• E N R O U T E / / S R I L A N K A
Q
TRAVEL PLANNER
TOP ATTRACTIONS : The streets of the capital , Colombo , may be busy , but are a worthwhile introduction to the country , and the city also abounds with graceful colonial architecture .
Nearby in the southwest is the charming city of Galle . The ramparts of Galle Fort are home to a vibrant community of galleries , shops and homes . This stretch of coastline is also home to some of Sri Lanka ’ s most popular beaches , with idyllic sands stretched between busy Hikkaduwa and laid-back Hambantota .
Heading inland , the Dambulla Rock Cave Temple is one of the eight Unesco World Heritage Sites on the island , and a highlight of the so-called Cultural Triangle that includes the ancient Sigiriya rock fortress and medieval settlement of Polonnaruwa .
Another must-see in the highlands is the town of Kandy , famous for its surrounding tea plantations and the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic . From the centre of the island head for the east coast , where you will find some of Sri Lanka ’ s best nature reserves , such as the Yala National Park , and more incredible beaches .
RIDE THE RAILS : Sri Lanka ’ s rickety yet colourful trains are a wonderful way to get around . They may be slow , but they offer a unique insight into daily life on the island . Tuk-tuks are also
Exploring the highlands by tuk-tuk .
© ANNA / SHUTTERSTOCK
© ADOBESTOCK
Above / right : The Golden Temple , Dambulla .
an easy way to get around just about anywhere . Pack a sense of adventure !
SURF SRI LANKA : Sri Lanka offers great waves and year-round warm water , so it ’ s the perfect place to learn to surf . Head for Weligama beach on the southwest coast or Arugam Bay on the east coast .
WHEN TO GO : The monsoons dictate the weather in Sri Lanka . December to March is the best time for the popular Hill Country and southern coastline , while May to September is best for the eastern coast .
BOOK IT : Thompsons Holidays ’ seven-night Sri Lanka package will take you from Colombo to the highland highlights ( including Dambulla ) and onward to Kandy . Ask your Sure Travel consultant for details , or visit www . suretravel . co . za / call 0861 47 48 49 . of intrepid travellers from poking around the east coast during the wobbly ceasefires , only to be chased away as the mortars erupted once again .
The war officially ended in 2009 when the Tamil insurgency was crushed with brutal finality . Tourists started making their way back to the east coast , a far cry from the well-trodden southwest , and have been welcomed with open arms ever since . Life goes on after so much death .
Arugam Bay is our base for exploration , an old favourite with the bands of hippies and surfers who found themselves washed up here as far back as the 70s . We found our way here on the trains and busses that bisect the ripe interior from Colombo – an adventure in itself . We trawl the blissful stretch of sand each morning , past groups of Israelis in cafés , alongside fishermen trekking their nets and snake charmers who make the hooded serpents sway to their whims . It ’ s not the music they respond to , though , because snakes have no outer ear . They are following the pungi , the wind-blown instrument that snake charmers wield . The movement leads the snake as it succumbs to the pungi ’ s hypnotic power .
Similarly , we are controlled by the weather that gathers around us like a humid vortex , sucking in the sun , churning out rain , dictating our movements . Black clouds overpower blue skies , burst , then dry up again in minutes . We grow accustomed to the rhythm of the weather and the moods of the sky . Days flow past us as we prise open the east coast ’ s treasure trove of national parks , temples and beaches . The horizon is crimson when we eventually drag ourselves back to Arugam Bay at the end of each adventure . Nights are not black here , but a deep purple shattered by millions of silver pinpricks that puncture our dreams .
The Hindu story of creation says that every night when Lord Brahma the creator sleeps , the world is destroyed so that a new world can be created again . After each old world is destroyed nothing is left but a vast ocean from which this new world springs . Our purpose is to learn from the past and live a better life in each world so that we can reach heaven .
Somewhere in between this story of repeated life and death we are left floating , floating on a green teardrop that rolled down the cheek of India .
36 // MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE