As with the great spirit of any traveller, make the most of what nature throws at me has been my theme over the past few weeks.
The ongoing adverse weather conditions that are affecting most parts of the country and forcing the closure of roads and other means of transportation to much sort after destinations meant I was stuck in Colombo for more than I would have liked.
With the 21-12-12 end of the world craze at its peak in some parts I did over hear a lot of people swearing to the fact that the world is indeed coming to an end and that Colombo was surely in for a good beating on the day.
4 days later now 25-12-12 on Christmas day, Colombo still stands and the bad weather looks like its going away, so too bad for those who indeed did write away all their fortunes etc etc...
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So back to my post, this condition meant I was confined to the spaces of Colombo and the immediate suburbs and some parts of the southern coast.
I can safely say that I did have some good time to re-discover the city that is Colombo, and was I in for a shock.
The city has changed significantly over the past few years, with many good hang outs and shopping areas popping up, including some great cafes, bars, restaurants and what seems to be a trend meet up and chat lounges. Colombo is also getting a face lift, with many of the old buildings being renovated and restored.
They do say that the wild is never too far from the city in Sri Lanka, in fact, I think the wild can sometimes be found in the city. I explored a lot of the wild life spots in and around the city, will be writing about these soon too!
For this post I leave you with some places that which I visited this Dec in Colombo, which I think should be worth visiting.
I will write about all my discoveries individually over time, however, let me end this post with some images I took during a thunderstorm in Colombo last week.
As a result of Colombo being made a municipal council in 1866, the old town hall building was setup in 1873 by the then colonial British government and opened by the then Governor of Ceylon Sir William Gregory.
The building is set out in a neo-gothic style, and at the time was built to impress, to show off the grand colonial architecture. The building was built at a cost of $70,000 at the time.
For more background information on this, I found the following link to be of good quality, taken from a local news paper. http://www.island.lk/2009/03/18/L1.pdf
Location
The old town hall building is situated at the round about junction between, Main street, Dam street, and Bodhiraja Mawatha, in the area of Pettha of Colombo. The below map shows the exact location.
I would say the easiest way to get there is by tuk tuk or taxi, alternatively you can walk from any one of the hotels in the Galle Face, Fort areas (30-40min). The markets of pettha can get very busy, and there a little or no pavements in some of the side roads, but this all adds to the experience.
On my journey, I opted to walk from the central bus station, which is located in Pettah, the route I took followed the street markets and the bazaars of main street. I will discuss the markets and shopping bazaars in another article later. This was around a 15 min walk, which however took me a good hour as I had stopped to take pictures of all the lively and noisy activity in the streets of both the shoppers and the merchants alike, I must say it is a perfect set for a street photographer to capture moods, personalities and customs. You can also easily get there from the main railway station. I would say the walk would be around 20 mins at the most, and it is relatively easy to find.
Locals are very friendly and most of them will speak a varying degree of English Please note they all like a photo to be taken of them, I did entertain them with this! Don't worry about getting lost as either you will be able to get directions from a local, or you will be able to get a tuk tuk, these are abundantly available all over the place.
All streets are well labelled, and most shops on their name boards have the full address on them, so even if you miss the street name board, you will be able to figure out where you are from the shops.
Use the map just above for the exact location, which also shows the location relative to the bus station and railway station.
Highlights
The building it self is a main highlight, which has stood there for over 140 years now, however, to the right of the main building is a shed like area which houses some excellent old infrastructure building machinery, which were used during the colonial period, as well as some service vehicles, such as Sri Lanka's first mobile library van, first garbage collection truck, and steam rollers that were used to pave the roads of Colombo. Below are some pictures of these.
The building it self has some excellent late 1800s wood work, beautiful wooden ceilings and window frames. There are also some panes of stained glass.
Most of the wood work were done using imported Teak wood from Burma, and were locally crafted. The building it self somewhat from the exterior looks much like a church. See below pictures taken of both the exterior and interior of this colonial building.
As of Dec 2012, during my visit the building looked like it needed some uplifting done to it, originally restored in the late 80's by the then president, it does not look like much has been done since. However there is still hope for this magnificent piece of colonial architecture, as the government has embarked on a beautification process of the city of Colombo.
