Sri Lanka: a land like no other join us for a cup of tea! Trip code: Group size: Number of days: SSR 4-24 20 Detailed description Welcome Marco Polo considered Sri Lanka the finest island of its size in the entire world. This lush tropical island is home to Buddhist monuments, paddy fields, picturesque villages, high mountains and nature reserves. Head for the rolling hills to escape the heat of the plains and relax in cool tea plantations or hit the beach and top up your tan. Day to Day schedule Below is a summary of the day-to-day description. Transport Route Overnight stay 1 Chilaw Chilaw 2 Bus Chilaw Puttalam/Wilpattu (optional) Anuradhapura 3 Bus Anuradhapura - Kilinochchi - Jaffna Jaffna 4 Jaffna Jaffna Anuradhapura 5 Bus Jaffna - Anuradhapura Anuradhapura 6 Bus Anuradhapura - Mihinatale - Polonnaruwa Polonnaruwa 7 Polonnaruwa Polonnaruwa 8 Bus Polonnaruwa - Sigiriya - Dambulla - Spice Garden - Alu Vihare - Kandy Kandy 9 Kandy Kandy 10 Bus Kandy Nuwara Eliya via Tea Factory Nuwara Eliya 11 Bus,Train Nuwara Eliya - Bandarawela Bandarawela 12 Bandarawela Bandarawela 13 Bus Bandarawela - Udawalawe Reserve Udawalawe Reserve 14 Bus Udawalawe Camp - Tissamaharama Tissamaharama 15 Tissamaharama Tissamaharama
16 Bus Tissamaharama - Hikkaduwa Hikkaduwa Hikkaduwa Hikkaduwa Hikkaduwa - Negombo Negombo 19 Negombo Negombo 20 Negombo End of tour 17 18 Bus Day to Day description Day 1: Chilaw Welcome to Sri Lanka! Your tour starts in Chilaw, where you can use your hotel room from check in time (12.00 hrs at noon) on day 1. Chilaw is a drive of about 1 hour and 15 mins from the airport of Colombo. Your travel companions will also arrive this first day so you will meet them and your tour leader. Free day. Relax at the beach or hotel pool or explore the town of Chilaw. The center is 5 kms away and is easily reached by taxi or public transportation. Day 2: Chilaw ± Puttalam/Wilpattu (optional) ± Anuradhapura TIP: This morning we leave to Anuradhapura via Puttalam with an optional jeep safari to Wilpattu National Park en-route. Wilpattu is the largest national park in Sri Lanka and was traditionally Sri Lanka's top location for watching leopard, along with Yala in the South. Today, this top cat still roams in the Wilpattu forests but is much more elusive than in Yala. It is also possible to catch a sighting of the mysterious sloth bear. The park is also home to elephants, jackals, deer and other mammals. The park is also a bird watcher s dream, with over two hundred species of birds to see and identify. After discovering Wilpattu we continue on, to our accommodation in Anuradhapura. Day 3: Anuradhapura - Kilinochchi - Jaffna Today's journey will take about 4.5 hours as we leave Anuradhapura and make our way to Jaffna. We can make an optional stop on the way to have a look at the town of Kilinochchi before reaching our destination. Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province. After a war-torn past, Jaffna is now opening up to foreign travellers. Jaffna offers an insight into the Tamil culture as well as reminders of its colonial past.
Day 4: Jaffna Free day in Jaffna. We suggest to take the city tour (entrance fees excluded) this morning, a good way to acquaint yourself with some of the principle attractions. You will see the Hindu temples of Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil or Nallur Murugan Kovil, the Jaffna Library and Jaffna Fort, the only large military fort of its kind in Sri Lanka. After these visits you can take a swim at Casuarina Beach in Karainagar, reputedly the best beach on the Jaffna peninsula where the shallowness of the beach and lack of waves make the water ideal to bathe in. We then make the short 20 km trip back to our hotel in Jaffna. Day 5: Jaffna - Anuradhapura Today we have an optional trip to Anuradhapura (entrance fees excluded). Two thousand years ago, Anuradhapura may well have been the most beautiful city in Asia. It is home to the only live shoot of the tree under which the Buddha was enlightened in 544 BC. This has made the tree one of the holiest places of pilgrimage for Buddhists around the world. Apart from the bodhi tree there are immense stupas and remains of palaces that are also well worth visiting. After our excursion we overnight at a hotel in Anuradhapura. Day 6: Anuradhapura - Mihinatale - Polonnaruwa After breakfast we can make an optional excursion (entrance fees excluded) to Mihintale, a place of great importance for Sri Lankan Buddhists. Mihintale is sited on and around granite hills in a very lush green setting that has been protected by law for over a thousand years. To see all there is to see requires a climb of 1840 steps to an enormous white Buddha that overlooks the broad landscape. We then continue on to Polonnaruwa. After checking in to our hotel you can choose to visit either the Minneriya/Kaudalla National Park for an (optional) 4x4 jeep excursion. The protected Minneriya NP is home to a number of elephants as well as being an important area for Bird life. In the Kaudalla NP you can also find a selection of mammals including deer, the Sri Lankan leopard and the sloth bear. Your tour leader will advise which park offers the best opportunities at this time. Day 7: Polonnaruwa Choose to join an optional excursion to the ruins of Polonnaruwa. The attractions of this medieval royal city are spread over a wide area, but the main sights are fairly close together on a piece of land little more than one square kilometer. The largest dagoba of the city is 55 m high and the most beautiful masterpiece is the group of four sublime Buddhas, Gal Vihare, carved out of a piece of granite. The reclining Buddha is 15 meters in length and is the largest of the lot. It is also possible to rent a bike near Polonnaruwa and explore yourself. TIP: Later in the day, it is pleasant to take a boat ride with local fisherman on the Parakrama Samudra lake (optional excursion). This is a lovely relaxing trip where you can enjoy the birds, the sunset and if you're lucky, the elephants that come to the water to take a drink. (This excursion depends upon water levels).
Day 8: Polonnaruwa - Sigiriya - Dambulla - Spice Garden - Alu Vihare - Kandy Free day. Today you can join the early optional visit to the spectacular rock fortress of Sigiriya, or the "Lion Rock". This excursion is highly recommended. At the foot of the fort two giant lion claws guard the entrance. Once inside there is a long climb up the spiral staircase, past many fascinating frescos commissioned by King Kasyapa, to the top where you can marvel at the magnificent views. We then continue through the central mountain region to Dambulla, the home of the wonderful ancient cave temples. Later we stop at one of the many spice plantations growing pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cacao and ginger and have a short explanation about the processes. If time allows we can make a last stop at Matale, famous for the nearby monastery of Aluvihare. Please note that entrance fees for the above optional excursions are not included and should be paid locally. We overnight in Kandy. Day 9: Kandy We now have a free day to explore the city of Kandy and its surroundings. This morning we suggest a visit to the ancient gardens of Peradeniya, among the finest botanical gardens in the world. They are located 6 km southwest of Kandy on the way to Colombo. The area of sixty acres around the Mahaweli River is home to a huge collection of trees, tropical creepers, bamboos, palm species, orchids, herbs and other plants. Together they achieve a total of more than 4000 species. Set in lush tropical hills, this afternoon you can visit µthe Temple of the Tooth The temple houses Buddha s tooth - the central focus of Singhalese religious life for over two thousand years. Marvel at the displays of ancient royal regalia, jewellery and historic drawings at Kandys museum and watch a performance by the famous Kandy dancers. The dancers are the best on the island and perform a devil dance culminating in a fire dance upon hot coals! Day 10: Kandy ± Nuwara Eliya via Tea Factory Our route through the mountains to the next destination is breathtakingly beautiful. Passing waterfalls, tea plantations and visiting a tea-processing site en-route. In the afternoon, we arrive in Nuwara Eliya, the England of the tropics. Victorian cottages that could be in Devonshire, a golf course, gardens full of roses, a lake with rowing boats, mown lawns and cool temperatures. Day 11: Nuwara Eliya - Bandarawela We are free this morning to explore the surrounds. You can take a brisk walk to the Pidurutalagala mountain (2524 m). Its a relatively easy walk taking around two hours. You will have to start early though, as Nuwara Eliya is notorious for its fog, which seldom clears before 1 o'clock in the afternoon. Optionally you can take an early visit to the Horton Plains nature reserve. This afternoon we board the train from Nanu Oya and cross the mountains. On this three-hour journey we travel through spectacular mountainous landscapes, interspersed with tea and jungle plantations, through tunnels and along abysses. At the end of the afternoon we reach Bandarawela on the east side of the island.
Day 12: Bandarawela Enjoy a day at your leisure in the stunning alpine setting of Bandarawela. It is an area rich in fabulous views, mountain tracks along steep abysses, waterfalls and streams rushing down from the central mountain range. You can travel by bus to Badulla and walk to one of the highest waterfalls on the island, the Dunhinda Falls, or you can walk to the Dowa cave temple which has a 4m standing Buddha hewn from the rock. TIP: Alternatively take a beautiful walk ("Village Trek") with a local guide through the tea plantations and rice fields. Stop to eat 'rice and curry' in a typical village. Opportunities abound here in Bandarawela! Day 13: Bandarawela - Udawalawe Reserve Our journey continues by bus with a descent of over one thousand metres, to the camp, near the Udawalawe Reserve, where we will spend the night in a tent. On the way you'll see the famous Ella Gap (Gap of Ella), where you have a short stop to enjoy the view. You'll also stop at the waterfalls of Ravana Ella. TIP: Next to Udawalawe we stop to visit the (Elephant) Transit Home where entrance fees are included. This centre is run largely on the support of the government and a number of conservation organizations. Afterwards and if you still wish for more wildlife, you can take an optional safari trip in a 4x4 Jeep to the Udawalawe Reserve, renowned for its large herds of elephants and many bird species. In the camp, dinner will be prepared for you. Day 14: Udawalawe Camp - Tissamaharama Today we travel on to the busy town of Tissamaharama, set among rice fields dotted with small temples. This evening we will visit nearby Kataragama which sits at the foot of the mountains and is one of the holiest places in Sri Lanka. It attracts Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim pilgrims who all worship the god Skanda. The journey time today excluding any stoppage time is approx. 2 hours (80 kms). Day 15: Tissamaharama Today you can take an optional safari to Yala N.P. Sri Lanka s main nature reserve is dotted with woods and lakes and is home to some amazing wildlife including panthers, bears, wild buffaloes and crocodiles. You could instead take a jeep ride across Bundala nature reserve, with its savannahs, lakes, beach and an incredible array of birdlife and wildlife. There is also the option to visit Wirawila Lake, an unspoilt reserve filled with water birds, spangled leaf monkeys, crocodiles and elephants. Your guide will run through the different possibilities with you. (Please note: Yala is usually closed between 1st September and midoctober. If this is the case, this excursion is possible in Udawalawe/Bundala).
