Our first impression on boarding the train was not particularly favorable. We’d paid a significant premium to sit in a first class featuring air conditioning, meals and a special open air viewing platform. Instead we were placed in an old cabin with no open platform and a broken generator (so no air conditioning, and presumably no meals worth having). Luckily, after plenty of complaints, the generator unbroke itself and we settled in for a more comfortable seven hour scenic journey.
One of the top Sri Lankan experiences is to ride a slow train through the picturesque mountains from a small town called Ella to the cultural capital, Kandy. To to this, however, we had to get from Mirissa on the southern coast to Ella in the centre. As the bird flies, it wasn’t too far, but in the absence of any trains, our only option was to take winding roads full of mad drivers with a knack for creating unnecessary traffic jams. Having decided we didn't want to pay $200 for a private transfer, we elected to take a significantly more affordable tuk tuk, public bus, tuk tuk combination. The first leg was fine, but the second, four-hour leg, was pretty torturous. Prior to that day we’d only been on one bus that seats six people across, and that was an Airbus that was appropriately wide and had air conditioning. This time, even when the isle wasn’t overflowing with people (as it was most of the time), the lack of shoulder to shoulder space was extremely uncomfortable.
When we got off the bus, the worst part of the trip was supposed to be over, with just a scenic 27 kilometer tuk tuk ride up hill to Ella remaining. It didn’t quite pan out that way. About five minutes in the heavy rain started, as we discovered gaping holes in our tuk tuk’s canvas walls. After a further five minutes, we came across our first landslide. For the remaining 20 kilometers we encountered rocks (of varying sizes) on the road at least every hundred meters. Water was flooding across the road from temporary waterfalls and our tuk tuk driver was spending more time looking out for falling rocks than for oncoming traffic. About an hour later we breathed a sigh of relief as we made it to our hostel. Although we (particularly Cindy) had been really scared throughout the tuk tuk ride, it wasn’t until a couple of days later we realized just how dangerous the situation was, reading news that two hundred people were missing after a landslide had wiped out a nearby town.
That night we had a few calming beverages before sitting down for a delicious home-style Sri Lanka’s meal. We’d read great things about the ‘restaurant’ (you eat in the living area of the owner’s home) on tripadvisor, and our only disappointment was that we didn’t have time to attend the chef’s cooking school so we could reproduce the delicious experience back home.
The following morning we hiked up the nearby little Adam’s peak, getting a feel for the spectacular mountain views we’d be treated to on the train.
When we got off the bus, the worst part of the trip was supposed to be over, with just a scenic 27 kilometer tuk tuk ride up hill to Ella remaining. It didn’t quite pan out that way. About five minutes in the heavy rain started, as we discovered gaping holes in our tuk tuk’s canvas walls. After a further five minutes, we came across our first landslide. For the remaining 20 kilometers we encountered rocks (of varying sizes) on the road at least every hundred meters. Water was flooding across the road from temporary waterfalls and our tuk tuk driver was spending more time looking out for falling rocks than for oncoming traffic. About an hour later we breathed a sigh of relief as we made it to our hostel. Although we (particularly Cindy) had been really scared throughout the tuk tuk ride, it wasn’t until a couple of days later we realized just how dangerous the situation was, reading news that two hundred people were missing after a landslide had wiped out a nearby town.
That night we had a few calming beverages before sitting down for a delicious home-style Sri Lanka’s meal. We’d read great things about the ‘restaurant’ (you eat in the living area of the owner’s home) on tripadvisor, and our only disappointment was that we didn’t have time to attend the chef’s cooking school so we could reproduce the delicious experience back home.
The following morning we hiked up the nearby little Adam’s peak, getting a feel for the spectacular mountain views we’d be treated to on the train.
Kandy was historically the capital of Sri Lanka during the ancient kings’ era, and although it is no longer the political capital it is still known as the cultural heart of the country. The main attraction in Kandy is the Temple of the Tooth which, as the name suggests, is a temple housing a relic of Buddha’s tooth. A long held view that whoever holds the tooth relic holds the power to govern Sri Lanka means that the temple is one of the most guarded buildings in the country. In our experience, the temple is also one of the most crowded buildings, which unfortunately meant we didn’t particularly enjoy our visit there.
We were much more impressed by the golden/cave temple, located two hours further north in Dambulla. This temple, dating back before Christ, features over 150 Buddhist statues housed in one of five large caves built into a towering rock. After paying a hefty entry fee and climbing a couple of hundred stairs on a hot and humid day, dodging hungry monkeys along the way, we knew on first sight that the temple was worth the hike.
While in Dambulla we stayed at a secluded guest house that, although nice and clean, would not have been particularly memorable if not for its friendly owner, a chef who spent the last 14 years cooking at some of the finest five-star resorts in the Maldives. We savored his cooking at every opportunity, enjoying some of the best (and certainly the best value) food we’ve had anywhere.
From Dambulla we visited the nearby Sigiriya, a huge rock that by itself makes a strong first impression. Much more impressive, however, is that sixteen centuries ago, a king built a huge palace on top of the 200 meter high rock. When the seven wonders of the world were announced back in 2001, Sigiriya was very unlucky to miss out, and we personally think it is no less impressive than a couple of anointed wonders we’ve visited so far (the Macchu Picchu still being a cut above). The view from the top of the rock was stunning, and we really enjoyed wandering around the ruins of the palace and surrounds.
Our final stop in Sri Lanka was Trincomalee, a beautiful north eastern beach town that was off limits to tourists while the Tamil Tigers were causing problems. Nowadays the only barrier is that the town is relatively remote (for Sri Lanka), for us requiring a painful 3-hour crowded public bus ride (same experience as above) from Dambulla (the closest major town), followed by an 8-hour overnight bus back to Colombo.
Soon after the civil war ended, an abandoned 70s resort was brought back to life by an international hotel chain as a luxurious beachfront resort. Since we were coming out of peak season, we found a last minute deal that was irresistible, and when we were greeted at the beautiful resort with a free room upgrade we were sure we’d made the right decision. Luckily the rain stayed away for the duration of our time in Trinco (rare for this time of year), allowing us to spend most of our time on the beach or by the resort pool.
Soon after the civil war ended, an abandoned 70s resort was brought back to life by an international hotel chain as a luxurious beachfront resort. Since we were coming out of peak season, we found a last minute deal that was irresistible, and when we were greeted at the beautiful resort with a free room upgrade we were sure we’d made the right decision. Luckily the rain stayed away for the duration of our time in Trinco (rare for this time of year), allowing us to spend most of our time on the beach or by the resort pool.
Our overnight bus back to Colombo left us alone on a dark street corner at 3:30 in the morning. Fortunately we were able to quickly find a tuk tuk and, even more fortunately, our friend from Colombo, Aneesha, was waiting in the middle of the night to invite us into her home for a few hours’ sleep. Later that morning, the three of us had a nice breakfast before we headed to the airport, ending our time in Sri Lanka.
When we first arrived in Colombo, we really didn’t know what to expect from the small island nation, but in the end we really enjoyed our time there. Leaving aside our transport frustrations, the country has a lot to offer, including plenty of beautiful temples, several postcard-worthy white sand beaches and an archeological treasure in Sigiriya.
Next stop; India.
Next stop; India.
