As with all the countries we have visited so far, we have pulled together some tit bits of information that we have picked up along the way, in the hope that they are helpful to others planning a trip to Sri Lanka. We have already outlined some of the downsides of travelling in Sri Lanka … Continue reading Visiting Sri Lanka: Some hints, tips and general observations
Sri Lanka
The downsides to travelling in Sri Lanka
Our posts to date have all been generally very positive about our time in Sri Lanka, and rightfully so, it was amazing. However, we thought that we should also cover the negatives we have experienced so that you are prepared when you arrive. Stray/Street Dogs - There are stray/street dogs everywhere in varying degrees of … Continue reading The downsides to travelling in Sri Lanka
Bidding farewell to Sri Lanka – Wilpattu National Park & back to Negombo
We left Jaffna behind us and embarked on 6 hours of very slow train travel to get us back down to Anuradhapura, from here we travelled 30 minutes by bus to Wilpattu Junction and jumped off on the side of the road in what felt like the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, there were a couple … Continue reading Bidding farewell to Sri Lanka – Wilpattu National Park & back to Negombo
Caro’s guide to climbing Ella Rock – Ella, Sri Lanka
Ella Rock is a real highlight of any trip to Ella and I would 100% recommend it. Anyone with a moderate level of fitness can tackle it no problem, I’ve also recommended a shorter route for those who really don’t feel up to making the hike to the summit. I was climbing it on my … Continue reading Caro’s guide to climbing Ella Rock – Ella, Sri Lanka
The far north of Sri Lanka – Jaffna and the Jaffna Peninsula
Whilst it is becoming more popular with tourists, Jaffna can still be considered to be off the beaten track and it has a very different feel to the rest of the country. There is a noticeably greater Hindu influence and a lot of the key sites are temples. There is also a more conservative attitude … Continue reading The far north of Sri Lanka – Jaffna and the Jaffna Peninsula
Some off-season beach time and a really really old tree – Uppuveli and Anuradhapura
Our first stint of beach time, though nice, had not been as relaxing as we'd hoped so we set aside a couple of days to spend on the east coast beaches. It was the off season but the weather forecast looked good so we caught a couple of buses to Trincomalee. We didn’t linger in … Continue reading Some off-season beach time and a really really old tree – Uppuveli and Anuradhapura
Exploring the ancient treasures of Dambulla and Sigiriya (with subtitles)
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)
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
The Rolling Stones 