Day 16: Tissamaharama - Hikkaduwa Enjoy your stay on the beach at Hikkaduwa and from November to May make the most of the diving and snorkelling or take a glass bottomed boat trip to see the reef. You can also take a trip through the green lagoons behind the coast or marvel at the giant monitor lizards. Day 17: Hikkaduwa It is highly recommended to visit the formerly Dutch town of Galle, the Matara temples or take a river cruise. You could visit the µblowhole near Kudawella and the beaches near Unawatuna and Tangalle and relax with gorgeous sunsets and a warm sea breeze. Day 18: Hikkaduwa - Negombo Today you make the 4 hour hop to Negombo. Along the way you make a short sightseeing stop in Colombo, visiting the old neighbourhoods of the Fort and the Pettah, the Town Hall and Independence Square, a Buddhist and a Hindu temple, and the Wolvendaal church (the only church in the colonial period built in Colombo by the Dutch). Any entrance fees are not included. Day 19: Negombo A free day in Negombo and a great chance to join a fun excursion. You can visit the Dutch Channels in a small boat. It is an area rich with bird-life as well as original Dutch churches and villages. Watch the toddytappers walking a tightrope stretched between the palms. They drain the juice from the flowers of the palm and use it to make the strong local drink 'arrack'. You can also take a trip to Negombo where there are still several houses dating from the Dutch period. The baroque churches of the Karava fishermen living in Negombo are of note. Every morning the fishermen head out to sea in their hundreds, later to return with fresh fish for the fish market. Everything is available, from shellfish and brightly coloured coral fish to swordfish and sharks! You can also rent a bike and follow the canal path.
Day 20: Negombo The last day of your tour. You can use your hotel room in Negombo until check out time (most times at 12.00 hrs noon). Negombo is situated only 15 km (less than ½ hour drive) from the international airport. We wish you a comfortable journey home and are sure you will take with you some wonderful memories of Sri Lanka. Your personal my.shoestring page on our website is the perfect way to make contact with other travellers before and after your trip. You can read and create journals from trips and upload your photos onto the photo gallery. Visit my shoestring today. When booking your tour, please check to see whether you need any posttour nights, bearing in mind that accommodation for the night of the final day of the tour (day 20) is not included. FESTIVAL TOURS On the trips departing 29th July and 5th August 2019 you can visit the Kandy Perahera Festival in Kandy. (Exact details subject to change). The exact festival dates of this 10-day festival will only be officially confirmed by local authorities in the spring of 2019. The itineraries may be modified during our festival tours. For more information about the various festivals please look under the heading 'More Info' and then 'Festivals'. More info What's included: Accommodation in hotels; one night camping; transportation in AC (mini)buses for transfers from hotel to hotel; bus transfer for Anuradhapura/Mihintale/Jaffna/Polonnaruwa excursions; train journey from Nanu Oya to Bandarawela; breakfast in Hikkaduwa; dinner and breakfast in Udawalawe Camp; Visit Dambulla cave temple and Alu Vihare temple (excluding entrance fees); Visit Wood Carving, Spice Garden, Tea factory, Kataragama, Galle (no entrance fees); Visit Udawalawe Transit home including entrance fee; short sightseeing Colombo (excluding any entrance fees); English speaking tour leader (not during beach stay in Hikkaduwa). What's excluded: International flights; all other meals; tips; visas; optional excursions; all entrance fees; airport transfers; booking fee; travel insurance. Attention Single room is not available in Udawalawe Camp. Please note: Groups of 6 travellers and fewer will be guided by an English driver/guide in a smaller vehicle. Groups starting from 7 people will be accompanied by an extra English speaking escort.
Travel documents Please note that as from 1st January 2012, all visitors to Sri Lanka will need to purchase an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization). Please see www.eta.gov.lk for further details and to submit your application. The cost of the authorization is US $ 30.00 per person. You must also ensure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months beyond your intended exit date from Sri Lanka. Accommodation and transport Transport During the tour of the island you will be travelling mainly by private (mini) bus with air conditioning, so you can stop at beautiful places in nature along the way. The transfers to and from the airport are not included. Once you have arrived at the beach in Hikkaduwa you will then say goodbye to the tour leader and driver. The final transfer from Hikkaduwa to Negombo is of course included in the fare. The route from Nanu Oya to Bandarawela is made leisurely by train. The three-hour scenic ride takes you through the most beautiful mountain scenery in the country with jungle and tea plantations. The train chugs away through tunnels and along ravines and climbs to an altitude of 1900 meters above sea level. You do not have to lug your baggage onto the train as it will be delivered to the hotel in Bandarawella by bus. Accommodation You'll stay in hotels in 2-person rooms with private bathroom. Travellers booking alone will share a room with a fellow traveller. When arranging the rooms, we keep in mind to pair travellers of the same sex. Please note that for couples, a double bed is reserved as standard. If you would like separate beds, please indicate this when you make your booking. You can also choose to sleep in a single room throughout the entire trip. There is a supplement to pay if you wish to do this and it should be added when making your booking online. In Udawalawe a single room is not possible. Many of the planned hotels have a swimming pool which we are sure you will enjoy! This applies to accommodations in Chilaw, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Kandy, Tissamaharama, Hikkaduwa and Negombo. In exceptional cases it may happen that we have to change hotels and a pool is no longer available. In these cases we will try to find an alternative (pool). In the vicinity of the Udawalawe Reserve you spend a night camping; you will sleep in multi-person tents (depending upon size of the group) and it may also be that the group is divided over 2 different camps. There are mattresses, blankets, sheets and pillows provided. The bathroom is shared. During this stay the dinner and breakfast is included. Please note: Groups of 6 travellers and fewer will be guided by an English driver/guide in a smaller vehicle. Groups starting from 7 people will be accompanied by an extra English speaking escort.
