a good vegetarian restaurant that is close to Nallur Kovil. If this is closed, you can have a meal at the small tea-shop opposite Morgan's on the same road. Other attractions in the town include Public Library and Dutch Fort. There is a good movie theatre at Kargil Square, and when we visited, there was an international film festival going on.



There are a few islands that are scattered around Jaffna. To go to any of these, you can catch a bus from the town bus station to Kurikkaduvan, known as KKD (LKR 50, 2hrs) via the causeways crossing Valalai, Pungudithivu, Kayts. The first boat to Delft (named after a place in the Netherlands) is at 8:30am, which returns at 1:30pm. There are frequent boats to Nagadeepa, an island famous for the Hindu temple and brand-new Buddhist temple. On your way to KKD, you will see many abandoned houses, presumably war-torn. Some of the boats are really old, and the boat we were riding broke down in the middle of the ocean. Another bigger boat towed us to the port after floating around in the waves for some time.



Jaffna peninsula will continue its social-geographical isolation unless the government does some active integration of this ethnic society to the mainstream. As of now, there is no government job for Jaffna Tamils. Language is a barrier, but no big deal compared to India. English will be a bridge for bridging the gap between social isolation. Hope there will be more people speaking English in this touristy friendly.


Land's End - Point Pedro


M.G.Road in Jaffna


Abandoned houses around Jaffna


Interesting landscape of Jaffna

[kiki_13]

Polonnaruwa - Royal Ancient City

Our train to Anuradhapura was at 6:10 am, and Joseph, the owner of the homestay, dropped us at the Railway Station. First-Class air-conditioned train starts at 1:30 pm, reaching Colombo at 8:30 pm and the 6:10 am train reaches Colombo by 1:30 pm. En route, you will notice tiled roofs of many houses with "Red Cross" written over them. The train reached Anuradhapura at 1:30 pm. Headed straight to New Bus Station to get a bus to Polonnaruwa (160 LKR, 3 hours).



The new town of Polonnaruwa, where the main bus station is situated, is known as Kaduruwela, 3 kilometres away from the old town. You might see buses having a board of Kaduruwela, which will stop at the old town before proceeding to the new bus station. Very few buses will have the Polonnaruwa board. The bus goes through Kekirawa-Habarana-Ritigala-Giritale. Along the main road, there are many shops renting cycles. Geared cycles are better in this town.




A 10-minute walk on the main road past the clock tower is the Devi Tourist Home (LKR 2000, non AC double). Food is available on request here. Renting an air-conditioned room is highly recommended for hot and humid nights. Johron and family make you feel at home. This guest house was run by Johron's father and has been accommodating tourists since the 1980s. The rooms are tidy and come with mosquito nets. We had the best Lankan rice and curry here -consisting of many Kerala cuisine based dishes -drumstick, jackfruits, plantain flower. Johron will drop you at the bus stand at Kaduruwela (LKR 350)

There is a nice restaurant on the main road, run by Ohseen and family - dishes up Lankan and continental cuisine. He has two rooms for guests (LKR 2200 non AC / LKR 2700 AC). Two kids nearby were riding good MTB cycles, LKR 18000 for DSI branded 18-speed cycle.



The Ancient City of Polonnaruwa is not as sprawling as Anuradhapura. We started riding our Shimano geared cycles (LKR 300) with Panasonic dynamo from Devi tourist home and had a local breakfast of Idiyappam with coconut chutney, lentils (parippu) and coconut milk-based gravy in the town (LKR 220 per plate). Tickets for visiting the ruins ($25, for SAARC $12.5) can be purchased at the ticket office, inside the Archeological museum. It is better to pay in USD as you get a good conversion rate of LKR154. We decided to cycle back to the museum after visiting the ancient city during the first half of the day. The map provided with the ticket is quite useful.



Royal Palace was a captivating seven storeyed palace, of which three are remaining. We were delighted to see a group of young monastery students in orange robes. There are many stalls inside the Heritage Site selling souvenirs, which steals the serenity of the place. Polonnaruwa is a hot place, and make sure to carry lots of water and sunscreen with you.



