Cultural Enrichment

Posted on by Absolute Sri Lanka

My friends and I landed in Sri Lanka in the morning at around 3 am, still dark, but a hot humid breeze definitely hit us the moment we stepped outside. Our designated driver, Damitha, was waiting outside holding a board with my name on it. He was a very humble bloke with a questionable beard. We set out to Negombo and arrived within the span of 45 minutes. Absolutely drained of our energy, we went to the hotel, and slept for a few hours. We woke up to the sound of waves crashing, birds chirping, and a howling wind. My friend, Darcy, was outside staring at something with immense mesmerization. I went outside, I found myself greeted with  the picturesque beauty of the hotel, alongside the natural aesthetic of the beach, It almost makes me want to be poetic, but I save you from the pain. Jetwing blue has a brilliant atmosphere to it. Damitha had messaged us that we were leaving to Dambulla tomorrow. Today was a day of relaxation. This is one of the best things that people can do in Sri Lanka. The cultural triangle is considered to be one of the most beautiful places in Sri Lanka, other than the beach here. My friends and I landed in Sri Lanka in the morning at around 3 am, still dark, but a hot humid breeze definitely hit us the moment we stepped outside. Our designated driver, Damitha, was waiting outside holding a board with my name on it. He was a very humble bloke with a questionable beard. We set out to Negombo and arrived within the span of 45 minutes. Absolutely drained of our energy, we went to the hotel, and slept for a few hours. We woke up to the sound of waves crashing, birds chirping, and a howling wind. My friend, Darcy, was outside staring at something with immense mesmerization. I went outside, I found myself greeted with  the picturesque beauty of the hotel, alongside the natural aesthetic of the beach, It almost makes me want to be poetic, but I save you from the pain. Jetwing blue has a brilliant atmosphere to it. Damitha had messaged us that we were leaving to Dambulla tomorrow. Today was a day of relaxation. This is one of the best things that people can do in Sri Lanka. The cultural triangle is considered to be one of the most beautiful places in Sri Lanka, other than the beach here. 

After all of us, James, Scott, Darcy, Cheryl, and I, had finished getting acquainted with the bed we went for lunch. Nothing to be said there, we ate until our stomachs were completely bloated. James tried to eat crab and that was one of the best laughs that my friends and I have experienced in a while. He didn’t know how to break open the shell and get the meat, so we basically saw a “suda”, as the Sri Lankans call him, attempt to eat crab with curry dripping down his chin. James, oblivious to it all, didn’t realize that half the people were staring at him, so we put him out of his misery and let him know that it had all gone wrong. Shortly after that we went to the pool to chill. The heat was melting us and now I understand why the local men here wear sarongs and nothing else, perfect ventilation through the whole body, and the upper was exposed. I will get one of those sarongs before I leave, one for each of my friends with the same pattern. 

We had the best sleep and woke up early to go to Anuradhapura. Our driver was up and told us that there are a lot of scams, especially with people on the side of the rode who give their own prices for products. Apparently many foreigners have been ripped off. That’s all he said to watch out for before we started the journey. When it comes to prices and bargain, without a doubt, we go to Damitha. I’m making him sound like a rogue agent, but he really does know the ways of Sri Lanka.

Once we were on the road for a bit we wanted to stop by for some tea. Damitha was notified and we stopped by a street shop. We had a great cup of tea, there were children running around, and monkeys seemed to roam freely in close proximity to us. They didn’t seem to care that we were there, they just came by did their thing and left. When we got the bill we realized the low cost of Sri Lankan street food, and keep in mind that we ordered a lot of the Coconut filled pancake called Pani Pol. One thing that anyone who visits Sri Lanka must do is to eat out at a Sri Lankan street food shop. Make sure that your guide suggests the place because we heard stories about people having food poisoning because of choosing a shady place. 

We arrived at Anuradhapura. Our hotel is called Cinnamon Lodge. As Darcy says “Sri Lanka is truly the Paragon of beauty”. I must say that she was speaking for all of us, this place was amazing, and the rooms were perfect for a group of people like us. We had a great time, playing cards, games, talking, drinking tea, I mean we had genuinely interacted with each other, and put our phones aside. I think we need to keep our phones aside a lot more. Anyways, as the night went on Darcy and Cheryl needed to go to the pharmacy to restock on some of the things that they needed, thank god Damitha was there because there weren’t any taxis (tuk tuks) at that time of night. He drove them all the way to the center of the city. 

The next day Damith drove us to Ruwanwelisaya, a buddhist stupa, which from ground view was almost impossible to comprehend its colossal nature. Where many Buddhists from all around the world come to pay homage to this massive structure. It is said that Gautama Buddha’s relics reside in the stupa. A key characteristic of all stupas is that they have some sort of valuable treasure or artifact in each stupa. I don’t know what it was but that place really had something that calmed even the hyped-up of people. My Friend James was rather quiet and that was not like him. Either way the visit was a good experience.

We then went to Sri Maha Bodiya, which was around 10 minutes away from Ruwanwelisaya. My friends and I are very much engrossed in the study of history. We are aspiring to know the most we can about one place, absorb the information we need, and spread what we find interesting. We even asked what Damitha thought of the tree, he gave us his religious viewpoint of it, and it was very fantastical. We then went for some late lunch, the food here is so freshly made, and warm. Then after a filling meal, which Scott seemed to like a lot, we went with Damitha to our last destination for the day Mihintale. We soon realized that it was a heavy pilgrimage site, packed with Sri Lankans wearing their pearly white clothes; a very soothing colour. It took around thirty minutes to reach the location. We gathered all the information and pictures that both us and a camera could handle, and went back to the hotel as it was getting late.

We had another one of those familiar nights of camaraderie. Then the next morning Damitha drove us to Sigiriya, There was a brilliant history to the rock. The lion’s paws were the highlight of my climb to the top, it is truly remarkable how people were so advanced in a time where they didn’t have the luxuries of today. However, my friends and I were so mesmerized when we reached the top.I mean think about it, 660 foot high rock, that is a major feat to conquer at the time of King Kashyapa. The view was amazing and there were ancient fountains. How in the world they got water all the way up there, I have no idea, but what I do know is that this visit to Sri Lanka has already been one of the best ones yet for me. I can say, based on the captivated nature of my friends when we reached the top that they were having an amazing time as well. 

We came back down and went to the hotel that we were staying at called Sigiriya Village. Another beautiful accommodation, I swear the agency has done a good job of choosing wholesome places: https://absolutesrilanka.asia/accommodation/view/96. We had a great traditional rice and curry lunch, then we decided to stay in and rest up until we went to minneriya National Park early in the morning the next day. More time for wholesome card games and the feeling of being youthful again, not saying that we aren’t youthful, but you know; not old. Damitha was awake and ready to make sure we go on the right safari jeep at 6:30 am. Our group is notorious for mistakes, and being clumsy, but despite all odds the morning (7:00 am) went smoothly. We explored the national park and Scott, our bird enthusiast was hyped up for high bird population density in the area. Painted storks, Green Bee-eaters, and herds of elephants had dotted the plain with their daily routines. There were buffalos, the question is when aren’t they there, and covered in mud. There were monkeys, lots of them, and there were peacocks, which was a rarity where I’m from; Canada. The tour was an overall success after my friends saw the baby elephants, they were happy and content after that. We went back to the hotel and chilled by the pool, where we were surprised by some champagne courtesy of Absolute, which was very nice of them, but the bottle last that long. 

 We then checked out and in the evening  and went to The Gal Vihara and absorbed all the information we could about this Budhist Temple Rock. We saw statue carved into granite rocks, which I can say was one of the coolest things I have seen, amazing craftsmanship. Damitha was kind enough to tell us to watch our for the monkeys that they steal things right out of your hand. Damitha then drove us to our hotel. It took us around 3 hours, which inlcludes 1 hour 10 minutes of travelling to the  to properly explore that temple and we were exhausted so we spent the rest of the day resting and talking to each other, and having a few beers. Our flight was the next day at 1am so we wanted to spend the rest of the trip exploring the city and walking around. We bought Damitha a bottle of wine for being such a good and humble person. This was an amazing trip it was a good choice to pick Absolute Sri Lanka. They genuinely know how to show us a good time.There were some good decisions made by absolute and we couldn’t have gotten the good deals that we got if it weren’t for them so all in all it was a great trip.

By: Thomas Tremblay

After all of us, James, Scott, Darcy, Cheryl, and I, had finished getting acquainted with the bed we went for lunch. Nothing to be said there, we ate until our stomachs were completely bloated. James tried to eat crab and that was one of the best laughs that my friends and I have experienced in a while. He didn’t know how to break open the shell and get the meat, so we basically saw a “suda”, as the Sri Lankans call him, attempt to eat crab with curry dripping down his chin. James, oblivious to it all, didn’t realize that half the people were staring at him, so we put him out of his misery and let him know that it had all gone wrong. Shortly after that we went to the pool to chill. The heat was melting us and now I understand why the local men here wear sarongs and nothing else, perfect ventilation through the whole body, and the upper was exposed. I will get one of those sarongs before I leave, one for each of my friends with the same pattern. 

We had the best sleep and woke up early to go to Anuradhapura. Our driver was up and told us that there are a lot of scams, especially with people on the side of the rode who give their own prices for products. Apparently many foreigners have been ripped off. That’s all he said to watch out for before we started the journey. When it comes to prices and bargain, without a doubt, we go to Damitha. I’m making him sound like a rogue agent, but he really does know the ways of Sri Lanka.

Once we were on the road for a bit we wanted to stop by for some tea. Damitha was notified and we stopped by a street shop. We had a great cup of tea, there were children running around, and monkeys seemed to roam freely in close proximity to us. They didn’t seem to care that we were there, they just came by did their thing and left. When we got the bill we realized the low cost of Sri Lankan street food, and keep in mind that we ordered a lot of the Coconut filled pancake called Pani Pol. One thing that anyone who visits Sri Lanka must do is to eat out at a Sri Lankan street food shop. Make sure that your guide suggests the place because we heard stories about people having food poisoning because of choosing a shady place. 

We arrived at Anuradhapura. Our hotel is called Cinnamon Lodge. As Darcy says “Sri Lanka is truly the Paragon of beauty”. I must say that she was speaking for all of us, this place was amazing, and the rooms were perfect for a group of people like us. We had a great time, playing cards, games, talking, drinking tea, I mean we had genuinely interacted with each other, and put our phones aside. I think we need to keep our phones aside a lot more. Anyways, as the night went on Darcy and Cheryl needed to go to the pharmacy to restock on some of the things that they needed, thank god Damitha was there because there weren’t any taxis (tuk tuks) at that time of night. He drove them all the way to the center of the city. 

The next day Damith drove us to Ruwanwelisaya, a buddhist stupa, which from ground view was almost impossible to comprehend its colossal nature. Where many Buddhists from all around the world come to pay homage to this massive structure. It is said that Gautama Buddha’s relics reside in the stupa. A key characteristic of all stupas is that they have some sort of valuable treasure or artifact in each stupa. I don’t know what it was but that place really had something that calmed even the hyped-up of people. My Friend James was rather quiet and that was not like him. Either way the visit was a good experience.

We then went to Sri Maha Bodiya, which was around 10 minutes away from Ruwanwelisaya. My friends and I are very much engrossed in the study of history.

 We are aspiring to know the most we can about one place, absorb the information we need, and spread what we find interesting. We even asked what Damitha thought of the tree, he gave us his religious viewpoint of it, and it was very fantastical. We then went for some late lunch, the food here is so freshly made, and warm. Then after a filling meal, which Scott seemed to like a lot, we went with Damitha to our last destination for the day Mihintale. We soon realized that it was a heavy pilgrimage site, packed with Sri Lankans wearing their pearly white clothes; a very soothing colour. It took around thirty minutes to reach the location. We gathered all the information and pictures that both us and a camera could handle, and went back to the hotel as it was getting late.

We had another one of those familiar nights of camaraderie. Then the next morning Damitha drove us to Sigiriya, There was a brilliant history to the rock. The lion’s paws were the highlight of my climb to the top, it is truly remarkable how people were so advanced in a time where they didn’t have the luxuries of today.

 However, my friends and I were so mesmerized when we reached the top.I mean think about it, 660 foot high rock, that is a major feat to conquer at the time of King Kashyapa. The view was amazing and there were ancient fountains. How in the world they got water all the way up there, I have no idea, but what I do know is that this visit to Sri Lanka has already been one of the best ones yet for me. I can say, based on the captivated nature of my friends when we reached the top that they were having an amazing time as well. 

We came back down and went to the hotel that we were staying at called Sigiriya Village. Another beautiful accommodation, I swear the agency has done a good job of choosing wholesome places: https://absolutesrilanka.asia/accommodation/view/96. We had a great traditional rice and curry lunch, then we decided to stay in and rest up until we went to minneriya National Park early in the morning the next day. More time for wholesome card games and the feeling of being youthful again, not saying that we aren’t youthful, but you know; not old. Damitha was awake and ready to make sure we go on the right safari jeep at 6:30 am. Our group is notorious for mistakes, and being clumsy, but despite all odds the morning (7:00 am) went smoothly. We explored the national park and Scott, our bird enthusiast was hyped up for high bird population density in the area. Painted storks, Green Bee-eaters, and herds of elephants had dotted the plain with their daily routines. There were buffalos, the question is when aren’t they there, and covered in mud. There were monkeys, lots of them, and there were peacocks, which was a rarity where I’m from; Canada. The tour was an overall success after my friends saw the baby elephants, they were happy and content after that. We went back to the hotel and chilled by the pool, where we were surprised by some champagne courtesy of Absolute, which was very nice of them, but the bottle last that long. 

 We then checked out and in the evening  and went to The Gal Vihara and absorbed all the information we could about this Budhist Temple Rock. We saw statue carved into granite rocks, which I can say was one of the coolest things I have seen, amazing craftsmanship. Damitha was kind enough to tell us to watch out for the monkeys that they steal things right out of your hand. Damitha then drove us to our hotel. It took us around 3 hours, which inlcludes 1 hour 10 minutes of travelling to the  to properly explore that temple and we were exhausted so we spent the rest of the day resting and talking to each other, and having a few beers. Our flight was the next day at 1am so we wanted to spend the rest of the trip exploring the city and walking around. We bought Damitha a bottle of wine for being such a good and humble person. This was an amazing trip it was a good choice to pick Absolute Sri Lanka. They genuinely know how to show us a good time.There were some good decisions made by absolute and we couldn’t have gotten the good deals that we got if it weren’t for them so all in all it was a great trip.

By: Thomas Tremblay

The Sri Lankan Escapade

Posted on by Absolute Sri Lanka

We had just landed, and it was already nightfall in Sri Lanka. My wife and I had been waiting to come to Sri Lanka, we had to escape the winter. The flight was manageable, as is any other economy class flight. The distance from the gate to the entrance of the airport felt like a rush. People of all races and ethnicity were eagerly rushing outside. Once we were done with the technicalities, I stepped outside, the air hit me like a ton of bricks, the humidity, the heat, it was all so noisy. I could hear the whistles of policemen being persecuted continually, and the locals seem to like the invention of the horn, nevertheless we were greeted by a congenial young man (from Absolute Sri Lanka) with our names on a paper. I gave him our bags and went straight into the car. Exhausted and hungry my wife and I asked the driver whether we were going to stop by for food, and to which he stated that dinner has already been arranged for us at the hotel. 

We didn’t know how long it would take, but gave them the benefit of the doubt, and we were pleasantly surprised in the end with a traditional Sri Lankan rice and curry. On my way I couldn’t really tell where I was, so I decided that I would go explore my surroundings tomorrow. I woke up to a beautiful view; the coconut trees gently swaying on the amber tinged sand, the glorious and placid sea waved at me with a frothy charm, and the araliya flowers were delicately falling to the ground. My wife was still asleep while I stood by my word and explored this resort, and my verdict is: we are in heaven. This is an extravagant resort, I know, but the serene undertone that this place sends is very welcoming. Jetwing Negombo really has a good way of making me feel calm.

At around 10:00 am we headed to the beach with our driver, who was up earlier than anyone there, apparently, he was just making sure of the day’s activities. A tip for the traveler, don’t expect there to be crystal clear waters with the cleanest of beaches either, because they’re not and can be scattered with garbage in some areas. We stopped by a local street food restaurant, not the best of presentations, but it did get the job done of filling our stomachs with delicious food. We had milk rice, a spicy sambol with the rice, alongside a delicious mixed fruit juice made with a lot of love, according to the amount of sugar they put. We spent the rest of the day at the beach just soaking in the sun, and almost getting burned. My wife loves the beach and if we didn’t stay I wouldn’t hear the end of it. We were taken back to the hotel by our driver and the day was relaxing, and a good recovery period for us. 

Today our driver woke up even earlier and had organized a bird watching tour in Muthurajawela. We will be going to watch birds early in the morning. That’s something I was getting excited about, while my wife is regretting every decision she made in life that led her to be me with me. Nevertheless, our safari started at around 6:30 am, but it took us around 30 minutes to get to the bird park. The actual safari started at around 7:00 am and for a good 20 minutes we only saw Black-headed ibis, bee-eaters, painted storks, and Indian swiftlets, but towards the end of the safari we came upon a stroke of luck. There were two white bellied sea eagles perched on a lonesome dead tree. We even saw a flame-backed woodpecker making it’s noisy presence. When we were coming back the driver spotted two Grey Horn-bills, a couple by the looks of it, staring out into the distance, but I couldn’t get a proper shot of them sadly. All in all, today we had a good taste of the characteristics of wildlife in Sri Lanka: vibrant, energetic, and extremely unpredictable. 

My wife captured a moment of Negombo: 

Our Driver was waiting outside the park ready to take us back to our hotel as the safari driver had to take other people on a ride. We arrived at the hotel, had lunch, chilled at the beach, and relaxed by the pool. The next day we will be travelling to Yala. This one my wife was excited for, she had desperately wanted to see an elephant.

Our Driver was waiting outside the park ready to take us back to our hotel as the safari driver had to take other people on a ride. We arrived at the hotel, had lunch, chilled at the beach, and relaxed by the pool. The next day we will be travelling to Yala. This one my wife was excited for, she had desperately wanted to see an elephant. However, my wife and I aren’t used to working with travel agents, which involves a lot of organizing, But, Absolute Sri Lanka has proven to be a company worthy of acknowledgement. They always had a driver stationed for us wherever we needed to go somewhere. Which is really spoiling both my wife and I, but once in a while we just need to indulge ourselves in the luxuries of the world. Out time in Negombo has come to an end and we are headed to Yala. 

The drive was beautiful; open roads, lots of lush, and open areas of green-lands waiting for harvest. We finally arrived at the place we were staying. However, this wasn’t your everyday hotel, rather it was a luxury campsite deep in the jungle. We had beautiful accommodation with a small pool in the middle. It was really in the middle of the jungle for me and it was lovely. To have greenery enveloping our tent from all angles was a luxury itself. If you want to see for yourself then go check this link. Noel Rodrigo’s luxury lodging: https://www.booking.com/hotel/lk/noel-rodrigo-39-s-leopard-safaris.en-gb.html?aid=356980;label=gog235jc-1DCAsohQFCIW5vZWwtcm9kcmlnby0zOS1zLWxlb3BhcmQtc2FmYXJpc0gzWANohQGIAQGYAQm4ARfIAQzYAQPoAQGIAgGoAgO4AoaY5-gFwAIB;sid=536a567e6b8583d6613984e942e0cd1f;dist=0&group_adults=2&keep_landing=1&sb_price_type=total&type=total&

Trust me when I say that it’s worth it. We stayed there for 3 nights and they were some romantic nights I must say. My wife and I got to do nothing but spend time with each other. We both needed a break from our busy lives back in the UK. You really learn to appreciate the little things once you slow down for a bit. Furthermore, when you come to a place, under a canopy of trees, bathed with darkness, and scattered with small fragments of light across the could you not be romantic. Our first night passes by too fast and we are already on a safari at 7 am, 4 wheel drive, with a guide who pretty much knew every single bit of flora and fauna in the area. The safari was an absolute journey. Bee-eaters were whistling by and the unbroken sound of the jeep’s engine pierced jungle. It had rained the other night, and there was a pungent smell, almost like freshly cut grass. 

We saw massive elephants, mothers harboring their child close to them, and even managed to see one tusker, which was rare. We didn’t get to see a leopard, but knowing that they exist in the same jungle us as gave me shivers of exhilaration. by around 12 we came back to the camp and had an evening to relax. The food was good, but needs improvement in their western menu. 

Our first encounter with an elephant was on the road.

I do recommend bringing some beers and ordering a hot butter cuttlefish dish, and a deviled chicken dish. The next day we took to chill and have a relaxing time with each other. We wanted to leave early so that we beat the traffic, there’s always traffic here but some times more than others, so we departed at 4 am and arrived at around 10 am in Ella. I advise that people travelling from Yala towards Ella to have rest points in between rather than taking the entire distance in one go. We traveled with no issue because we stopped for tea at least 2 times, which is a luxury that my wife and I exploited. We were staying in a homey location called Chamodya Home Stay. We found it to be a very calming and welcoming atmosphere. The home stay was isolated from other resorts and hotels, which we liked because we just wanted to enjoy the nature. 

In the morning we went to Little Adam’s peak and the trek was unbelievable, our driver tag along as well, I guess he also couldn’t resist the temptations of the mountain-side. We saw some buzzards when we reached the top, and I will personally tell you that you seldom come by a traveler or a local without a selfie-stick. I think we were the exception but this is getting out of hand. My wife of course didn’t seem to be affected by the contraptions, but I always seem to bump into one. So fair warning, and a little bit of advice, don’t buy or associate yourself with selfie-sticks. We then descended back down to the car and headed off to get some lunch. 

The view from the Ella trek was beautiful: 

Our driver knew the popular spots for good food. He stopped at a restaurant called Cafe Chill, which had great food, but lacked in service. We think that the waiters were taking the literal sense of the word chill in their efforts to serve. But I do recommend curd as a good way to end the meal. We were happy to stay in Ella for as long as we could but we only stayed for 3 days.

Another useful tip for the traveler: don’t feed the monkeys, because they become very aggressive, and the next thing that they eat might just be your phone. The next day we took a walk down the railway line, we ended up going all the way down to the nine arches bridge, which is highly recommended by my wife and I. You get to see the endless amounts of mountain ranges, and some are even blanketed with tea plantations. It’s truly a detox from the fast moving, technology imposing, and stress inflicting world. I suggest that you don’t look down if you’re afraid of heights, but trust me when I say that the view was absolutely gorgeous.

We decided to do nothing on our last day and relax at the home stay. The temperature was optimal for our liking and the view trumped the rest of my thoughts. We knew that this was our last night so we went for a walk through the mountain-side, and ended up coming back late at night, which was  worth every second of our time. Another tip; if you’re with your partner, then stargazing in the middle of the night really brings home a few brownie points. My wife and I love the atmosphere at night in Ella; you can hear the live music playing in the distance, the cold air gushing through the trees, and lights of the small city as vibrant as its people. We had the driver take us to Colombo early in the morning and arrived within 5 hours 30 minutes. We did some last minute shopping, got some souvenirs, and headed back to the airport to catch our flight. We were sad to leave, but this wasn’t going to be our only visit to Sri Lanka, and you can bet on that. 

My wife and I are independent travelers, people who don’t really take the path of travel agencies, but this time was different. We can confidently say that our experience in Sri Lanka was superb and we are grateful to Absolute Sri Lanka for making our journey stress-free and relaxing. We definitely recommend this company, moreover, we recommend a visit to Sri Lanka. It is absolutely imperative that everyone gets to see the untouched artistry in Sri Lanka’s nature, the beauty in the country’s culture, and its wildlife. This country is truly the gem of the Indian Ocean.  

By: Oliver Abbott Brown

Wife: Julie Annabel Brown