4 Day Weekend

I’ve said this before, and this wouldn’t be the last time; I love being in the tourism industry because I get to travel and experience a variety of things all the time. A few weeks ago, I had to check out some hotels down south and on the East Coast. So I planned a four day weekend where I would travel along the south coast, cut across to the east coast and end up in the jungle. 

Ever since the Southern Expressway opened up, I haven’t been taking the coastal route down south because it takes 3 times as long to get to Galle. But I do miss the old road, which is much more scenic and interesting. Day one on my four day weekend wasn’t too exciting because I had a lot of hotels, villas and bungalows to inspect along the way. Some were horrible, some were mediocre and some were very interesting because of their great locations, unusual architecture and unique interior. I find that most of the beach hotels and villas that I visit have a very similar design and theme. That is why I love it when I find ones that are a complete contrast to the norm.  I also got to see some nice private beaches that day. One of those that stood out was the beach in front of Villa Maggona [a very comfortable and private villa with great staff]. It was a wide stretch of beach and there were no other people to be seen. It was the kind of beach you see pictures of in glossy travel magazines.

The Beach front at Villa Maggona

The poolside at Roman Lake

Roman Beach poolside in Hikkaduwa

The bar at Roman Beach

The living area at Tamarind Hill

The bar at Tamarind Hill

Day two of my 4 day weekend was far more interesting. We drove from Tissamaharama to Arugambay via Monaragala. The road was amazing. It’s one of my favourite drives in Sri Lanka. There were hardly any other vehicles on the road and the lush jungle on either side made us feel as if we were on safari! We even got to stop and watch an elephant that was peacefully having his breakfast on the side of the road. Although it had been a rainy couple of days the sky was a bright blue with fluffy white clouds scattered across it. 

The empty road and the crisp blue sky

The elephant we saw on the way

A very scenic route

Another interesting feature on this stretch of road is the migration of butterflies towards Adam’s Peak. This occurs at the start of the Adam’s Peak pilgrimage season which goes on from December to May. This mountain, the tallest in Sri Lanka is also known as Samanala Kanda [Butterfly Mountain] because of the thousands of butterflies that make their way towards it during the season. On our drive to Arugambay, we saw hundreds of butterflies crossing the road and flitting towards the hill country as well as dozens of small birds waiting on the other side of the road to swoop down and grab a quick and easy butterfly snack.

We got to Arugambay in time for lunch at one of the small restaurants on the ‘A-bay Stretch’, a small surfing village version of the Vegas Stretch! It is a little known fact that Arugambay is one of the world’s top 10 surf spots. It is a gem, hidden away from the spotlight with an amazing beach and great surf vibe. The surf season starts at around June and goes on till around the end of September. This is the best time to be there as the small town is alive and buzzing with surfing enthusiasts from all over the world. Alternatively, if you visit during the off-season, you would find a quiet town that waits with baited breath, counting down the days till the season comes around again. There would still be plenty to see however because the area is also popular for wildlife and bird watching. Unfortunately our afternoon on the beach was dampened because of the rain and we couldn’t even take a dip in the sea.

A-bay Beach

A surf shop and our lunch spot on the stretch

A few surfers were still around even though the season was over

The next day, we had delicious hot paratas for breakfast and a tea made with condensed milk at a small restaurant on the side of the road called Makkal Hotel [not really a hotel!] in Pottuvil and made our way back towards Tissa.

The guy who made our tea and the parata guy at Makkal Hotel

The front view of our breakfast stop and our yummy breakfast

Which way to Monaragala again?!

After checking out a few more hotels in the area, we made our way towards Yala National Park and got into the Kulu Safaris Jeep that took us to our luxury campsite inside the park. The weather wasn’t that great when we were on safari that afternoon and even though we got thoroughly soaked, we didn’t give up and head back to camp. Instead we soldiered on; keeping an eye out for whatever animal that would cross our path. I was hoping to see a sloth bear, because I have not encountered one in years. But we seemed to be out of luck as all we saw that day were a few elephants, wild boars, buffalo, some birds and leopard pad marks.

The pool at Chaaya Wild, Yala

The view from a cabin at Chaaya Wild

Our Kulu Safaris camp site

Lunch, luxury camping style!

