A wonderful tour of Sri Lanka
On this, my second trip, there was a whole different experience planned. Travelling with colleagues to learn more about the history, culture and geography of the area. 6 nights and 6 different hotels and another 9 for lunch and dinner. It was a packed schedule with some long journeys and a lot of walking, but what a fabulous experience.
On day 1 we visited the Pinnawela elephant orphanage. We watched baby elephants being fed milk and we watched the older ones enjoying playing in the river. It was interesting to see these fabulous animals up close and take a selfie or 2! We also headed off to the Unesco World Heritage site of Dambulla cave temples. The view from the temple at 350ft is pretty spectacular.
Waking early on day 2 we were faced with climbing the Sigiriya Rock Fortress. My word that was good for the legs! Only a couple of colleagues were fearless enough to go right to the top of this famous fortress built in the 5th century, and the sense of achievement they felt afterwards was visible. We had all earned our lunch by then. Onwards to Kandy the cultural centre where we were shown the Dalada Maligawa- the Temple of the sacred Tooth relic of Buddha. The ceremony with dancing and drums is quite unique.
On day 3 we had a very long drive along mountainous roads seeing tea plantations and waterfalls along the journey then stopping to watch tea being made. There was some stunning scenery so the cameras were put to good use. All the way to Hatton we drove - 'little England' to experience the hospitality of a private bungalow. Then the rain came so we didn't get in the pool.
Day 4 was hosting the highlight for me: a jeep safari into Yala National park to see Sri Lankan wild animals at home. We saw peacocks, elephants, wild boar, flamingos, deer and even a leopard taking a nap in a tree. Dinner in the evening was the icing on the cake at a jungle retreat. Whilst enjoying our main course a water buffalo wandered past us just 50ft away, although some of the girls were less keen on finding the Cobra that had been spotted in the bushes.
Off to Galle on day 5 driving along the coast and spotting all the surf spots. We visited Galle fort with the 350yr old Dutch church and the old lighthouse. Whilst we didn't have time to go and watch the famous art of masks being made we could see the factories and outlets everywhere.
Our final day dad us taking a look at some of the popular resorts in the coastal towns of Hikkaduwa and Bentota, and seeing the turtle hatchery which is ever so popular with visitors to the region. Then we headed up to the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo for a city tour seeing the merging of the old and the new. Also understanding the true multi-cultural society when we could see Christian churches, Muslim mosques and Buddhists temples all in close proximity.
Having spent 7 days there I know that's it's just not long enough to enjoy everything that Sri Lanka has to offer. So I am already planning when I can go back.