Magical Sri Lanka Part Two of my wife Marie's Birthday trip

On the next day, we drove from Kandy to Ella stopping at one of the most famous Buddhist temples. The temple is home to the Sacred Tooth Relict and attracts many worshippers and tourists every year. This temple is also known for being partially destroyed by the bomb attack in 1991. If you wanted to visit it, you should be dressed moderately and completely in white and you can buy flowers to offer them in the temple making wishes. If you have a chance try and go in August to see the unique Elephant Parade called Perahera which starts at the temple. This event went straight on my bucket list, just have a look at a few YouTube videos and you will see why.

On our way to Ella, we stopped at the 2nd oldest and largest tea plantations which are a must-see for everyone. More than 2000 people are working at the tea plantation still using the old mechanisms brought by the British. The tea plant itself though was brought from China and the tradition of tea apparently began when a tea leaf fell by chance into some warm water of the Chinese emperor Shennong. All the old machines come originally from Belfast and are still in use. Even the climate up in the mountains is completely different and it makes you feel like you travelled to a different country altogether. Later we arrived in Ella which is very different and is the temporary home for a lot of backpackers. If you are there try having dinner at the Chili café, a vibrant place which serves really tasty food. When you are in Ella you will have to try and get up early one day and start your trek to Adam’s peak at 5 am. You will be rewarded with stunning views of Ella and the surrounding mountains. Ella is also the starting point to see the Nine Arch Bridge which is one of the most famous tourist attractions. The bridge was built of stone in 1921 by the British to transport tea, spices and especially cinnamon. The train is only coming from one direction every few hours and hopefully, you are lucky to see it or even catch it for a little ride.

We spent our last few days relaxing in a beach resort in Unawatuna. From there you also have the chance to visit the ancient fortress in Galle built by the British, Portuguese and Dutch. I am not going into too much detail as you will be able to read all about this yourself when you are there. I will share however one interesting fact that is not as obvious. If you see young couples sitting around hiding under their umbrellas, you are witnessing young love who are hiding from their parents ;-).

I cannot close this blog without at least spending a few words on Sri Lankan cuisine. I think we have never eaten better and if you are into it, you will have to try some of the very fresh seafood. Another one of my favourites is Egg Hoppers which are made out of rice flowers. If you like it spicy, you can try it with some coconut sambal which is made of grated coconut, lime juice, chilli and onion. The breadfruit curry is also really delicious and try out the vegetable Kottu Roti. If you are a Vegetarian, you will not starve in this country.

This was definitely not my last time in Sri Lanka and I can only recommend everyone to go at least once to check out this magnificent place, meet the friendliest people, eat delicious food and experience the variety this country has to offer.