The Demodara Railway Loop - A Sri Lankan Railway Marvel Hidden In The Mountains

The Demodara railway loop is an unexpected treat in the mountains near Ella in the highlands of Sri Lanka. This little known engineering triumph sits in a beautiful location and is a fun and easy walk from the backpacker haven of Ella. Demodara also holds the secret to getting uncrowded train photo’s and a unique perspective over the iconic nine-arched bridge!

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Getting to the Demodara Loop - The Walk from Ella

After a few rain soaked days in and around Ella, we were getting a little stir crazy. There’s only so much time you can spend at the Chill cafe whilst staring at the rain. 

We had heard about the Demodara railway loop during our visit to the Kadugannawa Railway Museum and hadn’t realised it was so close to Ella. 

Looking at the train map, we could see that Demodara was the next station on from Ella so we decided to check it out. We made our way to Ella train station and quickly realised that trains running along this line were not as frequent as we had hoped. However, after a quick Google Maps search we could see that the station was still close by even if we went on foot, so we hatched a plan and, during a break in the weather, headed off for Demodara. 

The walk to Demodara follows a small back road that winds through the countryside. Along the way you are treated to hillsides full of tea fields, great views across the surrounding mountains and lush woodlands. Dotted along the trail we also encountered small shops, waving tea pickers, the occasional tuk tuk and even a peacock. 

The 6km walk took us just over an hour and was mainly downhill (obviously this was Ella to Demodara).

It was an easy walk, and a lovely way to see the local landscape. Maybe it was because we had been cooped up by the rain, or maybe it was due to us being in the backpacker bubble of Ella, but wandering down the sleepy backroads was like a breath of fresh air we didn’t know we needed. 

For a rough route check out google here.

Approaching Demodara the temperature rose a little and the local agriculture changed with the tea fields changing to rice paddies. Demodara itself was slightly bigger than Google Maps had made us think and was made up of a collection of produce shops, bakeries and mechanics.

The train station is set slightly out to the other side of Demodara town. Walking up an incline we re-entered the tea fields, past the railway station and a sizeable tea factory and made our way to the viewpoint marked on GoogleMaps. The “viewpoint” was inside the tea estate and was not so much a defined viewing platform but as a bend in the road. Confusingly, the “Demodara Loop Viewpoint” didn’t actually have a view of the loop itself but rather an excellent view across the iron rail bridge (a pedant may argue that the bridge is still part of the loop).

Demodara railways station isn’t exactly Kings Cross, but it is much prettier!

After admiring the view, we decided to move down to the station. Behind the station building is a model of the loop and a small viewing platform that looks over the tunnel exit before the tracks loop around behind a hill. Also behind the train station was the ubiquitous tuk-tuk and tout mafia. As always they were very  eager to explain (for a price) guide (for a price) or just not leave you alone (totally free). The touts were trying to escort us to another viewpoint up the hill. We did see that this was a thing on Maps.me but didn’t want to miss our train back to Ella, so we politely declined.  Thankfully they weren’t too persistent and we got to lounge around with a great view whilst we waited for the train to make its appearance on the loop. 

The Demodara railway loop was an elegant engineering solution to the difficult question posed by the challenging geography of Demodara. 

This railway engineering marvel was born out of necessity, as during the construction of the extension of the line to Badulla, the steep ascent was found to be too much for the track and a novel approach was needed, so a 3000 foot (900 metre) rising loop was constructed in 1923. 

To enter the station, trains have to perform a wide loop that goes through a tunnel under the station before circling back around, and climbing in a spiral to pull into the platform. 

According to Wikipedia (we know we use such learned sources) local legend has it that Devapura Jayasena Wimalasurendra, the engineer responsible, was inspired after watching a local untie and retie a turban on his head. 

Catching the train at Demodara - the secret way to see the Nine Arch Bridge

As we said at the start of this article, the train schedule is not like the London Underground and you do have to plan when and where you’re going. This is especially true on the Kandy to Ella line  which is rightly world famous for its beauty and, consequently, any reserved seating on the trains sells out very fast.

We had seen that if we walked to Demodara we could then catch the 11.45am train back to Ella which would mean we got to ride across the very famous Nine Arch Bridge, something you don’t get to do if you just ride from Kandy or Colombo to Ella. We bought two tickets (40 LKR for both tickets - £0.10 or $0.11) to do the short hop between Demodara and Ella train station. 

We watched our train arrive through the tunnel and curve around the climbing loop. We then quickly scuttled from the viewing platform to the station platform. This scuttle proved to be totally unnecessary as the train progresses through the loop very slowly, so after our dash there was a fair bit of embarrassed loitering on the platform waiting for the train. 

Our experience of the Kandy - Ella line mentally prepared us for a very crowded journey. However as the train pulled in we could see that outside of the observation carriage there was nearly no one onboard!

Uncrowded train photo’s

Hopping into a third class doorway, we had free reign of both carriage doors, uninterrupted views and of course perfect opportunities for train door selfie snappage!

The train line from Demodara to Ella follows a much higher route than our walking path had earlier, so we were treated to sweeping views over the tea fields, valley and mountain peaks beyond. The scenery was amazing and with the peaceful carriage we really relaxed and enjoyed the gorgeous surroundings. 

Seriously this would be one of our best takeaway tips for Sri Lanka, the train to Kandy to Ella is extremely busy (because it is so beautiful) and the carriages are a constant queue for an opportunity to take “that” photo out of the door. Going one stop past Ella and taking the train back, it was just us and a couple of locals who presumably have had the novelty of train door selfies worn off for them. If you get on this section of the line, you not only get a quiet carriage, your ideal photo spot but also get to ride the train over the iconic Nine Arch Bridge. 

As we headed closer to the famous bridge, the banks to either side of the railway line became busier and busier with a mixture of local life, waving children and high-fiving tourists. Driving over the Nine Arch Bridge, we could see the scale of its curve and the depth of the valley below.  

As we pulled back into Ella railway station and hopped off the train we struggled to think of a better use of 10p and a morning stroll.

Tip: if you're travelling between Demodara to Ella, stand at the doors to the right of the direction of travel to get the best view of the Nine Arch Bridge.

If you are looking to stay in Ella check out what Hotels and accommodation are on offer with our handy travel map below:

Thanks for reading,

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

This little post could be seen as part two of our anoraking adventures around the world. For part one check out our article on the Kadugannawa Railway Museum. For our thoughts on one of Sri Lanka’s most unexpectedly beautiful lines make sure you check out our blog on the Colombo to Kandy Journey. We have also now been to the National Railway Museum in Delhi check out our article here.

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The Jewel in Sri Lanka’s Crown - The Lion’s Rock of Sigiriya

The UNESCO World Heritage site of Sigiriya is one of the biggest attractions in Sri Lanka. A massive ancient stone fortress atop an outcrop in the heartlands of central Sri Lanka the Lions Rock is an essential part of any visit to this beautiful Island. We have explored it twice now and come up with a complete guide for visitors as well as our thoughts on this incredible place.

The Lion’s Rock of Sigiriya was one of the main reasons we came to Sri Lanka in the first place. Back when we were at work in an office, an old screen saver on a colleague's computer had kindled our interest. A dramatic ruined fortress town sitting impossibly high on top of a lonely rock formation, surrounded by lush green forests, it had looked like something from a story, some kind of lost world. A brief Google search and we had a name. Sigiriya, the Lion’s Rock of Sri Lanka. 

Each country has its own iconic landmark, from the Eiffel Tower to Big Ben, the Taj Mahal to Machu Picchu. Places so famous that you feel almost obliged to visit. There’s the irrational fear that by missing a country's primary attraction you may be stopped at the border and turned back! Sri Lanka’s “unmissable” landmark is the Lion’s Rock of Sigiriya.

As we’ve mentioned before, we do love a good ruin, and Sigiriya had all the intrigue, majesty and drama we could ever want. A screensaver was not enough We had to see it in real life!

Not to ruin the surprise but we found Sigiriya to be one of the most incredible experiences in all our time in Sri Lanka. We loved it so much we actually looped our route around the island so we could visit it twice! Below is our experiences and guide to this incredible UNESCO World Heritage site.

Contents of our Sigiriya guide:

• History of Sigiriya

• Visiting Sigiriya - Entrance and the Museum

• The Ruins at the base of Sigiriya

• Climbing Sigiriya Rock

• The top of the Lions Rock

• The Mirror Wall

• Thoughts on our time

• Essential Information:

  • Where is Sigiriya / Getting to Sigiriya

  • Where to stay near Sigiriya

  • Entrance fee to the Lions Rock and museum

  • Opening Hours for the site

  • Food and Drink

  • Toilet facilities

  • Guided tours of Sigiriya

  • Sigiriya or Pidurangala Rock?

  • Wildlife and safety

  • Other tips and tricks.

Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.

A brief history of Sigiriya

Sigiriya absolutely dominates the surrounding landscape. Visible for miles around, the rock towers out over the forests and paddy fields below. It was built by King Kashyapa in the fifth century after he had usurped the throne, exiled his brother and caused the death of his father (he was a busy boy!). King Kashyapa understandably now felt the need for a new, more defensible capital. With the same display of arrogance, common throughout kings of the world, he selected the top of a near vertical rock formation for his new fortress.

Relocating the local monks to another nearby outcrop (Pidurangala), he went about constructing his palace on top of the giant rock as well as building water gardens, meeting halls, temples and even an enormous moat. King Kashyapa’s reign came to a bloody end not too long after it started with his brother returning from exile and bringing with him an army. The king's own forces deserted him and he killed himself rather than be captured by the brother he tried to kill. The now abandoned Sigiriya was quickly swallowed up by the surrounding jungle, the legend of its existence surviving only in Buddhist texts and the knowledge of locals.

Fast forward a few centuries to the 1800s, and the colonial British were in town (yes we got everywhere, we truly were the COVID of colonists). George Turnour, or more likely his Sri Lankan helpers, translated the texts that identified Sigiriya. Later a Scotsman named Jonathan Forbes led an expedition to the area in 1831 and successfully located the ancient city. Twenty years later, the summit of the rock was finally reached by a group of British mountaineers. Harry Bell, the then Archaeological Commissioner of Ceylon, completed a detailed survey of the site and successfully uncovered the Lion’s Paws that give the rock its name. Sigiriya was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1982 and has been drawing visitors ever since. 

Visiting Sigiriya

Sigiriya is one of the more expensive attractions in Sri Lanka, but, not to put a spoiler on whether we thought it was worth it, we visited twice! Our first visit was during our stay at Roy’s hostel (book your stay here) where we had an incredible afternoon and evening watching the sun set from the top of Sigiriya. Our second visit was around a month later (whilst staying more locally at the excellent Sigiri Saman Homestay), where we visited in the morning to allow us more time to explore the site. 

If you arrive by car or tuk tuk (like we did from Roy’s) you will be dropped off at the main car park next to the ticket office. If you’re staying more locally and come by foot, then there are a couple of entrances that you can use. We walked in from the entrance closest to the village of Sigiriya. This route had the added bonus of a very impressive walk along the edge of the large moat that surrounds the ancient city. 

Tickets to the site cost $36 USD which is also payable in local currency, and are purchased via a ticket counter inside the museum building. Most visitors, including us on our first visit, pick up their tickets, turn around and head straight to the ruins, bypassing the museum altogether. Skipping the museum is really missing out though, as we found out on our second visit.

Okay, confession time; we only went into the museum as it was air conditioned and John was melting, but after cooling off we found ourselves drawn into the exhibits and decided to check it out properly. 

Set over two floors, the museum starts off less than stellar. There is a large collection of very small photographs housed in a cavernous room, whose ceiling has so many fans it's a wonder it doesn’t fly off like a helicopter! After the helicopter room, the museum picks up speed and grows in interest with rooms full of archeological artefacts, dioramas and information on Sigiriya and the surrounding area's history. They have reconstructions of the rock face so you can get a closer look and even a traditional house you can walk through. There are lots of interactive exhibits and displays you can touch and feel. The museum has done a good job of appealing to visitors of any ages. A young John would have especially loved the replica weaponry!

The museum building itself is an impressive structure. Me and John are no experts in architecture, but do really love a bit of Brutalism. If you’re not from the UK, please Google the London Barbican Centre as the museum really reminded us of its style. The museum building was a fantastic mixture of brutal concrete, sharp edges and uniform shapes all softened by flowing water and contrasting soft green foliage.

Concrete never looked so pretty!

Parts of the museum had been left open to the sky, with trees climbing through the floors, winding up and out of the artfully designed roof.

History lessons learnt, architecture admired and sweat subsided we headed out to the ruins.

The Ruins of Sigiriya

After dodging through the gauntlet of guides (see our tips section later) and handing over our tickets to the gate attendants, we crossed a bridge over the moat and entered the ruins of Sigiriya.

When you enter a long path stretches out in a straight line in front of you all the way to the base of the rock. Spread out to the left and right of the path, lie the ground level ruins of the ancient city. Take the path to the right as soon as you enter the grounds and it will lead you up a bank where you can get a fantastic view of Sigiriya and the ruined gardens. 

Back on the main route, the path winds through the ruins and you will find yourself going past ancient fountains that are fed from ponds all the way at the top of the rock. The fountains were not flowing when we visited, but have heard that it does still operate in times of heavy rain. These fountains form part of the extensive and beautiful ancient water gardens. We are not experts on gardens, archaeology or anything really, but we can vouch that they are stunning! 

One of the fountains in Sigiriya’s water gardens.

For those who want a more in depth historical analysis we’d recommend this article - https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20211205-sigiriya-sri-lankas-ancient-water-gardens

Climbing Sigiriya

Winding through the ancient gardens you can veer off left to find caves, as well as an octagonal manmade lake sitting under the shadow of the rocky monolith. From here it's time to climb the rock itself.

Heading through a natural arch formed by two large boulders, the path snakes upwards, circling around the rock to the left hand side. According to the signs, this portion of the path is a natural rock garden, contrasting to the ordered geometry of the water gardens below. 

On both of the days we visited it was swelteringly hot. John had sensibly decided to wear a pink shirt (on both times, he doesn’t learn lessons), which almost immediately had changed colour to a dark red under the sheer volume of sweat. This was all before the first plateau.

Sharing the climb with troops of monkeys and the occasional street dog, we ascended the first set of stone stairs. At the top of this first staircase, the path opens up and levels out into the first plateau and our first chance to stop and enjoy the view. On this level there are some large rectangular ruins (we never learnt of what, but we like to imagine it was an ancient refreshment stall). 

Catching our breath and downing some water we continued on up. This was when Ellie spotted the very large spider, its legs stretching out between the stone steps. We elected to hop over this step and its spindly guardian!

On the next plateau we were greeted by one of the most iconic sights of Sigiriya and maybe even Sri Lanka as a whole. Two gigantic Lion’s paws with claws extended, sit either side of a grand stone staircase. These majestic paws are all that remain of the carved stone Lion that sat guarding the final staircase to the ancient palace above. These are the paws that gave Sigiriya the name of the ‘Lion’s Rock’. The Lion’s body and head are long since gone, collapsed and swallowed by the jungle. These giant paws now mark the transition between the ancient stone staircase and the modern metal route up the mountain. 

A word of caution here, there are signs everywhere advising to be quiet as this is an area prone to wasp attacks. We thought this might be slightly over cautious until we saw the size of the hives hanging off the rock above!  The area will be closed if there is a wasp attach so be careful! Check out the tips section at the end of the blog for more information.

On Top of The Lions Rock

The final upward stretch (especially in the 30+ degree heat and blazing sun), is not pleasant despite the incredible view! By the time we had reached the top (1200 steps in total) we were sweaty, tired and dehydrated! The view from the top however made up for it all.

Can you guess who was carrying the rucksack?!

Sigiriya is the tallest peak around and gives a complete 360 degree view over the Sri Lankan jungle below. Spread along the horizon, jagged blue mountain peaks can be seen, whilst below lakes and rivers sparkle and wind through the verdant green of Central Sri Lanka.

We’ve climbed many mountains with amazing views before. But often these views are framed by a cityscape in the distance, a main road snaking through or an inconveniently placed pylon. Sigiriya was different. The landscape appeared to be almost primordial, like something from the set of Jurassic Park. We’re not saying there were no roads or infrastructure visible, but if there was, it was dwarfed into insignificance by the overwhelming surrounding nature.

Looking to the north we could see Pidurangala rock, rising like a little volcano out from the forest below. At this distance, and looking down on Pidurangala, it looked small in comparison to the behemoth we had just climbed. We know it is not small in reality (it certainly didn’t feel small when we climbed it), but the perspective given by Sigiriya made everything surrounding look tiny!

The first time we visited Sigiriya, we arrived in the late afternoon in order to watch the sunset from the top of Sigiriya. This was fantastic, the panoramic view as the sky changed colour was truly incredible. We sat for the best part of an hour, in silence, watching the evening swallows wheel and cascade overhead whilst the sun dipped down below the horizon. We would have stayed longer, but didn’t fancy the climb down in the pitch black! 

The second time we visited, we arrived much earlier in the day, reaching the peak by early afternoon. Although it didn’t have the drama of a sunset, this was arguably a better time as we could explore the ruins more thoroughly, and enjoy the views in all their glory. 

There are many, many structures, platforms, pools and ponds at the top of the rock and we spent a good amount of time wandering about, taking selfies and generally being awestruck by the staggering sites surrounding us. The ruins of the ancient city are amazing, set over varying levels with steep staircases, connecting different “floors” with each other. On one end of the palatial rock sits a large carved pool. This pool, which feeds the fountains below, was only half full, but was still improbably large for something sitting at the top of an enormous boulder! 

A lone tree grows out of a ledge overlooking this pool, and provides not only a great viewpoint of the ruins, but a very romantic selfie spot, if we do say so ourselves! 

Walking around the remains of Sigiriya, every turn would reveal a new vista or ruin and a near infinite number of photo opportunities. 

Whilst climbing the rock, although steep, hot and tiring it hadn't quite managed to register to us just how high up we were. Looking back down to the water gardens, it was as if we were looking at a map from above.

We kept looking at distant points wandering what they were, only to realise it was something we had walked through earlier that day.

It was about this point we saw the most incredible escape!

He was as shocked as us!

A large lizard was stalking a much smaller gecko, with a view of making it into lunch. The large lizard pounced and the smaller lizard literally leapt off the cliff. Thinking we had just witnessed a lizardy suicide we rushed to the edge only to see the gecko impact with a ledge a good 100 metres below. It skidded, stopped and finally (this maybe our imagination) looked back up with a smug saurian smile. The larger lizard stared over the edge for a moment before slinking off to find some other less daring lunch. 

Other notable wildlife sightings we saw at the top of the rock include monkeys, eagles and a small collection of street dogs who seemed to have their Instagram poses on point! 

He knew how to pose!

Both times we visited we were blown away by the views, ruins and atmosphere at the top of Sigiriya. Memory cards full to bursting and enough selfies to collage a bathroom (on both times, John isn’t the only one not to learn lessons), we headed back down. 

The Mirror Wall

As you descend there is a fork in the path between the Lion’s paws and the first plateau. One route takes you down to the gardens the same way you came up and the other turns left, clinging precariously to the face of the rock. During our first visit, as we were descending after sunset, we were too late to take this other path, but on our second visit we had enough time to take the left route and visit the ‘mirror wall’. 

The ‘mirror wall’ is not a mirror (per se). Previously encased in plaster, the wall was polished to a shine which gave it its name. On the rock face side of the wall is the pathway which lets you in on the secret to the ‘mirror wall’. The side facing the rock is crowded with centuries and centuries of graffiti. Visitors from way back in time leaving their thoughts of Sigiriya carved into the wall. Further along from the ancient graffiti, the path leads up a set of spiral stairs to the famous murals. Painted onto the walls of a large cavernous overhang, colourful frescoes are all that remain of a vast tapestry of cave paintings that are thought to have extended all the way around Sigiriya. The paintings are of beautiful, scantily clad figures and have been the subject of much debate. Some claim they are holy beings scattering offerings whilst others state that they are paintings of the concubines of the king's harem. 

Exiting the mirror wall and cave paintings we descended to the gardens below. On our first visit we had to hurriedly make our way to the exit as the park was closing and the light was fading so we missed exploring any further. Our second visit allowed us to correct our previous error and seek out the treasures we had missed. 

Earlier we spoke about the pool and caves you can find to the left of the main path approaching the rock face. Coming down the rock you will be directed to the right of the path (confusingly this will now be your left with the rock behind you). There is a wealth of things to spot here from the ‘Cobra head cave’ (yes it does really look like a cobra getting ready to strike), an ancient urinal and even a reception hall carved into the top of an especially large boulder. The path eventually wiggles you out to the car park and the obligatory arcade of tourist shops. 

Final Thoughts

Sigiriya is famous for a reason. We mentioned this already in our Pidurangala article but it really should not be skipped. If you’ve travelled all the way to the Indian Ocean and have made your way to the centre of this incredible island, you really would be missing out by not visiting. Yes the ticket price is expensive, but coming from London we could easily spend the same on a tame night out in a pub. We would say Sigiriya is a once in a lifetime experience but it was so good we had to do it twice. 

“Pensive? Damn I was going for thoughtful”

It's tempting whilst backpacking to minimise costs and maybe skip something as touristy and expensive as Sigiriya, but we cannot stress how glad we were to do this twice. You can see as many photos as you want, but the views from the top and the atmosphere of the place were truly incredible.

We visited in very strange times in 2022, during civil unrest, financial crisis and worldwide governments advising against all travel to Sri Lanka. On both our visits, there were never more than ten to fifteen other people at the top of the rock. This was amazing for us, and our photos, but obviously tragic for the people of Sri Lanka and the archaeological site itself. Like we’ve said before about the beaches of Uppuveli and Nilavelli these places are wonderful and really deserve the visitors. We hope that next time we visit (yes there will be a third time!) that the Lion’s Rock is back to wowing crowds of awe struck visitors. 

Tips and essential information for visiting the Lion’s Rock of Sigiriya

Where is Sigiriya, how can I get there?

Getting to Sigiriya from central Sri Lanka - local busses and Tuk Tuk’s

Sigiriya is located in Sri Lanka’s central region, near the towns of Habarana, Kimbissa and Dambulla. Dambulla is the best connected of these nearby towns, with public transport links to Colombo, Kandy as well as other major Sri Lankan towns and cities.

The town of Sigiriya can be reached by public bus from Dambulla, tickets for the public buses can be brought on the day once you have boarded the bus.

From any of the other local towns tuk-tuks can easily be arranged to get you to Sigiriya. There may also be other local busses that will take you past Kimbissa Junction - see below. Alternatively, any accommodation will be happy to help sort out transport for you, there may just be a little premium pricing!

Getting to Sigiriya from further afield: Buses, Taxis and Trains

You can get a bus to Sigiriya from anywhere on the Island of Sri Lanka. There will be a bus terminal in every town and city and from there you should be able to get a bus to Dambulla. Alternatively, take the any bus that goes past Inamaluwa junction, otherwise known as Sigiriya or Kimbissa junction. The junction is on several major routes between Dambulla, Poḷonnaruwa and other larger towns. At the junction jump off the bus and grab a tuk-tuk to Sigiriya town.

We managed to get all over the place by hopping from one public bus service to another, but it can be quite time consuming. We had an epic 12 hour journey on 4 different busses between Arugam Bay and Sigiriya! Whilst it was exciting, we wouldn’t recommend it if you were short on time! You can always book ahead on one of the many tourist busses throughout Sri Lanka for piece of mind. These tourist busses and minivans tend to be air conditioned and will run pretty much from anywhere to anywhere. Check out 12Go to see what you can arrange.

There are trains you can get to stations near Sigiriya. if you are coming from Trincomalee or Colombo you can ride the rails to Habarana and change to a tuk-tuk. There is also Kekirawa station nearby with links to Colombo (tickets available here). The train services to these two stations are irregular so make sure you plan accordingly!

For the most direct route to Sigiriya you can arrange private taxi’s from anywhere on Sri Lanka. Taxis can be surprisingly affordable and convenient, especially if you are travelling in a group:

Taxi from Colombo city to Sigiriya

Taxi from Colombo International Airport to Sigiriya

Taxi from Kandy to Sigiriya

Taxi from Galle to Sigiriya

Where to Stay near Sigiriya?

If you’re making Sigiriya a destination, you may well find yourself staying around the base of the Lion’s Rock in the town of Sigiriya. There are plenty of accommodation to chose from in the surrounding area, from boutique hotels, small guesthouses and even some excellent hostels. We stayed once at the excellent Roy’s Hostel and once at the cosy and beautiful Sigiri Saman Homestay.

You can have a look at the accommodation options around the Lion’s Rock below (you may need to zoom in or out):

What is the entrance fee to Sigiriya?

One ticket costs $36 USD which is payable in USD or Sri Lankan rupee at the day's exchange rate. Since we visited we they have started to accept card (Visa certainly) payments, there may be a small fee if you use this method (also check your bank doesn’t fleece you on the exchange rate!).

The $36 entrance fee includes access to the museum. If you just want to visit just the museum (maybe if you’re in town and didn’t want to overdose on history in a single day) then entrance to the museum costs $5.