During your trip, it is possible to participate in 'single' excursions offered locally by the tour leader. These excursions are optional. To allow you to plan a budget for your trip we have provided you with an idea of the cost of these excursions. The price can change due to currency fluctuations. The amounts are therefore only meant to give you an indication of the cost. Entrance fees will often change and therefore are excluded from the prices displayed (unless explicitly stated). We display the prices in Euros/GB Pounds/US Dollars. When you are in your destination, it is possible to pay for the excursions in local currency. Single excursions Excursion Details Price Bandarawela - "Village Trek" Book at location Negombo - Dutch Channels and sightseeing Book at location A local guide will accompany you on a stroll through the beautiful rice fields, visit a typical Sri Lankan village and have lunch with "Rice & Curry" in one of the village homes. Tour schedule (subject to change and in consultation with the tour leader): The transfer to the start of the walk is 4 km (about 15 minutes). You walk for about 3 hours (depending on what you find along the way). After lunch you will be returned to your hotel. Included: transfers, walk, "Rice & Curry 'lunch Not included: gratuity, drinks This excursion lasts for approximately 2 and a half hours (1.5 hrs on the boat and about 1 hour on the road travelling) and can be done during the morning or evening. You will float down the Dutch channel gaining a different perspective on village community life. The Dutch channel used to be a supply route to the old Dutch administration, churches and the fishing villagers. You'll also have a trip to Negombo where you can see the Dutch influences in the baroque churches and the fort. You'll see the Karava fishermen who live in Negombo. Their catamarans are equipped with square sails flanked by big floats on either side. Its some sight to see them all set off to sea in their hundreds! The trip through Negombo lasts about an hour. Included: transportation, boat trip and sightseeing Excluded: meals/drinks, tips, entrance fees 16 12
Nuwara Eliya - Horton Plains Book at location Early morning departure by jeep or minibus to the Horton Plains, where you can walk to the various attractions of the national park. Horton Plains National Park is a beautiful nature reserve at over 2000 meters in height, consisting of undulating grassland, rippling trout streams, clumps of woodland and some misty mountain peaks. A highlight of the park is World's End, here the plain, and suddenly you are facing a deep abyss. Bakers Falls is a beautiful waterfall. The variety of flora and fauna is truely remarkable (birds, butterflies, monkeys, deer, squirrels, wild boar and even a few, seldom seen leopards). The walk takes 3 hours. 38 Tour schedule (subject to change and in consultation with the tour leader): The transfer to the start of the walk is 36 km (approx. 75 minutes). You walk for about 3 hours (depending on what you find along the way). Included: transfers, tour, entrance fee Not included: gratuity, drinks Polonnaruwa - Parakrama Samudra Book at location At sunset you will go with the local fishermen in a simple catamaran on the Parakrama Samudra, an artificial lake in Polonnaruwa. King Parakrama Bahu took Polonnaruwa to new heights, he built huge buildings, beautiful gardens and put the jewel in the crown with the 2500 ha lake. The lake borders a nature reserve. This is a relaxing trip where you can enjoy the many waterbirds and the special sunset. With any luck you will also spot elephants from the reserve as they quench their thirst at the lake! Note: This tour is weather permitting for safety reasons. 15 Tour schedule (subject to change and in consultation with the tour leader): On the shore of the lake you climb aboard simple boats. You'll travel for about 2 hours (depending on what you find along the way and the water level). After, you return to your hotel. Included: transfers, boat trip Not included: tip
Tissamaharama - Yala National Park Book at location Sri Lankas' most well known park, Yala is popular for seeing Elephants, Leopard, Bears and Crocodiles. This safari will take about 2-3 hours and is best to go either early in the morning or in the evening hours to spot the animals. It is about 25 mins drive from Tissamaharama to the parks' entrance. Included: transfers, entrance fees, 4x4 jeep hire, guide, Excluded: meals (hotel reception could organise something to take with you if you ask them),tips Note: when Yala is closed, usually from 1 September to mid-october, you can make this optional safari in Udawalawe reserve instead. 52 Udawalawe - Safari by jeep Book at location Visit the Udawalawe National Park by 4x4 open jeep, known for the 400 elephants that live here. During a visit, it is possible to see a whole herd playing in the water, washing and eating. Also, water buffalo, monkeys, sambar deer and even leopards can be seen here. 40 Wilpattu National Park Book at location Tour schedule (subject to change and in consultation with the tour leader): The safari will take about 2 ½ hours to complete and is conducted at the end of the afternoon. At sunset you will have a good chance to see wildlife. Included: transfers, entrance fees, local park guide, safari by jeep Not Included: tips You can take part in a safari by 4x4 jeep through the Wilpattu National Park, the largest national park in Sri Lanka. Wilpattu is not often visited (yet) so you'll probably notice few other tourists, the experience of nature here is at its best! The park with its forests and savannah was formerly the place to spot leopards in the wild but of course you need to be very lucky. Other animals that live in the park are elephants, deer, monkeys, jackals, crocodiles, monitor lizards and wild boars. There are also more than 200 species of birds, such as kingfishers, eagles, peacocks and bee-eaters. Tour schedule (subject to change and in consultation with the tour leader): The safari will take about 2 ½ to 3 hours. Included: entrance fees, local park guide, safari by jeep Not included: tips 49 Festival info