Finally here is a video from Nickventure, which is somewhat like a tour of the building. Thanks again to Nick for his extensive gallery of videos on Sri Lanka!
After nearly 12 months away from Sri Lanka, I have finally returned once again! for another month of exploring and writing new articles.
This year I intend to do something slightly different, to use local transport, and immerse my self in the more local ways and report back on my findings. Including, public transport, the infamous tuk tuks, and local knowledge.
As always I will post about my experiences, tips and hints etc.
For today, just got off a plane from the UK, 10 hour long flight...
Tomorrow starts another long journey, on my way to Hong Kong. I will spend the next 6 days in Hong Kong, and return to Sri Lanka on the 13th Dec.
Upon arrival to Sri Lanka I will commence exploring and reporting.
Highlights for this years series of blog posts will include
A must go to in Sri Lanka is the ancient city of Anuradhapura. Dating back over 2500 years this Ancient city is full of the remenence of the great hydro civilisation that thrived there. You could spend hours walking or cycling through some of ancient sri Lankas most magnificent structures and places of both great historic and religious significance. Anuradhapura also known to the locals as the land of the great kings is home to the 3rd tallest ancient world structure. The area is scattered with mega stupas and huge man made lakes. Find out more about this world heritage site on my article on Anuradhapura here
My visit to Kirinda took place on the 3rd Jan 2012, following the event of the 2nd Jan where I lost my Camera to the sea in Dondra Point.
Location
Kirinda is a beautiful tiny village in the deep south of Sri Lanka, mainly a destination for local tourists and pilgrims it is not a place where one would expect to see many other foreigners. It is situated within close proximity to several major tourist hot spots, it is about 30KM from Yala National Park, and Bundala National Park. It is also within a 2 hour drive from the town of Kataragama.
Kirinda is around 245 KM South and then East of Colombo, along the main coastal highway, this Journey can take a good 7 hours (maybe 5-6 if you use the southern express way, which currently (at the time of this post - July 2012) runs up to the city of Galle from Colombo.).
Kirinda is a historically significant village, it is said to be the spot where Queen Viharamaha Devi had come ashore, following being cast to sea in Kelaniya (just on the outskirts of present day Colombo) by the King Kelani Tissa. Viharamaha Devi was the Kings only daughter, and the account of bravery depicts what could be Sri Lanka's first recorded Tsunami, for more information follow this link http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2005/01/02/fea29.html which I found from a local news paper dating back to 2005, after the most recent Tsunami that hit Sri Lanka. Tsunamis were not a common occurrence in Sri Lankan history. The events took place around 200 years before Christ or between the 2nd and 1st century BC.
The town was devastated by the 2004 boxing day tsunami which took the lives of over 30,000 Sri Lankans. As such most of the surrounding area is desolate. We did drive a few KM in land past the temple, and the further in land you go, the less populated it got.
The tale of the princess who bravely stepped onto a boat, and asked to be cast away to the sea, in hope that her sacrifice would appease the sea and thus not bring death and destruction to her people, and her fathers kingdom, which was then believed to have been caused due to a act of evil. To read more about the story of the queen visit this article, which describes her in the "greatest" section http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/2867
What to see?
The most obvious thing when you get to Kirinda is the massive rock, of which at the to sits the Kirinda Temple. Once you get to the top of this rock, the reward is a spectacular view of the surrounding Indian Ocean, looking south from here there is no other land mass till the shores of Antartica.
If the awe aspiring view of the sea and the surrounding landscape (which to the most part is uninhabited) don't amaze you, the the temple it self is built a top of this massive granite stone, which rises a couple 100 feet above the sea level.
As the day progresses the rock does tend to heat up a lot, so I would ensure I get there as early in the day as possible.
This video, is the best I have seen on the internet in terms of detail about Kirinda,
Below are some pictures that I took when at Kirinda, which are all thanks to my trusty Nokia N8!