What are the Lions Rock’s opening hours?

Sigiriya is open from 7:00am to 17:30pm. This closing time is for new people entering the park. When we visited for the sunset we exited the park well after 18:00pm we don’t know if this is usually allowed though!

To check up to date information about opening times, ticket prices etc follow this link

Can I buy water and refreshments?

There is a cafe/stalls near the ticket counter and the car park exit which sell water, soft drinks, snacks and ice-creams.

There is a free water fountain/bottle refill point giving out filtered water. This is where we filled our bottles before climbing the rock. The free fill point is located just before the ticket gate into the main site.

There was also a restaurant on site but this was not open when we visited.

Just outside of the Lions Rock is the small town of Sigiriya, which has lots of small restaurants and shops. Check out our guide here:

Are there toilets?

Yes but only at the base before going through the ticket barrier. There was no toilet paper in the ladies loo when Ellie visited, but they were western toilets (Princess here doesn’t like getting her leg workout done on squatty toilets)!

Can I get a guided tour of Sigiriya?

Yes you definitely can! There are many, many people offering guided tours, usually wearing blue t-shirts with yellow collars. The guides will come to you and offer their services for a price. We politely declined about fifteen of these offers and ignored their increasingly high pressure sale pitches!

When we were there in 2022 the guides were offering their services for between $5 and $10. This may be a reduced fee as there were so few visitors. 

If your looking to make the most of a shorter trip in Sri Lanka’s heartlands think about combining a few experiences, have a look below for some tours that offer a few of the regions “greatest hits":

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Do I need a guide?

This is down to personal preference. We always find that we prefer to explore a site ourselves and at our own pace, but if you like to know more about what you’re seeing then a guide is a great way to get the most out of an experience.

There were a few sign boards dotted around the ancient gardens giving a brief overview of the history, but often you were left to your own imagination to decide what you’re looking at. 

As we’ve mentioned above, we would highly recommend seeking out the museum to know more before tackling the rock itself. 

Should I do Sigiriya or Pidurangala Rock?

We have seen a depressing amount of social media posts along the lines of “Skip Sigiriya! Check out this cheaper place instead!” Don’t listen to the crowd, this is just confirmation bias, they chose not to treat themselves to Sigiriya and now want you to make the same mistake!

Pidurangala is beautiful and should definitely be on your itinerary but it is in no way a replacement for Sigiriya. We had an amazing time climbing Pidurangala but its no substitute for the main event.

Sigiriya is expensive….for Sri Lanka. In the grand scheme of things, being Sri Lanka’s top tourist attraction the price really not that bad. At the end of the day, its a freaking ruined fortress city on top of a flat mountain, how cool is that?!

Also, what Instagram and Tik Tok influencers fail to mention when opining skipping Sigiriya is that it is far far taller than Pidurangala Rock! The views from the top are 360 degrees of incredible. Also Pidurangala is not exaclty a secret anymore, so expect to share the “cheap option” with a crowd of fellow backpackers!

The only circumstances we can see where you should skip Sigiriya and just do Pidurangala are:

a) You just want a photo of yourself on a rock with a prettily out of focus background. We would politely invite you to get a life.

b) You have literally spent all of your money on Lion Lager and are flying home the next day.

Other Tips and Tricks for Visiting Sigiriya:

• There are a lot of monkeys that are used to tourists. They will attempt to steal any food left unguarded so be careful when eating snacks! 

They might look innocent but….

• There are signs that crocodiles swim in the moat and ponds around the site. We did not see any, but definitely don’t go for a swim no matter how hot you get!

• Elephants roam the park and surrounding area after dark, be cautious if you are leaving after sunset.

• If there is a wasp attack on the rock, they will close access to the top of Sigiriya rock, there are no refunds if this happens.

• Take lots of water with you. Surprisingly the ancient palace doesn’t come with a 7/11 at the top of the rock! 

• If you’re going for sunset, they close access to the mirror wall and cave paintings earlier than the park shuts. As the park shuts at 17:30pm, make sure you visit these first before climbing to the top.

• Cameras are not allowed in the mirror wall/cave paintings/frescoes area. They’ve survived 1600 years and don’t need to be damaged by camera flashes! 

• If you’re afraid of heights, the steps up to Sigiriya (particularly the final metal set after the Lion’s paws) may be a bit of an ordeal. The steps are perfectly safe, but do cling right to the rock edge with just a narrow metal step and a guard rail separating you and the (spectacular) drop. If you can’t make it all the way to the top, the sturdy stone steps go all the way up to the Lion’s Paws where there are benches but no shade. The view is still incredible from this level, but if you can push yourself, you are so nearly at the top with its astonishing 360 degree views!

The staircase does get quite narrow!

• Lastly - Please just go! It’s so much better than we can express! 

Thank you for reading, 

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

*Prices updated in 2024 thanks to a kind email from a reader.

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Sigiriya - The Town at the Base of the Lion’s Rock

Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.

So, like everyone who comes to Sri Lanka, you’re heading to Sigiriya. You can stay near the lions rock in lots of places, with excursions available from Habarana, Dambulla or even as far away as Colombo! However, if you want to be within walking distance of Sigiriya rock, there is a small town full of guesthouses, hotels and resturants right down next to the UNESCO world heritage site.

Here’s our quick little guide to the town at the base of the Lion’s Rock. 

Getting to and from Sigiriya

Spot the langur monkey!

Buses

Sigiriya is not a large town and doesn’t have a train station or bus terminal but you are within a tuk-tuk or taxi ride away from the town of Dambulla and it’s busy bus terminal. Dambulla is fantastically well connected to nearly the whole island with buses serving Kandy, Anuradhapura and Colombo as well as northern and southern towns.

Many of the larger bus routes can drop you off at Inamaluwa Junction. Inamaluwa Junction lies much closer to Sigiriya town than Dambulla, and many of the long distance bus routes pass through here on their way to Dambulla. This is the junction we used to both arrive and depart from our stay in Sigiriya.  When boarding the bus, just let the ticket seller know you’re heading to Sigiriya and they’ll let you know when you get to the junction. If you jump off the bus at this nondescript junction, you can easily flag a tuk tuk or taxi down to take you the short ride to Sigiriya itself.

For the budget friendly you can catch a bus between Sigiriya to Dambulla but the timetables are a mystery! Google has no idea, there is no bus stop in Sigiriya town (from what we could find) and our guesthouse advised us to just wait on the side of the road and try and flag the bus down when it rolled past! 

Trains

There is also a train stations close(ish) by in Habarana and Kekirawa which are a short hop from Sigiriya. Habarana station has a train to Trincomalee in the north and the capital of Colombo although when we visited trains were not that frequent. You can book trains between Colombo and Kekirawa in advance here.

Accommodation in Sigiriya

Whatever your budget, there is a huge choice of accommodation within driving distance of Sigiriya. From hostels and guesthouses to 5 star luxury, there will be a place for you to stay. We, however, are backpackers, so we are probably not going to be able to advise you on high end resorts, but we did find two absolute gems of affordable accommodation in the area. 

Roy’s Villa Hostel

The first time we visited Sigiriya, we did not stay in the town itself, but stayed a short drive away at Roy’s excellent hostel. Roy’s Villa Hostel is a fantastic place to stay, reasonably priced, with a mix of dorm and private rooms. The hostel is located amongst beautiful rice paddies near the village of Kimbissa. If you haven’t already, read all about our stay at Roy’s Villa Hostel here!

To book your stay at Roy’s Villa Hostel click here.

Sigiri Saman Home Stay

The second time we visited, we stayed in the main town of Sigiriya in a beautiful guest house called Sigiri Saman Home Stay. Set back from the road, surrounded by forest and flowers, this little oasis had a comfy room, a hot shower and brilliant breakfasts! Every morning we were treated to a fantastic spread of fresh fruit, eggs, steamed rice pancakes, fried varda and an array of other Sri Lankan treats. All washed down with unlimited tea, coffee and complimentary bottles of water.

We got an absolute bargain price when we stayed, mainly due to the time (2022) we were visiting the country and general lack of tourists, but it was easily worth 3 times what we paid. The guesthouse is just a short walk from the main Sigirya strip.  To book your stay at Sigiri Saman Home Stay click here.

Sigiri Samam Home Stay is set within beautifully maintained jungle gardens!

To book other accommodation within Sigiriya, check out the map below:

Eating and drinking in Sigiriya town

Sigiriya town itself is never going to win awards for being the most happening of places. A small strip of shops, restaurants and bars serves the surrounding community and, in more normal times, the hordes of tourists coming to visit the Lion’s Rock. 

We ate in two of the restaurants; the Chooti restaurant and Pradeep restaurant. If you ignore the Western menu and go for the good old favourite of rice and curry, they were both lovely. They gave us far better food at a more reasonable price than you would expect from such a touristy spot. Quite a few restaurants were advertising a bbq menu, however when we visited there simply weren't enough people visiting to warrant firing up the coals! 

We have to mention the famous Rastarant Bar. It seems like wherever you are in the world, wherever there are backpackers, there will be a reggae bar. We have no idea how the Rastarant came to be, how they decided on their theming (to our knowledge Bob Marley wasn’t that into archaeology), but the Rastarant bar instantly won our hearts. The bar is made up of a funky collection of oil drums, wooden huts, and hammocks all set alongside a flowing stream. There are fire pits, nets over the water and even a slackline if you're feeling especially centred! After dark the candles come out and lights are switched on. This all should have been cheesy but instead the Rastarant was a great place to unwind and a very chilled out bar to have an ice cold beer after a day in the Sigiriya sun. The prices were in dollars so it was slightly more expensive than we were used to, but being the biggest bar in the area and being at the base of the Lion’s Rock, it's not too surprising.

One thing to note about Sigiriya town is that there is an absolute bellend who has decided to offer elephant rides. Please just don’t do this! We know the guy has to make money somehow, but please don’t support him in his endeavours to keep an elephant chained and subservient, just so some clueless tourist can have a ride. It’s just not cool! 

Nearby Attractions

Central Sri Lanka has many attractions on offer, and staying in, or near Sigiriya means you’re never far from something interesting. 

The Lion’s Rock of Sigiriya 

It’s unlikely you ended up in this town without knowing what this is, but the Lion’s Rock is an incredible site and should not be missed! Read our guide all about visiting the Lion’s Rock of Sigiriya here.

Pidurangala Rock 

With fantastic views over Sigiriya Rock and only a 20 minute or so hike to the top, this budget friendly walk is a must do in the area! For an even more incredible view, get to the top for sunrise or sunset. Read all about visiting here.

Dambulla Royal Cave Temple 

These incredible ancient temples are carved into the rock of one of the hills overlooking Dambulla town. More than a millennium old, and decorated in intricate colourful artwork, these cave temples are well worth a visit. Read our guide here.

Kaudulla Elephant Safari 

If you want to see elephants in their natural environment, then book a jeep safari to Kaudulla National Park. It is one of the few national parks where (season dependent) you are guaranteed to see an elephant! Read all about our incredible day here.

Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa 

Slightly further afield, the enormous ruins of these two ancient cities are incredible. We visited Anuradhapura and were bowled over by the sheer scale and beauty of this archaeological site (okay, we may have also nearly got heat stroke but that’s a story you’ll have to read here).  Your accomodation will definitely be able to arrange a trip or a tour to one or both of these amazing sites.

Ritigala Ancient Monastic Ruins 

Lesser known than the ancient cities of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa or Sigiriya, these mountainside ruins are phenomenal. Set within the Ritigala Strict Nature Reserve, and a half day trip from the Sigiriya area, we cannot recommend this enough! Read all about it here.

We hope you enjoy your stay in central Sri Lanka.

Thanks for reading,

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

Cheers to Sigirya!

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Time To Go - Leaving Sri Lanka After 3 Months Backpacking!

*Disclaimer*

There are still more blogs for us to post about Sri Lanka and they will all be posted eventually, in the meantime enjoy a mixture of Sri Lankan and other countries content! 

We travelled from Sri Lanka to Malaysia in the middle of October and this was our journey getting from the mountains of Ella to the high rises of Kuala Lumpur. We will now be posting blogs both about our time in Sri Lanka as well as our current adventures in Malaysia and beyond.

Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.

The last days in Ella

After our adventure in the south of Sri Lanka, it was finally time to leave this beautiful island. We had been here for three months, and whilst we could never say we had seen everything our visa was finally running out. We had booked the cheapest flight tickets out that we could find. The flights were booked, perhaps unsurprisingly, for the unlucky day of the 13th. This gave us a week to relax before our visa deadline and our flight's departure. We decided to spend our final Sri Lankan week back in the mountain backpacker haven of Ella. Its many bars, restaurants and activities, making it the perfect wind down to our Sri Lankan adventure. We came back to our home-away-from-home, the Rock Face guest house and settled into our final week in this amazing country.

Cheers Ella!

The final week flew by. The week had revolved around a daily routine of walking, relaxing, eating dosas, the Ice bar and of course the Chill cafe! We had hiked up mountains, wandered down to see all the waterfalls on the side of the road and eaten out weight in rice and curry, but eventually our time ran out.

Thursday the 13th came and it was finally time to pack our bags and leave this beautiful country. What had started as a 30 day fling, had turned into a three month love affair, but as with all travel romances it had to end.

Getting from Ella to Colombo / the airport

Taxi

To minimise hotel stays, maximise our time in Ella, and to be frank, because we were lazy, we had opted to take a taxi directly from Ella to Colombo’s Bandaranaike airport. Ordinarily a 200 plus km journey via taxi would not be the backpacker choice, but surprisingly it wasn’t a massive expense (33000 LRK or £68.85/ $82.08), especially when you think it saved us spending money on a night in Colombo or Negombo, as well as multiple train or bus tickets. Have a read below for our…experience…

if you have a group then booking a private taxi or minibus makes a lot of sense, the cost divided between 2-8 people can actually be pretty reasonable.

You can book taxi’s in the town or in advance through 12GO here.

Bus

The cheapest way from Ella to Colombo would be by public bus. This would by far the most complicated route but, if you have the time, it would also be good fun. From Ella you can catch a bus down the Mountain to Wellawaya from here you can either change to another bus to the coast (this is how we got from Mirissa to Ella in the first place) or even, if you time it right, a bus all the way to Colombo. Just be prepared for this to take a very long time!

once in Colombo you can easily change and catch the airport bus.

When we travelled from Mirissa to Ella we changed at Wellawaya, please be aware that there are some scammers around the bus station. We were repeatedly told that we had missed the last bus of the day and would have to pay for a Tuk-Tuk to take us up the mountain when this was false. There are plenty of buses to and from Ella from Wellawaya!

Train

You could, of course, travel from Ella to Colombo via the famous railway. This epic journey winds all the way down through the mountains through the historic capital of Kandy and onwards to the capital. The journey takes between 8-10 hours so plan accordingly. The tickets also sell out super quickly so book them well in advcance (they go on sale 30 days prior to departure). Check out 12Go for advance bookings.

Driving from Ella to Colombo

After one last breakfast in the Chill Café (poached eggs if you’re curious), we bundled into our taxi and set off through the hills. We’ve had several wonderful journeys during our time in Sri Lanka and this one started off well. Stunning mountain vista’s looked back from our cab windows. It wasn’t to last however, as we wound down through the central mountains and tea plantations a blanket of fog and rain closed in all around us. The further we descended, the harder the rain fell. By the time we were on the highway approaching Bandaranaike airport we could barely see the road in front of us.

The journey slowly morphed from a comfortable posh packer jaunt, to a terrifying thrill ride through thunder, lightning, and heavy rain. On the toll road between Colombo and the airport, cars with no lights appeared out of the fog in front, or suddenly overtook us from behind. Our young driver, seemingly unfazed, took this all in his stride. We however, were white knuckle gripping the door handles!

When we finally got to Bandaranaike airport, we both questioned whether we had arrived at  the correct place. Arriving in Sri Lanka back in July there had only been us, another couple backpacking, a Sri Lankan family and a small handful of airport staff. This time however, was a completely different story. Scores of people, queues of taxis and all the usual chaos you’d expect at a busy departure terminal. Shaken and on a high from the drive down, we bundled out, and bid our taxi driver a farewell before entering the chaos.

Bandaranaike international airport

There are two types of people when it comes to international flights, those, like us, who like to arrive hours early, fearing security checks, queues, alien invasions and all the other things that can go wrong when travelling by air. Then there are those carefree individuals, who like to rock up as close to their departure window as possible. Frequently seen power walking or in a panicked dash through terminal buildings, we can only regard these second types of people as psychopaths. Like we’ve said, we like to be early. This time however, we might have been too early… Our check in desk wasn’t due to open for another three hours, let alone our flight that would be departing in six and a bit hours in the future. We may have played it a little too safe this time. 

At some airports our extreme earliness wouldn’t have been a problem. At Singapore’s Changi airport for example, there are cinemas, the world's largest indoor waterfall as well as multiple other free entertainment options. However at Bandaranaike this is not the case. We were greeted by a sad parade of souvenir stalls and one lonely, extremely overpriced, coffee stall. We sat down and settled in for a long wait. 

Food at Bandaranaike airport

After what felt like an eternity, our check in desk finally opened. Bags checked in and boarding passes collected we eagerly headed off to the food court. This enthusiasm was soon deflated. We passed by a Burger King and thought we might treat ourselves (remember we hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast and it was now 7.30pm), but seeing the extortionate price we thought better of it. 16 USD for a single cheeseburger didn’t seem worth it, even on our empty stomachs. Thinking this was just because it was a Burger King (something of a rarity in Sri Lanka) we moved on. Unfortunately, this was no blip. The prices for food in the airport were utterly incredible, and we don’t just mean by Sri Lankan standards. Out of all the airports we have been to, we don’t remember seeing prices like this. A small pastry, that wouldn’t look out of place in the 99p range at Greggs, was being sold for 10 USD. We wish we were kidding! Stomachs rumbling and after circumnavigating the expensive food court, we settled on a depressed looking sandwich from what is apparently Trip Advisor’s number one recommendation at the airport (they were proudly displaying stickers all over their shop). The toasted sandwich (ham and some sort of cheese paste of dubious origin) was fine and nothing special, but at 3 USD was the most affordable thing we could find. After our lacklustre meal we settled in for the long wait to board our plane. 

Please note that we were, as we have said, travelling Sri Lanka at a very strange time. The fuel crisis and economic collapse were weighing heavily on the country and imports had basically stopped when we were there. As such we may have experienced much higher prices on the more international faire available at the airport.

Flying out - Sri Lanka to Malaysia

Eventually our AirAsia flight was ready to board and we made our way to our seats. With heavy hearts the end had finally come. The engines roared and we left Sri Lanka. We had arrived exactly 3 months ago against government advice and had absolutely fallen in love with its people, landscapes, culture and food.

Goodbye Sri Lanka you beauty! This will definitely not be our only visit!

Four and half hours, one surprisingly good chicken and rice meal and very little sleep later, we arrived at Kuala Lumpur airport. 

Kuala Lumpur Airport to the city

Our bags arrived quickly and we made our way to the airport exit. There are many ways to get from the airport to Kuala Lumpur’s city centre. The more expensive being a taxi, a mid range (but still quite pricey) direct train, or our choice (the cheapest option) the bus. For two tickets we paid 30 RM (£5.64 or $6.36). It maybe possible later in the day to get a cheaper bus than this, but this was the cheapest option for our early morning arrival. The bus arrived exactly on time and made its way out of the airport and towards Kuala Lumpur Sentral. Passing by massive developments, towering skyscrapers and lush vegetation we made our way to the city centre.

Arriving at Kuala Lumpur Sentral bus depot, we disembarked, hefted our backpacks and headed towards the MRT. We were staying in a hotel just outside of Chinatown and needed to take the red KJL line from KL Sentral two stops going north. 

Exiting the station we had arrived in the Masjid Jamek area of Kuala Lumpur. After the sedate pace of Ella and the hill country of Sri Lanka, Kuala Lumpur was an overwhelming assault on the senses. Surrounded by urban modern life, with monorails overhead, roads congested with busy traffic and crowds of people, it was a world away from what we had left in Sri Lanka. At this point we’d like to point out we had been awake nearly 36 hours and this may have contributed to our slightly shell shocked reaction to this massive modern metropolis.

Navigating the busy streets, we made our way to our accommodation, 1000 Miles Hotel (more on this in another article) for the next two nights, where of-course we were far too early to check in. We left our bags and headed out. Our sleep deprived brains unhelpfully overloading at every car horn and pedestrian crossing. 150 metres down the road, we smelt something amazing, a steamer full of pork buns. With only a sad sandwich and aeroplane food eaten in the last twelve hours, we were powerless to resist.

We bit into the fluffy buns, filled with sweet Chinese spiced char siu pork. We think this was the point where our brains caught up with our feet and we knew we had finally arrived in the great melting pot of Malaysia.

Thank you for reading,

John & Ellie x 

#adventuresofjellie 

Pidurangala Rock - Sigiriya’s Pretty Little Sister

The Hike Up Pidurangala

Some mornings are better than others. 

A few months ago a Wednesday morning would have consisted of a hurried breakfast, a long traffic filled commute followed by; logging in at work and then being yelled at by a stranger for a problem I didn’t cause and could not solve (debt management, yay). 

Today was different. Today I was in Sri Lanka, sat with half a coconut shell full of ginger tea, several hundreds metres up the rock face of Pidurangala. Instead of my view being that of a dreary office wall and an inbox full of hatred, I was looking out over a green forest towards the Lion’s Rock of Sigiriya. 

Some mornings are better than others!

Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.

Cheers!

Organised by Roy (read more about him and his amazing hostel here), the hike to the top of Pidurangala Rock is an amazing way to start a day. A short drive from Sigiriya town, Pidurangala is a massive rock formation, with fantastic 360 degree views over the surrounding landscape including the Lion’s Rock itself. 

We had planned to catch the sunrise, but a rainstorm had delayed our departure so we set off a little late at 7am. Roy usually runs this as a sunrise hike, starting at 4am or 5am, but as the trek up involves some ‘off-road’ segments, we had waited for the rain to clear. 

Arriving at the base of Pidurangala rock, we paid our entrance fee 1000 LKR (£2.52 or $3.09) each and made our way to the start of the trail.

The path begins in a Buddhist temple, a short walk through its grounds brings you to the first set of steps. The climb up the rock itself is short but sharp, taking less than 20 minutes to reach its 199 metre peak. The trail winds through the forest, and past Buddhist ruins. We imagine that if you are doing the sunrise hike you may not see too much of the scenery as you climb, so look out for it on your way down! As you reach the statue of the Reclining Buddha, the trees part and you start to see your first glimpses of the Sri Lankan greenery below.

This is when the hike becomes more of a climb. Turning the corner, the only way up the rock is to scramble up, over, around, across and through large boulders. Some of the rocks will have ropes to help you climb and some do not. We scrambled on up. Our group was by no means full of seasoned mountaineers but the climb was that perfect blend of easy and exciting. As we came close to the summit of the rock, we were greeted by a flat ledge and one of the most incredible views we’ve ever seen. 

We had seen photos, Instagram posts and YouTube videos of the Lion’s Rock, but this was our first proper view of Sigiriya. None of those digital images did the magnificent site in front of us justice. The Lion’s Rock stood bathed in the morning sun and surrounded by steaming green vegetation.

This was to be our morning tea stop. Roy had lugged up a thermos flask of hot ginger tea and enough coconut shells to make mugs for all of our group.

Sitting on the rocky promontory, we sat in awe, sipping on our tea and soaking up the view. In the distance the tiny figures of Sigiriya’s first visitors of the day climbed their way up the Lion’s Rock. Tea finished, it was time for selfies. If there was ever a time for a photo, this was certainly it. 

Although this initial ledge was an amazing viewpoint, it was not the peak of the rock. A very short climb later, we found ourselves on the massive flat summit of Pidurangala. On all sides, the rock fell away in worryingly vertical cliffs. In every direction, and as far as the eye could see, stretched an emerald carpet of trees. The green blanket dotted here and there with smoke from houses and the white stupas of temples.

In the far distance Roy pointed out the highest peak in the area, Ritigala mountain. You cannot climb Ritigala (as it is a strictly controlled nature reserve) but you can explore some amazing ruins on its slope (read all about these here).

As we have mentioned we had seen Pidurangala on social media. In fact the Budgeteers (the series that was pivotal in our decision to come to Sri Lanka) had shown us the summit before and let us know that it was far from a “hidden gem”. We were fully expecting the summit to be crowded, especially as many backpackers opt to climb the rock as a cheaper alternative to Sigiriya. What we didn’t expect however, was to have the entire rock all to ourselves. For the first twenty or thirty minutes it was only us and our group enjoying the breathtaking views, and even after this, only a few more people emerged onto the plateau. 

We walked around the flat summit taking in the views from all sides. Standing on what felt like the top of the world, and basking in the warmth of the morning light  we thought again:

Some mornings really are better than others!  

Essential information for Visiting Pidurangala

Getting To Pidurangala

We visited this as an organised trip from Roy’s hostel, but you can easily do this yourself. The start of the hike is here. Just arrange a tuk tuk or driver to wait for you at the bottom. Pidurangala Rock is a very short drive from Sigiriya town itself. There is space to park a car / tuk tuk at the bottom of the rock but it may get busy.

