Where do we go in January so that we can spend a few days away from Delhi’s bitter cold. The choice was between Kaziranga, which we felt would be a long and tiring trip, and Sri Lanka which was easier to access and seemed interesting enough. So Sri Lanka it was. Planning had begun quite a few weeks in advance, we had contacted a Sri Lankan Travel and Tour Agency – Olanka Travels – with whom we discussed and finalised our itinerary during which we would spend 10 days in Sri Lanka. We realized it would be impossible to cover the entire country in that short period, but we would be happy to do what we could, at our pace, without stress and without exhausting ourselves.
An early morning 5am non-stop Sri Lankan Airlines flight from Delhi to Colombo meant we had no sleep that night as we needed to be at the airport by 2am. Flying Business Class, check-in was smooth as was the priority immigration and security. We relaxed in the Encalm Lounge, and had breakfast there before we boarded. The flight and the inflight service was commendable and we even managed a short nap on the flight. We landed at about 0830, the day was just beginning, and we collected our bags and headed for the Dialog counter from where we picked up two Local SIMS for the two of us, spending US$ 10 for the two. Our first expense in Sri Lanka. Now we were back in touch with the world.
Our tour guide, driver and companion Saliya Ramanayake was waiting for us in a comfortable car. He was a young gentleman who spoke good English and was a pleasant person to have around. He would be with us throughout our stay in Sri Lanka. And thus began our foray into Sri Lanka.
Today, we would be driving to Kandy, which is about 4 hours away, with a couple of stops en route. We would be there for next two nights.
Our first stop was at an Elephant Orphanage. Elephants who are orphaned or abandoned, or some that have been rescued from Logging Camps, are brought here and looked after in a safe environment. Each elephant has a dedicated Mahout, with whom they have learnt to bond and can obey and respond to their voice commands. Visitors can take short rides on the elephants, feed them, bathe them or just touch them. There is a small museum as well where the guide explains the history of elephants, there are artefacts such as elephant bones, as well as a full-fledged elephant skeleton on display. Quite interesting all in all.
After the elephant camp, we went to a Spice Plantation. Here, we learnt about the benefits of different spices such as Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Cloves, etc., and their medicinal uses. We were informed that oils and products made from these spices are believed to cure many types of ailments and could be purchased from their in-camp pharmacy.
By now it was well past noon and we decided to continue the drive to Kandy without any further halts. We were going to be there for the next two days which was adequate to see the sights of Kandy. After checking in at the Hotel Thilanka, we had lunch at the Restaurant and then retired to our room for a nap.
Saliya would meet us the next morning at 9am and we would start our tour of Kandy with him.
It was an eventful day and we were happy with what we had achieved. The journey reminded us in parts of Kerala, Coorg, and at times of Goa
Photos from our first day are in the Gallery Below:
