On the 8th May, whilst I sat on a plane bound for Sri Lanka, my little blog turned three. I had intended to write and publish something to mark the ‘occasion’, but as you may (or may not) have noticed, I’ve been very quiet on here recently.
Over the last few months I’ve had a lot going on at work (day job), been super busy setting up my ‘This is Kenya’ Tour (it’s gonna be amazing!) and also in my personal life. Sometimes life just gets in the way of blogging!
Having some time out in Sri Lanka was just what I needed to get my mind and body back on track. It had been almost 9 months since I’d strapped on my backpack and I needed a proper break! Flights to Sri Lanka were cheap and from what I knew of the country, it sounded like the ideal place for me.
Gray langur monkeys in front of Sigiriya Rock.
Sri Lanka was everything I hoped it would be and more. I loved everything about it, well almost everything…
Galle Lighthouse.
The Things I Loved About Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean, just south of India. After spending a couple of weeks there I found it to be an amazingly diverse country with everything you could want from a destination.
The Sri Lankan people are just lovely
I don’t think I’ve been anywhere in the world, where the people have been so genuinely warm, welcoming and just downright nice, like really, really nice. Living in the UK, you rarely get a smile from any stranger walking down the street, but in Sri Lanka, everyone is ready with a little hello!
Akila and I sharing the train doorway.
My favourite memory was meeting a lady called Akila on the train from Kandy to Ella. She was on a big family holiday and we shared the doorway of the train, our legs hanging over the edge. It was her first time taking this train too and we were both excited and chatting about the view, laughing as we pulled ourselves in to avoid hitting the oncoming bridges and whooping as we went over rickety bridges. She introduced me to everyone she was with and if you look below, that’s her sister-in-law poking her head out of the other train door!
The food is AMAZING
Sri Lankan food is OUT. OF. THIS. WORLD!!!!
Everywhere you go, you’ll find delicious food, often seafood pulled straight from the Indian Ocean and curries made with the freshest natural ingredients and accompanied by rice of course. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, you’ll have no shortage of choices like my favourites – potato curry, garlic curry and dhal. I’m not vegetarian, but I often opted for the veggie option.
Coconut features heavily in Sri Lankan food and I think coconut milk is my new favourite ingredient! And despite eating a lot whilst I was there, I actually think I’d lost a bit of weight towards the end of the trip because of the unprocessed food!
Sri Lankan curries with a King Coconut on the side.
Spices play an important part in Sri Lankan cooking and in Ayurveda medicine, the traditional form of medicine on the island. The spices all have unique properties, for instance, Sri Lankans use different types of curry powder, dependent on what ingredients are in the dish. They use plain curry powder for vegetable dishes and roasted curry powder for meat and garlic – the roasted powder helps with digestion – who knew? If you go on a spice tour or take a cookery class, they’ll tell you what’s what!
As well as seafood and curries, you also need to try rotti, kotthu and my favourite, egg hoppers and pol sambol! For a refreshing drink try King Coconut or fresh lime juice – the latter sure has a kick! And if you’re looking for something stronger, I am partial to an Arrack (coconut whiskey) and ginger ale! Also known as a Sri Lankan Special. The local beer is Lion lager, but the bottles were too big for me to finish one usually.
Freshly prepared egg hoppers.
It’s just… beautiful
Flying in to Sri Lanka, the air was a bit misty, but all I could see was a sea of green surrounded by white coastline.
I had expected palm trees and beaches, but I didn’t expect it to be so lush and green and hilly as far as the eye could see! It was monsoon season, so we didn’t even see it in all of it’s sunny, azure blue water and peachy sunset glory, yet it was still stunning!
The beaches were gorgeous, if a little windswept from the monsoon.
Mirissa Beach.
But the part of the country that I loved the most, was the hill town of Ella in the Central Highlands. I could have stayed there for a lot longer than we did, even if it rained almost constantly! My friend Sasha and I hiked up to the top of Ella Rock and the views from the top were incredible.
Halfway up Ella Rock.
The train journeys are epic
There are many train routes to take all over Sri Lanka, so what better way to enjoy all that gorgeous scenery than from the open window (or door) of a train – health and safety nightmare really, but one of my best ever travel experiences.
Who needs a seat when you have the doorway?
Trains are frequent, comfortable and a really cheap way to get around. The Kandy to Ella train journey is named as one of the world’s most beautiful train journeys and I can concur. Sit back and watch Sri Lanka go by – you won’t be disappointed.
Beautiful views from the train.
You can always get a good cup of tea
You’ve probably heard of Ceylon tea but not really known what it means. Well Ceylon is the former name of Sri Lanka, which happens to be the 4th biggest producer of tea in the world! Us British just love our tea, so any country where I don’t have to go cold turkey gets my vote.
Perfect tea growing country.
If you’re interested to see how the tea is made, you can take a tour of one of the many tea plantations.
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