Srilanka :)


Reason to Smile: The night before we thought of making plans for the long weekend that was coming up on account of Independence Day, I had already decided that I was taking a holiday and wanted to go some place surreal :)

 I browsed some pictures on the web and froze in on Spiti Valley. I asked 2-3 friends if they were ok taking a 9 days holidays clubbing the weekends and surprisingly most of them agreed :) What next, the plans were being referred to, the research started on the stay, food, organizers if any, trying to make this a budget trip with about 6-7 girls on a holiday ! While I was already a part of all the zing zang, something wasn't keeping me as excited about Spiti for Aug. I was wondering if it would rain so much, whether the itenary would materialize properly, whether it would turn out to be an expensive affair for that place in the Himalayas, etc. Just then I thought of withdrawing from Spiti and checking out Srilanka on my own :P I had some solo trip on my mind anyways :P ;) 

 I checked with Monalisa because I was the one to rope her in for Spiti as well. I informed her that I would rather go to Srilanka this year. To my suprise, she immediately agreed to join me ! So there we were - short notice to the Visa team, the arrangements of the hotels or homestays, the flight booking in just few days and we were boarding ! ;) 

 Colombo - Negambo - Dambula - Sigiriya - Kandy - Nuwara Elaya -  Ella was the itenary we followed from the homestay we selected at Negambo. The couple's house (Sinha Sevana) along with their hearts are extremely warm and worth every penny of the trip. Shiheni and her husband Aasel are the locals who are very helpful and ensures the travellers see the best of Srilanka and some offbeat places within the budget and time set for it. They not only helped us walk through all the places that we can cover in 9 days but also managed every booking while we roam with peace. I highly recommend them for anyone who visits Srilanka. Their details are also available on Booking.com :)

 Srilanka has been ruled in several eras by the British, Portuguese and Dutch. But Even today, post independence, the influence of the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British is clearly visible in Colombo's architecture, names, clothing, food, language and attitudes. Buildings from all three eras stand as reminders of the turbulent past of Colombo. The city and its people show an interesting mix of European clothing and lifestyles together with local customs.

 Sigiriya rock fortress is surrounded by an extensive network of ramparts and moats. Inside this protective enclosure were gardens, ponds, pavilions, palaces and other structures. The 1,600-year-old Sigiriya frescoes are an example of ancient Sri Lankan art at its finest. It is one of the best preserved examples of ancient urban planning in the world. It has been declared by UNESCO as one of the seven World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka. 

 Pollanaruwa - The Ancient City of Polonnaruwa has been declared a World Heritage Site. Today the ancient city of Polonnaruwa remains one of the best planned archaeological relic sites in the country, standing testimony to the discipline and greatness of the Kingdom's first rulers. The ancient city of Polonnaruwa has been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO

 Nuwara Eliya is one of the beautiful hill stations in Srilanka situated at about 5000 ft above sea level. The temperature drops to 5 degrees at night and becomes extremely foggy during the monsoons. Our car was almost driving inside the fogs while we were only praying if the driver could see the roads for us to reach safe ! :P  Nuwara Eliya banks on the lakes of Gregory lake spread across 3 kms and is called the Little England of Srilanka for its scenic beauty of the Golf Course, Green Lands and Blue Waters !

 The blue / green water beaches, the architecture of the temples and mosques, the beautiful ancient heritage sites, the extremely clean and neat infrastructure, the Buddha statues at every nook and corner of the roads that epitomises love and peace around, the typical look and feel of the south with banyan trees and coconut trees in the surroundings, and not to forget the delicious organic salads and fruits make it a perfect holiday for nature lovers !

 Some notifications - The currency in Srilanka is LKR which is available at exactly half the rate in INR. Hence our 1 Rupee is 2 Rupee there. So yes, the shopping is an extra bonus for the shopaholics :P 
Hence, You may want to also take note that Sampath Bank ATM does not charge any extra money to withdraw from their bank (if that helps) while the other banks charge a nominal fee of 100 to 300 rupees per withdrawal from the ATMs. :)

 All in all a nice, warm, and a special holiday that never should have ended ;) :P 

 All the pictures are uploaded on FB:) Keep Smiling :) 




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