The Sacred Quadrangle consists of many ruins like Vatadage - a circular chapter house where the central dagoba has four statues of Buddha in four directions. Before reaching the central dagoba, there are two terraces, of which the second one has fine guard stones at its entrance. Thuparama Gadige - is the smallest gadige (an image house) in Polonnaruwa, but also one with its roof intact. Hatadage is a tooth-relic chamber believed to have been built in 60 days under the supervision of King Nissanka Malla.



The best part of the ruins in Polonnaruwa has to be the Gal Vihara - the finest of the Sinhalese rock carvings. Separate statues of Buddha have been carved out of one long granite slab. Standing Buddha with arms crossed is not the usual position of Buddha, whereas reclining Buddha has finely detailed carvings on the pillow and a subtle depression where Buddha's head is placed. Rankot Vihara is the largest stupa in Polonnaruwa and the fourth largest in the country. Nearby are the ruins of a hospital. Unfortunately, the exit is to the main road, which has heavy traffic. It was a challenge to cycle back to the Museum. This archaeological museum is well kept and informative too. Spend some time here as it is also a respite from the hot and humid sun.

[kiki_13]

Nuwara Eliya and Ella - the hill country

We started from Kaduruwela at 7am to Kandy by a private bus (LKR 200, 5hrs) going through Habarana-Dambulla-Matale. This was stopping at every 2km and was crowded most of the time. You can get down at Dambulla and ride an air-con bus to Kandy. The commercial capital of Sri Lanka didn't impress us much, so we didn't stay at Kandy.



The next bus from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya (LKR230, 3hrs) was a faster air-con bus going through Peradeniya-Pussellawa. The train takes a different route. We met Ravindu, who works at Commercial Bank and owns Toyota Prius, which he rents out. Kandy to Bandaranaike airport LKR 6000. You can rent this car without a driver for LKR8000 per day.



Accommodation at Nuwara Eliya is the highest in entire Sri Lanka, thanks to its importance as a tourist location. At an elevation of 1989m, the erstwhile colonial remnants are well maintained at this hill station. Victoria Park Inn, behind Victoria Park, offers basic rooms (LKR 2500, Tel: 222 2321, 0776607108) is the cheapest deal we could find. They can arrange mountain bikes for LKR1500 per day and run tours to Next door New Tour Inn (LKR4000, heater LKR800 extra. Tel 52 2234897, 522223182) is a better option.



Ambal's veg restaurant in the main town is the best option for local vegetarian food. Walking around the town, you can visit the colonial-era post office, Victoria park. Gregory park on the way to Nanu-Oya railway station is a major attraction. The super-slow goods train to Ella leaves from Nanu-Oya at 9:25am (4hrs, LKR110), just hop on and grab a seat. This train delivers diesel to the tea-factories on the way. Enjoying the misty mountains, tea-estates and drizzle, we reached Ella at 1:45pm.



Ella is tourism on steroids; 100 local families and 500 tourists. At a walkable distance from the railway station, you can find guest houses and restaurants on both sides of the road. Dollar-friendly prices and menus, it is difficult to find a small restaurant. A juice costs LKR 350. We stayed at Soorya Guest Inn (Dbl LKR2000, Tel 077 03515662, 0094 572228906)for four nights. Owner Dasith Warnasooriya and manager Gamini were really helpful.



Ella Rock is a must-do walk at Ella, and many trails lead to this nice place. The easiest is to walk along the railway track towards a tiny railway station Killadella crossing a black bridge. Then turn left to a tea plantation and cross a small stream to walk up the hill. On the way, you will find a tea-shop selling tender coconuts and tea. Two policemen were whiling away there, supposedly on Ella Rock Duty.



One of them started asking questions non-stop. Name, Country, Marital-Status, Salary, Children and so on…he had a train of unrelenting questions. You will get a nice cup of hot tea on top of the hill, though a tad expensive at LKR100. Gawking at the scenic view of Ella, we spent 30min over there before walking to another viewpoint looking over Ravana waterfalls.



Little Adam's Peak is a short walk from the main road, and you get a panoramic view of the hills and road to Badulla. Ask anyone on Passanda road for the direction, and they will guide you, at least pointing their hands in the right direction. There is a deviation near the flower garden. One way might take a little less than 1hr from Ella Gap Hotel. You can visit Nine Arch Bridge on your way back, which is a British engineering marvel. We didn't walk on the track to return to Ella Railway station, which many locals do and recommend. Walking on the railway track is illegal, and there will be warning signs not to venture into this.