PERAHERA KANDY FESTIVAL During July/August, the festival of Esala Perahera takes place in Kandy. It is a spectacle of impressive proportions and for the predominantly Buddhist population is an important festival. This 10-day festival includes a copy of the Tooth of Buddha, safely preserved in the Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth) in Kandy, being carried in one of the five processions on the back of a richly decorated temple elephant. The Esala Perahera consists of several parts. The first six nights the Kumbal Perahera takes place. This part is slightly less impressive than the next, the Randoli Perahera, which culminates on the tenth night. Then all of the elephants gather from miles around, in splendid appearance and together with groups of dancers, acrobats and musicians, participate in the procession. To conclude there is a small ceremony held during the day called Diya Kepeema/the water cutting ceremony of Day Perahera. Each evening the procession begins at an allotted time. After the hymns and prayers (heard everywhere in Kandy for hours) all is suddenly silent. A thunderous cannon shot from the Temple of the Tooth announces the beginning of the preparations. Only when the second gun shot is fired does the procession start to move. It is already dark and the fire bearers light up the parade. At the forefront are men with long whips. Every ten steps they stand still and make a strike of their whips. The sharp crack reverberates through the night. It is now really beginning. The tension is palpable. Drum roll accompanies the acrobats who spin their heads, necks and limbs. Groups of drummers accompany the dancers. The musicians look fabulous in their long white skirts with red sash draped with jewels over their bare torsos. Several groups of dancers pass by, mostly men and some women. Each dance has its own symbolic meaning. The drum rolls as members from the group of dancers take themselves through the air, making acrobatic somersaults. The ecstatic dancers make rigorous movements. Groups of priests and temple servants in gorgeous outfits are accompanied by large numbers of elephants dressed in rich robes, often illuminated with hundreds of lights, which are kept burning by a battery on wheels behind the elephant. They await the last group to arrive at the Dalada Maligawa. Surrounded by musicians and dancers the beautifully decorated main temple elephant arrives with the silver reliquary containing the copy of the precious relic, the Tooth of Buddha, on his back. He is flanked by two equally richly attired elephants. Finally, there follows a long procession of acrobats, dancers, sword fighters and believers. On the last night it takes three hours for the procession to pass. The curtain falls, the party is over. Only then will the crowds head in droves to the carnival. The timing of the Esala Perahera is determined by the moon. The last night of the Perahera Randoli ties in with the full moon. News 12/14/2011 ETA system: Sri Lanka Please note that as from 1st January 2012, all visitors to Sri Lanka will need to purchase an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization). Please see www.eta.gov.lk for further details and to submit your application. The cost of the authorization is US $ 30.00 per person. You must also ensure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months beyond your intended exit date from Sri Lanka. COUNTRY INFORMATION SRI LANKA BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Culture The cultural differences between Europeans and Sri Lankans are so vast that one could write a large book about them. Below you will find some points to take into account when mixing with the locals. "Yes and no": Maybe the most confusing cultural difference between Sri Lankans and Europeans is use of the words; yes and no. To begin with, yes is not indicated by nodding but by quickly moving the chin to and fro, which causes the head to wobble (you should try it!). Secondly, whether spoken or wobbled, yes has a much broader meaning. Besides yes, it can indicate eh, or understood, or even something like that s probably right, or I have heard you, but I m not interested in what you are saying. Yes when uttered by a Sri Lankan hence doesn t give you much of a clue. No is a word Sri Lankans do not like to say too often, for example when asked if the bus to Colombo stops here. Offered a piece of liquorice, nine out of ten Sri Lankans will find the taste foul but the chance of them saying no when offered would be very slim. Etiquette: Visits to holy places, even ruins, have to be taken bareheaded and barefoot. To take pictures of a westerner in front of a Buddha statue is not done. Adult men wearing shorts are seen as ridiculous by Sri Lankans, and women wearing pants as outrageous. Sri Lankans will dress formally for important events. Should you be invited to a wedding, ask about the dress code. Swimming naked or topless is prohibited. A monk should never be touched. If you wish, you can perform the Sri Lankan greeting, hand palms pressed together and held upright in front of the face. The higher you hold your hands, the more respect you express. Monks are not allowed to accept money only food or something to drink. Not all monks are orthodox! Left and right: The right hand is used to eat, while the left hand is reserved for washing the backside. Should you be eating a meal with Sri Lankans using your hands, remember to only use your right hand. Changing hands is considered foul by Sri Lankans. Do not touch anyone with your left hand. Appointments: We are from a highly hectic culture where time is money and appointments tend to be met punctually. Sri Lankans do not share this problem. Not that they will always be late: it is equally possible that they didn t have anything else to do so they turn up an hour early. In general Remember that you are visiting a country where people have different ways and customs. They are not behaving deviantly, it is you!
