Our brief visit to Kandy ended with our host organising for his mate to give us a lift to the bus station on the cheap. Said friend dropped us in an alleyway, pointed at what appeared to be a far distant bus, said “short cut” and gestured down a set of steps. We were unconvinced … Continue reading Exploring the ancient treasures of Dambulla and Sigiriya (with subtitles)
Month: February 2018
Lingering in train doorways from Ella to Kandy
James was finally feeling ok and so we took the leap and said goodbye to Ella. Given that we didn’t know when we would be able to catch it we hadn’t bothered reserving seats on the very popular Ella to Kandy train. This particular journey has attracted incredible fame due, in large part, to Lonely … Continue reading Lingering in train doorways from Ella to Kandy
Welcome to Hill Country – Haputale and Ella
Rather than going straight to Ella, we took a slight detour off the beaten track and stopped for a couple of nights in Haputale. Tourists aren’t unheard of here but are very much in the minority. The bus journey is a dramatic uphill one winding through small towns with monkeys clambering along the electricity wires, … Continue reading Welcome to Hill Country – Haputale and Ella
The very real joy of Sri Lankan bus travel and an amazing morning with the elephants – Uda Walawe National Park
Our first bus journey in Sri Lanka was on a private bus. Every single bus in Sri Lanka is an old double windscreen Lanka Ashok Leyland but you can tell the difference between the state and private buses because the former are fairly non-descript red buses and the latter are usually painted retina-hurting neon colours, … Continue reading The very real joy of Sri Lankan bus travel and an amazing morning with the elephants – Uda Walawe National Park
Kicking back in Mirissa and Tangalle
We had long been looking forward to a few days R&R on the beach and could think of no better place than the famous beaches of the south coast of Sri Lanka. We booked ourselves in to a small family run guesthouse in Mirissa, just 5 minutes stroll from the beach. Disney Villa, which was … Continue reading Kicking back in Mirissa and Tangalle
Trains, tuk tuks and terrifying traffic – our first impressions of Sri Lanka – Negombo, Colombo and Galle
With a long journey ahead of us and a 3am start, it would have made sense to get an early night, but 10pm the night before our flight found us with our clothes hanging all over the room to dry and Caro attempting to dry our hiking boots with a hairdryer. True backpacker problems.Three flights … Continue reading Trains, tuk tuks and terrifying traffic – our first impressions of Sri Lanka – Negombo, Colombo and Galle
Rafting, Warren the seagull and bidding farewell to New Zealand – Geraldine, Peel Forest, Rangitata River and north to Christchurch.
After a late night chatting with other guests we had a fairly slow exit from Fairlie and were probably not on top form, as we drove 10km in the wrong direction before realising and turning back. We were headed to the town of Geraldine, where Caro was unreasonably excited about the dual attractions of a … Continue reading Rafting, Warren the seagull and bidding farewell to New Zealand – Geraldine, Peel Forest, Rangitata River and north to Christchurch.
Mount Cook National Park
The drive up to Mount Cook / Aoraki National Park is stunning. The road winds along the edge of the incredibly blue Lake Pukaki backed by mountains, it is breath taking. On our approach it looked as though the mountains had been superimposed on to the scenery it was so clear.The village of Aoraki is … Continue reading Mount Cook National Park
Boulders, Steampunk and Richie McCaw – Invercargill to Kurow
The very un-Bavarian Bavarian motel had everything we needed; a powerful hot shower, a comfortable bed and our own cooking facilities allowing us to keep watching Harry Potter in the morning whilst also indulging in pancakes and taking full advantage of our rapidly dwindling calorie deficit.Upon leaving Invercargill, we spent the next 3 days bouncing … Continue reading Boulders, Steampunk and Richie McCaw – Invercargill to Kurow
An exhausting and exhilarating three days on the Hump Ridge Track – Fiordlands National Park
As a result of our continued and increasing enjoyment of hiking, we have been very keen to do a multi-day walk and New Zealand, with its gorgeous countryside and abundance of tracks, is the absolute ideal location for this. Unsurprisingly, these tracks are hugely popular with locals and tourists alike, with some huts being booked … Continue reading An exhausting and exhilarating three days on the Hump Ridge Track – Fiordlands National Park
The Rolling Stones 