If you want to book a proper guided tour but are not staying at Roy’s, you can do so through GetYourGuide here.

How Much Does It Cost?

The tickets cost 1000 LKR per person (£2.52 or $3.09).

The Route Up

There aren’t any signposts for the path up! However the way is not too complicated. From the carpark, head towards the temple. Purchase your ticket and continue forward on the path. There is only one real way up and down, so you’d have to try hard to get lost!

As you near the top, resist the urge to take the obvious path in front of you. Instead turn to your left, pull yourself up and under the large overhanging rock, crawl around the side of it and you will be confronted with some of the best views of Lion’s Rock. If you continue forward you’ll go straight to the plateau and miss this viewpoint. 

How Hard Is The Hike Up Pidurangala?

Pidurangala Rock stands around 199 metres tall. Although not on the scale of mountain climbing or anything too extreme, the climb does involve some light bouldering, steep ascents, crawling and rough terrain. The bouldering section starts just past the Reclining Buddha, again it’s not hard, but is not the same as just walking up some stairs!

How Long Does It Take To Climb Pidurangala Rock?

It’s a short climb and took us around 20 minutes to reach the top in the daylight. If it is busy, or if it is dark it will obviously take longer.

What Should I Wear?

Something comfortable and breathable that you can move around in. It’s tempting to dress up for an Instagram shoot in a big floaty dress, but it wouldn’t be very practical in the bouldering section!

Although the hike does start in a Buddhist temple, don’t worry about wearing your athletic gear! Next to the ticket counter there is a clothesline full of sarongs for you to borrow for the short walk through the temple. As you exit the temple grounds there is another clothesline for you to store your coverup so you don’t have to wear it for the climb up.

There is some climbing to do as you get higher, so make sure you wear appropriate footwear.

When To Go - Should I Climb At Sunrise or Sunset?

Pidurangala has 360 degree views, and would be spectacular at any time of the day. Both sunrise and sunset are incredible. However if you’re a late riser or don’t fancy a climb down in the dark, our early morning expedition was stunning as well! 

If you are climbing at sunrise or sunset, make sure to bring a torch as surprise, surpise there are no lights!

How crowded is Pidurangala Rock

As we’ve mentioned above, we were very lucky to visit when we did. There were only a small handful of visitors whilst we were there. If it was busier we’d expect a bit more of a wait and a more frustrating climb up and down (there’s only one path up with limited passing spots). This is something to bear in mind as it will get busier throughout the day especially up to sunset.

We have heard that it gets very busy for sunset these days. It has been marketed by some “influencers” as the thing to do instead of Sigirya (this is completely wrong - see later on) and has become very a popular site.

Facilities At Pidurangala Rock

There are no toilets on the route up or on the top. Go before arriving! 

There is little cover at the top of the summit, so check the weather and pack wet coats and sun cream as necessary. Also bring water, as it's a rock in the middle of a jungle, surprisingly, there are no shops on the route (or at least there wasn’t when we visited)! 

Should I Skip Sigiriya And Just Do Pidurangala?

Lots of people seem to choose between visiting either Sigiriya and Pidurangala. For the budget conscious it is appealing just to do Pidurangala and save the pricey entrance fee of Sigiriya - do not do this! The Lion’s Rock is worth every penny you pay. Pidurangala is wonderful and definitely worth your time visiting, but please do not think doing Pidurangala means you don’t have to do Sigiriya. The only people who tell you to skip Sigirya are the ones that missed out and skipped it themselves! To read why Sigiriya is such an essential visit, check out our article here.

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Pidurangala is incredible. A small climb with massive pay off! The views from the top are breathtaking, and truly encapsulates the wonder and natural beauty of central Sri Lanka. We would honestly class this as a “must do” whilst in Sri Lanka. The fact that you can easily pair this with Sigiriya, Ritigala or Dambulla means theres really no excuse not to climb the rock.

Thanks for reading,

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

Some totally non-edited photos of the intrepid Jellie explorers!

#nofilterhonest

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The Dambulla Royal Cave Temple - A Day of Murals, Monkeys and Majesty

If you’re in Sri Lanka’s Central region, you will almost certainly encounter the town of Dambulla. Located close to the Lion’s Rock of Sigiriya, Dambulla has a large bus station with routes serving Colombo, Kandy, Poḷonnaruwa and far beyond. Dambulla is the most obvious travel hub for those looking to access Sigiriya, however, the Lion’s Rock isn’t the only treasure this region holds. 

The Royal Cave Temple of Dambulla is an incredible, beautiful, ancient holy site and one not to be skipped when exploring Sri Lanka’s heartlands.

Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We may earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.

Where is the Dambulla Royal Cave Temple

The Dambulla Caves lie on top of the rock formation in the heart of the town, about a twenty to twenty five minute walk from the Dambulla central bus station. As we have mentioned, Dambulla is a natural hub for busses from Kandy, Colombo and further afield. If you are heading to Sigiriya, you are probably going through Dambulla.

To book buses around Sri Lanka in advance check out 12go who can book you transport around the Island.

You can also organise a trip to Dambulla from Kandy and it will frequently be put into itinerary’s including the nearby national parks or Sigiriya.

for a combined tour check out Get Your Guide who offer lots of different guided tours in the area

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What are the Dambulla Cave Temples?

The Dambulla Royal Cave Temple sits on top of a huge rock formation that dominates the town's skyline. This UNESCO world heritage site, has been a sacred site and place of worship for over 2000 years. The main temple grounds (the one with the entrance fee!) is actually part of a larger collection of cave temples in the area, with over 80 caves currently known. 

Visiting the Royal Cave Temples.

The main site, or at least the one open for tourism, is accessed via a ticket booth at the bottom of the rock formation

Entrance tickets to the Royal Dambulla Caves cost 2000 LKR each (£4.84 or $5.48).

When you enter an impressively vertical staircase leads you up to the temple. Unaware of the climb that awaited us, we had both decided to wear our newest and least broken in footwear. So it was with flip flops flapping and sandals slipping we began our ascent of the staircase. 

The climb up was fantastic, the sweeping views gradually revealing themselves through the trees, whilst troops of macaques swung and crashed through the branches all around. We did however, have to point out to another traveller that it was a staggeringly bad idea to attempt to pet the monkeys!

Do not pet the monkeys!

As you near the top, the ever present sellers of tourist tat increase in number and pressure. Their attempts to sell two sweaty backpackers a large and ornate wooden puzzle box were, predictably, unsuccessful. You do wonder who decides, part way up a mountain, that what they really need in their life is a heavy wooden box to lug around on their onward travels?

As you arrive on top of the rock, shoes need to be removed and stored with an attendant. This attendant will definitely ask you for an ‘optional’ tip when you come to reclaim your footwear. We gave him 100 LKR (24p or $0.27) which seemed to satisfy him. 

Shoes stowed, we made our way left towards the temple entrance. As you get to the entrance counter, the temple attendants will check your ticket and check you are appropriately dressed before allowing you into the temple grounds.  Appropriate dress is that which covers shoulders and knees for both genders. Don’t be those embarrassing instagrammers in a string bikinis wondering why they are being asked to cover up in front of the Buddha!

Once inside, we were greeted by a large courtyard. On one side lies the cliff’s edge with an elegantly decorated Bodhi tree and shrine, on the other, the face of the rock and the cave temples themselves.

Before entering the first cave, there is an incredible carved stone. The Kirti Nissankamalla engraving dates from the 12th century and gives details of the services rendered by the then King Nissankamalla to Buddhism. The stone is crowded with the ornate and beautiful script of ancient Sinhalese. To a foreigner ,with no knowledge of Sinhalese ancient or modern, it was still an exquisite thing to see, you don’t always have to understand things to appreciate their beauty (although the informative translation next to the stone does help if you want to know more).

After admiring the ancient inscription, we made our way into the caves themselves. Spread over five caves, the Royal Cave Temples are truly an amazing site. Walls and ceilings were crowded in every kind of Buddhist artistry. Repeating patterns, stories from the Buddha’s life and huge images of his likeness stare out at you from every surface. Golden statues of the Buddha clad in orange robes line the walls and the uneven ceilings are painted in a whirlwind of colour. 

The first of the caves houses a large reclining Buddha, his feet decorated with blossoming whirls of reds and gold. His large frame, with head resting on a pillow, barely fitting into the carved out rock.

In the dim glow of the lamps, the rough stone and low light of the caves made the colours all the more vibrant. In front of many of the Buddha’s lay wreaths, fresh cut flowers and other offerings from devoted pilgrims reminding us that this wasn’t just an ancient site of worship but a current one too.

Some of the caves were so large that they housed entire stupas within themselves. Wrapped in orange, and under the colour strewn canopy of rock, it was like they had grown out of the stone. Decorated shrines with demons, Buddha’s, Naga’s and Bodhi trees sprouted out of the stonework with gorgeous illustrations painted across the rock ceilings. 

In one of the final caves, was a series of statues of Buddha, each larger than the next. These seated Buddha’s mirrored each other in every way but their size, their serene expressions staring out at the visitor. The colour and the carving of these statues, and the obvious respect shown to them by the pilgrims, left a remarkable impression on us. 

We’ve been to our fair share of churches, mosques and temples, but Dambulla really was special. There was a weight of history to the place, and its location, carved from the living rock high up on the mountain, really made it a special place. With that certain kind of quiet that settles over you, after being in an awe-inspiring place, we finished our exploration and made for the exit. 

In total contrast to the serenity of the temple, as you exit, there is a small ledge (to the right and behind the entrance counter) that gives fantastic views, and judging by the queue of young tourists, makes for an excellent Instagram spot. Of course Ellie was above all of this… just kidding she got her shot too!

Heading back down we choose a different path to the one we used to climb to the temple as we were meeting our driver next to the giant ‘Golden Buddha’ statue.

The way down is steep and, if you are aiming to get to the Buddha, a little misleading! At the junction, don’t follow the lampposts, but go off to the left.

As we descended, the golden Buddha’s crown came into view, and we realised that the “giant” description was perfectly accurate. 

The Golden Buddha sits on top of an elaborately designed building (think dragon scales, open mouths etc) and is part of a museum complex, but as our driver was waiting we made our way past to be picked up. 

The Dambulla Royal Cave Temple complex was unlike any other Buddhist temple we’d seen. Forget any worries of being ‘templed out’, it is definitely worth your while. Neither me nor John are very spiritual/religious, however the temple was still an incredible place for us. The location of the temple built into the rock created a natural contrast of light and shadow. The dark caves are filled with light bounced off of the golden and orange artworks which gave the place an otherworldly air, even to us non-believers. The temples location, the devotion of the visiting pilgrims and of the course the amazing artwork really are a wonder.

Accommodation near the Royal Cave Temples of Dambulla.

Due to it’s transport options and central location Dambulla makes a good hub for many activities and sights in Sri Lanka. You are half and hours drive from both Habarana, with it’s many resorts and guesthouses, and Sigiriya town. You are also only around twenty minutes drive from the amazing Roy’s Villa Hostel, which you can read about here!

If you are looking to stay in Dambulla town itself check out our accommodation map below for your options.

Tips for visiting the Dambulla Cave Temples: 

• The Dambulla Royal Cave Temple is an active site for Buddhist worshippers so please dress appropriately before visiting. Shoulders and knees need to be covered and definitely no crop tops!  
  

• No flash photography is allowed in the caves as it risks harming the artwork.

• The town of Dambulla in addition to being a good place to catch a bus from, looks very interesting itself. We wish we could have explored it more. Our driver (Roy - read more about him here) stopped off and showed us around the huge Dambulla wholesale fruit and vegetable market. This was an unexpected treat, and if you have the opportunity, it is well worth a visit. In addition to this, you can get some excellent samosas from the bakery/restaurants that surround the market. 

Sprawling over several cavernous hangars, the Dambulla Wholesale market is a bustling, colourful hive of activity!

• We mentioned that it was a steep descent from the temple to the giant Golden Buddha. This is no exaggeration, Ellie would recommend not wearing Teva sandals as she was constantly sliding forward (John’s flip flops however performed admirably)! 

Ellie, shortly before she embarked on her Teva skiing adventure

• Be weary of monkeys on your way up and down. These monkeys are used to tourists and as a consequence, have worked out your bag may contain tasty treats! 

Do. Not. Pet… Regardless of how cute!

Thank you for reading, 

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

*Prices correct at time of writing - September 2022

Roy and his famous hostel! Our stay at Roy’s Villa Hostel in Sigiriya

Roy.... Do you know Roy? Everybody else seems to. From travellers to tuk tuk drivers, restaurateurs to Instagrammers, everyone seems to know and recommend Roy and his hostel. Our laid back Uppuveli hostellier (Wanderers Hostel) had recommended him, a Biryani restaurant we had randomly found ourselves in, recommended him, and it’s not an exaggeration to say that 95% of the travellers we met, were either going to, or had been to, Roy’s Villa Hostel. With such overwhelming recommendations we felt it would be silly to miss out. So following our escapades in Habarana we booked two nights in Roy’s hostel.

Unfortunately the only person who didn’t know Roy’s hostel was our otherwise lovely tuk tuk driver who had the task of getting us there! After a lazy decision just to get a tuk tuk for the short distance between Habarana and Roy’s, we found ourselves guiding our tuk tuk driver via Google Maps as we navigated our rattling ride off of the main road. Passing farmers harvesting and drying their rice, waving school children and bird filled paddy fields. Finally we drew up to the wooden entrance to Roy’s hostel.

We are not hostel experts, most of our stays in Sri Lanka had been in guesthouses. We are confident however, when we say that Roy’s is nothing like a normal hostel.

Set within the paddy fields of Kimbissa, you wander up past beautifully maintained gardens with trees lining the path to the triangle roofed main building. This is the building we would eat in, relax with other travellers and play Carrom in (more on this later).

Inside was a large space, surrounded with big communal tables and benches. Hammocks hung between the supporting pillars, packs of cards and books were scattered around and a fridge full of beer sat invitingly at the back. It had everything a backpacker needed.

We were already pretty impressed, then came where we were to sleep…

The rooms at Roy’s Hostel

The private rooms at night!

We were ushered off to our private room (yes we know, posh packers strike again) and it was quite frankly, gorgeous! A private entrance porch with a little outside table and sofa led to our front door. Inside there was a big comfy bed, plenty of storage space and joy of joys multiple plug sockets!

The best feature however, was its bathroom. Spacious and modern, the bathroom curved round in an L shape to reveal a rain shower open to the elements. We are fairly sure this is not a standard feature in most hostels!

See below for our cringy room tour, honestly who do we think we are… Kara and Nate?

Food and Drink

One of the things we loved most about Roys was the atmosphere.

One of our many delicious meals!

The time we had chosen to travel to Sri Lanka was very odd. We had set off against government advice (both from our own government as well as much of Europe’s) and had landed in a country in the midst of political upheaval and financial crisis. Long story short, there were not many tourists or other backpackers around. Roy’s was like a little oasis, we shared our time there with a lovely group of fellow travellers who, like us, had decided, “screw it we’re going anyway”. The common areas at Roy’s were great and the meals sociable. We ate our dinners at a long table, the meals being served as a ‘family affair’ with all of us eating together.

Roy also has a fridge full of beers and a few cocktails to try whilst you are there. The beers were definitely welcome after long days out in the sun, just be careful as you only pay when you leave and you can easily run up a bill!

*Since writing this article, Roy has built a new restaurant on site. Let us know in the comments if you’ve visited.

Cooking Classes at Roy’s Villa Hostel

One afternoon, we all gathered in the common area for a cooking class hosted by Roy himself.

Careful she’s got a knife!

A parade of spices was brought and laid out in front of us and we were guided through their names, flavours and uses, both in Sri Lankan cooking and ayurvedic medicine. Handing out the knives, we were quickly put to work chopping, peeling, and preparing jackfruits, pumpkins and aubergines. What appeared to be torture devices screwed onto the table, turned out to be coconut scrapers. We used these scary looking devices to strip the white flesh from coconuts, before squeezing the fresh milk from the shavings.

Ingredients prepared, the flames were lit and we began cooking. Frying and stirring in big clay pots, within the next hour we had created and assembled four massive portions of steaming vegetable curries.

That lunch, we dined on sweet and sour aubergine, a rich pumpkin curry, aromatic dahl and an excellent jackfruit curry. The class was really easy to follow, and involved everyone, without putting anyone in an uncomfortable spotlight. We really enjoyed ourselves and learnt a lot about Sri Lankan curries and ingredients. 

The delicious fruits of our labour!

Karom / Carrom

In the main communal area of the hostel, there was a mysterious board.

We’d seen them all over the country, usually accompanied by hunched men flicking what appeared to be a checkers chip around, but were yet to understand the game. The game is called Carrom and is popular throughout Sri Lanka, Nepal and India. We both love a good board game and we had been curious about how to play, so Roy sat us down with his extremely energetic son (see the tips section later) to explain the rules. We won’t go into too many details here, but Carrom is really good fun, involves a lot of flicking, frustration and, in our case, covert swearing! A bit like a game of Pool, the main idea is to sink your pucks into one of the four corner holes by flicking a ‘cue’ puck with your fingers. The game ends when you have sunk all of your pucks, and then finally the red puck. This is a super simplified version of the game and, if Roy’s son is anything to go by, it can be taken very seriously and become extremely competitive! 

What To Do At Roy’s Hostel?

Roy’s hostel is centrally located for a bunch of activities to do during the day. Through the hostel you can easily arrange tours to any of Central Sri Lanka’s attractions, these include the following:

The Lion’s Rock Fortress of Sigiriya

One of or if not the biggest tourist attraction in Sri Lanka and it deserves to be! This incredible ruined fortress rises up out of the Sri Lankan jungle and dominates the surrounding landscape. It really is unmissable. Read all about why you should visit it here!

Pidurangala Rock

The cheaper alternative to Sigiriya. Smaller and without the impressive ruins of Sigiriya, it nevertheless commands an unbelievable panoramic view over the surrounding landscape and Lion’s Rock itself. Read about our Pidurangala climb here.

Side note: we keep seeing clickbait articles advising to skip Sigiriya and just do Pidurangala as it is cheaper and you get a great view of the Lions Rock. Do Not Do This. This “advice” is only given by people who skipped Sigiriya as justification as to why they missed out. Sigiriya was incredible and one of the highlights of our whole Sri Lanka trip. Go to both, it is worth it!

The Cave Temples of Dambulla

An incredible collection of ancient temples set into caves high above Dambulla town. Read more about visiting these beautiful cave temples here.

Elephant Safari

We had already done a safari in Habarana (read all about it here) so we didn’t opt for this. However, two other travellers who arranged it through Roy’s said they had a fantastic day. 

Any of the above trips came with transport there and back. Pidurangala also including an early morning wake up call with Roy guiding you up the beautiful and occasionally perilous path to the top!

If you are in the area and want to do any of the above indepantly or want it booked in advance, check out get your guide for tours and trips:

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Where To Eat In Kimbissa?

The danger to a place like Roy’s, is that it's almost too good. You can have breakfast, lunch and dinner provided and all activities arranged for you. As much as we love this, we do also get itchy feet and love a good explore. So, one day we set off from the comfy sanctuary at Roy’s to walk into the local village of Kimbissa.

The walk started off fantastically well as we sauntered off in completely the wrong direction. Although we had now accidentally extended our walk, we really didn’t mind as we had ended up next to a beautiful lily strewn lake. Wading birds fished, whilst buffalos wallowed in the cool waters. As mistakes go, 15 minutes in the wrong direction isn’t too bad. Back on the path (and going past a very confused member of Roy’s staff who had just seen us set off in the opposite direction) we continued or rather restarted the 2.5km walk into the village. 

Walking along a small back road we wandered past paddy fields, alongside a small stream and through wild rice lined pathways.

It was peaceful and beautiful. Local farmers waved to us from the fields and butterflies flitted around. Dotted amongst the fields were strange structures perched high in the trees. They looked for all the world like a little tree house, the kind where, if you were John, you always dreamed of having one, or if you were Ellie had easy access to. These were not fun playhouses, we later learnt, but refuges, where farmers could escape any roaming wild elephants. We also passed a sign which very much intrigued us. We had apparently entered the territory of the fishing cats. We’d have loved to have seen one, but it was not meant to beas they are apparently very, very rare!

Eventually our rice lined path found its way to the crossroads village of Kimbissa. 

Kimbissa is a very small village, consisting of a couple of shops, a pharmacy and a few hotels (restaurants). The only hotel open for lunch that day was set into the side of the general store. We stocked up on supplies, fought our way through a small gaggle of ice cream crazed school children before scoffing up a delicious plateful of food. The hotel only had one thing on the menu that day, so it was just as well we were in the mood for some fried rice! 

Hunger sated, we about faced and headed back to Roy’s. Kimbissa makes for a good target if you’re looking to escape the bubble that is Roy’s hostel and immerse yourself in the local landscape. Just remember to take the back roads as there is a more direct route via the main road which is quicker but much busier and nowhere near as pretty. 

We did venture on the main road in another expedition for lunch one day, and stopped by the Big Bites restaurant (along the main road there are multiple eateries on offer). At Big Bites, we ordered an egg biryani, but the menu also offered the all usual suspects of fried rice, rice and curry and kottu. The biryani was delicious and the portion sizes make you realise that the restaurant is aptly named! We loved all our meals at Roy’s but we also loved having the option of getting out and enjoying other places to eat. 

Thoughts on staying at Roy’s Hostel

We had booked two nights at Roys but ended up staying for double this. Despite its hostel name tag and popularity amongst backpackers, Roy’s provided us with a little bit of luxury and complete ease of access to all the surrounding attractions. Roy himself was incredibly friendly, super helpful and genuinely a really nice guy. It never seemed like he was just there to make money, but instead to really make sure everyone had a good time and show off his wonderful country. Seriously, he would always go above and beyond. Some of our travelling companions said they fancied a swimming pool and he immediately phoned up one of his friends and arranged for them to have an afternoon in their pool! Roy’s hostel costs a little more than other backpacker hostels in the area but it more than makes up for in in what you get. More than just a bed to sleep in and a chance at meeting fellow travellers, Roy’s felt like an oasis full of brilliant people and good fun.

To book your stay click here

This is an affilitate link, we may recieve a small commission for bookings made through this link. It has not been paid for by the accommodation and we have received no incentive to write this article - We just really liked Roy’s!

Roy’s hostel has won multiple awards, and after our stay, we can easily see why.

Tips for Staying at Roys

1. Roy’s has a set price for everything. Breakfast, lunches, dinners, excursions and drinks (including beer and soft drinks). These are all tallied up and paid at the end of your stay. So be aware of this, especially on the beer front! 

2. The food is delicious and not unreasonably priced, but if you want a cheaper meal, we’d recommend eating in the village or along the main road.

3. We cannot recommend the Pidurangala Rock expedition enough. It’s an early start (to get there for sunrise) but so unbelievably worth it.  

4. Bring foreign currency and knowledge of cricket. This advice may change with time, but Roy’s extremely energetic young son collects all manners of foreign currency and will happily talk your ear off about each and every one of them. Similarly, be prepared to be bombarded with cricket quiz questions. He's a hilarious young man and a formidable Carrom opponent as well! 

5. Don’t miss out on the Lion’s Rock. A lot of travellers come to the area and opt just to do the far cheaper Pidurangala Rock climb. Sigiriya is completely different, and although expensive (for Sri Lanka), is incredible. The grounds, the ruins, the museum and of course the view from the top are simply breathtaking. We went to Sigiriya once when we stayed with Roy but loved it so much that we detoured back to the area later in our trip just to go to Sigiriya again.

Disclaimer

We know that this article has been overwhelmingly positive in regards to Roy and his hostel. We have included affiliate links and we may earn commission if you book through them but We have not received any discount, commission or any other incentive to write this, it was just that good!

If we have convinced you to stay at Roy’s Hostel, why not book your stay here.

Thank you for reading, 

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

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Kaudulla National Park - Ellie and the Elephants - A Sri Lankan Love Story!

Coming to Sri Lanka there was one animal we couldn’t miss. Ellie, you see, has a slight fixation. Charitably you could say that she has a thing about elephants. Less charitably, you could say she is mildly obsessive about elephants, she loves them, their trunks, their big feet and their flappy ears, seriously, she even has an elephant themed travel pillow. 

We had seen elephants on a rehabilitation program in Thailand, and, unfortunately, had also seen them chained and being led down the street in Kandy, but we wanted to see wild elephants. Unrestricted and in their natural environment.  Thankfully we were staying in Habarana a stones throw from the amazing Kaudulla National Park.

What Ellie was hoping to see!

Elephant Safari’s in Sri Lanka

An elephant safari hadn’t really crossed our minds. Safari’s, generally speaking, are not to the budget of the long term backpacker. However, finding ourselves in Habarana which is surrounded by three huge national parks, containing many, many wild animals (including Ellie’s favourite grey friends), we thought we’d splash the cash. 

Not to be a spoiler for the rest of the article, but this turned out to be a fantastic decision.

We arranged the afternoons safari through our lovely accommodation and were promptly picked up in a large open roofed 4x4 jeep. Clambering in, we headed out to Kaudulla National Park. 

If you are looking to reserve a safari in advance make sure you check out your options on Get Your Guide here:

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Our guide was brilliant from the get go, Samith Maduranga. Upon arrival at the park, our guide hopped out to sort out the entrance fee and took some photos of us posing in the back of the jeep.

It is worth mentioning that you should check that your total tour price includes the entrance to the park as we did see an unlucky couple (with a less lovely guide) have this sprung on them as a surprise cost, they were very unhappy as it is not a small cost.

If you were looking at doing a safari independently the entrance fee for Kaudulla National park is around 25 dollars per adult.

Photos taken, we were ready to spot some animals. 

Our experience on safari at Kaudulla National Park.

Samith fired up the engine and started the drive down the long straight dirt road into the National Park itself. Within minutes of entering the park, he had spotted something both of us had missed.

Two pointy ears and a tail were sticking out of a bush. John, thinking he was David Attenborough, was initially unimpressed. “It’s a dog isn’t it”? ‘It’ as it turned out was not a dog, but a jackal. Having never encountered one before, and as we had only just rolled into the park, we took this as a good sign of things to come.

Continuing on the park's main road, our guide kept stopping to point out different birds, monkeys, lizards and all manner of wildlife.

It was only the beginning of our safari and we were already being spoilt by Kaudulla. Standing up in our jeep we were loving it. Although we did occasionally have to perform Matrix-like dodges to avoid low hanging branches.

A Langur monkey being a poser!

As the dirt track opened up into grassland, we emerged from the dense forest. It was like we had been transported to the African savannah (please note neither of us have actually been to the African savannah so we are basing this entirely upon BBC wildlife shows). Stretched out in front of us was the enormous Kaudulla Wewa Lake. 

We pulled up to the lake as our guide had spotted something else. John again demonstrated his amazing eye for wildlife by remarking “isn’t that a telegraph pole”? It was not a telegraph pole, but an old tree trunk.

John had also apparently missed the enormous sea eagle that was perched on top of it. The eagle posed for many photographs and we were able to see (with the help of a zoom lens) his beautiful blue plumage. 

Continuing round the lake, we were greeted by flocks of egrets, storks and other wading birds and even a colourful peacock. This was all fantastic but decidedly not elephanty. As we were circling the lake we started to get worried. The flat grassland stretched away in all directions around us, but unfortunately the only mammal we could see was a solitary buffalo. The view was distinctly lacking in the giant grey creatures we had pinned our hopes on seeing.

We know that the elephants are wild, they roam in and out of the three national parks in the surrounding area, and you’re never totally guaranteed to see them. However, we really had set our hope on seeing at least one elephant that day and from the perspective we had at that moment, it looked like we may be leaving disappointed. 

You would think on a flat landscape surrounding a flat lake with no hills in sight and very few trees  there would be nowhere to hide, but somehow the Kaudulla National Park managed to hide at least 200 elephants right up until we rounded a corner of the lake. Seemingly out of nowhere, we were greeted with an incredible sight. 

You’d think they’d be quite hard to hide!

We turned a bend around a small wooded area and suddenly there they were. Scores of elephants (too many to count) were grazing, bathing, playing and generally elephanting (spell check states this is not a world, we disagree) around.

We pulled up our jeep and turned our engine off around twenty metres away from a family unit and just sat and stared in awe. Okay, we might have taken a few hundred photos as well! The family group had a young calf with them, who as far as we could see, was in the middle of throwing a world class temper tantrum. There was rolling on the floor, snorting of mud at his elders and an attempt at charging which ended up with him tripping over his own feet. All the while the mother and other more senior elephants looked on in a bored apathy which just screamed “here he goes again”. 

Stroppy little baby!

Nothing had prepared us for the sheer amount of elephants we were seeing, every direction from our open roofed jeep had a herd, mother or family unit relaxing in it. Every time we turned a corner, there was another group. Our guide explained that we were seeing the females and babies of the herd, as the bulls were booted out of the family unit as soon as they were old enough. We saw a few solitary bulls looking quite lonely as they looked on at the playing families, occasionally trumpeting in an attempt to get their attention (from what we saw it looked like they had very little success). 

We could have spent all day just watching these giant creatures. They all seemed to have so much personality and we know that we have been personifying them a little in this, but honestly watching them for ten minutes was like watching a mini sitcom, only its stars were well over two metres tall and weighed a few tonnes. 

A couple of hours and a few thousand photos later, our jeep turned around and drove us out of the park and back to our hotel. 

We’ve mentioned it earlier but our guide Samith was fantastic. Informative and knowledgeable without ever coming across like he was giving us a lecture. He waited patiently for us to get our photos and frequently rearranged the jeep so we could get a better look.  He was also deeply respectful of the wild animals never invading their space or pushing too close just so we could get a photo. We were worried when we booked a “Safari” as we had heard negative things about overcrowding of the animals in another park, with Samith and Kaudulla our worries were completely unfounded.

We had always hoped to see an elephant in the wild in Sri Lanka, but what we saw on that day in Kaudulla National Park, will stay with us forever. One of the best things about travel is that you get to collect experiences and memories, and these stay with you forever. The memory of that day will be making us happy throughout the rest of our lives. 

If you want to see more of our day with the elephants, check out our YouTube video below:

How much was our elephant safari at Kaudulla

As we mentioned we arranged this tour through our hotel and paid 24000 LKR (£60.89 or $78.19) for the two of us, including transport to and from the park, our guide, jeep and entrance fee. It was a pricey day, and you may be able to get it cheaper especially if there’s more than two of you, but frankly the experience was priceless. 

There are many ways to book a tour in advance check out:

Get Your Guide

Tripadvisior

Viatour - (Private Tour)

Animal welfare at Kaudulla National Park

We’ve heard mixed things about some of the national parks in Sri Lanka. We’ve seen photos of solitary leopards being surrounded by twenty plus jeeps, all snapping photos. Maybe it was the time we went, but this was not the case in Kaudulla. There were other jeeps around, but there were far more elephants than people and all the vehicles kept a good distance away from the animals. We’re not wildlife experts but it seemed that the elephants of Kaudulla didn’t react to our presence.

The elephants we saw are part of roving herds that pass through Kaudulla and the neighbouring parks, they are not fenced in and are free to roam where they please. As you may expect from the above, you are never completely guaranteed to see an elephant, they are wild after all!

As with all organised interactions with animals, please do your research. Kaudulla however, at the time we visited, was simply amazing. 

How to get to Kaudulla / Staying Near Kaudulla National Park

Kaudulla National park is a half hour drive north east of Habarana town. Habarana has lots of accomodation options and is a great base for lots of different central Sri Lankan attractions. Have a look at the map below for your accomodation choices and check out our full article on Habarana here.

Most of the tours / safari’s will pick you up from your accommodation and those few that do not will start from their offices in Habarana town.

In addition to the local buses and trains to Habarana you can organise a direct taxi transfer from Colombo airport to Habarana / Kaudulla here.

You can, if you are very short on time, arrange a tour from Colombo that takes in Kaudulla and other centeral Sri Lankan high lights. If you are running up against the end of your time on the Island check your options for cramming as much in as possible!

Other national parks near Habarana

Habarana is close to three national parks:

• Kaudulla - You’ve just been reading about it!

• Minneriya - A huge wilderness park bordering a massive ancient reservoir featuring nearly 90 square kilometres of wildlife sanctuary. You can see elephants, and all manner of other creatures here. We have not been and won’t pretend to be experts, but if you are interested check out this tour. Minneriya is only an 11 minute drive to the east of Habarana town.

• Kalawewa - Straddling two large 5th century reservoirs Kalawewa National park boast large herds of tusked (rarer in Sri Lanka) elephants. It sits a little further away 45 minutes to the west of Habarana and is only accessible during the dry season (December to March). Again we did not actually visit this and aren’t the kind of bloggers who will pretend to, but if you are interested check out a tour here or here.

Choosing which national park to visit?

Sri Lanka has many beautiful national parks with the enormous Yala and Udawalawe in the south through to the central ones in this article to Wilpattu in the north. When choosing where to visit; we would always check for seasonality (Yala National Park is closed for six weeks between September and mid-October) and recent reviews. As we mentioned, at one point one of the parks was being criticised for overcrowding its animals so do your research.

When we came to choose where we wanted to go in the central region for a safari we deferred to the best of resources, local knowledge. Our guesthouse had a friend, who had a friend, who’s second cousin twice removed owned a rabbit…..you get the idea. Our guesthouse had heard through the grapevine that the large herds had moved out of Minneriya and were grazing in Kaudulla. We checked up on Kaudualla, Ellie did her elephant ethics research and it came up positive so it was to Kaudulla we went.

Thanks for reading, 

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

Can you tell she was having a good day?!

Ritigala - Sri Lanka's Hidden Monastic Ruins

There is something romantic about a ruin, an abandoned structure, whose use has long since passed. Ellie grew up with the crumbling remains of Grosmont castle as her playground. Its half collapsed towers, and ivy grown walls providing much fuel for the imagination. Whereas John in suburban Wimbledon, escaped into books filled with adventures in abandoned and ruined places (looking at you Famous Five). More recently, we have travelled to Ayutthaya in Thailand to see the remains of the old Capital of Siam, as well as the sprawling overgrown glory of Cambodia’s Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm temples.

On this Sri Lanka trip we had already been to the incredible ruins of the ancient city of Anuradhapura but during the long lockdown Ellie had heard whispers of another, less travelled ruin (okay maybe not ‘heard whispers’ so much as read it in the Lonely Planet). Near to Habarana, is the mountain of Ritigala and spread across the mountainside are the ruins of the Ritigala monastery. 

We arranged a tuk tuk through our accommodation for the sum of 5000 LKR (£ 12.60 or $13.74). The driver would drive us to the entrance, wait for us to explore and when we were finished, ferry us home. We hopped in and set off for the site. On the way, our tuk tuk driver was very eager to point out all the local farming practices. Some of these methods would definitely not work in the UK, for example we frequently would have to switch lanes into the oncoming traffic, as half the road had been requisitioned by a local farmer in order to dry his rice harvest. We wondered how well this would go down on the M25. 

The monastery ruins stand on Ritigala mountain, the tallest in the surrounding area. A Hindu legend has it that Hanuman the monkey god needed special herbs to heal a battle wound suffered by Rama. Forgetting exactly which herb he needed, the monkey god cut entire swathes of mountain from the Himalaya. On his flight back to the injured Rama, part of one of these mountains fell out of his grip, dropping on Sri Lanka and creating Ritigala mountain. Pleasingly, Ritigala Strict Nature Reserve boasts a unique and unusual variety of plant life to this day!

Coming off the main road, our driver suggested we keep our eyes peeled as elephants were known to be in the area. We didn’t see any elephants that day, although the fresh dung in the middle of the road confirmed their previous presence. The road at this point was alternating between semi-paved sections and full on dirt track, with our tuk tuk bouncing erratically, over loose stones. Eventually, after a bumpy ride, we arrived at the entrance to Ritigala. We hopped out of our trusty tuk tuk and purchased two tickets for the price of 3660 LKR (£9.22 or $10.06). Entrance paid for, we started up the trail to the ruins. 

The monastery of Ritigala is an ancient Buddhist site with history dating back to the 1st century BC. Set within the Ritigala Strict Nature Reserve, the monastic ruins snake their way up the mountainside along a beautiful winding stone path. Originally home to an order of ascetic monks (called, quite wonderfully, the ‘Monks of the Rag Robes), the monastery was expanded over several centuries and became a popular pilgrimage site before being abandoned to the forest between the 10th and 12th centuries. 

Within seconds of us leaving the ticket counter, we encountered our first ruin.

To say it was impressive is a giant understatement. A vast square of stone steps led down to what was once a huge bathing area. Now overgrown, the stairs are cracked and run through with tree roots. The pool itself is now a green forest filled with mature trees. Even with its pool filled in, you can still see the huge scale of the bathing area. It looked to our unscientific eye, to be at least the size of a football pitch. We were in awe and this was only within 50 metres of the entrance. 

Clambering over broken steps and discarded masonry we made our way onto the path up the mountainside. The cobblestoned path looked like something from a fantasy novel and following it felt like it should have led us to Narnia or Azeroth. The path did not lead us to Rivendell, but instead guided us through beautiful forests, across stone bridges, under archways carved from boulders and through the many ruins of the monastery. As we continued to coil upwards, the forest accordioned in and out, one moment closing all around us and over the path, before retreating, and opening up to a sunlit and ruin filled clearing. 

The ruins themselves were almost like stone floor plans of what used to stand there, the foundations spread out like the blueprints of the bygone buildings. Clues as to what the structures were used for lie scattered around the forest. The ruins of a hospital, for example, still contained a sunken bath as well as grinding stones for the Ayurvedic herbal treatments. Grander ruins came the further you went up the mountain with meditation platforms, large monastic multi-chambered rooms and even decorated urinals!

Eventually we reached the final ruin, a large pavilion platform with the base of the supporting columns still clearly visible. Behind this ruin, the path wound up to what maps.me referred to as the “Big Tree”. This description turned out to be 100% accurate. The tree was enormous, with a labyrinth of above ground roots solidifying into a gargantuan trunk that towered over its neighbours. Beyond this point, the path fizzles out, this combined with a Sri Lankan Air Force sign (that we couldn’t read) and maps.me showing no further points of interest, led us to the decision that this must be the end of the trail. Turning around we thought we had seen everything and we were happy to head back down the mountain. However, Ritigala held one more treat for us. 

Big Tree Selfie!

As we headed down, we noticed what looked like the remains of a path slightly off of the main trail. There was also a yellow information sign hiding in an overgrown bush. What the sign said remained a mystery to us as we couldn't read the Singhalese. Reasoning that no one would put an information tag in a bush without good reason, we decided to investigate further. Initially this investigation was not promising, the path quickly disappeared, fading into the forest floor. Propelled forward more by our curiosity and a sense of hope than any real sense of direction we continued on. Our hope was soon rewarded, as we rounded a tree and a another ruin hoved into sight. 

A stone bridge led out onto a promontory with a tall square structure perched atop a rock, that looked down the mountain and out across the valley. There was no one else here so, feeling like we were budget versions of Indiana Jones, we crossed the stone bridge and climbed up the ruin. We have since learnt that this building was probably a library used to store religious manuscripts.

The view from the top was stunning, a clear v-shaped vista with forests lining the sides stretched out in front of us. We could see for miles. 

Overjoyed by our “discovery” and having snapped the requisite selfies, we made our way back along the stone bridge and noticed another path down the mountain. Following this path made us feel a lot less like Indiana Jones as it was well maintained and had signs directing people to where we had just been. It is worth noting that the signs were very underwhelming, simply saying “Stone Bridge 2” and giving no indication that one of the most impressive ruins of the complex lay that way. The ruin is easily missed as it is not visible from the main route. We didn’t see anyone else head up to see it which is a shame. As wonderful as the other ruins are, none have such a spectacular view down the mountainside.

Archaeological urges satisfied, we headed back to our waiting tuk tuk.

There she is, Indiana Ellie!

Ritigala was amazing. Definitely worth a trip.  Situated near the “cultural triangle” you can access the ruins from Dambulla, Sigiriya, Habarana or Anuradhapura. The ruins were stunning, the walk itself was beautiful and, an odd thing to say we know, the path itself was incredible. 

Check out below, our attempts at videoing our day in Ritigala:

One of the many things we loved about our day in Ritigala was how ‘unfenced off’ the ruins were.

Look no signs!

We were free to explore, clamber around and generally get as lost as we saw fit. In so many historic places you are hemmed in to a strict path, your experience of the place curated to the point of it almost being on rails.

In Ritigala you were allowed off the leash. It was also refreshing not to have every ruin, tree and path festooned with warning signs. 

There is a danger with vast sites like Anuradhapura, Angkor Wat and (we assume) Polonnaruwa; they are almost too big. There is just too much to see and by the sixth or seventh ruin, you run the risk of being“ruined out” with all the experiences melding together and becoming a blur of masonry. Ritigala was the perfect size for a day exploring, a few hours spent walking through peaceful forests on ancient pathways was magical. Varied, beautiful, and mysterious, the Ritigala ruins were incredible.

The Practical Stuff

Where is Ritigala:

Please note that you approach the site from the east. Google Maps sometimes routes you west but this is not right as it takes you into the nature reserve not the ruins!

Entry fee:

One ticket to enter the ruins costs 1830 LKR (£4.50 or $4.98). Bring cash as they do not accept cards.

Services available:

There is a toilet by the entrance. We did not use this so cannot comment on what style of luxury you will have…

When we visited in August 2022 there were no refreshment stalls or gift shops so make sure you pack accordingly.

How long to spend at Ritigala:

We spent two and half to three hours exploring. It is an easy walk up the mountain, but there are some sections that involve clambering over uneven steps and worn masonry.

Can I take a tour of Ritigala?

Yes you definitely can! You will be arrange a tour at pretty much any guesthouse or hotel in the surrounding area. Or, if you like to have things organised in advance, check out what is available on here.

Where can I stay near Ritigala?

We stayed in the nearby town of Habarana at the lovely Dudley’s Nature Resort which had a pool and amazing breakfasts. Habarana is the main hub for visiting central Sri Lankan sites, have a look at the map below for the accommodation on offer (zoom in and out to see all the options):

Top tips:

Hire a tuk tuk to bring you there and back. There is no passing traffic here so you won’t be able to pick one up on your way back. Walking to the reserve from the main road is not advised as there are wild elephants in the area.

Bring lots of water and any snacks you may want (we were very jealous of a Sri Lankan tour group behind us who had brought a full feast with them). 

You are walking through the jungle, so make sure you spray yourself with mosquito repellent and wear sun cream!

Thanks for reading,

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

*Prices correct at time of writing in 2022

Habarana - The Gateway to Central Sri Lanka’s Biggest Attractions

Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.

Habarana in Sri Lanka’s central region is a popular rest stop or overnight stay for tourists for visiting the nation parks, ancient cities and the ruins of Sigiriya rock. But what is there other than the hotels and resorts? How do you get to this convenient little town, what is there to eat there? We spent a few days getting to know Habarana and finding out its many hidden charms!

Getting to Habarana

After finally tearing ourselves away from Uppuveli’s beach (and Fernando’s Bar) we jumped on a bus from Trincomalee bus station to Habarana junction. 

Say what you like, you can never accuse Sri Lanka’s buses of being boring. On this journey, we had the honour of inducting two other travellers to the delights of bus riding in this country.  Hopping onto one of the brightly painted blue buses, we settled in for our short two and a bit hour journey. Our two companions were worried as our bags were stored at the front (next to the driver) but their bags had been removed. This is very common, and we reassured them that their bags were still on the bus, albeit probably next to the engine! The bus was, roughly speaking, about nine million degrees centigrade as it had been sitting for hours at Trincomalee bus stop soaking in the morning sun. The large public and private buses have no air conditioning, the temperature control is done exclusively by having all their windows and doors open. This is not a problem when the bus is moving, indeed it's actually nicer than the more expensive air conditioned buses. However, when stationary, waiting in the baking sun, the bus becomes a giant oven. Marinating in our own sweat we eventually set off. As the engine roared to life, so did the entertainment for our journey. I turned to our friends and said: “I didn’t mention the music did I?” Sri Lankan buses blast loud music for the entire duration of the journey, this combined with the disco balls, multi-coloured flashing lights and smoking incense have truly earned them the term party buses! This all came as a little bit of a shock to our new travel friends. 

After our loud, bumpy, and very fast bus journey we arrived into Habarana. A quick exit from the bus and a farewell to our travel companions, we hoisted up our backpacks and set off to check into our accommodation. 

Getting to Habarana by bus

Habarana is accessible from by bus from all major towns and cities in Sri Lanka. Just ask at the bus station and you will be pointed in the right direction. The bus will drop you off at the crossroads in the centre of Habarana.

Getting to Habarana by train

Habarana has a small train station that sits on the Colombo to Trincomalee and the Maho to Batticaloa lines There are not many trains per day and they frequently arrive very late in the night / early in the morning. Check out the schedule here.

There is also another station nearby - Gal Oya which is half an hours drive away but increases the number of trains available to you.

Booking transport to Habarana online

You can book trains and private taxi’s online in advance via 12GO here. Buses cannot be booked online in advance, just go to the bus station and jump on one!

Hotels, hostels and accommodation in Habarana

Habarana is conveniently located near all of Sri Lanka’s Central regions most popular attractions, as such it is well provided for in terms of places to stay. Whatever your budget, from basic backpacker to boujie boutique, Habarana will have somewhere for you to rest your head. If you are wanting to go out in town, just be aware that some of the accommodation is set quite a way out from the main town.

Dudley’s Nature Resort

Map

After ten days in a lovely but very cheap and basic accommodation of Wanderers Hostel in Uppuveli, we decided to splash the cash a little, and treat ourselves to a nice room with a pool. Dudley’s Nature Resort is a short, fifteen minute walk from the main Habarana strip. Set in lush jungle, with flowering orchids, an abundance of birds and the occasional langur monkey, Dudley’s was a calm little oasis. We say we splashed the cash, but honestly the accommodation, regardless of bougieness level, was still so cheap at only £22 a night ($24.85) including breakfast. 

The hotel gardens were beautiful, with winding paths, snaking past hammocks, seating areas and small ponds before opening out to the pool. The pool itself was lovely, not heated, but in the central Sri Lankan sunshine there was no need for it to be. The pool was a welcome respite after a day out in the sun. Down another path was our nicely secluded room. The room was large, with two double beds (one for us and one for our pampered bags), a  decent bathroom and air conditioning. Breakfast was served in the garden in a reed thatched building open on all sides. Dudley himself is a retired chef, and the breakfasts served were incredible. Every morning we were treated to a different lavish feast; from the usual eggs and toast to string hoppers, roti, dahls and sugary Sri Lankan treats. 

Dudleys was brilliant and after our frugal (but still lovely) beachside accommodation in Uppuveli, it felt like we were staying in the lap of luxury.  To book a stay click here or to check out the other available accommodation have a look at the map below:

Habarana Town

Habarana is unkindly (but not entirely inaccurately) written off in tour guides as somewhere you stay, not somewhere you go. There are many, many resorts, guest houses and hotels, but not a lot of restaurants, bars or local attractions within the town itself. Habarana is well located and seems to be generally used as a base for expeditions to the surrounding area. You can get to the Lion’s Rock of Sigiriya, the cave temples of Dambulla or enjoy any number of safaris away from the town in the three nearby national parks. It did seem however, that most travellers stay in their resorts and do not venture out to the town much.

With the above being said, we did have a couple of nice meals out in the town. Here are some recommendations for places to eat:

Inspire Restaurant

Map

Shortly after jumping off our bus from Trincomalee, we stopped in Inspire Restaurant en route to our guest house. Our rumbling tummies permitting no further exertion until after they were satisfied. We ordered two vegetable rice and curries and two large bottles of water. We were swiftly presented with our plates and ushered towards the curry buffet. As with so many of our rice and curry meals, it was spicy, rich and hearty. All this for the price of 1600 LKR (£3.89 or $4.40), plus second helpings were free! 

Magic Kitchen

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Recommended by our hotel owner, Magic Kitchen is one of the larger restaurants on the Habarana strip. This has the advantage of it having its own generator (essential as the power cuts were hitting at dinner time, and at this point in our trip could last up to two hours), but it also has the disadvantage of feeling very empty when it was just us dining. Despite this we ended up eating here twice. The first time we ordered devilled chicken and a chicken kottu. The chicken kottu was generously portioned, very filling and came out crowned with a fried egg. The devilled chicken was very much like a Sri Lankan sweet and sour chicken. We’re not sure where the “devil” was meant to be as it certainly wasn’t spicy, but the chicken was tender and tasty. The second time we visited, it was the anniversary of the opening of the restaurant and to celebrate we were treated to a massive buffet of nine clay pots of delicious curries. The curries on offer included vegetables (there was a great potato dish), fish and meat offerings as well as crispy poppadoms and steaming rice. The meal was finished off by a Sri Lankan take on a creme caramel; instead of sugar, it was doused in sweet coconut syrup. Of the limited dinner options available in Habarana, Magic is definitely a reliable choice!

Local Eats in Habarana:

Enticed off the street by a smiling elderly gentleman, we stepped into a darkened local restaurant (there is no Google listing for this one - it is on the street opposite Cargills supermarket). The elderly owner who seemed overjoyed at successfully bringing us in, immediately set about laying a table. Washing his finest crockery and even unboxing a new set of glasses he then served up some very delicious hoppers (both egg and plain) accompanied with a spicy chilli sambal.

My teeny tiny bouquet!

This place really won our hearts and we wish we had found it earlier in our Habarana trip as we would have definitely eaten here more than once. The people were so friendly and the food was absolutely not watered down in any attempt to accommodate “Western” tastes - in other words the sambal was deliciously spicy! Before leaving, the wife of the owner suddenly appeared with a tiny bouquet of flowers from her garden and proudly gave them to Ellie. This was all after we had paid the bill (the heady sum of 800 LKR / £1.97 / $2.18) and was such a lovely surprise! 

Throughout all of our Sri Lankan adventures, the very best of our food discoveries have always been in the local restaurants. Don’t ever be put off by the darkened interior, the basic furniture or open kitchens, these are always the best places to eat. At the time of writing, in the nearly three months we’ve been in Sri Lanka, we have eaten at scores of these restaurants and (touch wood) have never had even the slightest hint of a dodgy belly. 

Recommendations for snacking in Habarana

Opposite Magic restaurant is Prasanna Hotel. Popular with passing Sri Lankan tour groups, we popped in here to pick up some snacks. We brought samosas, egg rolls and vegetable roti’s. The owner checked that we were okay with them being very spicy, we of course said yes, although this may have been slightly over confident on our part. The egg rolls were delicious and at some point in the next hour we began to regain feelings other than fire in our mouths. Okay that was a slight exaggeration, but the food was delicious, very spicy and filled to the brim with potato and vegetable curry. Inexpensive and filling, this was a definite win. 

In the evenings, there are several food carts that open up along the strip. Calling these carts may be a little misleading; imagine somebody built a shed that was exactly big enough for one man to stand up in, and you’ve got the idea. These stalls sold delicious crispy treats, usually variations on the theme of deep fried chick pea flower with chilli, salt and assorted vegetables. These were super cheap and really moreish! Surprisingly the dried deep fried chillies weren’t too spicy, but were smoky and crunchy. We could imagine these deep fried snacks would make excellent drinking food.

What to do around Habarana and Central Sri Lanka

As we have said, Habarana is perfectly positioned for seeing all of the highlights of Central Sri Lanka. From a base in Habarana you can:

• Take a day trip to the stunning fortress of the Lions Rock at Sigiriya

• Check out the incredible ancient paintings and Buddha’s of the Royal Cave Temples of Dambulla

• Go on a safari at any of the 3 massive National Parks surrounding Habarana. We highly recommended Kaudulla National Park

• Explore the vast ruins of the ancient capitals of Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa.

There is so much to do in Sri Lanka’s Central Region. If you want a curated experience or just want to simplify things and have them booked in advance check out Get Your Guide for some tour Ideas:

Conclusion

Habarana is an excellent staging post for the surrounding attractions, we were using it to explore a nearby national park and a venture to the Ritigala Monastic ruins (see future blog posts to hear all about these day trips). It's unfair to write off the town itself, but there isn’t a huge amount to do once you return from your day's activities. Due to this it really was a godsend that we had such a nice place to retreat too in our accommodation. 

Thanks for reading,

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

A beautiful Buddhist temple on the route to our accommodation!

Dining in Trincomalee’s Tourist Capital - The Uppuveli Strip

This is our guide to the best places to eat in and around Uppuveli beach. We stayed in Uppuveli for ten days (eight more than we planned)! During our time there we ate our way up and down the town!

Rice ‘n’ Curry

Map

Situated slap bang in the middle of the strip, this multi storey beach hut restaurant is a staple of the area. Its walls are covered in the comments and drawings of travellers before, and it sells… you guessed it… Rice and Curries! To be fair it does also sell other things, but its namesake seems to be its speciality. 

When we first came here, we were shocked at the price. We knew Uppuveli was going to be more expensive than other places we had visited (it is a big tourist hub), but when we saw it was 2000 LKR for a rice and curry, we nearly fainted from shock. We had been paying between 450 and 1000 LKR for rice and curry up to this point. In the midst of our shock a friendly waiter came by and reassured us that the 2000 LKR was enough rice and curry for two to three people.  Reassured by this, we ordered and can heartily recommend the fish rice and curry. 

The presentation was great and the food was tasty. The dishes came out served in large earthenware bowls accompanied by crispy poppadoms, and even a fresh salad. The curry itself was very toned down (we could taste no chilli) and it reminded us of the curries we’re used to back home in the UK. This is no insult, it was delicious!

Our meal, which was more than enough food (we could have fed a third person but we are very very greedy), of fish rice and curry and two bottles of water, cost 2600 LKR (£6.23 or $7.22). 

Nina’s Restaurant

Occupying an unassuming shack we didn’t have all that high of hopes for Nina’s. This wasn’t helped as, as soon as we had sat down, the owner rushed over to us and advised us to liberally apply some mosquito repellent. Despite our initial misgivings, however, Nina’s was quite probably our favourite place to eat in Uppuveli. 

Cheaper than its neighbour, the aforementioned Rice and Curry restaurant, and operating on a much more small, family style scale, this little hut cranked out some amazing dishes. Being by the sea, we opted for fish curry almost every time we dined there. The fish was fresh, and shown to us before being whisked off to the kitchen to be prepared. The spice levels were perfect, with the owners checking just how much chilli we wanted before they started cooking and actually listening to us when we said we wanted our dishes spicy!

Having just opened in a new location, Nina’s was a  much more humble establishment than its more established rivals on the strip, but Nina’s restaurant definitely out cooked its bigger rivals. Each time we dined, the lovely family that ran it gave a friendly, warm and a near perfect experience. 

A freshly cooked fish, rice and curry (two portions), a lassi and freshly squeezed fruit juice cost us 2500 LKR (£6.00 or $6.94). 

Worth every penny, and every mosquito bite! (Ellie’s always being eaten so it's hard to tell if this was a specifically a Nina mosquito).

*Currently there is no Google Maps listing for this restaurant - see TripAdvisor for more details.

Nero’s Kitchen

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There comes a time on any backpacker trip, where the cravings just get too much. These cravings manifest as different things to different people. For some it's Heinz Baked Beans, for others it is the sweetness of a Cadbury’s Dairy Milk chocolate. For John it is cheese, especially the melted variety! 

Passing by Nero’s pizza you can see, smell and feel the wood fired oven, always a good sign in a pizza restaurant. We are usually wary of tourist spots, serving “pizza” especially after a particularly bad memory of a Cambodian pizza joint where we were sure we were served melted cheese and tomato on top of a bath sponge. Back in the present, the cheesy cravings could be denied no further. We entered, ordered and were surprised and delighted at the cheesy goodness that came out. 

Proper, thin crispy bases with just the right amount of tomato and (no idea how they managed this with all the import problems) proper mozzarella! The craving was slain, however in its place rose the dragon of addiction. We would be back to feed our cheesy habit several times in our Uppuveli stay. Science is yet to prove the link between cheesy cravings and the amount of beers drunk at Fernando’s beach bar, but the research was fun!

We can especially recommend the Spicy Ride pizza, which was topped with barbecued vegetables, sweet corn and fire roasted chillies. The Garlic Prawn pizza (guess what that was topped with) was also fantastic. All the pizzas we ate were great and, guiltily, this is one of the tourist comforts we missed most after leaving Uppuveli. 

For two pizzas and two beers we would spend 5100 LKR (£12.23 or $14.16). Although this is more expensive than we were spending in the rest of Sri Lanka, coming from London you can’t really argue with dinner and beer for just over six quid!

Gaga’s Seafood Restaurant

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Come dusk, when you walk along Uppuveli’s strip all the restaurants bring out their catch of the day. Crab, prawns, lobsters and tuna all take to the ice tray stage under a lightbulb spotlight. Passing by one evening, we were seduced by the siren calls of seafood and Gaga’s magnificent display reeled us in. 

We ended up eating here twice over our time in Uppuveli. The first time, we spread our bets in the prawn category. One dish of Jumbo Prawns and one dish of Tiger Prawns. Both dishes were grilled in garlic and simply served with salad and chips. Both of the prawns were fantastic, with the Jumbo’s stealing the show. This first time we were sharing our orders, this led to difficulties as Ellie became unwilling to relinquish her delicious, fat Jumbo Prawns. The second time we dined at Gaga’s we both opted for the Jumbo’s, this prevented arguments or accusations of dinner-table based theft. Sweet, juicy and perfectly grilled, these prawns were a messy delight to devour. The salad and chips provided a fine accompaniment, especially the chips which could be used as an excellent sauce mop! These side dishes never distracted from the star of the show with the buttery sweet prawns really earning their price tag. Prawns are always more expensive, and ordering from the ice tray display guarantees a higher price tag, but it was really worth it for a treat - even if you do treat yourself twice!

Two plates of Jumbo Prawns, 1 large bottle of water and 2 bottles of Sprite came to 7100 LKR including a tip (£17.05 or $19.71).

You do have to remind yourself in Sri Lanka that just because something is comparatively expensive here, does not mean it is an extravagant expense. We would love to be able to dine on grilled Jumbo prawns for less than a tenner in the UK. 

Other Mentions:

The Octopus Restaurant

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You can’t avoid it, mainly because its staff won’t let you! Once you are hailed in from the street by one of their cheeky yet friendly staff, the Bob Marley themed restaurant serves much of the same affair as others on Uppuveli strip. It's a little bit pricier than some of the other restaurants and the dishes we went for weren’t quite as flavoursome (although we did arrive during a powercut) but the staff were great and we had a lovely evening. 

Trinco Lanka Restaurant

Map

After two attempts at trying to dine here, and finding it closed both times we had nearly given up hope. We found it open one random breakfast time, so dived in quickly. Roti, sambal, and three curries followed. The roti was hearty and the egg curry delicious. We didn’t dine here enough to give it a proper review, but what we did have was lovely. The family were also super charming and laid back; when they realised they didn't have the correct change to break our (admittedly too large) bank note they asked if it was ok if we just stopped by next time we were around with a smaller note!

Be Cool Juice Bar

Despite its name this is a popular place for snacks and lunches amongst tourists. We would recommend their juices, which are freshly prepared and just what you need on a hot beach day. Food wise, they serve fried rice, noodles and some Western options, along with roti and curry for breakfast. The food can take a little time to come out (again we visited in a power cut) but if what you want is a plate of hot fried rice, you can certainly do worse than this. 

Cafe on 18th

The closest thing that the Uppuveli strip has to an Instagram fine dining restaurant. This cafe serves delicious coffee, iced or hot and sweet treats as well as matcha tea, high end cooked breakfasts and sushi in the evenings. We were very tempted, especially by the sushi offerings but, as we were on a backpacker budget we did not dine here. We can however, vouch for the excellent quality of the coffee.

Final Thoughts

Please come out of the tourist strip once in a while! As lovely as these places listed above are, just a short walk away from the Uppuveli strip, back along the main road to Trincomalee you will start to see proper ‘hole in the wall’ rice and curry joints. Keep walking past any restaurants that have a menu and on the right hand side of the road are a collection of ‘proper’ local Sri Lankan ‘hotels’. Dive into any one of these and you’re bound to have a great, spicy and cheap meal. You also get to see the look of surprise, confusion and eventual delight on the owner's face as you sit down at their one plastic tables (ignoring the ants on the wall) and start scooping rice and curry into your mouth. We absolutely loved our meals on the strip, but throughout our Sri Lankan adventure, we really have grown to love the variety, spiciness and hospitality we’ve experienced at these more ‘local’ joints.

A word of note about our visit to Uppuveli. These reviews were all done in the strange period of August 2022 after a political uprising and during an ongoing economic crisis. Our restaurant meals were frequently punctuated with power cuts and some of the restaurants were offering a limited menu. During this time, Europe, the UK and others were advising against all travel to Sri Lanka so tourism on the strip was very low. We also have to point out that we are long term travelling, so our idea of “expensive” is very skewed, our ‘treat yourself’ meals of Jumbo prawns were not expensive in any real world sense but due to our style of travel they were comparatively expensive. We strongly suspect that your experiences in Uppuveli will be very different from ours when you visit at, hopefully, a more ‘normal’ time. However we hope that the wonderful people and amazing hospitality will be the same. 

Thank you for reading,

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

Hotels and accommodation in Uppuveli, Nilaveli and Trincomalee.

If you are looking to stay in the beach areas of Uppuveli, Nilaveli or Trincomalee, check out our other guides to Uppuveli and Trincomalee . Or, for some accommodation suggestions check out our maps below:

Places to stay in Uppuveli:

Places to stay in Nilaveli (zoom out a little for more options)

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*Prices correct at time of writing - August 2022

Trincomalee Highlights - Things To Do Beyond Uppuveli Beach

Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.

Dragging ourselves away from Uppuveli beach was never going to be an easy task, but there is so much more to see in the Trincomalee area. Here’s our guide for some ideas of what to do outside of Uppuveli beach.

Nilaveli Beach

Map

So you’ve summoned the willpower to get off your beach towel and leave Uppuveli. How about another beach? 

Just in case you haven’t already got enough beach selfies already!

Nilaveli is a 20 minute tuk tuk ride north of Uppuveli. We visited in the summer of 2022, which was definitely not a normal time. 

The approach to the beach was lined with closed shops, empty resorts and seemingly abandoned restaurants. However, when we arrived on the beach front, it was alive with locals enjoying the surf. We walked south back towards Uppuveli along the white sandy beach and quickly found ourselves on a deserted stretch of shoreline paradise. White sand, turquoise waters and not a soul to be seen. 

Nilaveli beach was like being on a desert island. Fun for a while and the lack of people a pleasant novelty, but we were both glad we were not staying in the area. In normal times there are countless bars, restaurants and resorts that line and fill the beach with life, but when we were there it was a little depressing. We don’t mean to be negative and we really do hope it recovers back to its former glory. As the beach is amazing, cleaner than Uppuveli and deserving to have its tourists back. 

Just to note if you do want to swim here the tides are quite strong, but there were lifeguards on the busier stretch of the beach.

Sri Thirukoneswaram Kovil Temple

Map

Jumping in a tuk tuk we headed to Sri Thirukoneswaram Kovil Temple. Perched high on the cliffs of Trincomalee, just past the Dutch stronghold of Fort Frederick, the Sri Thirukoneswaram Kovil Temple is a rainbow of colour standing out against the turquoise waters of the bay. The tuk tuk drops you off at the bottom of a small upward road winding up to the summit of the headland. Lined with market stalls, fruit vendors and sellers of temple offerings, the road ends at the entrance to the temple.

Shedding our shoes we headed into the temple complex, this is an active place of worship and much the same as other holy sites, shoulders must be covered and long trousers or skirts must be worn, footwear also must be removed. As we emerged from the trees, we were instantly confronted by an enormous statue of Lord Shiva and the vibrant pastel shades of the temple rising behind him. Walking around the temple, you go down through the cliffs for a fantastic view over the bay, a statue stands out covered in coins, where passing devotees throw their change in hopes of a blessing.

This area, although serene and beautiful, does have a sad past history. The temple as it stands is a reconstruction, the earlier temple having been destroyed by the Portuguese and its ruins used to build Fort Frederick. Even after this, a cliff in the area became known as Lovers Leap, after Francina van Reed, the daughter of a Dutch gentleman, jumped to her death, after watching her erstwhile betroth’s ship disappear over the horizon of the Indian Ocean, leaving her jilted and abandoned.

Winding back up past colourful statues we entered the temple itself. Carved reliefs, Hindu deities and colourful woodwork stretch away in all directions. The sound of chanting and prayers echo calmly through the space. Several of the statues on display are from the old temple (the one destroyed by the Portuguese). Devout locals, fearing for the statues' safety, had secretly buried them ahead of the temple's destruction. The statues have now been restored to their former glory and sit proudly in the rebuilt temple.

Just to note when visiting, photography is not allowed inside the temple buildings, and the temple complex is only open in the mornings and evenings (at other times it is in use for worship).

With no ticket price on entry, the Sri Thirukoneswaram Kovil Temple is a great place to both soak up the sites of Trincomalee harbour and dip your toe into the cultural and spiritual history of the area. 

Fort Frederick

Map

Wandering out of the temple, we made a rookie error. Like the clueless tourists we sometimes are, we went immediately to the closest juice bar to the temple. Compounding our clueless tourist status for the day, we forgot to ask for prices before ordering and sat down with a watermelon juice and mango smoothie along with some chopped fruit. We’re not farmers, but we’re assuming it wasn’t the natural season for either of these fruits as both were a little watery, a bit floral (we wondered if they had added rose water?) and generally just not as refreshing as we hoped. However, the view from the little juice bar was fantastic, as it practically overhung the cliff. The price tag however, clearly showed that this juice bar target audience was the clueless tourists. We paid 1200 LKR (£2.76 or $3.35) for the juices. 

After our juice stop we wandered down the hill through Fort Frederick. Fort Frederick is now used by the Sri Lankan army so a lot of the fort is no longer accessible, but from the road you are able to see a lot of the old colonial buildings. The Fort is also, however, heavily used by the local deer population who appear in great numbers and can even be tempted closer with offers of food (although we did see signs recommending you did not do this).

Trincomalee’s Maritime and Naval History Museum

Map

Outside the Fort and a short hot walk later, we found ourselves staring down the barrel of a ginormous cannon at Trincomalee’s Maritime and Naval History museum.

The museum is free to enter, asking only for a donation on exit. We were given a guided tour around the museum (we're not sure if this is normal practice but as we were the only ones there we happily accepted). Our guide was great, explaining the exhibits to us and giving us background to the history. The museum features the recreation of a shipwreck, several dioramas of the history and landscape of the area, archaeological finds, and a display of naval uniforms.

Our guide even ushered us through a backroom and up a tiny set of stairs (they were so vertical they were nearly a ladder) onto the museum roof. Again we don’t know if this is what normally happens on a visit, but it was a great little treat, giving us good views of the beach, Fort Frederick and the grounds surrounding the museum.

The view over Trincomalee Bay from the rooftop of the museum!

During the course of our tour, we also learnt about the museum's own restoration. Formerly a Dutch Commissioner's residence, the building had fallen into disrepair. By disrepair, we mean it had effectively no roof, walls crumbling and a giant tree had burst through the centre of the property. In five years, the restoration had completely reversed this, and the building stands proudly in its former splendour. This is a small museum and easily missed by travellers to Trincomalee, but if you’re in the area we heartily recommend it. The warmth and enthusiasm of the staff alone made it worth the very short walk from Fort Frederick to get there.

Trincomalee Market

Map

If you’re still looking for non beach related things to do, a trip to Trincomalee’s markets are a good non sandy option. The town of Trincomalee is filled with colours, street art and textile shops, along with a fresh fruit and vegetable market and a separate fish market. Centred around the clock tower and Central bus station, the markets and shopping streets radiate out in all directions. The shops were predominantly tailors, textile shops and clothes stores. As with market towns all around the world, the shops were selling brightly coloured dresses, handbags and questionable branded apparel.

Like all shopping trips, no trip is complete without a stop for lunch and Trincomalee caters for this well. Throughout the town you can find numerous ‘hotels’ (the word ‘hotel’ is interchangeable with restaurant here) selling rice and curry, vada (doughnut shaped savoury snacks), samosas and other pastry puffs. These ‘hotels’ are much more geared towards locals than the more tourist fare found in Uppuveli and Nilaveli. This was great for Jellie as they were super cheap (literally a quarter of the cost of a meal near our hostel), spicy, and the flavours were bold and uncompromised by any attempt to pander to the Western palette. Our lunch of two vegetable rice and curries and a large bottle of water cost us 780 LKR (£1.97 or $2.17).

The Central market opposite the bus station was piled high with every type of fruit and vegetable imaginable. Mounds of dragonfruit, bananas of every shape and size and some of the biggest jackfruit we had ever seen, spilled out from stall tables and sacks on the floor. Stall holders shouting out to advertise their wares, just like their market brethren world over. We stumbled upon a very friendly lady selling fruit, who refused to take payment from us for the two bananas we wanted. The Central market was, although similar to other markets we had been too, a great little outing and we can now wholeheartedly recommend the bananas of Sri Lanka (especially the little ones).

As we had rolled into town around midday, the best of the fish market had already been sold, but even so, the market was still a hub of commerce. We would recommend arriving much earlier if you want to see at its full fever pitch (we have previously been to an amazing fish market in Negombo at 5am click here to read about it our experience. 

Whale Watching and Other Things to Do in Trincomalee

If you are still looking for more ideas in Trincomalee, including Whale Watching, check out Tripadvisor or Get Your Guide:

The only reason we did not do the Whale watching was that there were no Whales to watch! We had come in the wrong season, if you want to see Whales make sure you visit between March - April or August-September.

Final Thoughts

If you’re staying on the beaches of Trincomalee (Uppuveli or Nilaveli) then you might be missing out on a lot of local flavour. Although lovely, the beaches are a tourist ecosystem and the food and daily life reflect this. For the price of a quick tuk tuk ride, a trip into Trincomalee reminds you of exactly where you are and how wonderful the food and people of Sri Lanka are. 

Thanks for reading,

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

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Uppuveli, Trincomalee’s Best Beach - Paradise in North-Eastern Sri Lanka

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.

After the frantic pace of Jaffna, we were looking to relax. We came to Trincomalee for beachy times and beachy times we got. After some research we settled on the Uppuveli area of Trincomalee. It had the beach, the accommodation and the food and drink opportunities we were looking for, in our holiday within our backpacking adventure. 

How to get to Trincomalee and Uppuveli

Sweaty bus selfie!

Getting to Uppuveli from Jaffna was straightforward. Trincomalee is well served by buses from nearly everywhere on the island of Sri Lanka. Google said it was going to take five and a half hours, but our bus managed it in four and half hours. We suspect that this was due to our driver, as he didn’t let off the accelerator for the whole journey. As soon as the bus was full, there was no stopping him! The blue buses of Sri Lanka are certainly an experience.

At Trincomalee bus station, it was a short 15 minute tuk tuk ride to get us to Uppuveli beach and our accommodation, Wanderers Hostel.

Where to Stay in Uppuveli

Wanderers Hostel

Map Location

Wanderers Hostel is just like a Margherita pizza, everything you need and nothing you don’t. It was perfect for our backpacking needs. Cheap with simple (very simple) comfy private rooms (dorm rooms are also available) and decked out in the usual boho beach-chic vibes of murals, prayer flags, and bamboo wooden walls. We thought we would spend a couple of days at the beach….Wanderers Hostel would be our home for the next ten days. 

Outside the rooms in Wanderers Hostel

We were greeted by the owner, who was swinging in a hammock and sipping a beer. Over the next few days we gathered that this guy was so laid back that he was pretty much permanently horizontal. This was just the kind of host we like, there if you needed him, but non judgemental of our laziness and very relaxed about us repeatedly extending our stay (we originally had planned to be there for 3 nights but stayed for 10). 

Wanderers had the usual communal area filled with board games, cards and mementos from other travellers, as well as a small kitchen, a communal fridge, free drinking water (result!) and laundry facilities. All of this set us back £11 a night (around $13) for our private room. 

We loved our simple accommodation, it was a 5 minute walk to the beach and even closer to the restaurants of Uppuveli strip. 

P.S. Wanderers had the added bonus of Ahoy the dog (great name) and Daisy, a newly adopted kitten who took a shine to John. In addition to these friendly animals, we were also received an unexpected visitor one morning when the tail of a large black lizard, stuck through our wooden walls next to our sink. Ellie reacted with her usual poise and grace, in other words there was much screaming. In her defence she did think it was a snake tail. A quick poke from John encouraged our uninvited scaly friend to vacate our room.

Daisy in her special ‘hammock’

Other accommodation in Uppuveli

There are plenty of places to stay in Uppuveli. Whether you are looking for a fancy beach resort or a basic hostel check out our map for all your choices:

Uppuveli Beach

Map Location

Uppuveli beach is great at whatever time of day, we spent countless hours lounging around, walking on the sand and swimming in the surf. Some stretches of the beach are cleaner than others, but generally in the area around Uppuveli and Fernando’s bar, the beach was kept immaculate. 

We said the beach is great at any time of day, however we would strongly urge you to put your alarms on and catch the sun rising over the Bay of Bengal. As the beach is entirely east facing, you’re treated to a spectacular show as the sun emerges from the horizon, igniting the sky and staining the clouds pink and gold. John is not traditionally an early riser, and it took some convincing to get the alarm set. But even he agrees, the get up was worth it as the sunrise was magical!

We spent afternoons on the beach in a cycle of reading, sunbathing and swimming. Swimming in the sea at Uppuveli (at least in the time we were visiting, July 2022) was intense, but fun. The waves towered above you and were easily capable of bowling you over if you mistimed or underestimated them. The powerful waves did however, provide excellent body surfing opportunities. The sea was warm, and as with oceans everywhere when treated with respect, great fun! 

After our afternoon swims came the traditional discussion of whether 3.30pm was an acceptable time for a beer. The general consensus is yes it is. Which leads us neatly on to…..

Fernando’s Beach Bar Uppuveli

Map Location

We spent an inordinate amount of time at this beachfront bar. Whether it was using their sun loungers in the reading/sunbathing portion of the day or enjoying sunset beers, we found ourselves gravitating towards this bar again and again. Fernando’s seems to be an institution within the area. There are several other beach bars, but none as lively as we found Fernando’s to be. 

Deckchairs, beanbags, a repurposed canoe and driftwood swings spread out across the sand under twinkling fairy lights. Picture a perfect beach bar and it was pretty much that. 

Swinging chairs and alcohol, what could go wrong?

In addition to the usual beers and cocktails, Fernando’s had a couple of other notable liquid offerings:

The orange Sri Lankan King Coconut is an amazing fruit. Sweeter and more flavourful than regular coconuts, this thirst quenching bowling bowl is a must in the midday sun. Fernando’s delightfully would use the sliced off coconut lid to make mouse ears before serving. They also had the genius idea to pair the King Coconut water with fresh squeezed lime juice and ice to make the perfect refresher to the sun parched patron! 

We also spied on our first visit, a proper coffee machine. Like the pampered Westerners we are, we were overjoyed. Since leaving Colombo, we had not had our caffeine fix in such luxurious form. Up until this point, we had been living off of tea or (shudder) Nescafe sachets! 

Each evening we would sit with ice cold Lion lagers, watching the boats come in, as the sky behind faded from azure blue, through fiery reds, royal purples until succumbing to the star-filled night. 

Like we said, a perfect beach bar!

At night, Fernando’s had music, a campfire and candles in the sand. The beach side ambiance was amazing, with the waves crashing and music playing it was a perfect place to unwind after a month of hectic travel. 

Jellie beer price index: 700 LKR for a can of Lion lager (£1.68 or $1.94) - thoroughly reasonable for an awesome beachside bar. 

Tips for Visiting Uppuveli, Trincomalee

• How to get to Uppuveli, Trincomalee

Trincomalee bus station is a major hub and connects pretty much all of northern and central Sri Lanka as well as buses to the capital of Colombo and even some routes that go further south.

The bus station is located in the town of Trincomalee, next to the central market and is a 20 odd minute tuk tuk ride away from Uppuveli beach. There are buses connecting the town and beach, but services were infrequent when we visited (2022, the fuel crisis and all that).

Bus tickets can be brought on the day of travel, on the bus itself. Just get on, put your luggage at the front of the bus next to the driver and take a seat. A bus attendant will (eventually) come round, ask for your destination and sell you a ticket. Local buses are the cheapest, most exciting but probably least comfortable way of getting around Sri Lanka. Our tickets from the city of Jaffna to Trincomalee (one bus for 5 hours) cost us 1081 rupee each (£2.63 or $3.20).

For a more organised or luxurious travel experience, you can book tickets in advance. Advance tourist tickets can be brought for AC mini vans, larger tourist buses or private taxi’s. This can be done via travel agents or online via this link with 12Go

• When to visit Uppuveli, Trincomalee

The best time to visit Uppuveli beach is between February and August, the peak tourist season is July (although this maybe because of Western school holidays) As the months go on and the end of the season approaches, the sea does become a little rougher, but the weather is still extremely hot and perfect for beach lounging.

Make sure to wear suncream with high UVA and UVA-B protection as everyday we were in Uppuveli, we received alerts on our phones that the UV level was extreme.

Thanks for reading.

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie 

Obligatory Jellie selfie!

NB: We have not been asked or received any kind of incentive to mention the above places, they are just where we went and what we thought! Although this article does contain an affiliate link with 12Go, we will earn a small commission if you book through them. We recommend them and use them on our site as we have had great experiences with them in the past.

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Visiting Jaffna - A Kaleidoscope of Colour, History and People!

After hearing of its tasty food, rich history and vibrant population, Jaffna had always been on our list of essential Sri Lankan destinations. As the northernmost city of Sri Lanka, with strong cultural links to India, Jaffna has an entirely different feel from its southern cousins. With a long history of conflict, Jaffna town has witnessed many significant historical events both in recent times and during the colonial periods. Its unique and sometimes separate identity, complex history and different prevalent religion (Jaffna as with much of the north is predominantly Hindu as opposed to Buddhist), Jaffna is a world away from Kandy. After two weeks in the south we couldn’t wait to see what Jaffna held. 

Getting to Jaffna

We were travelling to Jaffna from Anuradhapura and, luckily for us, there was a nice and easy train to take us between the two. Jaffna station was, until the civil war, the second largest in the country, smaller only than Colombo. The train line itself actually runs all the way from the capital, so it is well connected to the rest of the country. We would, later on, use a bus to go between Jaffna and the coastal city of Trincomalee. Jaffna’s large bus stand has routes that spread out all over the Island.

Staying in Jaffna

As soon as we stepped off our train, we entered the melee that is Jaffna. We don’t know if it was just because of the fuel crisis, (our hostel was near two petrol stations) but the streets of Jaffna were a whole ‘nother level of busy. Pavements (sidewalks to our American cousins) were often non-existent, and in places, far more dangerous than the open road with cracked and often missing paving stones and deep drains. The road itself was a ‘free for all’ of tuk tuks, bicycles, scooters, cars, buses, lorries, pedestrians, cows, goats and the ever present street dog. The people of Jaffna were more colourfully dressed, with saris and tunics a plenty. It’s not that the south was drab by any means but the colour had certainly been ramped up. 

Closed up store fronts on the streets of Jaffna.

Our hostel was the cheap and , when we visited, completely empty Yaarl Hostel, our room was massive and we had a little balcony that led to a separate (still private) bathroom. It was very reasonably priced when we were there, this may have been due to the crisis however.

For those looking at Jaffna accommodation, check out the map below for all your choices from high end to budget friendly:

What to do in Jaffna

Jaffna Market

We stayed at a very basic, no nonsense hostel (private room, posh packers again), conveniently located near the bus station, market and Dutch fort. We only had two nights here, so we wanted to make the most of exploring whilst we could. The market was a swirling vortex of people, clothes, textile stores, beauty shops and hairdressers. The hairdressers in particular seemed very popular with young men, all hanging around outside with immaculately coiffed beards and moustaches. We were here on a Saturday, so it's possible that the young men of the town were getting ready for the weekend shenanigans.The otherside of the market consisted of the standard plethora of bag sellers, clothes shops and a rainbow of fruit and vegetable stores. 

Jaffna Fort

We then made our way down to the coast and Jaffna’s enormous Dutch fort. Originally built by the Portuguese in 1618, then taken over and enlarged by the Dutch, then eventually taken over by the British until Sri Lanka’s independence.  In modern history, Jaffna’s fort has more recently seen use in Sri Lanka’s Civil War and now lies partly in ruins, but with the colossal coral and stone fortifications still largely intact. 

There is an entrance fee for foreign tourists of 1434 LKR each (£3.28 or $4). Once inside, you are free to scale the walls and wander around at your leisure. There wasn’t much information about the history aside from a few signboards on entry, and it's very clear that the site is still under renovation. But from the walls there are good views across Palk Bay where you can see the fishermen coming and going. The fort was an interesting diversion, and a quiet spot in the otherwise frenetic city. 

Eating in Jaffna

Whilst in Jaffna we dined at two fantastic restaurants. They were:

Malayan Cafe

String hoppers and curry!

An oasis of relative calm amidst the bustling streets of Jaffna. The Malay Cafe served us some of the cheapest but tastiest food of our journey so far. We came here three times during our stay here. Once for lunch, where we devoured masala dosas and twice for dinner, where string hoppers were swiftly delivered to the table and subsequently our mouths. All meals were served on a banana leaf with an unending supply of dahl, chutney and curry refills. The staff were super friendly, and very inquisitive as to why two pasty British people had wandered into their shop. The young man serving us kept, for some reason, giving Ellie extra refills! All food at Malay Cafe is vegetarian and although we are not vegetarians or have any authority on vegetarian food, everything we ate was delicious, satisfying and kept us full. The prices were extremely cheap with two dosas and two pepsi’s coming in at 900 LKR (£2.06 or $2.51) the string hoppers were cheaper still (again for two sets with two drinks) at 350 LKR (80p or 98 cents). 

Map Reference

Rice and Spice

A popular spot for dine in and takeaway, we went to Rice and Spice on a whim as we saw that it did mutton biryani. We had been told (by the internet) to look out for mutton curries and biryanis whilst in Jaffna, and seeing this was on the menu we headed in. The restaurant was very popular when we arrived, with lots of young couples and families. We ordered two of the mutton biryani and watched in awe as the small team prepped, wrapped and sent out what appeared to be a battalion's worth of takeaway orders. Our food arrived as a tower of orange rice with steaming chunks of mutton, a boiled egg, chutney, and a yoghurt/chopped onion/deconstructed coleslaw on the side. We quickly dug into our respective mountains. The rice was cinnamony, spicy and overall delicious. The mutton melted in your mouth (but be careful of the bones) and the chutney and onion sides provided contrast and fresh relief from the hearty spice of the biryani. It was all we could have hoped for and more. The price for two biryani and two drinks was 2000 LKR including tip (£4.58 or $5.58). This may seem expensive in comparison to Malay cafe, but in comparison to anything else, this was still very cheap. The portions were very generous, the cooking fantastic and the restaurant even had air conditioning, a bonus when you’d spent all morning sweating in the city! 

Map reference 

Thoughts on Jaffna

Overall we were very pleased we had made the journey north to visit Jaffna. The difference in the streets, food and culture were a world away from what we had already experienced in the south of Sri Lanka. As soon as we had arrived in Jaffna, our senses were completely overwhelmed by noise, colour and smell. It is a more intense place than the south. The streets are crowded with people all in a rush to be somewhere else. Sometimes as a tourist this can be overwhelming, as you feel a little like an inconvenient rock in a raging river.

We have to point out that some of this intensity was definitely due to the ongoing fuel and financial crisis. Streets were overtaken with parked cars, vans, lorries and tuk tuks as they snaked around the city streets in a queue wating for when the petrol arrived. With all this in mind, however, the city was fantastic. As we’ve said it was a total contrast to anything we’d visited up to this point and we would like to visit it again under more normal circumstances. 

Jaffna has very little nightlife (or at least we found) in our area. The only alcoholic options  seemed to be; buy some beer and go home or stand outside the beer shop in the company of extremely drunk old men. Unsurprisingly, we opted for the former. So on our last night we brought some bottles of Lion beer and drank them in our hostel whilst watching our Lionesses in their triumphant win in the Euro finals! A nicely celebratory end to our time in Jaffna.

Thank you for reading, 

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

Obligatory Jellie selfie from the walls of Jaffna Fort!

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Anuradhapura - A Tale of Sunburn, Flat Tyres and Ancient Ruins

Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.

The ruins of the Ancient capital of Anuradhapura are mysterious, beautiful and spectacularly vast. Set across a site over 16 square miles largevthe UNESCO World Heritage site holds hundreds of ruins, temples lakes and even elephant baths. We knew we had to visit.

How to get to Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura is an easy four-ish hour journey from Kandy. There are both public and private buses, as well as smaller air conditioned mini vans that ply this route frequently. We opted for the minivan. The minivan decision was made by the important cost benefit analysis method of:

• The minivan already being there right in front of us.

• It being ready to go.

• Most importantly, the day was hot and we were lazy!

We paid 3120 LKR (£7.53 or $8.57) for two tickets and an extra seat to store our large backpacks.

You can also get to Anuradhapura from any of the other major towns and cities (your journey time may be longer of course)

To book transport in advance check out 12Go, who can arrange transport across of Sri Lanka. 

The Town of Anuradhapura

The lake in Anuradhapura town.

After around four hours of juddering, screeching and bumping along Sri Lanka’s road network we arrived in the town of Anuradhapura. We had an easy check in at our guest house and spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the town and its lake. Anuradhapura town is, despite its proximity to a major tourist attraction, not particularly lively or set up for the international visitor. We briefly Googled a bar, but it did not pass the Jellie “are there any women present test” so we decided iced coffee would be a better choice of beverage. Around Anuradhapura’s lake, are signs that they are, or at least were, trying to redevelop the area. Lots of half completed picnic spots, a large children’s play area and a smattering of cafes and restaurants line the waters edge. We had a lovely iced coffee here and watched the sun setting over the lake. 

The restaurant scene in Anuradhapura is a decidedly local affair. This is ordinarily a very good thing, and on our first night we had an excellent vegetable rice and curry at the Shan Hotel which cost us only 750 LKR (£1.81 or $2.06) for two plates of curry. However, another meal we had in a different restaurant resulted in us being singled out and treated to a high pressure sales event. This was frustrating, as up this point in our trip we’d received minimal hassle and pressure and because all we wanted was a couple of samosas! We were staying in the heart of Anuradhapura’s new town (as it was close to the archaeological site) but we got the feeling that the majority of tourists visiting Anuradhapura Ancient City stay in resorts outside the town and probably eat there too.

Hotels and where to stay in Anuradhapura

We stayed in a cheap and cheerful guesthouse in Anuradhapura town. Villa DeLorenta was close to the main strip of shops as well as the lake and not too far from the ruins, especially by bike. Speaking of bikes Villa DeLorenta also rented us our bikes, which as you can see later….went well…. In all seriousness just check your bike thoroughly before setting off!

To check out the full range of accommodation have a look at the map below:

Anuradhapura Ancient Ruins

Passing green paddy fields as we cycled to Anuradhapura’s Ancient City.

The next morning we rented bikes from our guest house and cycled off towards the ruins. We took the back route into the ruins (not intentionally), we assume it was the back road at least, as the main entrance probably isn’t next to the prison! After coming off the main road, the cycle was beautiful. Passing by lush greenery, confused locals (again we were definitely not taking the normal route in), children waving and colourful peacocks. Admiring the peaceful scenery, we wove our way towards the ruins.

The Anuradhapura Ancient City site is not set up in the same way as some of the other ancient city sites we’ve visited. Unlike Cambodia's Angkor Wat, the local village populations have not been evicted. Normal life coexists with ancient ruins and as a tourist you walk through both. 

As you enter the site the ruins just unfold everywhere you look!

We purchased two entrance tickets from a small booth at a junction in the road and paid $50 (the prices were charged in USD but you could pay in LKR at the day's exchange rate). Tickets in hand and along with a shoddily drawn map and feeling like budget Indiana Jones’, we set off on our ruin hunting expedition. The morning sun was intense but we were fully lathered up in sun cream, and ready to take on the vast site, or so we thought…

The Anuradhapura Ancient City site is incredible. Spread over a huge area of 16 square miles (currently, but they are still finding more), this giant complex houses enormous stupas, temples and palaces. The city was a political and religious hub lasting for over 1300 years and built around a cutting from the Buddhist ‘Tree of Enlightenment' brought from India in the 3rd century BC. The city was abandoned following an invasion and was reclaimed by the jungle. Now rediscovered, this UNESCO world heritage site is slowly being unearthed from the forest. 

Abhayagiri Vihara Stupa

Our first stop was the gargantuan stupa of Abhayagiri Vihara. Nearly entirely intact and still an active site of worship for Buddhists, the temple dominates the surrounding landscape. The clay colour of its brickwork contrasting against the green jungle and blue sky, its dome  towering impossibly high overhead. 

You can really get a sense of scale from the building below!

The stupa grounds are a serene and peaceful place. The ancient city is still an active site of worship for Buddhists.

Leaving our bikes in the carpark, we wandered around the surrounding temple and palace complex. Walking through ruins of ancient shrines and monasteries, we were accompanied by leering macaques, crowing cockerels and feeding cows. At one point we encountered a troop of langur monkeys, as they hopped and lolloped along the ancient streets. We took a break from the heat, at the enormous Elephant Pond. We don't know if this was where elephants were bathed, but Ellie did entertain herself with thoughts of an elephant day spa (trunk massage anyone? Imagine giving an elephant a pedicure!).

Anuradhapura Moonstone

We then moved on to see the Anuradhapura Moonstone. A moonstone is found on many Buddhist buildings and the Anuradhapura Moonstone is an especially fine ancient example. Four rings fill its semi circular face, each filled with different animals. The carving was beautiful and amazingly preserved for such an ancient relic.

The Twin Ponds

Next to the car park was a small collection of cafes, coconut sellers and tat vendors. We cooled off with an icy soft drink and an ice cream. Collecting our bikes we started the cycle towards the Twin Ponds. This is when it all started to go wrong for John…

Arriving at the ponds, I turned to see John struggling a 100 metres of so behind… this was unusual as he does like to race ahead normally. Panting, he drew alongside. He seemed to be having a lot of trouble peddling his bike. Attributing it to the fact that we hadn’t done any real cardio exercise since leaving London, my sympathy was insincere at best. Twenty minutes later, we stopped alongside some amorous monkeys (John kept humming a certain song by the Bloodhound Gang) when John asked me to look at his back tyre. Looking backwards it was obvious that it was nearly entirely flat. We were now a good hour and a half ride back to our guest house and were in no mood to cycle out of the park and then find out if our (expensive for Sri Lanka) tickets were multi entry. Reasoning that the tyre wasn’t entirely flat and had lasted up to this point, John decided to soldier on. This example of stiff upper lipped Britishness (not to be confused with stubbornness, no sir!) lasted all of five minutes as the last of the air escaped the tyre. John was no acutely aware that he was riding on the thin metal rim of the wheel, the now useless tyre flopping and dragging around behind him. Admitting defeat he climbed off the bike and began to push. 

One of the ‘Twin ponds’ - We couldn’t fit them both into one photograph!

This sounded to me awfully like a John problem, however when trying to cycle at his reduced pushing speed, I discovered that no, this was going to be an us problem (fiancée of the year, I know). So in the 35 degree heat in the middle of the day we both began the sweaty push onwards. 

We have to note here about the incredible kindness of strangers we found that day. Three different people tried to re-inflate John’s tyre. We were invited into two separate homes, Ellie treated like a little princess while John ‘helpfully’ looked on as more qualified people attempted to re-inflate the tyre. All well meaning efforts were in vain, and the tyre was busted. No amount of pumping (or swearing at it) could convince it to re-inflate. The only options were either; give up and go back to the guest house or find a cycle shop amongst the ruins. Strangely, Google said there was just such a shop, so cue a forty minute perspiration inducing trundle.

Arriving at a clearly closed shack that we realised that, this effort too, was in vain. 

We decided then that the remainder of our sightseeing would need to include pushing two bikes across this vast site. We spent the rest of the day wandering sweatily through ruins and colonnades of abandoned palaces, admiring vast stone arches, stupas and ornately decorated Bodhi trees. Pushing our bikes around from place to place.

Jethawanaramaya Stupa

The final site we visited was the Jethawanaramaya stupa, another enormous brick dome structure squatting in the jungle landscape like a vast bell. The Jethawanaramaya stupa was in a more advanced state of decay than Abhayagiri Vihara, the first stupa we saw. The stupas crown was cracked and a carpet of green partially covered one side. It was almost nice to see such a vast building in this state. It did remind you that we were in a truly ancient site and that, excitingly, any of the surrounding hills or jungles could reveal more treasures like this.  

Our lust for archaeology fully satisfied, we decided to call it a day and began the very long push home.

When we visited Anuradhapura it was almost eerily quiet. The only other tourists we saw for the whole day in this 16 square mile site was a single solitary Dutch family. Now we have to temper our reaction to this, as yes, we were lucky to have such an amazing site to ourselves, but on the other hand it shouldn’t have been this way. Without the tourists, there would not be the income for these beautiful ruins to be preserved and properly taken care of. Anuradhapura deserves to be a bustling tourist site, educating all who come into the remarkable history of Sri Lanka. During the strange time we visited, with the empty carparks, abandoned shops and vast lonely monuments, Anuradhapura felt even more like a ghost of a city.

We spent all day exploring the ancient city and saw what we thought was a good portion of it, but sitting here now writing this and looking at Google Maps, there is so much more we could have seen. Maybe if you rent a moped you could fit more in a day, or possibly just check the tyres on your bike before setting off! 

Ellie poses away in front of a massive stone doorway.

Tips for visiting Anuradhapura:

• Anuradhapura is a holy site and an active place of worship for Buddhists. You will need to dress appropriately to enter a lot of the sites (the huge stupa'‘s included). Shoulders and knees need to be covered and no crop tops!

• Pack extra sun cream and water, the sun is intense and we thought we would be protected (factor 50 crew here) for our visit but due to the unexpected extra exertion we must have sweated all of it off. We burnt in the traditional lobster style! 

• Bring food! When we visited there were a few cafe’s (this is a very generously applied term!) but no where to really get more than a roti, so bring a picnic!

• As we mentions, when we went the town wasnt exactly buzzing, dont let this put you off! Anuradhapura is an incredible site and well worth the effort.

• If you don’t feel lilke staying in the town you can definitely visit Anuradhapura as part of a tour, just be aware that it is a very large site so you may not be able to see all of it. For some tour ideas check out Get Your Guide below.

Thanks for reading,

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

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Vertigo and Views - The Ambuluwawa Tower

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Any prolonged social media trawl of Sri Lanka will, at some point, yield a bizarre, twisting structure of white stone spiralling up into the sky. Sitting on a hilltop above Gampola town, the Ambuluwawa Tower looks almost impossibly high. Photos from Instagram seem to show tiny narrow staircases clinging to the outside with only a low railing separating the influencers from a long plunge to the valley below.

But still, we all know about Instagram versus reality right? It can’t be that bad… right? 

How to get to Abuluwawa Tower

Ambuluwawa Tower and Biodiversity complex sit near the town of Gampola - Map Link. Staying in Kandy, there are a few options that will get you to Ambuluwawa Tower:

1. Travel by train

   Gampola railway station is easily accessible by train from Kandy. Sitting along the famous Ella to Kandy route the station is only half an hour away. However, as it is on the popular route, trains can be very crowded and tickets will sell out quickly. If you don’t mind standing, and don’t object to queuing for a while, third class tickets are almost always available. It is only a short journey so standing shouldn’t be a problem. From Gampola train station you will need a tuk tuk to either; the entrance of the Ambuluwawa Biodiversity Complex (4km up from the train station) or, if you’re lazy like us, a tuk tuk all the way to the tower (a further 2km up more mountainous roads). 

2. Travel by Bus

   From Kandy there are frequent buses that will take you to Gampola and back again. Do not listen to Google Maps which will tell you that it is at least two buses, just jump on any 718 bus from Kandy bus stand. Again, as above, once you get to Gampola you will need to get a tuk tuk to get you to the entrance or all the way to the tower. 

3. Travel by Tuk-Tuk

   On a whim, John checked the PickMe app and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was only 2500 LKR (£6.01 or $6.85)  to get from the centre of Kandy to Gampola town. We had previously been offered a round trip for 20000 LKR (£48.08 or $54.80) to see the tower (this was earlier in our trip and the high price may have been due to the fuel crisis)! As we had missed the first train of the day, and Google Maps was telling us the bus would require a connection (lies) we wimped out and ordered a tuk tuk on the app. When our driver arrived, we had a brief chat and agreed 6000 LKR (£14.79 or $16.86) for the trip. This would be for the 25km drive to the tower, the driver to wait for us as we climbed and for the return drive to Kandy. 

4. Private Tour

   You can book a private tour in advance to take you to and from the tower. You can use Get Your Guide:

Or you can have a look at Tripadvisor. Both Get Your Guide and Tripadvisor will be able to organise a pick up and drop off tour from a variety of locations.

Entrance to the Ambuluwawa Biodiversity Complex

After about an hour's ride from Kandy including a steep climb up from Gampola town we arrived at the grand entrance to Ambuluwawa Biodiversity Complex. Hopping out to purchase tickets we were charged 1200 LKR (£2.89 or $3.29) for entrance to the park and access to climb the tower. 

After the entrance, came the climb. We were in a tuk tuk but many locals were conquering this winding, almost ridiculously steep (sometimes nearly vertical) 2km ascent on foot. At one point, John had to decamp from the tuk tuk and jog alongside as the driver struggled to climb an especially sharp hairpin. After what seemed like an infinity of serpentine bends we arrived at the base of the tower. 

Climbing The Ambuluwawa Tower

Words make it difficult to describe just how strange a building the Ambuluwawa Tower is. A towering white plinth, splaying outwards as it grows upwards, is crowned by a twisted conch shell cone. A spiralling staircase clings precariously to the side of the roof, climbing to its pointed tip. Ellie remarked that it  wouldn’t be out of place in a Bond film, with its point slowly being revealed as the evil lair/rocket escape pod for the main villain.  

The tower is set within a multi faith temple complex, with an ornate church, mosque, Hindu temple and Buddhist shrine. All the places of worship sit peacefully next to each other, arranged around a central fountain. There is a larger park and biodiversity complex on top of the mountain, but on this occasion we were there to climb the tower. 

The view from the base of the tower was amazing, we had climbed so high up in our tuk tuk that we were treated to a spectacular view over Gampola town and the surrounding hills. We felt that we were high enough already, but when we looked back to the tower and craned our necks we saw we had a long way up still to go. 

Entering through the dark and slightly damp interior, the base of the tower does not inspire confidence for the coming climb. There was a lot of water on the floor, cracked tiles on the steps and very little light. Passing by an empty ticket booth we started our spiral ascent. The first half of the climb is inside the tower. Arrow slit windows give a glimpse of how far you’ve climbed, and missing handrails give a glimpse into the maintenance schedule of the tower. After many floors, we were thrust out into the sunshine and given our first stomach churning reality check of just how high up we were. 

Spiralling upwards, the staircase on the inside of the Ambuluwawa Tower base.