Nearby
Bundala National Park, which is famed for migratory birds, including at certain times of the year Flamingoes, is within a short drive of the village. I will write a more detailed article about Bundala at a later date. Until I have compiled my own article on Bundala, I have found this article to be of good value, and thus recommend it to you, http://www.mysrilankaholidays.com/bundala-national-park.html
Also near by are some of the best spots to dive in Sri Lanka, these are the Great and Little Basses Reefs. I have not yet explored this region, as such please use the following link http://www.divesrilanka.com/DSKiriGreatBasses.html as a good source of information on what to see there.
Yala National park is a 30KM journey from Kirinda, You will be able to get a decent jeep hire from the village, for between 4000- 5000 Rs for half a day ($35-45 US). I will write a separate article on this. The
Where to Stay?
We stayed in Kataragama, which is around 1-2 hour drive from Kirinda, there are many other locations to stay in. If you wish to visit Bundala National Park, and Sithulpahuwa cave temple, which are within a short distance, you may wish to base your self in Kirinda it self. Or at Tissa which is around 25 mins drive from Kirinda.
Upon looking around for decent places to stay, I came across the following http://kirindabeachresort.com/index.html . I am not too sure as of yet about the rates for this place (will update once i have contacted them), however I will verify and review it upon my next visit.
April has been a very busy month, and as such my blogging has slowed down drastically. A few points as to the lack of new content though.
I have been working on setting up www.kancando.com which will be live hopefully in around 2 weeks time. The blog will move to the new website one it is complete.
Below is a preview of what the site will look like.
Stay tuned, and thank you very much for the support!
I have mentioned Nuwara Eliya a must go location in my top 10 towns to visit in Sri Lanka, and with good reason. The town is located in the midst of tea estates and misty mountains. Established by the British during colonial times, locals often refer to the town as "Little England".
The trip to Nuwara Eliya started from Colombo on Monday the 26th of Dec 2011, The route we took was via Pinnawala and Kandy, however we did not make a stop at Kandy on this occasion.
On route we made several stops for good pictures and visited the Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawala (Article Here) and the Rock temple at Kadugannawa.
The route map for which can be seen here
The video clip below is of the entire route from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya via the Gampola Nuwara Eliya Road, that I recorded on this occasion.
The below video, with credit to the original uploader, gives the viewer a great idea of what to expect in the misty mountain top region of Sri Lanka. This is the most amazingly well done video I have seen on YouTube about Nuwara Eliya.
Nuwara Eliya is located 180km east of the capital Colombo. It is situated 6 128 feet above sea level, at the heart of the central hills of Sri Lanka. The region has an all year round pleasant climate of around 12-20 degrees Celsius during the day and 5-10 degrees Celsius during the night. You may want to pack a jumper or something warm, if you plan to visit the city.
How to get there
By Road
Car
There are many ways to get to Nuwara Eliya, I personally prefer going by car, as it means I can stop where I want and take pictures where I want. The drive up is very scenic and full of good views. There is always many routes to get there, the most frequently used route is the Kandy - Gampola - Nuwara Eliya Road, (the A5). The other one is the less used as such less busy route via Avissawella and Ginigathena (the A7). Both routes are equally scenic.
The journey from Colombo via road can take up to and beyond 5 hours as the roads are very windy, as such you would be lucky to get up to the 70KMPH speed limit. On the ocassions that I have travelled on both these roads, my average speed has been somewhat between 40-50KMPH.
That said the most time consuming part perhaps is getting from Colombo to Kandy on the A1 / A5 route or to Avissawella on the other.
Personally I prefer the A7 route, as it takes you past many waterfalls and a few other famous spots.
The below video shows my Journey along the A5 to Nuwara Eliya from Kandy.
By Rail or Bus
I am not going to spend much time on this topic as others have covered this in great detail, and one of the sites that I found very informative was this www.seat61.com/SriLanka.htm . The site gives the reader a good understanding of the fares, the times, and durations of travel by Train.
As for the bus, you need to get the route 79 from Colombo to Nuwara Eliya, which can be caught from the Fort Central Bus station. For more information on bus routes in Sri Lanka click here
The below video gives you an idea of what to expect on the train from Colombo to Nuwara Eliya via Kandy. Credit to the original uploader.
