Travel Guide : Sri Lanka - The Resplendent Island

If you’re looking for a quick, short international vacation and don’t want to dig deep into your pockets, Sri Lanka is a good and worthy option. Sri Lanka is an unheralded, unblemished tourist spot which doesn’t have much airs about it but is extremely hospitable and welcoming. Beaches, hill stations, monasteries, tea plantations, wildlife, and lots of local life, there is enough to keep your travel flames burning. Oh, and they worship cricket here, making it ridiculously easy for most Indians to strike up a conversation with a local.

How To Reach

The Bandarnaike airport in Colombo is the gateway to the Island of Ceylon. Technically, It is nestled in a suburb called Negombo, around 30km from Colombo, and is approximately an hour’s drive to the main city. With some shrewd ticket hunting and a pinch of good luck, you can get return tickets to Colombo from Chennai for an absolute bargain of less than 8k.

For short visits to Sri Lanka, tourists can apply for a visa or ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) online. These visas have a validity of 30 days and can be obtained for a nominal fee of 15 US$.

What to see / do

Well, a lot. Sri Lanka is the epitome of diversity in terms of its geography, weather, history and people. With tourism bringing in close to 2% of the Sri Lankan GDP, it is a service taken seriously in the isles, and is evident in the great experiences it offers.

Apart from being the gateway, Colombo has lots to do in terms of shopping, food, and partying. It is home to the famous Cricket Club Café. There’s also the Galle Face Green, a renowned place for watching the sun calling it a day, and for a quick snack or drink by the beach.

The beach at Mt.Lavinia is dotted with shacks aplenty

A few minutes’ drive from Colombo city is Mt. Lavinia, or the Goa of Sri Lanka.  A small, peaceful small town, it is the ideal place for hanging out with friends or your loved ones. With a panaromic view of the Colombo beach and waves crashing at your feet, it is an idyllic setting for you to waft a lazy evening away.

Then there is Kandy, or the pearl of Sri Lanka. A tiny hill station, 3 hours’ drive from Colombo, Kandy is home the temple of tooth. A highly sacrosanct place for Buddhists, as it is known to house the tooth of Buddha, this temple is located next to the Kandy Lake. A walk along the calm premises is a must-do. Kandy is also home to the Seat of Arthur and Kandy Team Museum. A short distance from Kandy is the Pinawalla Elephant Orphanage, where you can experience firsthand the magic of being around elephants.

The Majestic Sigiriya Rock Castle

Or you may want to head to Galle if visiting an UNESCO World Heritage site is in your list of things to do. A 17^th century fort built by the Portuguese overlooking the magnificent Indian ocean is sure to overwhelm and humble you with its grandeur. Or, how about being dazzled by the imposing sight of the ancient palace of Sigiriya and its massive rock column. What makes it better is that all these places lie within a 3 hours’ drive from Colombo.

Superlative beaches, World heritage sites galore, and amazing, cheap food (Don’t miss out on the Sri Lankan rice and curry), Sri Lanka will dot your vacation with amazing highlights and memories. And, you can do all of this for less than 15k INR. So, I don’t see much stopping you from booking the tickets.

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Fun Fact: Mirissa, Sri Lanka is one of the best places in the World for Blue whale watching.    

Travel Guide : Andaman and Nicobar Islands - Revisited

It’s been more than two years since that wonderful trip to the Andaman Islands. And I feel it warrants an ode to it.

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands, an archipelago in the Bay of Bengal are a group of 572 islands, only 34 of which are inhabited. Being far away from the Indian mainland, the Andaman Islands were established as a penal settlement by the British in mid 1850s, with the infamous Kaala Pani being set up in 1906. One will find a few remnants of the bygone days, but the serenity and exquisiteness the islands exhibit transcend the miscellanies of the blemished history. A place that was relegated as a hub for the ostracized is now an immensely welcoming vacation spot.

Serenity much?

How to Reach

Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair, the capital city, is the gateway to the Islands from the Indian mainland. Flights operate from Chennai, Kolkata, and Delhi on a daily basis. For the slightly adventurous and the ones with oodles of time, you could take a passenger ship from either of Chennai, Kolkata or Vishakapatnam. The voyage takes 50-60 hours, and is generally not advisable.

What to see / do

As you begin your descent towards the Port Blair airport, you will lay witness to a plethora of small atolls and islands filled with greenery. Akin to a freshly broken Lego construction, the sight will be pleasant to your eyes and filled with promise. The first thing that would hit you about the city is that it is slow-paced, and about 20 years back in time, an escape from the hustle of a metro but just the right amount of jazz to keep you moving. That’s exactly what you would look for in a vacation, right?

Beaches and History galore, there is a lot to do in Andamans. Hit yourself with a bout of history by visiting the Cellular Jail memorial in Port Blair. A dark, depressing peek into history, this will give you some understanding on the significance of the islands in India’s march to independence and an elevated respect for our freedom fighters. There is also lots of scope for island hopping, beach surfing and museum vaulting. Give the Chidiya Tapu (30kms from Port Blair) an early morning visit for some bird watching. The tranquility of listening to the variety of bird-calls will give you the most soothing start to a day. Then there’s the Corbyn’s Cove beach where you could do some water scooting for cheap.

Sights like these are in abundance !!

Ross Island, a Japanese settlement in the early 1940s has an abundance of trees, squirrels, deer and dogs. I say this because it is also home to one amazing lady, Ms. Anuradha Rao, who is the sole guardian of the island and its furry inhabitants. She would make it a worthwhile experience.

Then, there is the North Bay Island which will be your one-stop for some exciting water sports. Banana boat rides, motorboat rides, water scooters, and scuba diving. Most operators are locals, and you can hand yourself an awesome deal with some negotiation.

For every vacation spot, there is always a crowning jewel. Havelock Islands run away with that title here. A 2 hour ferry ride from Port Blair, Havelock is the closest you will get to Hawaii in India. Radha Nagar beach, rated as the top beach in India, with its crystalline waters and unblemished sands would nuzzle your minds into complete submission to its untarnished splendor. An experience not to be missed. 

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is close to the perfect location for a week-long vacation. And it is much better experienced than read. So, go book your tickets.

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Fun Fact 1: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are nearer to Thailand and Burma, than to the Indian mainland.

Fun Fact 2: It is home to the Sentinelese tribe, the only surviving pre-Neolithic (before 10,200 BC) tribe in the world.