The climb on the outside of the tower is a whole different matter to the inside. Inside you’re climbing up a slightly shonky staircase, where, if you fall off you might have an unpleasant six foot fall. Outside, you’re climbing up a slightly shonky staircase, with only a waist level handrail separating you and oblivion. Add in to the mix: uneven steps, some so shallow that your shoe wouldn’t fit on them and a staircase that was so narrow in parts that it required you to turn sideways, shuffling along and clinging to the tower's trunk. Oh, and just for fun, some of the stairs have sizeable gaps between the steps, giving you a lovely view all…the…way…down! 

The stairs are in “fantastic” condition!

Neither me nor Ellie really struggle with heights, but this tower really pushed me out of my comfort zone. There was something about the low height of the handrail, the vertical drop and the narrowness of the staircase that really pushed me!

To quote Sir Terry Pratchett: “Tiffany wasn’t afraid of heights at all…what she was afraid of, although she hadn’t realised it up until this point, was depths… she was in fact afraid of the ground” (A Hat Full of Sky, Terry Pratchett 2004). 

As we wound our way to the top we passed tiny cubby holes where Sri Lankan teens were hanging out. These tiny alcoves, set into the tower's trunk, were the only places you could pass another person as you got near to the top. The staircase got narrower and narrower until eventually, mercifully, it came to a point at the peak of the tower. The view from the top was simply out of this world. We had a clear day overlaid with thick clouds above and the whole region below was spread out like a map. We were on top of an enormous tower on the tallest peak for miles around. The blanket of cloud above, was joined by wispy shreds floating below us, with a smell on the wind that promised rain. It was terrifying (for me at least) clinging to the edge of this tiny walkway but at the same time amazing. You would literally need to have wings to have a better view than we did that day. 

The view was really just… wow!

We took our photos, and gingerly made our way back down the tower. John’s confidence returning in every step downwards. 

The trip to Ambuluwawa Tower was well worth it. As a half day excursion from Kandy, it is worth the Instagram hype as the views really are breath-taking (not just from the terror). The tower itself is a remarkable example of strange architecture resembling something close to both Gaudi and a fairytale castle. For the price of the tuk tuk and entrance, we found it massively worth it and can recommend to all those with an adventurous spirit, or at least all those with adventurous spirit that don’t have vertigo!

Tips and Tricks when climbing the Ambuluwawa Tower

• When to go to Ambuluwawa Tower

  We visited at a time when tourism was very low in Sri Lanka. We were lucky that, other than us, there was no one else climbing the tower at the same time and only a few people on the tower at all. We cannot imagine what this place would be like if it was busy. There is literally room for one person to climb one way on the tower and there are very few passing points as you make your way higher. 

  The tower itself was completely unattended when we visited. We did pass a ticket booth at the bottom of the staircase but this was unmanned. In the event of something happening there would have been no assistance, and you would have to run down the hill and find one of the police or military checkpoints. This may have changed since we visited but it it worth baring in mind before you do something dumb - like pose for an ill advised selfie!

  We would set off early for the tower, try to beat the rush and get there before it gets crowded. Google lists the opening time as 7:30Am so aim a little after that

• Beware of the Monkeys!

  There are a lot of monkeys in the park surrounding the tower, just be wary of your belongings and food. We did see a gaggle of locals lose their picnic to a small family of macaques.

• Driving yourself to Abuluwawa

  If you are driving yourself, in a tuk tuk or on a moped, please be very careful on the way down. The hairpins are so steep and the turns so vicious that it is very easy to lose control. Our tuk tuk was expertly handled, however we did pass by an unfortunate couple who had crashed their moped into the barrier. They were comparatively lucky as there are many stretches that have no barrier at all and the drops are extreme.

• Ambuluwawa to Colombo?

  We have read online that you can travel to the tower from Colombo, however we feel that this would be an extremely long travel day. Colombo to Gampola is three and half hours away by car or four hours and a bit by train. The tower is great, and the views fantastic but we did only spend about an hour there, so a six plus hour round trip may not be worth it. You almost certainly will be in Kandy at some point whilst travelling Sri Lanka so it makes much more sense to visit Ambuluwawa Tower from Kandy.

• What if I am Afraid of Heights?

  This may not be the place for you. The tower is very very tall with little separating you from the drop. If you want to challenge your fear, by all means have a go but John isn’t even afraid of heights and found this a fear inducing climb. However, the area around the base of the tower has spectacular views and feels perfectly safe and grounded. The Temple gardens are also beautiful so if your friends want to climb the tower you can wander off and do your own thing quite happily!

Thanks for reading.

John and Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

A very quick selfie taken at the summit!

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Kadugannawa National Railway Museum - An Anorak Kind Of Day

As with many things on our adventures, it all started with YouTube. This time around it was Dale Phillips' YouTube channel which served as inspiration. Featured in one of his videos, was a ramshackled collection of memorabilia, rusted engines and colourful locomotives, these were all housed in the Kadugannawa National Railway Museum. We had explored the city of Kandy quite extensively (read our guide here) and fancied a day out.

How to Get to Kadugannawa National Railway Museum

Just a short train ride (or bus as we later found) away from Kandy we thought Kadugannawa would make for a fun excursion for the day. Rucksack packed, snacks acquired and dressed for the part in our snazzy anoraks we headed out. The anoraks were due to the rain, not just uniform for our day of train fancying.

Arriving at Kandy station with what we thought was ample time to buy tickets, we saw a vast queue of people snaking out of the door of the railway station. Realising that this queue was not moving, but time was quickly slipping away, we decided we wouldn’t be able to make the train and now would be the perfect opportunity to try out Sri Lanka’s famous/infamous public buses. 

Just a quick note on the above - we later realised that the queue we saw was for third class tickets only. Inside Kandy railway station, there are other counters for first and second class tickets that have shorter, much faster moving queues. This is true at all major Sri Lanka railway hubs across the country. 

After a stressful 40 minutes walking the length and breadth of the various bus stands (Kandy has quite a few) and ascertaining that Google Maps was a big fat liar, we found ourselves sitting comfortably on board the rickety chairs of the 690 bus service. We’ve found during our time in Sri Lanka (July to October 2022) that Google Maps is very unreliable when it comes to train times and nearly totally useless when it comes to buses. On this occasion, Google wasn’t even aware that the 690 bus existed, let alone the times it would be departing. If you are planning to travel by bus, we would recommend you ask at the bus station for the correct bus you need/times of departure. 

One of Kandy’s bus stands

When you board a Sri Lankan bus, you do not buy the ticket then and there. Instead you take your seat and wait for the designated ticket seller to come around. This can happen pretty much at any point in your journey. When the ticket seller does come around, just let them know the stop you’re getting off at and you will be sold a ticket and generally looked after. For those travelling with big bags, get on the front of the bus (there are entrances both front and rear) and place your big bags on the shelf next to the driver. Don’t be too alarmed if the bus ticket seller moves them as he may need to put them under the bus. There are also shelves above the seats for smaller bags. When we’ve used the buses the ticket sellers have signalled to us to let us know when it is our stop and even helped us with the bags.

Whilst we waited to leave Kandy, and slowly started steaming in our own sweat, the bus was inundated with vendors selling all manner of goods. From the snacky variety - papaya to samosa, the drinky variety - tea to Coca Cola and then to bizarre variety - a colouring book in case you felt like brushing up on your art skills? Perhaps you need a new necklace (definitely genuine gold)? Or maybe now is the time you really should invest in laundry soap? Don’t worry the Sri Lankan bus vendor has you covered! Privately wondering if there really is a bus born market for detergent, we paid for our tickets - 242 LKR for two of us ( £0.59 or $0.66).

The bus left the busy streets of Kandy and wove past the Royal Botanic Gardens before heading into the hills and valleys of the surrounding area. After about 45 minutes to an hour and a slightly numb bum we arrived at Kadugannawa town. 

Visiting The Kadugannawa National Train Museum

The railway museum is right next door to Kadugannawa railway station. Opened in 2014 and replacing the original Colombo museum, Kadugannawa National Railway Museum was built to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s railways. It’s a compact little museum, spread over a train shed, a platform and two outside areas. 

Wandering in off the street we bought our tickets paying 1000 LKR for two tickets (£2.42 or $2.76). The tickets were presented by a little old man and were actual railway tickets that he plucked out of an old set of sorting shelves. We were immediately joined by a lovely attendant who was to show us around the museum. Our guide was very eager for us to clamber upon, take photos and interact with the museum's many exhibits. We had a fun time being shown around the inside of the museum, taking photos sat in and upon trains and having a spirited and interesting demonstration of the token system that stops trains running into each other on the mountainous single track lines of Sri Lanka. 

We found the token system to be fascinating (we are interesting and cool people honest)! The system in place, seems to be the closest thing to ‘idiot proof’ that we can imagine. Seeing as this arrangement stops oncoming trains from meeting other trains, this is probably just as well. The way it works is that each station has a machine that accepts or gives out a metal token. This is passed to the train driver going up or down a single line. The machine cannot be reset without a token. A train going up a line collects a token from the first station, travels up the single track and delivers the token to the next station. No other train can go on the line whilst the token is out, and the machine cannot be forced to accept or deliver tokens without the correct tokens being inserted. When riding the trains, you will often see these tokens being passed from driver to platform and vice versa in the form of a big loop of leather with a metal token hanging off it like a pendant. This safety system has been in place for years, and despite all its parts looking antiquated now, has never needed an update.

The vintage (but still functional) token signalling system.

Also inside, was a massive model railway where they had combined, in a sort of greatest hits display, the highlights of the Sri Lanka rail network. It was like the Hornby set of your dreams with trains running over the Nine Arch bridge through model towns and tunnels and round the spiral of the Demodara loop (check out our article on the Demodara Loop here). 

Outside our guide left us our own devices and we spent a good amount of time clambering in and out of old engines, carriages and steam locomotives. In one of the carriages, there is a 10 minute video giving a brief (but probably sanitised) history of the Sri Lankan railway network. Another carriage also houses a coffee shop but this was not open when we were there. In the time we had in the museum we were the only visitors, and we didn’t see any other tourists getting off the trains at Kadugannawa. This may explain why the coffee shop wasn’t open.

After some time walking the railway track, looking at the old signalling levers and debating how structurally sound some of the older, more decayed carriages were, we felt we had seen what there was to be seen. We had been in the museum for about an hour, but felt that if you were a train buff you could easily spend more time exploring the exhibits. 

Train knowledge acquired, geek levels overflowing and with many photos of Ellie the train driver we donned our anoraks (we felt we now earned them) and jumped back on the bus to Kandy. 

We know the journey to the museum took about as long as we spent in the museum, and we also know that trains aren’t everyone's cup of tea (there not really ours normally) but we do feel that the National Railway Museum was well worth our time, and provided with a great little practice run on the Sri Lankan bus network. It was super easy to get there from Kandy with both buses and trains going there. Google Maps (as it would throughout this trip) made it look like a much more complicated journey than it was. 

Essential information for Visiting the Kadugannawa National Railway Museum

• Where is it? - Here Easily accessible from Kandy by both bus and train.

• How much does it cost? - Entrance to the museum is 500LRK per person.

• How long do i need to spend there? - Up to you of course! We, who have zero train knowledge or special interest spent around an hour there. If you are into trains, or the coffee shop is open, you could spend a while longer!

• Is the Kadugannawa National Railway Museum worth the trip? We hate this question but google seems to love it so YES we very much enjoyed the journey to and our time at the museum. Like we have said, we are not “into” trains or anything it was just a fun day out riding the buses and seeing the old trains.

Thanks for reading. 

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

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If you find yourself in Ella make sure you check out the engineering railway marvel that is the Demodara Loop.

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What to do in Kandy - Our guide to Sri Lanka's Ancient Capital

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Nestled in a bowl of mountains, the ancient capital of Kandy, sprawls out around a central man made lake. This spiritual and cultural hub was the seat of the last Kings of the Kandyan empire, and now serves as the Capital of Sri Lanka’s Central Province. 

We’ve been to Kandy twice now, staying for a total of 8 nights in the bustling city. Here’s our guide of things to do, foods to eat, places to drink and where we stayed.

Getting To and From Kandy

Kandy is a major city in Sri Lanka, and as such is very well connected to the rest of the island. The train station is a hub that serves both the Capital of Colombo as well as the iconic Kandy to Ella line that weaves its way through the mountains and tea plantations of the Highland’s region.

Kandy’s train station is the arrival and departure point for the majority of people visiting Kandy. If you’re looking to take the train between Kandy and Ella, train tickets need to be brought in advance as tickets sell out extremely quickly on this route. For on the day tickets to other destinations (or even the Kandy to Ella line if you get very lucky), there are seperate ticket windows at the station for first, second and third class tickets. The long line full of locals that often stretches out of the station is for third class tickets. If you’d prefer to book tickets in advance, you can do this via tour operators or online via 12Go.

Reserved seating tickets to the Kandy to Ella line are typically made available 30 days in advance and will sell out very quickly, so do plan ahead! You can buy second and third class tickets on the day, but as we found out, this will mean you are stood up and wedged in a crowd for 6 hours… even so, the train line is beautiful and we loved our experience!

Kandy’s vast bus stations are confusing, hectic and a little bit stressful but fantastically useful. From Kandy bus station you can get to or from almost anywhere on the island of Sri Lanka. The public buses also have the advantage of being extremely cheap! On the more popular routes e.g. Kandy to Dambulla, AC mini buses are available.

The bus stands and buses are labelled with their final destinations, and the locals are more than happy to point you in the right direction.

For those not wanting to brave the chaos, there are lots of tour operators within Kandy, as well as online operators such as 12Go that can help arrange tickets for tourist buses and mini vans, or taxis in advance.

Things to Do in Kandy

The Royal Botanic Gardens - Map Location

A short tuk tuk or a bus ride away are Kandy’s Royal Botanical Gardens. Set amongst 147 acres and containing over 4000 plants, these gardens are a welcome green oasis from the bustling and occasionally overwhelming city. The gardens contain a number of different glasshouses, a large arboretum and many ornamental flower beds. 

For those after their cringy (but essential) Instagram shots, the gardens supply ample opportunities. The most popular of which are the grand palm tree avenues. Almost impossibly high and arranged in perfect symmetry, these tree lined corridors are a posers paradise and an Insta-boyfriends nightmare. 

Oh look a poser!

Another Instagram favourite is the suspension bridge built over the Mahaweli Ganga river. This swinging iron bridge has a maximum capacity of 5 people, so be prepared for a little wait, but the river and forest views make the short wait well worthwhile. 

One of the key draws of Kandy’s Royal Botanical Gardens is its collection of giant bamboos. They have not been named in error, these things were truly massive in height. When you remember that bamboo is a grass, it has no right to be as tall as this was!

When we visited (a morning in July) we were initially confused by some of the trees as they seemed to have thousands of little black fruits hanging from them. On closer inspection we realised that they were not in fact fruits, but hundreds upon hundred of black bats. Along with bats we also saw lots of monkeys, birds, chipmunks and even a snake in the botanical garden grounds. 

Many, many bats!

If you are feeling peckish, there is a cafe serving snacks, drinks and a well deserved ice-cream right in the heart of the gardens. Or alternatively, there are several vendors found outside the front entrance where we brought some tasty fried treats before we entered.

Entry to the gardens cost 2000 LKR each for a ticket (£4.71 or $5.48). We stayed at the gardens for a few hours, and enjoyed slowly wandering around the shaded avenues and admiring the flowers.

Udawattakele Forest Reserve - Map Location

A short 25 minute walk, or for those feeling lazy a tuk tuk ride from the Centre of Kandy lies the Udawattakele Forest Reserve. This hilltop nature park boasts a wide variety of fauna, city views and even some religiously significant caves.  

Walking through the entrance (tickets cost 830 LKR, £1.96 or $2.27), we were instantly greeted by a huge troop of Macaque monkeys. Mothers with their babies clinging to their underside romped and played over the sign bearing the park's map. 

There are several routes around the park, but we opted for the circular one which would take in the city view point, the ancient bathing pond and also the religious caves. 

As you wander through, the green canopy descends, smothering the sounds of the nearby city and enclosing you in a calm green bubble of rustling leaves, chirping birds and the occasional squeal of a monkey. We later learned (thanks Wikipedia) that the enormous tree-sized vines that slung and coiled themselves around the park’s paths were actually the famous Liana’s. We recommend Googling these as they were really quite impressive. 

Following a path upwards through the forest, you come to a break in the foliage and the city viewpoint. This viewpoint overlooks Kandy town and the lake, and was a quick reminder that even though you were surrounded by nature, you’re only a stone's throw away from the city proper. Whilst we were at the viewpoint we were lucky enough to see a couple of eagles circling high above the city. 

Buddhist paintings outside the Cittavisuddhi Lena cave.

Further around the trail, there are three religious caves, but when we visited we only sought out one, the Cittavisuddhi Lena cave. Outside the cave were Buddhist paintings, sculpture and offerings left by pilgrims. We were too chicken to go inside the cave (bats and many insects!) but enjoyed the scramble down to it and the serene jungle setting. We did try to seek out the other two caves, but the paths to these caves were severely overgrown, and there were some “natural obstacles” we were wary of encountering.

We mentioned some “natural obstacles”… we should probably elaborate…

On that note - our tip for the walk: pack and liberally use strong Deet before venturing out. Failure to do this, may result in a leech scenario as John found out shortly into our walk. Looking down he discovered he had become a mobile buffet for a selection of gross wiggling leeches. As soon as your eye was trained in, a look in any direction would reveal many more leeches slinking their way blindly towards you like tiny vampiric slugs. Ellie was extremely helpful in this situation, if by helpful you mean panicking, running away and generally flailing around leaving John to feed his new found friends. The leeches weren’t painful, and were very small but did bleed for quite some time after they had been removed. We’ve since learned the proper removal technique for leeches. What John performed that day was not the ‘proper’ technique. John’s leech removal system consisted of swearing at them (presumably to hurt their feelings), pinching them and flinging them as far away as possible. We did venture out on a wet day which apparently makes it much worse. Ellie, who had applied Deet remained leech free whereas John who was sans Deet acquired three of the squigglers. 

Aside from the leeches, the Udawattakele Forest Reserve really was a very nice walk. Much like the Botanical Gardens it was great to get back out into nature, whilst staying in a busy city. The walk did not take long, and followed well maintained paths (the exception being the routes to the caves). We saw gorgeous fauna and lots of monkeys. Even with our blood sucking companions we would definitely recommend seeking this walk out. 

Bahirawakanda Vihara Buddha Statue - Map Location

Visible from pretty much anywhere in the city, the Bahirawakanda Vihara Buddha Statue sits atop a hill gazing down on the streets and valleys below. The Buddha statue is a short but very steep walk from the town, or again can be accessed by tuk tuk. The 600 LKR entrance fee (£1.45 or $1.67) gives you access to panoramic views over Kandy and the surrounding countryside as well as a close up view of this beautiful Buddhist monument. There are steps behind the Buddha for an even higher vantage point which looks out over the other side of the hill away from town. There is also a small shop (selling religious texts and trinkets) and a small temple you can enter filled with statues, paintings and offerings. As this is a Buddhist religious site, the usual clothing rules (shoes removed and shoulders and knees covered) need to be observed with shoes stored at a front with a little old man who will definitely ask you for a tip for the privilege of watching over your smelly shoes. We walked there and back and although extremely sweaty (maybe don’t do this at midday as we did), the views over Kandy were spectacular.

Kandy Market - Map Location

Near to the station, Kandy produce market is spread out over two courtyards and sprawls over the surrounding streets. We recommend getting here in the morning to see the market in full swing. Inside were butchers, dried fish vendors and a multitude of other shops. In the streets outside, fruit and vegetable sellers pedal a bewildering array of produce. Their colourful goods stacked up in multicoloured pyramids. This isn’t a market for souvenir shopping, but if you, like us, love to see the raw ingredients of the local food, the market is a fascinating place to wander about. We also recommend buying a banana or two as they are delicious! 

Kandy Lake - Map Location

Sat in the heart of Kandy, next to the Temple of the Tooth is the iconic Kandy lake. This large man made lake provides another good excuse for a wander, with 2.1 miles of pathways stretching around its circumference. Following along the delightfully named “Cloud Wall” you quickly leave the busy town behind. The Queen’s bathing pavilion juts out onto the lake in all its ivory splendour, a preserved reminder of the lake’s royal past. As you continue round the lake you pass by a leafy university on one side of you, whilst on the other, water monitor lizards, ducks and fish float, swim or splash through the water. In the centre of the lake a little garden island sits like a jewel in its crown. Perfectly maintained and in colourful bloom, this island sadly does not appear open to the public but remains a pretty addition to the view. A short wander around Kandy Lake is a great way to stretch your legs and enjoy some greenery in what can sometimes be an intense city.

A view of Kandy Lake taken through the ‘Cloud Wall’.

Kandy Viewpoint - Map Location

From the lake you can take a short sharp walk (everything in Kandy seems to be up some monstrous hill) to the Kandy viewpoint. This viewpoint overlooks the lake and city and is a popular place for a panoramic photo of the city. There is no entrance fee for the viewing platform, but there are the traditional hawkers of tourist tat to contend with.

Asgiri Maha Vihara Pirivena - Buddhist Stupa and Temple - Map Location

We had admired this stupa from afar as you can see it from the majority of Kandy. Just outside the city centre, across the train tracks and up a steep set of stairs lies this Buddhist temple and ornate stupa. We arrived expecting nothing more than to admire a beautiful building from the outside. However, upon arrival we were greeted by a charming military gentleman who ushered us inside the base of the stupa and turning on all the lights, revealed what turned out to be a compact but interesting museum about (we think) the history of Buddhist literature and scripture in Sri Lanka. After the base, we were taken up to the meditation room on the central floor of the stupa. This floor was decorated with fascinating but quite extreme iconography. The walls depicted the stages of life and then the states of decay a body goes through after passing.

Finally we were ushered into the dome of the stupa itself we were not expecting what awaited us. As our military guide clicked on the lights, a Sistine Chapel of Buddhist artwork was illuminated in the dome above us. Around the perimeter of the dome, stories from the life of the Buddha were painted in complex detail. As the dome soared towards its zenith, a swirling mandala of wheels in dazzling colours adorned the stupa. An enormous lotus flower carved entirely of wood sat in the centre of the floor. Carved wooden panels clad the walls with eight statues of the Buddha, all in different aspects circling the room. We were blown away by the colour, intricate carving and enormity of the space.

Outside a circular balcony surrounded the stupa, giving fantastic views of the city. There was no entrance fee for this and the military guard did not ask for a donation or tip from us. As we walked back down the steep staircase the novice monks came out to water the lawn. We left this unexpected treasure with the sight of orange clad monks smiling against the lush green grass. 

“The Elephant in the Room” - the Temple of the Tooth

Yes we know it’s the big thing to do in Kandy, but for some reason over our multiple stops in this city we just never got to it. The temple looks extremely pretty and the building is amazing from the outside. It is also clearly a place of intense religious devotion. We frequently saw people take both hands off their motorbike handlebars to pay respect when passing by the temple. We have heard it can get extremely busy on weekends, Poya days and during religious festivals. 

Other Things To Do From Kandy

There are also a couple of good day trips we took from Kandy. We’ve now written about these in their own blogs. Click the links below to read all about these trips:

• Vertigo and Views - The Ambuluwawa Tower

• Anorak Day at Kadugannawa National Railway Museum

Kandy can also be used as a base of accommodation for attractions slighty further afield. From Kandy you could organise trips into the central region of Sri Lanka including the Lion’s Rock of Sigiriya, the Royal Cave Temples of Dambulla or a wildlife safari in one of Sri Lanka’s National Parks. We had a wonderful time with the elephants at Kaudulla National Park. To organise one of these trips, you can either use a local tour operator, or book a taxi in advance via 12Go. As these attractions are slightly further away (two and half hours plus away), we wouldn’t recommend trying to use public transport for a day trip, as any delay could ruin your day!

If your still looking for things to do in the city or want a curated / hassle free experience check out Get Your Guide:

Similarly if you are stuck for ideas, or want a full tour have a browse on Tripadvisor who have hundreds of activities that start in Kandy.

Accommodation in Kandy - Where to Stay?

The majority of Kandy’s accommodation is found in the hillsides surrounding the city. The hotels/hostels/guesthouses that we looked at in these areas looked great, with beautiful views over the city. However, coming from London, we wanted to be in the heart of the city and not a 40 minute walk to it. We wanted to eat local and stay local so we decided to stay in the thick of it. Ticking all our boxes was the Ceyloni City Hotel. Set in the perfect location in the heart of the hustle and bustle of Kandy’s shopping streets we checked in.

Ceyloni City Hotel (Map Link) is nothing fancy, but more like the standard business hotels found all over the world - think Premier Inn standard for those reading this from the UK. As we have travelled more and more through Sri Lanka, and have been more and more budget minded with our accommodation, we really appreciated the normality of Ceyloni City Hotel (yay for constant shower pressure and luxury of luxuries a wardrobe)! Both times we had a comfortable bed, a hot shower, tea and coffee making facilities, a cold fridge to store the Lion lagers in (an essential for any backpacking trip) and a balcony overlooking the streets of Kandy. There was an option upon checking in to add breakfast to our stay, but as we were staying in the heart of Kandy, surrounded by food, we cheaped out on this. 