Religion Buddhism: The large majority of the Singhalese, 64% of the population, is Buddhist. This means that they are followers of Siddhartha Gautama, a prince who preached a unique gospel around 2500 years ago in Northern India that was intended to reform the rigid Hinduism of the time. During his life, he reached enlightenment, and is remembered as the Buddha. His preachings proclaim that the existence or non-existence of a god is actually not of significant importance to Buddhists. Following Hinduism, the Buddha claims that everything that exists is an eternal reiteration of birth and death, a law nobody can escape: neither the gods, nor the universe, nor the people. However, he, the Buddha, did actually succeed in breaking loose from the eternal wheel of reincarnations. His teaching is a way to escape into nirvana, a state of timeless rest and unity with everything. The first great Buddhist truth is that all living is suffering. This suffering is caused by our lusts. By releasing these lusts, one can end suffering. The last great truth refers to the way to release those longings; this is called taking the right way. The right way is a system of thinking and acting which ensures that the person who takes this way, will have his karma improved. Karma is the sum of all good and bad thoughts and deeds from this and all previous lives. It is a reckoning for lives lived. As the karma improves as a result of taking the right way, one expects to reincarnate into cleaner forms. Ultimately, one will reach the state of bodhisattva, in which one doesn t long for anything apart from the happiness of all others. Subsequently, one will dissolve in the nirvana, the state of enlightenment in which one realizes that everything which exists is an illusion and a mere mirage of the undividable unity which rests within itself. Hinduism: Most of the Tamils in Sri Lanka are Hindus and this is the second most important religion on the island. Although Hindus live mainly in the north and east of the country, their holy places are widespread, each dedicated to one of the many gods venerated in Hinduism. Just like Buddhism, Hinduism began in India and later migrated to Sri Lanka. The pantheon of Hindu gods is impressive. On the one hand, there is one god, Brahma, a sort of universal soul outside of time and space from which everything once emanated and into which everything will one day return. However, Brahma has a multitude of manifestations, represented by individual gods in Hinduism. Brahma presents himself to the world in the form of a trinity, made up of Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the perpetuator who is often portrayed with a blue skin, and Shiva, the destroyer. These three gods, representing the male element, all have a female side, in the above order, Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Shakti. Each one of these six gods and goddesses in their turn have their own appearances, which exist under a separate name. Hence, Shakti, or Mother Earth, is also Parvati, the dancing goddess of fertility, but also Kali, the sombre goddess requesting human offerings, and Durga, the terrible. Each of these manifestations rides an animal which in turn is a god. Likewise, Durga rides a tiger, while she carries weapons in all her ten hands. Vishnu s ride is the Garuda, a mythical bird. The gods have children. Thus, Parvati and Shiva are blessed with Ganesha, the god of wisdom with an elephant s head and one of the most popular gods of Sri Lankans, both Hindus and of Buddhists. The elephant among the gods rides a rat. However, the most important Hindu god in Sri Lanka is their second son, Skanda, the god of war who in his free time fights the daily problems and illnesses of the islanddwellers and is hence very favoured. His most important temple is in Kataragama, which you will visit. This god is venerated by Buddhists and by Muslims. Bringing daily offerings and prayers to the gods is an obligation called puja. Another such ritual is the tikka, the wearing of a red dot between the eyes. As a third eye, it is meant to keep a constant focus on the godly world, the world behind our reality, which is a reflection of higher worlds. The most important pujas that are held in the temples take place during sunrise and sundown. Accompanied by drums, bells, wind instruments and the reciting of the Vedas, an offering is brought representing the four elements, air, earth, water and light. The Buddhist temples are visited most frequently during full moon, and the Hindu temples during new moon.
Festivals Most festive days are linked to religion. Except for the Christian festive days, the Sri Lankan festive days are linked to the moon calendar, so they vary every year. Each full-moon day is poya day, the most important temple day for Buddhists. Esala Perahera: at the end of July or the beginning of August the feast of Esala Perahera is celebrated in Kandy. It is an impressive spectacle and, for the mainly Buddhist population, it is their most important festival. In this ten-day festival; a copy of the Buddha s tooth the original is safely stored in the Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth) in Kandy is carried in one of five processions on the back of a richly decorated temple elephant. The Esala Perahera has various sections. The first six evenings consist of the Kumbal Perahera. This part is slightly less impressive than the subsequent Randoli Perahera, which builds to its climax on the tenth night. Then all elephants from far and near pay their respects and the greatest number of dancers, acrobats and musicians take part in the procession. To round it all off, a small ceremony takes place in the daytime: the water cutting ceremony or Day Perahera. The procession starts early evening. After chanting and prayers have filled the air across Kandy for many hours, suddenly there is silence. A thunderous cannon shot from the Temple of the Tooth announces the preparations must begin. It takes 45 minutes for the keeper of the Tooth to wrap himself in a 40m silk drape. Only when the second cannonball is fired can the procession begin to move. It is dark by then and torchbearers light the procession. In front men carry long whips. They halt every tenth step and snap their whips. Now the hour has come. The tension is almost tangible. A roll of drums accompanies the acrobats who whirl fire around their heads, necks and limbs. Groups of drummers accompany the dancers. The musicians look fairytale-like, in their long white gowns with red sashes and their bare torsos draped with jewellery. Various groups of dancers go by, mainly men but some women. Each dance has its own symbolic meaning. The movements and the dress are minutely prescribed. The procession approaches slowly and halts continually. The rolling of the drums becomes louder and acrobats performing multiple somersaults disengage from the group of dancers. The dancers, fall into an everdeeper trance and make ecstatic movements. Groups of priests and temple servants in magnificent outfits are accompanied by a large number of elephants swathed in rich drapes, often lit by hundreds of lights powered by a wheeled battery pulled behind. The very last group, the Dalada Maligawa approaches. Surrounded by musicians and dancers, the splendidly dressed largest temple elephant carries the silver shrine containing the copy of the Tooth of the Buddha on its back. Flanked by two smaller but no less richly decorated elephants. They are followed by a long procession of acrobats, dancers, sword fighters and believers. On the last night, it takes three hours for the procession to pass by. Then the show is over and the throng moves on to the fun fair. The moon determines the timing of Esala Perahera. On the last night of Randoli Perahera it is full moon.
