Sensational Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is 2% of the size of India. The Kimberley is more than 6 times the size of Sri Lanka. Putting that into perspective we are looking at a very small and compact country. Most travellers seem to spend around two weeks here which means they need to decide on either the north or the south.

We have the freedom of time so have the ability to take a more in depth look at the Island for the month then we can decide where the best parts lie.

Our friend Nishad gave us some suggestions and a rough itinerary to follow, which included Jaffna, in the far north. Once the strong hold of the fearsome ‘Tamil Tigers’.

I am sure many remember the Sri Lankan civil war that raged from the early 1980’s right up until 2009. Thankfully there is now peace and Sri Lanka has opened its doors, and arms to the rest of the world.

Tourism has well and truly taken off here and is now growing rapidly. We think that now is the time to visit, before it gets too popular.

The train was booked out so we took the overnight bus to Jaffna instead. Neither of us really knew just what to expect on our arrival but our underlying thought was that there would be much evidence of the long and bitter war.  We expected to find the people alert and wary.
We were certainly proven wrong and found a bustling town that looked pretty normal with loads of smiling faces and happy people. If you looked hard in the background you could see some evidence of crumbling buildings, riddled with pock marks where bullets had struck, but this was not the norm.

We had an interesting walk down at the wharf area where the fisherman were docked and busily sorting their catch. The fish market was in full swing and the dusty streets were carpeted with fish lying out in the warm sun to slowly dry.

From here the fish are sold and sent to hang in the shop fronts for sale.

 Jaffna still has a little work to do to take advantage of the growing tourism but we did note some nice new hotels being constructed.

Departing Jaffna we took the train to Anuradhapura.

It had been a while since we had travelled by train but nothing had changed. It was still our favourite mode of transport.

Upon arrival our driver took us out to the Wilpattu National Park where we had arranged a fantastic tented safari camp.

Being greeted enthusiastically by the management we were handed a welcome drink and a cold towel.

After an awesome lunch spread was served, quite by magic and almost to a 5 star standard we jumped into a 4WD safari truck and entered the NP.

It had been wet the week prior so there was plenty of water around and all the plants and grasses were spectacular shades of green.

Our guide told us he thought that there we approximately 90 leopards in the park but of course they are incredibly elusive. We never saw one but the bird life and natural beauty of the park was more than enough to make up for it.

From here we drove back to Anuradhapura, the Unesco recognised Heritage sight and location of a sprawling ancient city complex.

Anuradhapura became a capital back in 380 BC. This important city and was invaded by several groups from Southern India. It was then retaken by the now hero Dutugemunu who instigated a major building program. It then continued to grow under the next generations of rulers through until around 300AD. The city survived another 500 years of invasions. Ironically these invasions were made easier by the massive clearings and road building projects. Eventually the capital was moved to a new city, Polonnaruwa. The ruins that remain are quite amazing and well worth a look.

This complex covers a massive area and while many ruins are only obvious by their foundation stones, along with some old columns and steps, it’s easy for your imagination to run wild and create a picture of how the city would have once looked.

Stone ponds, constructed to supply the water needs of the city are still intact and are strategically placed throughout the complex. Buddhism is a major component to this important area and many of the important Buddhist ‘Dagobas’ (Domed structure containing Buddha relics) have been rebuilt and stand tall and impressive across the old city.

 

We visited the ancient site of the ‘Sri Maha Bodhi’. A Banyan Tree that the Sri Lankan Buddhist legend suggests was grown from a cutting of a Banyan Tree brought from Bodhgaya in India where Buddha found enlightenment!

The belief is that this tree has been tendered by guardians for over 2000 years making it supposedly the oldest authenticated tree in the world. It is important to Sri Lankan Buddhists and many continue to visit and pray today.

The day went quickly as we drove from point to point and as the day gave way to evening we started to plan our night.

After such a great day we though it fitting to have a bit of a splurge so we booked a table at ‘The Sanctuary at Tissawewa’. This beautiful Colonial hotel was once the home to the British Governor. The food was great and the ambiance unbeatable and we decided then and there that this hotel was definitely going to be on our must visit list next time around.

We finished the evening sitting on the deck with a cold beer and enjoyed the cool evening breeze.

Next stop, Trincomalee and the beaches on the east coast of the island…..