Sri Lanka: Love thy neighbour

Double N 'n' Jay
Sep 28, 2017
3 min read

Sand is overrated. It's just tiny, little rocks... - The Joel Barish inside me said as I looked around the Unawatuna beach. It was my first foreign trip. Finally, my passport had a stamp on one of its pages. I was happy but not elated. I should have been, wasn't. Back in 2015, nothing made me happy. Sri Lanka did.

So, when she asked, "Should we plan outside India?" there was only one choice. Sri Lanka made sense. It did because just like it, it was her first trip abroad. As a couple, Sri Lanka became our first. Out came the shades, the shorts, the floral dresses and lotsa sunscreen. 16th July 2017, we boarded from Chennai for Colombo.

Kandy

The first stop was Kandy.

Kandy: City around a lake (Pic: Double N)

We landed in Colombo but drawing from my previous experience, we decided against staying at the capital. It was 3:30 in the night but driving to the hills in the dark is fun. And a tad bit stupid.

Temple of the Tooth (Pic: Double N)

The city of Kandy is one of its kind. Based around a lake (a big one), Kandy is picturesque. Its beauty is further enhanced by the lush green hills that surround it. It's also a religious centre for the Sinhalese and a place of pilgrimage for the Buddhists.

Giant Buddha of Kandy (Pic: Double N)

But hey don't forget to check out the cafes in town. Especially, The Empire Cafe near the Temple of the Tooth. It's a beautiful cafe splashed with the colonial decor. It's Insta-worthy and the food lives up to the expectations. Try the cuttle fish coconut curry, it's yum! Our luck with food took a downturn in the evening though. We decided to have dinner at Kevin's, suggested by the local people, near the Kandy lake. We ordered rice and prawn curry but neither the rice, nor the prawns tasted right. However, we didn't let out food experience get ruined completely. Just opposite our hotel, we found a cafe named Paradise where we dug into the tastiest barbecue chicken ever.

Where to stay: Hotel Yo

Price: 4000 LKR/night

Places to eat: The Empire Cafe

Pinnawala

The elephant orphanage in Pinnawala is a place that brings a smile to your face. And if you have an Animal Planet addict with you, the shutter works overtime. Elephants are beautiful creatures - enormous but there's a certain vulnerability about them. And of course, as Horton said, an elephant's faithful one hundred percent.

Pinnawala elephant orphanage (Pic: Jay)

Pinnawala houses orphan elephants and breeds them. They feed them, nurture them and keep them healthy and safe. And they charge a healthy entrance fee for that. The foreigners have to dish out 2500 LKR/head for the entire park visit. however, there's good news if you hail from the SAARC countries. For us, the charge is only 700 LKR/person. It's worth it though because as a visitor, it's adorable to see the baby elephants being fed bottles and bottles of milk but what catches the fancy is when are taken to the river for a shower.

Don't miss it for anything.

Galle, Hikkaduwa and Unawatuna

Where to stay: Coral rock by Bansei

Price: 3500LKR/night

The Hikkaduwa - Galle - Unawatuna stretch is mesmerising. Hugging the coastline, the roads are narrow but magnificent. Hikkaduwa has a bit of a personal history too. Back in 2015, it was here that I first realised my affection towards Double N for the first time. So coming back after two years as a couple made it that much more special.

The stay at Hikkaduwa is fantastic as well. Book the Coral Rock by Bansei. With a pool almost submerging into the ocean, it's got the best view that a hotel can ever offer. Also, it's opposite to the Red Lobster, the best restaurant in town. The variety in the menu is mind blowing but here's a pro-tip, go for the sea-food platter for the most wholesome meal.

Hikkaduwa beach (Pic: Double N)

The Galle fort is nothing but a ruin. However, if you're a fan of sunsets, head over. It offers some great views that will add a lot of zing to your Instagram profile. But do not go to the Geoffrey Bawa house. Although many tourist portals list it as a must watch, don't. The trip of the house is only possible if you book rooms to stay and if not, you gotta pay 3000 LKR for just a tour of the garden.

The Galle Fort (Pic: Double N)

Sri Lanka caught the attention of the world after 1996. After Arjuna Ranatunga's men created history on the cricket field, the world headed towards the island nation. And boy, what a beauty they discovered.