The best spots to watch the Sunrise and Sunset in Sri Lanka

It’s been super rainy the last few months in Sri Lanka, so I decided to dedicate this post to the sun! It’s not often that one interrupts their busy schedule to appreciate a good sunrise or sunset…  but when the stars align and you are at the right place at the right time, a bright and colourful sunset is a captivating moment.

Here are a few spots around the Sri Lanka where you have the chance to witness an exceptional rise or setting of the sun. Don’t forget to add these to your travel bucket list!

Adam’s Peak

Adam’s Peak, also known as ‘Samanala Kanda’ [butterfly mountain] is a mountain that is known for the ‘Sri Pada’, the sacred footprint. The climb is most often done in the night time to avoid the midday heat. You would start at around 10 PM so that you reach the top in time to get a cloud’s view of the sunrise which is nothing short of breath-taking. Check out this time lapse video and imagine how it’d be to see it first-hand…!

Sigiriya

The view from the top of Sigiriya Rock, where King Kassapa built his fortress is gorgeous enough as it is… add an amazing sunset and you’ve got perfection!

View of the sunset from on top of Sigiriya Rock

Jaffna

You don’t need great seas and mountains to make a beautiful sunset… watching it go down over Palmyra palms is more than satisfying…

The sun setting over Palmyra Palms

Galle Face

Galle Face in Colombo is a popular place for the romantics to cuddle up and watch the sun set over the horizon. Whether is it from the terrace at Galle Face Hotel, on the pier at Galle Face Green or from the steps of the Buck Light House, everyone shares the same remarkable view…!

Watching the sunset from the Galle Face Green Pier...

Arugambay

Arugambay, one of the best beaches for surfing in the world is a good spot to watch the sunrise as well. Although you need to wake up early to see it, you won’t be alone because the surfers rise early to catch the best waves at dawn.

An Abay Sunrise!

Galle Fort

The Fort, an enchanting attraction in Galle, with its heavily Dutch influenced architecture takes you back in time to when the country was under the Dutch rule. Watching the sunset from the top of the Ramparts it a definite ‘must-do’.

Sunset from the Ramparts

Trincomale and Passikudah

The East Coast Beaches are among the best places to watch the sun rise while swimming in the sea…

Sunrise over the infinite pool at Maalu Maalu Resort in Passikudah

Marine Drive and Mount Lavinia Beach

These two options on the West Coast are perfect for the sunsets too!

Mount Lavinia Hote and the sunset

Ella Gap

Ella gap is a very picturesque sight… Adding a Sunrise into the mix makes it a thousand times better…!

Sunrise over Ella Gap

The 10 best Hotels for Honeymooners in Sri Lanka

I’m at that point in my life when so many of my friends are getting married and planning their honeymoons… So a question I get asked often is ‘where is the best place to go on honeymoon?’ Personally, I think it’ll be just as amazing to travel around Sri Lanka as it is to go abroad… and cheaper too!

So here’s a list of my top 10 personal picks in Sri Lanka for honeymooners:

Ulagalla

This by far is hands down the most amazing hotel that I’ve been to in Sri Lanka. Located in Thirippane, close to the ancient city of Anuradhapura, Ulagalla has a traditional vibe mixed with modern comforts. Each villa room is hidden away and offers a panoramic view of the surrounding greenery. It also comes with a living room area, a deck and your own private plunge pool…!!!

The oil lamp that you light as you check in...

The villa, the deck and the plunge pool

Maya

A touch less extravagant when compared to Ulagalla, Maya is located in a little town called Beliatta which is close to Tangalle. It is on this list because of its simple and elegant charm. It is a beautifully restored old colonial style bungalow that is a great place to just relax and enjoy the breeze… The large garden at Maya ends with a paddy field… so it looks like the garden is endless…!

One of the lounge areas

The infinite garden...

Tea, cake and a light breeze = perfection.

Hunas Falls

This one’s the most popular hotel for Sri Lankan Honeymooners! A soon to be 'Small Luxury Hotel', the main attractions at Hunas Falls is the cosy weather, the scenery and the waterfall hidden behind the hotel… It’s located close to Kandy but away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It’s perfect for nature lovers…

The waterfall...

How about a romantic boat ride?