Food and drinks Food: Sri Lankans eat a light and simple breakfast. It is usually made up of fruit, jam or juice with bread or hoppers, the shell-shaped pancakes made of rice flour and coconut milk. All hotels serve a European breakfast. Bread, jam, tea or coffee and fruit juice, supplemented by the heavier English breakfast of baked eggs and scrambled eggs, sausages and beans. Sri Lanka is a country where the trees are heavy with fruit, so every breakfast is rich in fruit and juice. Other meals consist of some sort of rice and curry. A large pile of rice surrounded by small amounts of proteins and vitamins prepared as a spicy curry. This has been the traditional dish for centuries. There are a large variety of curries. In a poor family, rice and curry may be no more than rice, some braised chilli peppers with coconut and lime and perhaps another braised vegetable, while a rich meal may count as many as twenty curries. There are vegetable curries, fish curries, egg and meat curries and even fruit curries. They all share complicated mixes of spices in which they are braised, baked, marinated or boiled. The varieties are subtle, although Westerners tend to mainly notice the hotness of the spices. Sambal, a spicy condiment, has many visitors grasping for their glass of mineral water which only worsens the experience. Curries are always accompanied by a fire extinguisher : curd, a thick yoghurt made of buffalo milk. Sri Lankans eat with the fingers of their right hand. A little ball of curry is carefully mixed with rice and maybe some curd, and then worked into the mouth using one hand. Drinking water: Do not drink tap water; it is not fit for consumption. Buy bottles of purified drinking water, which are available everywhere in the country. Make sure that the bottles come with their original lids or tops. Likewise, ice cubes in your coca cola are taboo, as these are made from tap water. Restaurants and other eating places: In every village there will be a small restaurant serving hoppers or rice and curry. The restaurants where the ordinary Sri Lankans eat are very cheap. Sometimes, you can eat there for as little as 65p. Not everyone will be equally impressed by them as they appear to be hygienically challenged. In practice, the conditions often are not all that bad, but for many Westerners the grotty furniture serves to reduce the appetite. The tourist hotels serve Sri Lankan food that has been adjusted to Western taste. The best food is prepared in the kitchens of Sri Lankan families. If you are lucky enough to be invited for a meal with an islander, be sure to grasp the opportunity. Fish and seafood dishes are prepared very well all along the coast. The most important ingredient of a seafood dish is fresh fish and these are in abundance. The exception is lobster and shrimps. Sometimes far less delicious frozen ones are served. Avoid eating defrosted seafood by inquiring emphatically about their freshness and, in case of doubt, ask to see them in the kitchen. Fresh lobster means live lobster. Vegetarians are well off in Sri Lanka. In many restaurants thalis are served. These are South-Indian, vegetarian versions of rice and curry. The Chinese prepare a good many delicious dishes made with only vegetables (and sometimes eggs). Also, most rice and curry dishes contain only one or two curries with animal protein. Originally, both the Hindus and the Buddhists were vegetarian. Only fish was consumed. It took the Europeans to make meat an integral part of the Sri Lankan diet. Even now, a large part of the population is strictly vegetarian. The amount of meat that rice and curries contain is less than what Europeans are used to. Fruit: One of the greatest attractions of Sri Lanka is the nearly infinite availability of exotic fruits. They come in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes, but they outdo each other in taste. To explore Sri Lanka is to surrender to the strange looking fruit piled up along the road or sold by women who make a living out of selling fruit on the beach or along the street. Some of the most delectable fruits are mango, rambutan, papaya, pineapple, royal coconut, sour sob, jackfruit, mangosteen, durian and many types of bananas. Tipping On bills in restaurants and bars, there is usually 15% VAT and 10% service added, but if you are happy with the service, it is customary to leave a tip as well. Tipping in hotels and restaurants that you come back to has another purpose. It makes staff much more considerate. Tips are not only a nice extra; they are an essential supplement to a low wage. The bus driver and his assistant will expect a tip for the fortnight they have driven around the group, so long as they have done well. A guideline for the bus driver and his assistant together is 1 a day for the two of them. For the local travel guide we recommend 1 per participant per day.
Weather and climate Climate: Sri Lanka s location, just north of the equator, guarantees a warm tropical climate. In the lowlying coastal regions, the average annual temperature is 27 C. Seawater temperatures are warm and vary little throughout the year. Changes of more than a few degrees cooler or warmer are an exception. The temperature is cooler in the mountains. Best time to travel: The entire year is good, but for the southwest coast the best time to visit is from November to April. Whenever you go, you will have both sun and tropical rain showers, which are mostly considered very refreshing. The monsoon, from May to August, brings more rain than normal in the south-western coastal region. In these months, the sea can be rather wild, which makes it hard to swim and impossible to dive. Population The island is home to some 19 million people. This means on each square kilometre, live an average of 292 people. However, the population is distributed unevenly and the number of inhabitants of the western coastal strip, north and south of Colombo, is far greater than in the north and east of the island. With the exception of Colombo, which counts one and a half million inhabitants, the cities of Sri Lanka are relatively small. Jaffna and Kandy, the second and third cities of the country, are ten times smaller. For over 2000 years, agriculture and fisheries have been the backbone of the island s economy. Rice and coconuts are the major staples for the mostly rural population. These foodstuffs are mainly grown on a subsistence basis, together with fruit, vegetables, spices and flowers. The fisheries are also largely traditional. Family members sail out in small canoes or catamarans or use fishing rods to catch a daily meal on the coast or in the many sweet-water lakes in the interior. In some places, you can witness people catching fish by hand, spiking it on a stick. Well-known are the stilt fishermen of the southwestern coast. Over half of the population provide for their daily meals in this way. Often, a cow or a goat and some chickens form a source of animal protein to supplement the standard diet of rice and vegetarian curries. The occasional egg and particularly curd, a greasy buffalo yoghurt, are among the small luxuries that most families can afford once or twice a week. Apart from traditional forms of farming and fishing, the island has some large companies that grow tea, rubber, spices, rice and coconuts on a commercial scale. Tea is by far Sri Lanka s most important export. Three-quarters of a million people work on the plantations and in the tea-processing industry. The average family does not have a high income. Clothing, school materials, kitchen utensils and the occasional bus ticket can only be bought by selling products at the market or from the salary of a relative with a job in a hotel, or a plantation or in a textile workshop. Drums, torches, flutes and wildly dancing people, men in particular, is what Sri Lanka is known for. During religious festive days, attempts are made to cure the seriously ill on New Year s Day. The Sri Lankans, and in particular the Singhalese, reveal different aspects of themselves on the many occasions that call for song and dance. The two main dance forms of the Singhalese are those of the highlands and those of the lowlands. The former goes back to exorcist rituals that continue up to this day in the remoter villages. Villagers gather around an altar on which offerings are laid out. Crescendo and accelerating drumming on the yak beraye, the devil s drum, forms the introduction to the dance of the men representing demons, wearing multi-coloured masks. They are called on, one by one, to appear before a priest who will beg and threaten the demon to stop causing suffering. If there is a sick person, the demon will enter the person and speak through him or her. An offering to the demon usually makes him disappear. The highland dances can be traced back to the dances once performed in the court of the Kings of Sri Lanka, who last resided in Kandy. These, too, are characterized by wild, masculine movements to the rhythm of special drums, particularly the geta beraye, which hangs on a cord diagonally across the belly of the drummer. The drum is beaten on both sides. The costumes of the dancers are unforgettable. Crowns, metal bands and breastplates decorated with stones give the dancers their kingly appearance.
Landscape Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean just southeast of the southernmost tip of India. The equator is only 6 degrees away from the island, which has a surface area of 65,610sq km. It is roughly the size of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg together. The island is shaped like a pear. The northern part is a plain that has a dry withered appearance for most of the year and has to be irrigated from the thousands of artificial lakes that have been here since time immemorial. In these plains, we find the ruins of Polonnaruwa, one of the impressive ancient culture witnessed by the island in former times. Approaching towards the south, the plains are regularly interrupted by giant granite outcrops, rising up nakedly from out of the increasingly green landscape. Then the landscape of the interior opens up: lovely rolling hills in which the rice fields alternate with tropical woody plantations. Spices are grown here in special gardens. Beyond the magnificent cultural capital of the island, Kandy, the hills develop into mountains, reaching a height of 2524m at the peak of Mount Pidurutalagala. Conifers, eucalyptus trees and rhododendrons have replaced the tropical vegetation of the lower lying regions. The hillsides are covered in immense tea plantations which alternate with much smaller plantations of coffee, bananas or cardamom. The small houses in the mountains are painted in multiple colours, and surrounded by various types of colourful flowering trees, bushes and climbers. Descending from the mountains to the west, you end up in the greenest and most densely populated part of the island. This is coconut country. The flat coastal strip is interrupted in many places by wide shallow rivers that turn into lagoons. In the southeast, the extensive savannas are scarcely populated. They contain various nature reserves with a rich fauna - bears, panthers, elephants, wild buffaloes, deer and crocodiles are among the larger animals. The island boasts approximately 450 species of bird, including very colourful ones. There are many species of exotically colourful butterflies. The Sri Lankan landscape has been adorned through the ages by dagobas, temples and monasteries in the most beautiful spots on the island. Thousands of sculptures, frescoes and innumerable ornate woodcarvings have lifted the spirits of Sri Lankans. Semi spherical dagobas exist in any size, from a modest earthen mound to something approaching the size of an Egyptian pyramid. In the decaying ancient royal cities it is the dagobas that reveal man s hand influence on the landscape. A dagoba is a religious shrine. Inside all the major dagobas, a particle of the Buddha s body is stored. These edifices are the symbol of death and the ascension into nirvana of the Buddha. Apart from the dagobas, the temples also play a major role in the veneration of the Buddha. In the early centuries, statues of the Buddha were taboo. Instead, footprints or lotus flowers symbolized the master. Also the many shoots of the original bodhi tree served to remind believers of the enlightenment of the master, exactly as they do now. The earliest examples of temples with actual portrayals of the Buddha date from the first century AD. The oldest shape was that of the vatadage: amidst concentric circles of pillars, sometimes carrying a wooden roof, a small dagoba or a Buddha could be seen. One beautiful example can be found in Polonnaruwa. In later temple shapes, the influence of Hinduism emerged. An iconography developed in which numerous subtle differences in the positions of the Buddha statues referred to different aspects of the master. From the first statues, sixty-four positions emerged, such as the sitting and meditating Buddha, the blessing Buddha with a flat hand next to the face, the teaching Buddha, the sleeping Buddha, and the Buddha who has been received into nirvana, who also lies, but now with one of his feet in a slightly different position. In the course of time, numerous bodhisattvas were added to those, so that the interior of a temple boasts a great multitude of statues as well as colourful decorations. In the earlier temples the proportions of the interior, the statues and decorations all told their stories and nothing was left to chance. In the later temples, elements of a purely decorative nature were introduced. PRACTICAL INFORMATION Arrival information It is wise to take it easy the first day you are in Sri Lanka. Take time to acclimatize. The change of climate and culture can have quite an impact. Let the country and the atmosphere sink in, relax at the poolside of your hotel and have a wonderful trip on the beautiful, mystical island of Sri Lanka! Time differences Sri Lanka is 5 hours later than in western Europe, except during summer time, when the time difference is 4 hours. Sri Lanka is 6 hours later than in the UK, except during summer time, when the time difference is 5 hours.