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.    

Andaman Sojourn : Havelock, Finally !!

Day 5. Leave the best for the last they said. And we most kindly obliged. It was time for the Havelock Islands. An early morning ferry was to ship us to Havelock and we almost didn’t oblige. We made it to the jetty just in time, and set off on the last leg of what had been a monumental tour thus far.

Isn't it BEA-utiful !!!

A two and a half hour journey it was, luckily it was through some picturesque sceneries. Numerous Islets, calm waters, flying fish, visit to the Captain’s station and a few games of cards later, we reached the Havelock Jetty. It at first looked like a normal fishing village, with a few small boats and numerous small shops dotting the shoreline. But we were in for a pleasant surprise. Well that’s an understatement.

We were headed for the RadhaNagar beach, which according to locals was rated the 5^th best beach in the world. Not sure which survey they were talking about, but I wouldn’t be surprised If that were to be true. This beach was hands down the most gorgeous and tranquil place I had been to. Dharamshala might give it stiff competition, but Radhanagar Beach it was in the now. It is a sandy beach , with crystal clear water, waves lapping over each other , seducing you into its arms. Not many can resist the temptation and you willingly surrender to its charms.

Taking a walk along the stretch of the beach, with sun beating down, the waves kissing your feet was always one of my dreams. I was living it here which was immensely satisfying. After nearly 3 hours in the water, we made our way to another small beach, an unnamed one. Though It wasn’t as scenic as Radhanagar, but it was beautiful alright. This beach was the ideal place for a couple seeking complete solitude.

We reached the jetty almost an hour before our ship was scheduled to leave. We whiled away some time in a small cargo boat awaiting our last leg of the journey in Andamanese waters. Just when we thought we had seen it all, there was one more gorgeous sight awaiting us. Sunset by Sea. I have seen orange skies before, but never with the sea at the foreground. Sight to behold.  

Finally, yet another tiring but immensely satisfying day was nearing its end. We were just hours away from catching our flight back home. .To encapsulate the experience, There are memories that bring you joy and then there those that bring you peace. Andaman gave us memories that brought us peaceful joy. The one in which the soul sways in harmony with nature.

Andaman Sojourn - Tribes and Birds !!

Alright then, moving on to day 3. It was going to be a day to nourish and nurture our intellect. There were visits to three museums lined up in the day and a mandatory beach visit. This time it was going to be Chidiya Tapu, the southernmost point of South Andaman.

So, off we were for breakfast at “Kattabomman”. A wonderful place for anyone missing their idlis and dosas. The first stop was the Anthropological Museum. A small and exquisite museum providing information on the various andamanese tribes, their style of living and their tools and weapons. It was exciting to know that there were nearly 10 tribes still existing in the Andaman Islands out of which the most intriguing has to be the Sentinelese. They are supposedly one of the most reclusive people in the world. They are known to have a history of being hostile towards people trying to establish contact with them. And then there are the Jarawas, who have recently started interacting with the outsiders with even their kids gaining access to regular education.

Next up was the Samudrika Museum. Nothing special, except for a Blue Whale skeleton, well half of it. The rest was information on various aspects of ocean life, some more info on the tribes and a mini aquarium. Final stop before lunch -> Fisheries Museum, which enlightened us about the various aspects of ocean life. If you have a couple of extra hours to while away in Port Blair, you can give these museums a try.

Sunset at Chidiya Tapu

Our next stop was Chidiya Tapu. A beautiful beach, blue waters (This is going to become a norm) but the seabed was rocky, and hence we had to restrict ourselves to the shallow waters.  Chidiya Tapu is known for its sunset, and trust me, It most certainly deserves to be known for its sunset. It was a gorgeous sight. Standing by the seashore, with a slight drizzle trickling from the skies, viewing Orange light fading into the clouds, if that’s not bliss what else is.

It was then back to base and the usual chattering away routine. And Of course, the best was yet to come.  

Andaman Sojourn : Where Blue is Beautiful !

Onto Day 2, and this is where the actual fun begins. Lineup for the day – Mahatma Gandhi National Park -> Red Skin Island.  And also an awesomatic lunch.

Mahatma Gandhi National Park was around an hour’s drive from our base.  After a hurried breakfast (Thanks to an inevitable delay in getting ready), we set off on our adventures for the day. We were taken to a jetty from where we took a ferry to the Red Skin Island which was a one hour long journey. The ferry ride was fun, our eyes feasted on some serene views of the backwaters and mangroves (That is what I think it was). I was half expecting a crocodile to turn up but alas! It was not to be.

When I said serene, this is what I meant !!