This dreamy landscape is filled with lush tea gardens on the hills. The long and slow train journey from Ella to Colombo is a must-do to appreciate the marvel of railways. The excitement of passing through tunnels, the placidness of the hamlets in the hills and the sheer sound of a train chugging and blowing its horn is incredible. After the long ride on the train, we boarded a bus and headed to the airport. With bountiful memories, we boarded our flight with the hope of returning to this exquisite country soon.


Looking through the train glass!



Is that where my next cup of tea will be from?


Rain drenched Ella

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More photos from Anuradhapura, Mihintale and Ella

Inside Sacred City, Anuradhapura


Ruins at Ancient City, Anuradhapura


Must have been a grand place, Ancient City, Anuradhapura


Green moss on ruins, Ancient City, Anuradhapura


Inside another cave temple at Dambulla


Kantaka Chetiya, a stupa in Mihintale


View of Ella Rock from Little Adam's Peak, Ella


View from top of Ella Rock, Ella


Fresh tea brewing on top of Ella Rock, Ella


Tunnel leading to Nine Arch Bridge,Ella


Train ride from Ella to Colombo

[kiki_13]

Some more photos from Polonnaruwa

Audience Hall near Royal Palace, Polonnaruwa


Around the palace area, Polonnaruwa



Chapter House, Sacred Quadrangle, Polonnaruwa


Hatadage, Sacred Quadrangle, Polonnaruwa


Remains of Buddha Statue at Atadage, Sacred Quadrangle, Polonnaruwa


Kumara Pokuna (bathing pool for the royals), Polonnaruwa


Latha Mandapaya, Polonnaruwa


Rankot Vihara Dagoba, Polonnaruwa


Lankatilaka, Polonnaruwa


Ancient system to collect water at pond, Polonnaruwa

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[mankuthimma]

Excellent writeup with some amazing amount of details - it is almost like a guidebook for a backpacking trip to Srilanka.
Though it belongs to same geographical area of our own country, the people and culture makes a whole lot of difference to the sights and experiences. Also goes to show how a DIY trip can take you closer to these experiences compared to an organized tour, which unfortunately, we had opted for, but left us bit underwhelmed. Nevertheless it is a beautiful country to explore.
Thoroughly enjoyed the writeup on Jaffna, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, which we wanted to visit, but had to miss out.

[warp_10]

Nice post. I enjoyed a similar trip (not backpacking though) in SL about 2 years back. Lovely country by all means and made me nostalgic.

What is interesting about SriLankan auto policy is that the government decided to tax heavily on the automobile sector to keep the infra structure from congestion (Gets a luxury tax). For. example, an alto base model there is about 8.5 Lakhs INR.

This is something lots of advanced nations have adopted (like Japan, Singapore etc). But what I don't believe is right is that SriLanka ended up doing the same before they achieved growth peaks (to be fair even before growth was seen).

[OffRoadFun]

Detail oriented travelogue and beautiful pictures! Always wanted to visit Sri Lanka amongst all of our neighbors. My earlier mentor was from Sri Lanka and besides nice stories about Sri Lanka, I also got to taste best Sri Lankan food at his place. That put a curiosity in me to visit the place. And one of my other room mates was born in Sri Lanka (though Indian Tamil).

Anyways, beautiful pictures. May be one day I can find time to visit, especially Chitrakoot mountain also!

[vabhian]

Excellent piece of writing and photographs. This will serve me well while planning my Sri Lanka trip, whenever that happens. Good to know that we can easily depend on public transport and cover all the major tourist spots - this was my only concern earlier, as to whether I would have to depend on booking a taxi to take me to few places.

[FloatingCanvas]

kiki_13, thank you for taking us on a trip to beautiful vistas of Sri Lanka.

Your travel choice sure must help to explore and experience the country more as a localite than a tourist. The fantastic images of the beautiful sculptures were mesmerising.

Thanks for penning down such a beautiful travelogue with guidance for future travellers.