By Air
Sri Lankan Airlines offers an Air Taxi service from Colombo and a few other destinations in the Island to Nuwara Eliya, please find more information on this here
The video below shows you what to expect, credit goes to the original uploader again.
Below area some images I took of Devon Falls some time back. The view is rather spectacular, and is certainly worth a stop. For more information pictures and location map click here
St Clairs Falls
St. Clair's Tea Centre
Watawala Plantations Limited The Tea Cup
Getting around
Within the town it self everything is within walking distance and as the climate is quite mild you hardly feel tired. That said if you prefer to get a ride around there are plenty of Tuk Tuks around (if you are not driving).
I personally prefer to walk around, as you get to see more that way. There are also buses that you can take from the town centre to most of the sites of interest, apart from Horton Plains National Park, and New Zealand Farm.
What to see
Within the city limits
Queen Victoria Park
Located in the centre of the town, Victoria Park is said to have been named to comorate the 60th Jubilee Coronation of Queen Victoria, in 1879. The park covers an area of 27 acres, most plant life in the park are of foreign origins.
The park is very beautifully laid out and is very scenic during the summer periods (Apr - Sep), however there are no seasons in Sri Lanka.
Below are some images of some of the flowering plants you will see in the park
I struggled to find any pictures of the park that I took my self, as such please see this Flicker Album Here that another photographer has done. Great work !
Gregory's Lake
On the door step of the town is the rather large man made Gregory's lake. It was built by the the Governor of Ceylon during 1872 – 1877, William Gregory. The lake gets its water from Nanuoya (a river) which runs past the town. The lake covers an area of around 91 hectares. There is a boating club at the lake, which also offers peddle boats for those of you who would want to go peddling in the lake. My verdict is, the lake is certainly a must go place, if not for a relaxing stroll then for the scenic beauty and the countless photo opportunities. Reviews here on Tripadvisor
The Ceylon Breweries
Lover's Leap
Pidurutalagala
Pidurutalagala also known as Mount Pedro, standing at a height of 2524M is the highest peak in Sri Lanka. At the summit are Government Communication and Radar posts, and is guarded by a military base. Making it an off limits area for most people. However the mountain is visible from near Lake Gregory and from other parts of the town.
Mt Pedro as seen from banks of Lake Gregory
Mount Pedro Seen from Lake Gregory
Single tree hill
Single tree hill is located just outside the town centre near Lake Gregory. It rises 2100M above sea leve, and is the 9th highest point in the island. The climb from Nuwara Eliya takes around 30-40 mins to reach the summit. Once at the top the views are truely amazing. The ascent is through a tea estate, as seen below. You can cheat some what by driving up most parts of it if you wish. But the hill offers a good trek. Below are some views from the Hill.
View from mid point
Parts of Nuwara Eliya town
Tea Estate on Single Tree Hill
Seetha Temple
Nuwara Eliya Golf Course
At the heart of the town is located the picturesque Nuwara Eliya Golf Course (Link here for pictures credit to Lankaputra Travels). Below are some pictures I took from the Golf Club cafe, which is a good place to go for a morning tea or a mid morning club sandwich. The Golf Club also provides accommodation, which I should say was decent, and I stayed there in 2010 (when the below images were taken). I found this article on trip advisor where you can read reviews by other travellers regarding the accommodation element. My verdict is that for the prices they charged, the service and the quality of the rooms were decent.
Golfers
Little hut made as a Christmas decoration
Garden chairs on lawn of the cafe
Christmas decorations and golfer in
the distance
The Grand Hotel
The Grand Hotel is one of the oldest hotels in Sri Lanka, and the oldest in Nuwara Eliya. The hotel is located near Victoria Park. The hotel was founded in the late 1890's and consists of over 150 luxury rooms. The hotel currently has a four star rating, and is a must visit location even if it is for a cup of tea. Walking through the hotel is like a passage through time, as its original architecture and feel has been well preserved over the years.
A few images below curtsey of www.visittosrilanka.com flicker stream.