Ceyloni City Hotel was slightly more expensive than we’ve paid for guesthouses elsewhere in Sri Lanka, but the facilities were definitely higher class than we’ve had in local guesthouses. After negotiating with the owner, we were paying 7500 LKR (£18.05 or $20.79) a night. 

There are so many options for accomodation in Kandy, check out our handy map below for a more complete list of where you can stay:

What to Eat in Kandy ? Our Stand Out Choices

As we’ve said before, we visited Kandy on a couple of occasions and stayed for a few days. Below are our favourite places we ate at in Kandy.

Balaji Dosai - Map Location

This unassuming local chain has two outlets in Kandy. Purely vegetarian and specialising in dosa, this quickly became our go to spot for cheap, delicious and filling food. We’d recommend the branch further away from the Temple of the Tooth, as we found the curries spicier and more flavourful. 

We always went for one of their many varieties of dosa. Dosa is a fermented chickpea flour pancake, grilled on a flat top until crispy and then stuffed full of a filling of your choice. Our favourite was the masala dosa, a crispy pancake filled with a mild potato curry. Served alongside whatever dosa you order, comes three different curries: a lentil curry, a chickpea curry and a spicy coconut chutney. Tearing into the crunchy pancake batter with your hands and mopping up the curry sauces was one of our favourite eating experiences. We can also highly recommend the lassi’s (think milkshake but made with yoghurt) which came in a variety of different yummy flavours, our favourite was the mango lassi. 

Aside from being completely delicious, one of the reasons we frequented this place so regularly was its price. For two masala dosa dinners with two lassi’s the cost was only 1400 LKR (£3.37 or $3.87). 

Siri Ramya Hotel - Map Location

Sitting out on our hotel balcony, we would often hear the machine gun rattle of kottu being made in the Siri Ramya Hotel opposite our balcony. Kottu for those who don’t know, is one of those fantastic ideas that you cannot believe isn’t more widespread. A thin bread batter is spread over a sizzling hot plate, with crunchy vegetables, sauce and toppings. As the bread batter cooks, it is violently sliced up and hacked apart by a chef dual wielding metal cleavers. What results is a sort of Sri Lankan stir fry, where instead of noodles you have strips of paper thin bread. Tempted in by this sound we came for lunch. 

Over the course of our stays in Kandy, we ate many meals at this establishment. In addition to the tasty kottu, their rice and curries were amazing (only available for lunch when we were there). Also they specialised in baked goods so you can get a variety of samosa, roti and other portable snacks. 

This delicious mountain of food was all for under £5.00!

The staff here also made it memorable for us. With the international sign language of pointing and smiling, we were always greeted by a little old man who took very good care of us, up to and including totally unnecessary napkin origami. Another example of Sri Lankan hospitality we encountered at this place occurred during one of our lunches. A table next to us were celebrating together and had brought a sandwich that was well over a metre long (we think this was specially requested as we never saw anyone else have it). We had ordered our food and were sipping on our drinks, when the head of the table turned around to us and plonked over a good 6 inch portion of their sandwich and advised us to tuck in and to join in with the festivities.

This restaurant is very much a local joint, full of plastic chairs, tea sipping Sri Lankan’s and not much air conditioning. Don’t judge a book by its cover, judge it by how many locals it is feeding. Spread over three floors, the place was always packed with hungry locals munching down on steaming piles of deliciousness. 

It is extremely cheap to eat here. We paid 1200 LKR for two plates of egg kottu and two bottles of water (£2.88 or $3.31).

Train or Bus Snacks

Kandy is very well connected, with both a large train station and a massive bus terminal. For any onward journey, snacks are essential. Now we’ve travelled here for a little while, and we know you can always get food on any form of transport. Seriously, we wouldn't be surprised if we were on a helicopter tour and a little old man selling fried goods popped up to flog his wares! Even so, you have a much better choice of snacks at a much better price if you stock up beforehand. 

Firstly we would recommend the Kandyan Muslim Hotel. We picked up their baked/fried snacks on more than one occasion and were always blown away by how good they were. We’ve eaten a lot of samosa and egg puffs in our time in Sri Lanka, but the beef samosa and chilli egg puff we brought from the Kandyan Muslim Hotel are still (currently!) the best we’ve eaten. 

Crispy, crunch, bus munchies!

Crispy fried chip like things and sweets are also essentials for a long train journey. Just outside the produce market, on the street leading towards the train station, are a parade of shops selling perfect train snacks. Displayed in see-through boxes at the front of each store, are a pick and mix of savoury fried goods. Think deconstructed Bombay mix but better. Fried chickpeas, spicy peanuts, garlic chips, herby fried potato all mixed up in a paper bag and sprinkled with salt and chilli. A 100 grams of any combination costs only 100 LKR (£0.24 or $0.28). 

Sold alongside these was an unexpected nostalgia trip. In the past, iced gems were reserved only for birthdays (if you were John at least) but here over sized iced gems were available for year round consumption. Those who wish to survive a long journey with Ellie know they need to pack sweets! We brought 100 grams (again 100 LKR). 

Rice and Curry

Kandy, like every Sri Lankan town or city, has numerous ‘hole in the wall’ rice and curry joints. These tend not to appear on Google or Trip Advisor but we cannot recommend them enough. Please just jump into one of these for a cheap, tasty and filling lunch. To the tourist these places sometimes don’t seem welcoming, and paranoia may have you questioning the hygiene, but get over yourself and get on in them. They are definitely some of the best food we’ve had in the country and places don’t often stay in business by routinely poisoning their patrons. 

P.S. eating with your hands is fun! 

Where to Go for a Drink in Kandy? Nightlife in the City

Kandy didn’t strike us as a “party” town. As dusk fell each evening, the streets seemed to quietly empty with few establishments remaining open. However as you know, we do like a beer after a day exploring, so here’s two places we can definitely recommend.

The Stag’s Head Pub - Map Location

Yes we know… that name…can you get any more British than flying halfway around the world only to go to a pub called the Stag’s Head?!

This pub is not really a pub at all. It is the bar on the top floor of Hotel Casamara. Accessed via a vintage lift, we were ushered out onto a corner balcony with fantastic sunset views across Kandy. This bar is the more expensive of our two recommendations, but was the ideal spot to sink a cold beer whilst watching the sunset. Food is available, as are a variety of cocktails. 

Jellie beer price index: 900 LKR for a large bottle of beer (£2.18 or $2.50). This is the most expensive beer we’ve encountered so far in Sri Lanka.

Royal Bar and Hotel - Map Location

Set in a beautiful colonial building and bedecked in vintage travel posters and paraphernalia we were not quite sure we were classy enough for this establishment (especially after we were escorted past a grand piano in a chandelier lit room). However once seated we were made thoroughly at ease and provided with ice cold beer, free spicy peanuts and a candlelit ambiance. The Royal Bar quickly became our place of choice for a few evening beers. The seating stretched around a gorgeous courtyard as well as an upstairs veranda overlooking the street below. We favoured the veranda seats as we always enjoy a bit of street theatre with our beverages. 

Food and cocktails are available. We didn’t have a main meal here, but thoroughly enjoyed our plate of chips one night (yes we know, playing to stereotypes, but dammit we wanted chips!) and found ourselves frequently jealous of our neighbouring diners. 

At the time of our visits, power cuts were daily and lengthy. The staff at the Royal Bar Hotel were always super helpful and friendly, bringing candelabras and setting up lanterns to illuminate our evening drinks. 

Jellie beer price index: 500 LKR for a large bottle of beer* (£1.21 or $1.39) an absolute bargain for the comfortable and lavish surroundings 

*Please note that we visited this bar in the midst of the economic crisis of 2022 - it certainly didnt look like a backpacker budget bar and it may now have increased its prices!

Final Thoughts on Staying in Kandy

We absolutely loved our time in Kandy and hope this blog gives you some ideas for where to go and what to eat. If you’re travelling around Sri Lanka, Kandy is a transport hub you're sure to find yourself in or at least passing through. Many travellers use it as a starting point for the railway line to Ella, but we’d recommend stopping and having a proper look around. It’s definitely worth it. 

Thanks for reading,

John & Ellie

#adventuresofjellie

Obligatory Jellie selfie taken at the Kandy viewpoint.

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The Train to Kandy - An Unexpected Journey

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Train journeys vary massively in enjoyability, ranging from the insufferable (we’re looking at you London Underground summertime commutes) to the sublime. Sri Lanka is famous for having one the most beautiful journeys in the world - the legendary Kandy to Ella train. After our fun, but crowded and hot journey from Colombo to Negombo, we were not expecting much from our travel day from Colombo to Kandy. The line has not got the fame of its glamorous sister, but it is safe to say we were surprised by what awaited us….

It was finally time to leave Negombo. The elections had come and gone and things had remained (largely) peaceful, so leaving our safe poolside retreat of St Claire’s we set off. Our destination, the ancient capital of Kandy. 

The first problem we encountered was the lack of a train between Negombo and Kandy. Frustratingly, we needed to double back on ourselves and return to Colombo before catching the train through the mountains to Kandy. So resigned to a long, cramped and hot travel day, we slouched off, bags on our backs to Kattuwa railway station. 

We arrived at a nearly empty platform, Kattuwa railway station is hardly Kings Cross! Consisting of a single platform, the station is surrounded by jungle with what appears to be an overgrown line running alongside it. The train tracks themselves seemed to be more popular with local people, goats and occasional Tuk Tuks, than with scheduled trains. However the platform quickly began to fill up with Saturday shoppers, families and commuters waiting for the train to Colombo. Two tickets to Colombo set us back the vast sum of 110 LKR (25p or $0.31).

The bustling Kattuwa railway station

When the train pulled alongside the platform, the usual rugby scrum ensued. Pushed by the currents of the crowd, me and John got separated. I was wedged next to a lovely old lady and her three bags of coconuts (I have no idea how she carried these as they were nearly the same size as her) and when I turned to find John, he was awkwardly half hanging out of the train door using his backpack as an anchor. With us precariously aboard, the train set off bound for Colombo. 

An hour and a half later, our bodies having been tessellated amongst people and produce (John through a combination of yoga poses and gymnastics had managed to get himself more firmly on board), we arrived back in the hustle and bustle of Colombo Fort railway station.

We had about 40 minutes to buy tickets, purchase snacks and find our train. As we’ve mentioned before in our previous post, all ticket counters are easily identifiable with the destinations and classes displayed above the ticket counter window (counter 8 for Kandy). Two second class tickets (500 LKR, £1.16 or $1.39), two bottles of water and some assorted fried snacks later we were ready to board. 

When taking a train in Sri Lanka, all carriages are labelled clearly with what class they are (this was explained to us when we attempted to get on a first class carriage by accident). You can also spot the first class carriages as they are the only carriages without their windows open (due to the air conditioning).

We jumped aboard the correct carriage of our train, luckily it was already waiting in the station on the platform opposite the ticket counters. Due to the heat of the day we wanted to have window or door seats (nothing to do with a desire to take a selfie out of train doors honest!) so we jumped on, stowed our baggage and staked claim to our doorway position. We were surprised by how empty the train was and congratulated ourselves on securing a comfy doorway to lounge in for our 3 hour and 20 minute journey. More fool us…

After leaving Colombo Fort, and for the next hour and a half, each station we stopped at pumped in more and more people, until we were both wedged in a complicated crush of armpits, knees, elbows and various produce. The temperature for the day was also 36 degrees Celsius (96.8 Fahrenheit), things were not looking great.

Thankfully, as we steamed further away from Colombo, we exhaled passengers at each station. Like a lung breathing out, the crush lessened with less and less people boarding the train. Having clung to our doorway position through the tides, we sat down in the open air and finally started to relax into our journey.

With our legs hanging out the carriage, the landscape began to change. The palm trees, farmland and towns fell away as the train climbed higher and higher into the green hills. The line appeared to have been cut directly into the side of the mountains and as it curved and climbed we were treated to increasingly spectacular views. The teenagers next to us brought some rambutan (think a hairy lychee) from a passing seller and instantly offered us some. Generosity on Sri Lankan trains, and public transport in general is amazing, especially when coming from a cold and uptight London. Munching on rambutan the train stopped at a signal station. The line we were on consisted of a single track, and so we patiently waited amongst the greenery and towering trees whilst the signal master manually changed the lines over to let the other train pass by. 

Emboldened by our new teenage friends, we brought some train snacks from a basket wielding seller. For 100 LKR (23p or $0.31) we munched down on crispy, fried spicy little hockey pucks of vegetables. We offered them to our carriage companions but they politely refused, and in a display of lunch one-upmanship pulled out their delicious looking biryani packed lunches. We were offered part of their lunch, as well as two other strangers' lunches that day and even though we were full of fried snacks we were blown away by how hospitable everyone was towards two sweaty English people with oversized backpacks taking up most of the carriage room.   

As we climbed higher, the views from the doorway just kept getting better and better. A sheer drop on our side of the train led to panoramic 180 degree views across breathtaking forests and jungles, all the way to distant hazy mountains. Sat in our doorway, in a constant state of near disbelief, we must have looked a bit like goldfish to our neighbours. Slack jawed and gaping in the face of the surrounding beauty.  

As we pulled into Kadigamuwa railway station, another set of teenagers boarded the train. Phones out and Tik Tok dances aplenty, they were ready to film their new viral video out of the train door. For the next few stations we relinquished our door seat (it was that or become part of the video). Eventually and unbidden, a couple of friendly men pointed out to the Tik Tok teens that they had usurped our space, and if they were quite finished with their video they should give the doorway back to the two tourists who had defended it since Colombo. The unrequested help, and the generosity are frequent occurrences in Sri Lanka, everyone is so eager to help, and are so proud to show off their beautiful country. The Tik Tok teens were full of unnecessary apologies and eagerly pointed out landmarks and waterfalls as the train passed.  

Another high point of the train ride were the tunnels. Without exception, when pulling into the darkness screams, whoops and shouts of encouragement would echo through the tunnel. Then when the train burst back into the light, the carriage would erupt in clapping and cheers. As the tunnels sometimes came every 30-40 seconds this became very funny, as the cheers from the exit of one tunnel would quickly merge with the screams of entering another. 

After its dramatic turns through the mountains, the train descends to follow alongside the Nanu Oya river before pulling into the mountain ringed ancient city of Kandy. Our expectations were low for this journey, as this was a long travel day on an unknown line. We had big bags, and we knew that, due to the ongoing crisis, the train would be exceptionally busy, so we expected a cramped, uncomfortable and hot journey. The train did deliver all of these things, but they were blown out of the water by the beauty of the landscapes, the kindness of perfect strangers and the feeling of freedom as we hung out, feet dangling off of our carriage doorway. We would highly recommend taking this train line as it's a beautiful way to get between Colombo and Kandy. We know there are also buses, some of them faster than the train, but if you have the time, this was a spectacular journey, and one of our favourite travel days we’ve ever had. 

We had now left the coast and Capital behind us and had arrived in Sri Lanka’s green Central Highlands. 

How to Get the Train To Kandy

As we have mentioned, the train to Kandy from Colombo can be booked at the train station. However, reserved seated tickets sell out very fast (it is the Colombo to Ella line after all) Frequently the tickets will sell out shortly after they are posted for sale - around 30 days before departure. For us backpackers we didn’t mind the uncertainty and discomfort of the last minute unreserved ticket but bear in mind we were travelling when there were barely any tourists in the country. Sri Lanka is now open and tourism has picked right up, we would recommend booking in advance with someone like 12Go, it is not 100% guaranteed but it is one of the best ways to get your foot in the door for a reserved seat! Book your ticket here.

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Certain hotels and travel agents may be able to secure you a ticket but be aware of scams and do not rely on last minute bookings!

If you are looking to book the famous train ride from Kandy to Ella in advance make sure you check out Get Your Guide:

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We love journeys, just being moved through a landscape that is not the familiar, is an adventure in itself. Sri Lanka is full of incredible journeys to be made and the Colombo to Kandy train is certainly one of them.

Thank you for reading.

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

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Negombo - Fish, birds and even a snake! Our guide to visiting Negombo, Sri Lanka

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Negombo has the dubious advantage of being the seaside town closest to Sri Lanka’s international airport. Due to its proximity to the airport, it hosts a number of large international hotels, and a strip of shops, bars and restaurants along the seafront. In normal times Negombo seems to be used as a stopping off point either at the start or end of a holiday to Sri Lanka. These however, were not normal times for Sri Lanka. 

Why we came to Negombo

Bags packed and ready to go

The reason we had decamped from Colombo and headed for Negombo was that the results of the parliamentary election were imminently due, and following the flight and resignation of the former President, we were wary that the Capital may see further civil unrest. So cowardly (but probably sensibly), we moved from our lovely hostel in Colombo to a cheap little hotel in Negombo. This move involved our first Sri Lankan train journey and no little amount of stress. 

Getting to Negombo from Colombo

Bundling into a tuk tuk we set off for Colombo Fort railway station. An undignified exit from the tuk tuk later (somehow managing to drop one of our bags in a puddle of oil… yes it was Ellie’s and yes she was delighted) we entered the madness that was the train station. Numbered ticket counters stretched off in all directions. Initially overwhelmed by the people and counter choices, we quickly realised that the destinations were neatly listed above each counter window, as well as the class of tickets available. We also found later that there is a dedicated office in the station to help bewildered tourists. Leaving John with the bags, an intrepid Ellie joined a snaking queue for tickets. Using a combination of mime, sign language and Google maps, two tickets were purchased for the station one stop after Negombo town, Kattuwa. These cost us the heady sum of 80 LKR (£0.18p or $0.22). 

Next was the matter of the platforms. We asked four different guards which platform we needed, and each of them were very sure of their answer. Unfortunately, their answers contradicted each other. With an even two to two split amongst the guards. We now knew it was either platform 1 or platform 2. As the first one told us platform 1, we opted to stand there with an option of a high speed, bag laden waddle if we were wrong. The train pulled in and the chaos began. We had brought third class tickets (we’re not sure if there were any other classes available) and as the train arrived and before it had even stopped moving, people began to leap aboard, piling on coconuts, bicycles, children, elderly relatives and possibly the kitchen sink. Fighting our British urge to stand in an orderly queue (and definitely miss the train) we deployed our elbows and managed to stuff ourselves and our bags into a carriage. Once aboard, the mood changed entirely, everyone was super friendly and very polite. Rearranging themselves and their goods in the carriage so that everyone had a little space. When a family with a baby couldn’t get to a seat, the baby was passed over our heads and was made comfortable on a stranger's lap. The train departed Colombo and trundled through its long commuter route to Kattuwa. An hour and half later and with a much emptier train, we arrived. 

If the above isnt appealing to you and you want to pre arrange a bus from either Colombo or the Airport, you can do this in advance with 12GO.

Negombo - Out of Season

Arriving in Negombo we could tell this was not the normal tourist season. Out of season, the sea on the western coast is very rough so the beach had no swimmers. At the best of times Negombo would have been out of season, but with the ongoing financial crisis, civil unrest and governments advising against travel, Negombo was eerily quiet.

Our cosy little hotel

Our hotel was small but with a nice swimming pool and a lovely family running it. Initially we thought we had the whole place just to ourselves, but mid afternoon on our first day we were joined by a fellow traveller from the Netherlands. 

There may have beer one or two of these too many

Sometimes on a trip you need an external force to push you into action, and our new companion was definitely that. We all quickly signed up for a tour of Negombo’s famous fish market and lagoons for the next day. Decision made, we all decided it was high time for a beer and so headed for the Rodeo bar in town. Many beers later, we stumbled home well past midnight. Arriving back, the owner advised we would need to switch rooms, as a colony of ants had taken over our bathroom. It dawned on us now, even through our beer-addled brains, that our 5am alarm would sound in a distressingly short amount of time.

Negombo Fish Market

Like a bad dream, it seemed we had only just laid our heads down when the alarm started playing. Groggily and with slightly sore heads, we emerged from our room, collected our fellow traveller and met our tour guide. John has often maintained that 5am is a silly time and should not be allowed to exist, but the reason for our early morning wake up was simple: the fish market is only active in the very early hours. As our little minivan (there were only three of us and the guide) pulled into the market all thoughts of hangovers evaporated. Our senses were flooded by the sights and smells of a fish market in full swing. We realise that this is hard to make sound attractive but it was actually amazing. Our guide walked us round the market, passing by sharks, enormous tuna and machete wielding fishmongers. He weaved us about, pointing out interesting sights without us ever feeling like we were in anyone's way. Watching ships come in and the frenzied bidding over catches whilst the sun was only just starting to rise is a memory we will keep forever. It's hard to make a fish market sound cool, but we do urge any travellers no matter the hangover, no matter the early wake up, to go and see this. 

After the fish market we were driven to a beach on the coast. This was not a beach for sunbathing or rather it was, but only if you were a dead fish. Tarpaulins were laid out across the sand and seemed to stretch for miles. We had arrived at the fish drying beach. The smell was… intense! We wandered along past seemingly abandoned huts to the seafront where a group of men were bloodily, but efficiently gutting fish in preparation for drying. Our Dutch friend displaying a confidence we can only dream of, wandered up to the lead guy and asked if she could have a go with his knife. After gutting a few fish and washing her hands very thoroughly we moved on. 

The Dutch Fort at Negombo

Close to the fish drying beach, the nearby Dutch fort had been repurposed into a prison. Again taking a path we would not have dared without our guide, we clambered up onto the old clock tower looking over the fort/prison. Granite and coral stone seem as effective at keeping prisoners in as they had keeping invaders out in the past. With the sun now up, and the wild flowers open around us we made our way to our next destination. 

Angurukaramulla Temple

We pulled into a beautiful and ornate Buddhist temple. Entering through a sculptured  open mouth of a lion, we wandered through the temple admiring towering statues and colourful murals. This was when Ellie spotted the snake.

Ellie: “What’s that?”

John: “Just a bit of rope”

Ellie: “Ropes don’t normally move” 

Intrepid Dutch traveller: “SNAKE!” 

We quickly shifted route to avoid “snake corner”, John’s confidence that it was more scared of us than we were of it, not translating into any desire to get any closer to our slithery friend. Outside our guide was mildly surprised but reassured us that it was almost certainly a rat snake and was absolutely no danger to us. 

Danger Noodle

Birdwatching on the Dutch Canals

Our final stop of the morning was the Dutch canal and lagoons. Pulling up into a sleepy canalside village, we all hopped into a little green boat and set off.

The canal and neighbouring lagoon have an abundance of wildlife. Within moments of leaving dry land our guide pointed out an enormous monitor lizard lounging on the shoreline. Birds including herons, storks, cormorants and at least three different types of kingfishers, flitted by whilst our boat put putted along. We passed riverside homes with people tending to livestock or washing in the lagoon, seemingly abandoned hotels, and children cycling and waving along the canal's edge. It was a wonderful experience, and it may just be the hangover speaking but it was very chilled out and relaxing. We are not natural bird watchers (as you can see here) but would definitely recommend a journey around the canal and lagoons. Tour complete and having seen more kingfishers in two hours than we had seen in our entire lives, we returned back to our hotel. 

Exploring Negombo on Foot

As we mentioned we were in Negombo out of season and in the midst of a financial crisis. Lots of things in the town were closed and after our tour, we were unsure what else was on offer. Because of this, we resorted to our default pastime. We picked a direction (in this case right along the main coast road) and wandered off. We appreciate there are probably places where aimless wandering could be unwise or unsafe, but for us it has always been our favourite way to get to know a place (other than maybe food). We quickly left behind the strip of bars, hotels and restaurants catered for tourists and found ourselves in what may as well have been a different country. It's always a danger when you’re at a “tourist zone” that you forget that it is set up and run pretty much exclusively for your own needs. A place like Negombo’s tourist strip therefore might not be truly reflective of the country. As we left the resorts, we passed roadside fish sellers, selling this morning's catch sourced from the market we’d been at hours before. Local fruit vendors with more types of bananas than we’ve ever seen lined the road, children greeted us and waved from bicycles, whilst goats wandered on by. Passing a large mosque we turned inland and doubled back along a backstreet. This article has been full of things that are hard to make sound cool, but a wander along a sleepy town's backstreets really is worth it. If not for your own experience of a place, then just for the look of surprise from an old man selling samosas when they look up and see the pasty brigade ordering from him. 

If your looking to arrange a guided tour in advance check out the GetYourGuide tour here which takes you to the Dutch Canals and Lagoon, or you could have a Colombo tour here or even go further afield - check out some more options below!

Where to Stay Hotels in Negombo

we stayed at the lovely St Claire’s Green to the north of Negombo. Negombo offers a plethora of Hotel options from the High end to the ultra budget. Check out our handy map below that shows all the accommodation choices in Negombo:

Negombo makes for a sensible place to start or end a Sri Lankan holiday. If it is the correct season at least! Even though we were backpacking, even though we visited in exactly the wrong season, even though we were running away from a possible bubble of political trouble in Colombo, we loved Negombo. The natural beauty and wildlife of the canals were amazing and the fish marked was an unforgettable experience!

Thanks for reading. 

John & Ellie x 

#adventuresofjellie

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