We were taken in a glass bottom boat, from the launch to the island. Being glass bottom, we could also see some corals and fishes. Yes, some of the corals were red in colour, though not sure if they were enough to name an island after it. If I had my way, I would name it Green trees Island, as that’s what dominated the terrain there.

Snorkeling , now that was something I really wanted to do, and it was finally showtime . Our boat tickets, included a round of snorkeling.  I was given a mask, and I went along with a guide of course (Damn, why don’t I learn swimming). And, IT WAS BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL. Beneath the blue waters, It looks like a completely different world. One that is serene, picturesque, peaceful and I can go on with the adjectives and it still wouldn't do justice to the panorama . The tranquility found under water is definitely unmatched. Being able to touch the extremely smooth corals and fish gave me Goosebumps.  The experience for me was just WOW.

So, after spending some more time in the water, we were headed back to Mahatma Gandhi National Park, near which we had the most fabulous lunch in a dhaba. Back to base, freshened up , took a walk to nearby market, did some shopping, dinner , sleep. A tiring ,yet fulfilling day was done with.

PS : The snorkeling experience was way more beautiful than I have put in words here. Unfortunately, I have still a long way to go before I become “Javed Akhtar” enough to bring out the beauty through words :D

Andaman Sojourn - Light, Sound and Much more

A trip had to be planned. A much needed break had to be taken. But when?? Where?? A plethora of opinions started flowing. “Dude, Goa It is”, “No, let’s take a short trip to Yelagiri”, “Nopes, Kerala.. Houseboats, Backwaters .Yes, that’s the place to go”, “How about Ghattikallu, Hill Station, Awesome weather, Campfire, Oh yes!! This is it guys” and blah blah.

And finally after one month full of ramblings, the decision was made. Andaman it was and  everyone was on the same page with this. The plan was made, tickets were booked, and after what seemed like an eternity, It was finally show time baby. The 2hr journey from Chennai to Port Blair was undertaken in an aircraft from the fleet in Kingfisher Airlines. Undoubtedly the worst airplane I have flown in till date (Or maybe, I should just be grateful that they took off). It was largely an uneventful journey, thanks mainly to an omelet listed as a Non Vegetarian meal (Seriously?).

The descent towards Veer Savarkar International (?) Airport, though was much better, giving me some phenomenal views of the Bay of Bengal and numerous islets, one of which just had one tree. Yes, One, SOLITARY tree. Finally we landed , claimed our luggage and off we went in search of our rooms in a guest house. Oh yes, before I forget, The Veer Savarkar “International” airport has to be among the smallest airports in the world. I never thought there could be an airport smaller than Chandigarh’s, but here it was. Hiding away under lapping waves of the ocean and the canopy of palm trees along the shore line.

View from the Corbyn's Cove beach

The plan for the day was to frequent Corbyn's Cove beach and the Cellular jail, with a Light and Sound show as a special attraction. The Corbyn's Cove beach was around 30kms from Port Blair. The roads were beautiful with sea on one side and a small hill on the other. Talk about Scenic beauty. The beach was a sight to behold. Palm trees, blue waters and most importantly, CLEAN. Yes, being a regular to Marina and Elliots beach I had to bring this up.

I also had my first experience of riding a water scooter. The thrill of scooting while scootering on sea water at 60-70 kmph, with some drifts and turns was Awesome. I must thank Mr. IforgotHisName for helping me out with the machine and its mechanics. A walk across the length of the beach was followed by tender coconut for Rs.10. Why do they have to cost Rs.30 in Chennai?

The prisoners would not have had this much fun for sure

So, after some more lazing around on the beach, we were off to Cellular Jail. I was personally pretty excited to check out this particular site just to affirm If it was indeed as bad as It was made out to be.Lo and Behold! By the looks of it, It was. A museum there gave us an insight into the the various torture techniques used in the prison, and the glum fate of the various freedom fighters who had been imprisoned there. The cells were stingy, inhuman.. The less said, the better for just like beauty, grotesque too fails your lexicon.

And, finally, It was time for the Light and Sound show. Again, the less said, the better. For completely different reasons though. None of us could bear it for more than 20 minutes, as it was nothing more than random lights and voiceovers, describing the horrors of “Kaalapani”. The story would have been impressive for sure, but the presentation was unimpressive.

Tip for anyone travelling to Port Blair – Don’t fall for the bait and go to the Light and Sound show. Use that 1 hour scouting for souvenirs instead.

That was it for day 1. Dinner and then back to our rooms, chattering away into the night about completely irrelevant and rubbish topics. Day 2 held bucketfuls of promise in it. The fun was yet to begin.