The forest as seen from the banks of the Meepilimana Reservoir
Meepilimana reservoir
New Zealand Farms
Green grass pastures for the cows
Mist shrouded grass lands
Cattle grazing in the misty morning
Grass lands where the cattle graze
Cafe, before you get to the main farm
Pedro Tea factory
Macwoods Tea Factory and Outlet
Sample Itinerary
I would personally spend between 3-4 days in Nuwara Eliya area in order to cover all the sites that are relevant. Where day 1 and day 4 are travelling in and out of Nuwara Eliya, assuming that your starting and ending destination is Colombo
Day 1
Assuming that you have made your journey up from Colombo on Day 1, visiting many of the location listed above on the Kany - Nuwara Eliya route, you should still have some day light left to explore the town, and maybe finish off with tea at the grand hotel or the grand hotel cafe.
There is little to do in town at night, and the roads do get very misty by around 7PM. As such I would not advise travelling anywhere out side of town too late. Get a early night, as you should probably visit Horton Plains National Park on Day 2
Day 2
If you do intend to visit Horton Plains it is vital that you get up very early and set off to reach around 7 am, this means leaving Nuwara Eliya town at around 6:15AM. The reason for this is to get a chance to see the precipice at Worlds End, which is a steep drop mentioned in the section about Horton Plains National Park. However you should plan this journey based on the weather conditions for that day.
The trek should take you up to lunch time, and as such you should probably take a packed lunch, or stop off at the farm cafe at Ambewela farms, which is on the way back. More information on it above in the section on this.
The Nanu Oya rail station is also a good place for some great photos, which is also on the way to and from the National Park.
You should also stop off at the Meepiliama Reservoir and Kande Ela forest, both of which make for good photos, and are very scenic spots. More information on both these spots above. If time permits, also visit the strawberry farm which is located a short distance away from the this.
This should take you to the end of day 2.
Day 3
You should start off the day by visiting Lake Gregory, and Single Tree Hill, both of which offer fantastic views, more information in the section above. If time permits you should go for a drive around the lake, or perhaps go peddle boating.
Your next stop should be Victoria Park, which should take you to around lunch time (1-2pm). Why not try one of the food out lets in town, there are a few located in the main street. Refer to the section on where to eat for more information on this.
After lunch you should visit Hakgala Gardens, for more information see the section above. There are a few good photo spots on the way, including a hindu temple and lush tea estates. This should take you to the end of the day.
Day 4
Start the trip back to Colombo early in the morning, use the A7 route, rather than the A5 refer to section above on routes. This will allow you to see and photograph many of the spots mentioned in the list in the section above. Do stop off at the tea pot for a mid morning tea.
You should stop for lunch at Kithulgala rest house. Which offers a stunning view of the Kithulgala river, more information on this above.
Click here to get a list of events taking place in Nuwara Eliya in April 2012
Where to stay
Cocoon resorts have offered a special deal for all 3 luxury boutique properties (Induruwa , Kosgoda & Nuwara Eliya).
Validity 18 April - 30 September 2012
- 2 nights stay at Cocoon Resorts, Induruwa and 2 nights stay at Cocoon Hills, Nuwara Eliya (total 4 nights) proce US$ 1010 nett per dbl room on HB basis
- 2 nights stay at Cocoon Sea Resorts, Kosgoda and 2 nights stay at Cocoon Hills, Nuwara Eliya (total 4 nights) proce US$ 765 nett per dbl room on HB basis
** Compulsory two nights utilization of each properly **
Tea Trails has also given a special offer. This is the latest press release announcing the new positioning of Ceylon Tea Trails as the no 1 all inclusive resort in Asia & 4th in the world, for four consecutive years which is a remarkable achievement.
The annual Sami Komadu festival (Hindu temple festival) in the tea plantation areas are usually between March & April each year. Each temple celebrates this occasion individually. This is a festival of music during the day on certain days during these months (the days are not specified in advance); it is advisable to keep your readers informed of the above since sound carries clearly in the valley and can be disturbing to some guests staying at the Tea Trails.
