It has not been easy staying indoors and being deprived of travel. Lockdowns, locked in, quarantine, and safety protocols have taken a toll on most travel during 2020, though I’ve had the good fortune of racking up the miles, locally. One of my last trips in 2020 is to Mannar. Ideally it should have been…
Tag: Sri Lanka
Tracing the Tooth Relic at Lanka Patuna Sri Lanka
The CeyCat 53 has arrived at the coastline of Lanka Patuna, south of Trincomalee. It took us almost six hours of sailing having seen the amazing whale shark and thousands of dolphins along the way. It is time to take a short ride in the dinghy and disembark on the sea shore because I have…
I Am Sailing. East Coast Sri Lanka
The catamaran bobs gently in the sea. The sky is overcast, the wind is dying down and the evening is pleasantly cooling. We are anchored out at sea, at the foot of the Koneshwaran temple in Trincomalee. I am onboard the Emerald CeyCat 53, a custom built, six-cabin catamaran belonging to Sail Lanka. This is…
Mountain Views and Hidden Waterfalls. Gammaduwa Sri Lanka
Gammaduwa is a village located about 1h20m from the Matale town in the central province of Sri Lanka. The temperature today is a cool 24c probably because of the elevation of 930m above sea level. Off the beaten track that even Google Maps could not quite navigate, we finally reach our destination, the Kudaoya Villa. Originally…
Ancient Temple and Man-Made Tank. Mahiyangana Sri Lanka
Steeped in history and home to one of Sri Lanka’s 16 sacred places (solosmasthana), Mahiyanagana, once a sleepy town, is now a bustling city. I am passing through Mahiyangana en route to Nuwaragala in Maha Oya. One of the focal points of this city is the Mahiyangana Raja Maha Temple, which plays a significant role…
Fortified! Mannar Sri Lanka
It’s only 6 a.m. on this barmy Sunday morning. Our drive up and down the Mannar causeway in search of flamingos was futile. Except for some waders and an awesome sunrise reflecting off the water, there was nothing much to see. Since the day was still young, we decided to drive into the Mannar Fort,…
Virgin White Teas. Handunugoda Estate. Galle Sri Lanka
Galle is famous for its ancient historical Fort, sunny beaches, blue-green sea and kitsch temples. But I discovered another fascinating place to visit, the Handunugoda Tea Estate, home of the rare and real virgin white teas. Located less than 30 minutes from the Galle Fort, the road to the estate is winding and circuitous, and if not for trusted Google Maps I would very well have…
Four Religions. Four Fascinating Temples. Colombo Sri Lanka
Colombo is like a throbbing pulse. Busy, bustling, and bursting at its seams. Nevertheless, this capital city is full of surprises; breathtaking, mysterious and fascinating. Colombo is also home to four of the oldest and intriguing places of worship belonging to the four main religions in Sri Lanka, and I am on a journey with…
Nalanda Gedige. Matale Sri Lanka
Vastly ignored and hardly appreciated, the Nalanda Gedige, once the most central point in ancient Ceylon is a remarkable archaeological site with an interesting story, some fascinating carvings and historical significance. According to former Commissioner of Archaeology, Prof. Senerath Paranavitana, there is inscriptional evidence that this was built during the 8th and 9th centuries as an ancient Hindu temple. The Dravidian-style…
Scenic Train Ride. Ella Sri Lanka
“Epic”. “Stunning”. “Awesome”. “Scenic”. “Asia’s Best” These are just some of the adjectives used to describe the train ride from Colombo to Ella and a reason to find out for myself. It is 5.55 a.m on this Friday morning when 35 like-minded friends and adventurers meet (and greet) at Colombo’s Fort Railway Station to catch…
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