Leopard pad marks

Baby, it's a wild world

I wasn’t disappointed though, because the campsite, the food and being in the wild made up for what I missed out on while on safari. Just being outdoors is enough to get me excited and think about how it really is a wild world out there….

 

My kind of Sunday

Unawatuna and Galle

In the past year, my friends and I have been heading down to Galle often because it now only takes an hour thanks to the Southern Expressway which opened up in November last year. The decision to go is usually a last minute one made on a late Saturday night with a little extra push that comes from being in our ‘happy place’!

So as the sun rises the next day, our beach bags, packed with the essentials [Frisbee, shorts and a towel!] are thrown into the boot of the car and our extremely essential food bag full of crisps, cheese rings, peanuts, chocolate fingers and whatever else that catches our eye at the supermarket, is placed carefully in the best accessible-to-everyone spot inside the car, as we set off usually by around 10.30.

Although the highway is a quick and easy drive down to Galle, I do miss the scenic route we used to take along the coast where we would stop every now and again to have some thambili [king coconut water] and enjoy the view. We now also miss out on the delicious mangosteens that are sold in Kalutara, the masks and wood carvings that Ambalangoda is famous for and the turtle hatcheries in Hikkaduwa.

 

The quick route

We pass Galle and head straight to Unawatuna, down the Wella Devalay Road, where the sea is the best. Although there isn’t much beach area in Unawatuna anymore, the sea [especially between November and April] is that gorgeous blue that you tend to only see on postcards. All along the beach there are lots of different restaurants and bars serving amazingly refreshing drinks and everything from club sandwiches and fries to Rice and curry. We go to our usual spot, which is almost at the centre of the bay and find a table. If you’ve read my other entries on this blog, you know that I love the sea and won’t waste much time before I run in…! After a nice long dip in the sea, we relax with some drinks in the shade, order some lunch and then either play with the Frisbee, go for a walk or go back in the sea until the food arrives…! 

A walk along the beach

As the light starts to fade, we get changed and grab a quick cheese roti [because, according to the menu, “a roti a day keeps the doctor away”!!!] before we make our way to the Galle Fort.

  

Nuff Said...!

Entering the Galle Fort is like walking into a place where time has stood still. It’s a completely different world inside, where the architecture is heavily colonial. The combination of the cobbled streets, the buildings with arches and verandas, the cosy coffee shops, the antique stores, the old churches and even the street names inside the Fort are a striking contrast to the world outside. Its charm is enough to make even an uninterested teenager look up from their mobile phone or portable gaming device and be captivated.

A whole different world...!

The Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was initially built by the Portuguese in 1524 but it was seized by the VOC [the ‘Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie’, better known as the ‘Dutch East India Company’] in 1640 when they attacked from the sea side. The VOC then developed the fort by building bigger stone walls not only on the land side but on the sea side as well. These ramparts are twenty meters high and seventeen meters thick and they go on for 3 kilometres around the perimeter of the Fort. This ensured that the citadel was never taken by force again. The VOC then handed over control to the British in 1798 when Sri Lanka fell under the British Rule. The main gate is one of the additions to the Fort by the British who were more interested in trade and tourism than in improving the defences.

There are many land mark buildings inside the Fort, bearing evidence of the successive rules the Fort has been under. The Dutch built Courthouse cornering the Court Square, surrounded by large mara and banyan trees is still in operation today along with the Lighthouse and the Clock Tower which were erected by the British during their rule. Other interesting attractions inside the Galle Fort include the Meera Jumma Mosque and the Dutch Reformed Church.

The lighthouse built by the British

As I Walk through the streets in the Galle Fort I am always completely mesmerised by the buildings, the architecture and the thought of so many different cultures and ethnicities developing, converging and clashing over decades.

A great place to wander around and stop for a chat!

We make it in time to the ramparts to watch the sun setting on the horizon. It is amazing how a colourful setting sun can silence a large noisy bunch like us. We then head to Pedlar’s Inn for some milkshakes and iced coffee before we head back home. A perfect way to end a perfect day.

 

Watching the sunset in silence

  

Peddler's Inn for a quick iced coffee