Glory of Strobilanthes. Horton Plains Sri Lanka

Some journeys don’t simply take you somewhere—they return you to something lost. Silence. Wonder. The reminder that nature still works to its own ancient rhythm. This journey gave us all of that briefly caught in bloom. There were eight of us, bundled in layered jackets and sleepy smiles as we stepped out of Clouds 1939 by…

Riverston Revisited. Illukkumbura Sri Lanka

Third time’s the charm. That’s what I kept reminding myself as we wound our way up to Riverston in Illukkumbura, the road curling through valleys that, for once, seemed in no rush to slip behind clouds. Two nights and three days here lay ahead, and I had unfinished business — to climb Manigala at last…

Govinda Hela: The Forgotten Fortress. Siyambalanduwa Sri Lanka

Hidden in the far reaches of Siyambalanduwa, where the land grows wild and time feels suspended, stands a sleeping giant — Govinda Hela. A monolithic rock scarred by centuries of history, crowned by drifting clouds, and whispered about in legend. During the colonial era, the British called it “Westminster Abbey”, not for any religious connection, but because its…

The Soul of Sembuwatta. Elkaduwa Sri Lanka

After a couple of hours of twisting uphill from Kandy, we finally arrived at what felt like the edge of a storybook, Sembuwatta Lake. Tucked away in Elkaduwa, Matale, and perched at a breezy 1,084 meters above sea level, Sembuwatta is one of those places that makes you pause, and remember how beautiful Sri Lanka…