Aditya

If the beach is what you’ve got your eye on, Aditya Resort in Galle is what I’d recommend…! Each Suite at Aditya has it’s own unique layout and décor… and of course, they all have private plunge pools…!

A private plunge pool with an amazin view!

One of the suites...

Kandy House

The Kandy House is a 200-year-old manor house which was built by the last Chief Minister of the Kandyan Kingdom. It was restored to become an award winning boutique hotel that maintains its old school elegance but with modern comfort for guests.

Old school elegance...

The infinite pool...

Jetwing Vil Uyana

A property that’s similar to Ulagalla, Vil Uyana also has chalet type rooms called dwellings that are on stilts and placed within paddy fields. Each of them have private plunge pools as well. Whether you call it eco-living or rural simplicity… Vil Uyana is an ideal place for your honeymoon!

A dwelling on stilts...

Warwick Gardens

Another property done by Jewting Hotels, Warwick Gardens takes you back to the colonial era when the British Planters used to run the tea estates…  This very cosy property in located close to Nuwara Eliya and is surrounded by tea estates and lush mountains. The view is amazing.

The living area

The cozy bedroom

The view from the garden

The Wallawwa

Located very close to the Katunayake airport, the Wallawwa is ideal for your first day in Sri Lanka to rest after a long flight. This too is an old colonial home with a modern twist. My favourite feature is the pool!

The poolside at the Wallawwa

Leopard Safaris

This one is a very different option to the others on the list. Leopard Safaris provides luxury tented camping in the jungle. If you want a unique honeymoon, this is what I’d suggest! They offer two campsites, one at the Yala National Park and the other at the Wilpattu National Park. It is a truly exceptional experience.

Dining under the stars at the Campsite

Tamarind Hill

This is one of my all-time favourites…! Yet another old colonial manor house turned boutique hotel in Galle, Tamarind Hill is so relaxed and airy with its open spaces and its lovely courtyard…

The living area

The courtyard - my favourite!

As usual, I had to cut down my list of around 20 hotels to the top 10 so as to not bore you! So don’t limit yourself to this list… there are many other good properties out there. These are just my personal favourites!

If you’re planning on having your honeymoon in Sri Lanka, get in touch and I’ll help you out!

Can you Curry it??!

Inspired by Buzzfeed’s ‘Can you waffle it?’ video, I thought it would be fun to do a post titled ‘can you curry it?’…!

As you already know, there are so many different types of curries that we make… there’s a curry for almost every food type. So here’s a list of the stranger things we’ve turned into curries… How many did you already know about?!

1) Onion Curry

Literally, a curry made out of onions! Here’s what’s weirder… I have it with waffles sometimes – promise me that you’d try it one day… waffles, onion curry and cheese…!! It sounds weird… but it’s just. So. Good.

2) Tomato Curry

This one’s very similar to the onion curry… but obviously, using tomatoes instead of onions!!

Tomato Curry!

3) Mango

This one’s called ‘Amba-Maalu’ in Sinhalese… where Amba means mango and maalu means fish. Why fish you ask?! Because back in the day, when people from the midlands didn’t have access to fish, they used to curry other things like they would make a fish curry to make do for the lack of fish!

Mango Curry

4) Root of a Lotus Flower

This one’s called ‘Nelum Ala’ which translates to ‘lotus potato’… and yup, we curry it!

'Nelum Ala'

5) Garlic Curry

Because we hate vampires!

Garlic Curry

6) Sausage or meatball…

Similar to a meatball marinara… but not really!

Meatball Curry...

7) Omelette Curry

Yes, we sometimes make omelettes, cut them into strips and curry it!

Omelette Curry

8) Cucumber Curry

We make this at home all the time!

Cucumber Curry...

9) Cashew Nut Curry…

As predicted, a curry made out of cashew nuts!

Cashew nut Curry

10) Banana Flower

It’s not really a curry, but ‘Kesel Muwa’ is a popular dish in Sri Lanka…

 

'Kesel Muwa'

Top 10 fruits to try in Sri Lanka

Yes, it’s just as you suspected… Here’s yet another blog post about food! Perhaps I should call myself a food blogger instead of a travel blogger?! I am after all, a big time foodie… and food is what I think about most of the time! But that’s a thought for another time. This time’s blog, though very similar to my post in July about the top ten foods to try, specializes in fruits. This is mostly because I couldn't fit everything I loved eating into one general food post! Sure enough, there will be more to follow!

As usual, the following is in no particular order. So here goes:

1) Banana

 I know what you’re thinking, you've had bananas… you get them in your country… it’s no big deal. But it is in fact a HUGE deal for us Sri Lankans! They are so much tastier here. If you don’t take my word for it, here’s a quote from a fellow blogger from England, Emily Jenkinson:

“I’ve just got back from a two week holiday in Sri Lanka and am already missing its bananas, which are out-and-out, no contest, the best goddamn bananas I have ever eaten, anywhere, ever. Full stop. Amen. In fact, before visiting Sri Lanka, I don’t think I’d ever really eaten a proper banana, just mere imitations of them: under-ripe, over-refrigerated, no-life-left-in-them apologies for bananas which (I realise now) must have little nutritional value and certainly no taste to speak of”.

http://theladybites.co.uk/2012/12/sri-lankan-bananas-im-bananas-for-them/

You can find over 20 different types of bananas in Sri Lanka and they all have different colours, sizes and tastes. My personal favourites [and the most popular and widely available] varieties are the Ambul and the Kolikuttu.

 Bananas for bananas!

2) Mango

Like bananas, there are many different types of Mangoes in Sri Lanka. Some smaller than the palm of your hand and some as big as papaya! The star mango that is everyone’s favourite [including mine] is the sweet and juicy Karthakolamban Mango that is endemic to Jaffna, a city in the North of Sri Lanka. You should also definitely try raw mango seasoned with salt and chilli powder. It is a popular street food in Sri Lanka.

Each pile is a different variety of Mango

                                                                                            

3) Rambutan

Some of my earliest childhood memories include the Rambutan tree that we have in our garden. I can still remember very clearly how my grandmother used to sit out in the balcony holding on to a string that was attached to a noise maker on the tree that was rung to scare away the squirrels who came to eat the not-yet-ripened fruits. I also remember my father plucking the ripe Rambutan from the balcony and from our neighbour’s roof! After we plucked all of them, we used to sit out on the grass in the garden eating Rambutan’s.

It’s a small red hairy fruit that tastes similar to lychees, but better! They are found in abundance during the months of June, July and August.

Freshly picked Rambutans

4) Mangosteen

I know I’m probably losing my credibility by saying that everything is my favourite, but they really are! Mangosteens are a wonderful fruit that are in season the same time as Rambutans.

Tip: don't get any on you clothes...! It stains!

5) Papaya

Papaya or Papaw is another ‘everyday’ type of fruit for Sri Lankans that is in season all year round. This juicy and nutritious fruit was even dubbed ‘the fruit of the angels’ by Christopher Columbus.

6) Pineapple

Here’s another one that’s delicious. Like raw mangos, it goes well with salt and chilli… a mixture which only the street vendors can perfect!

Stacked up and waiting to be eaten!

7) Jambu

Also known as Roseapple, Jambu is also another home garden type fruit that you don’t find the market very often. It goes well with salt and chilli too! If you haven’t already noticed, we Sri Lankans love to put chilli on everything!!

A friend of mine with a bowl of
freshly picked jambu mixed with salt and chilli!

8) Woodapple

This hard on the outside, mushy on the inside fruit is a rare find. People often blend it and make it into a runny pudding and have it with vanilla ice cream… yum! It’s also something that’s loved by elephants!

9) Duriyan

Duriyan is one of my least favourite fruits. It’s like Marmite… either you love it, or you hate it! The skin of the fruit has a very strong stink that can be smelled from a distance! But the creamy centre is what is relished by Duriyan lovers like my dad [and my dogs!]. This has around the same seasonality as Rambutan and Mangosteen. I’m not going to guarantee that you’ll like it, but it’s something that you should definitely try.

10) Soursop and Custard Apple

Although the two above are different fruits, they come from the same Graviola [atha] family, so I have grouped them together to ensure that my list doesn’t go beyond ten like it did the last time! Famed for its cancer prevention properties, Graviolas have a soft but seedy centre. Soursop and Custard Apple taste different to each other though, so make sure you try them both!

  

Soursup Fruit

Custard Apple

That concludes my top ten. A few fruits that were close to being a part of this list were avocado, pomegranate, jack fruit, amberella, passion fruit and Sri Lankan pear.  As always, you shouldn’t limit yourself to this list… venture out and try as many different things as you possibly can!

The Kandy Esala Perahera

This post isn’t sufficient to give you a good picture of what this Perahera is really like. I have tried my hardest to describe it to you as best I can, but it will never compare to witnessing this majestic event first hand. A ‘Perahera’ is a religious procession and the Kandy Esala Perahera is the biggest and most popular one in Sri Lanka. It is held in July and August. This year, I was lucky enough to join a group of my clients to view the Perahera from the Lake view balcony at the Queens Hotel. This is the best spot to view this colourful procession as you have an unobstructed view of the procession leaving the gates of the ‘Dalada Maligawa’ [the Temple of the Tooth Relic] in Kandy.

It is not just the procession that you will find fascinating; it is the crowd as well. Thousands of people come as early as they can and find the best possible spot on the pavement on the route of the Perahera and sit there until it’s over. In his book ‘Ceylon History in Stone’ when talking about the Kandy Perahera, R. Raven-Hart wrote: “for me, the most wonderful part of it is the crowd. I have never seen such a happy and considerate crowd, passing women and children to the front, waiting for hours in contented patience”.

The crowd awaiting the Perahera

Although now it is predominantly a Buddhist procession, at the beginning it was a Hindu festival that celebrated the Dewala Gods. The festival lasts for 15 days. The Dewala Peraheras are held on the first five nights. They take place inside the four Dewalas; Natha, Vishnu, Katharagama and Pattini. The next five nights consist of the Kumbal Perahera which is then followed by five nights of the Randoli Perahera which is bigger. The festival ends with the ‘Diya Kapeema’ or water cutting ceremony and the Day-Perahera. If you’re planning to watch this magnificent parade (and you should definitely add it to your bucket list), I suggest you try and make it for one of the Kumbal or Randoli Peraheras.

A loud cannon is shot to inform the city of Kandy of the start of the procession. From this point, the roads are closed and the path is cleared (and washed) for the procession and the crowd settles and eagerly awaits the parade in silence. It is led by whip crackers who can be heard from miles away. This is done to clear the path and to inform spectators that the procession is nearing. A surge of excitement ran down my spine when I first heard the niyanda-fibre whips being sounded. They finally came into view about fifteen minutes from the first time I heard them. They were followed by fire dancers and Buddhist flag bearers.

The whip crackers in action

The Fire dancers

Fire stunts

Flag Bearers

The first elephant then follows, ridden by the ‘Peramuna Rala’, the front official, dressed in traditional attire and carrying an Ola Book in his hands. It used to be a royal warrant for the procession, but now, it is a list of the Temple lands and service tenures.

The Front Official behind the sword bearers.

He was followed by several groups of Kandian drummers and dancers, elephants of all sizes dressed in colourful, lit up and heavily embellished cloaks and other dancers and flag bearers.

Kandian Drummers

Decorated Elephants

Balancing spinning disks on sticks

Ancient martial arts fighter dancers

Then, the Maligawa Tusker carrying the Sacred Tooth Relic on its back rounded the corner and was followed by the ‘Diyawadana Nilame’, the lay custodian in charge of the relic and the whole procession. This ends the ‘Maligawa’ part of the Perahera.

The Maligawa Tusker and the Sacred Tooth Relic

 

The Diyawadana Nilame

The next four parts of the Perahera were for the four dewalas; Natha, Vishnu, Katharagama and Pattini, each with its own collection of drummers, dancers, elephants, relics and ‘Basnayake Nilames’ (lay custodians for the Dewalas).

The Perahera begins at an auspicious time between 6 PM and 8 PM and ends at around 10.30 PM. Another interesting feature of it is that people of all ages take part. You can see small kids, around 7 or 8 years old dancing with fire batons as well as old men taking part in the very active and fast Kandian Dance routines. Another unique feature of the Kandy Esala Perahera is that only men are a part of the procession except for the Pattini Dewala part which has women, because the Hindu Deity, ‘Pattini Amma’ was a woman.

Kawadi Dancers in the Dewala portion of the Perahera

The youngest firedancer

Like I mentioned before, I have not done justice to this event as the parade and the feelings you experience while watching it such as the build-up and the anticipation as well as the marvel, can’t be put in to words. It is something that is indescribable. This post in essence is a teaser that aims to make you want to experience it for yourself!