Often referred to as the soft option compared to travel in India - "post-corona" Sri Lanka is just as colorful, aromatic and excitingly explosive, but not as crowded.
Formerly known as Ceylon, this jewel sits in the Indian Ocean at the foot of India, cloaked in rainforests, highlands, never ending plains and sweeping sandy beaches where fishermen can be found tinkering with their traditional catamaran fishing boats shares The Wise Traveller.
Although many travellers overlook Sri Lanka in their rush to get to somewhere else, the country’s culture, natural beauty and cuisine create myriad tastes and sights. From car boot sunset picnics on the beach at Negombo spent imbibing in the local anise-flavored arak brew to scoffing honey and coconut pancakes, trekking forever up the fifth-century citadel Sigiriya whilst dodging ancient wasp nests lodged on the track and sunrise four-wheel drive races to the gates of Yala National Park, Sri Lanka will surprise you with its diversity.
Home to a whopping 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites
You can have your fill of playing Indiana Jones exploring the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, the sacred capital city of Anuradhapura dating back 2,000 years and the Golden Temple of Dambulla.
You can climb Sigiriya rock, meander the narrow lanes of Galle with its whitewashed buildings and ancient fortifications, whilst the sacred city of Kandy's streets host the annual Festival of the Tooth with a parade of painted and adorned elephants that rivals the brilliance of any Mardi Gras throughout the world. The Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a biodiversity hotspot saved from logging due to its remote location and inaccessibility that plays host to a veritable encyclopedia of endemic species.
Think flocks of birds such as the blue magpie and the red-faced malkoha, elephants, leopards and the purple-faced langur. You can trek around the Central Highlands comprising the Horton Plains National Park and the Knuckles Conservation Forest where the bear monkey hides and skip up "Little Adam's Peak" if you are fit enough.
Elephants stroll on roadside curbs, and cows wander along beaches or roads. Huge black crows swoop on fish guts when fishermen clean their daily catch on the beach, whilst women spread out fish to dry in the sun. Sari clad women carrying colourful umbrellas stroll bustling streets, and mongoose scurry across country roads. Bobbing turtles play in aquamarine waters of sandy bays, and you can gawk at amazing Hindu temples and white Buddha statues that dominate the lush tropical landscape.
The secrets of Sri Lanka
The secrets are only found if you choose to travel with a local tour guide, as large group tours will not take the time to explore the unexpected. The incredible Buduruwagala Temple (Buddhist Sangha of Buduruwagala) has sadly been left to the elements. Off the beaten tourist track outside of Wellawaya, the massive 51-foot Buddha statue dominates the other seven figures carved into a rock face. Ancient script dates the statues from the 6th to the 10th Centuries.
The early morning fish market of Negombo is an overwhelming sight with creatures of the deep marooned on the market's concrete floors, sliced and diced with fish blood and guts everywhere. It's smelly and slippery with a constant industrious vibe of marine monsters being auctioned off for restaurant fare and locals vying for small seafood delights.
Sri Lanka's labor-intensive cuisine
The food in Sri Lanka is a patchwork quilt of every nationality that has ever landed on its shores, from Malaysian to Indian, Portuguese to Dutch. The tropical climate bears amazing fresh vegetables, fruits and spices by the bucket load.
It is impossible to keep count of the little dishes that come with your rice and curry or to not dribble when gorging on string hoppers with dahl. It is an easy pleasure to savor curd and honey from roadside stalls or devour banana fritters or coconut pancakes drizzled with honey.
Butcher shops are mud brick huts with an assortment of raw animal parts displayed hanging on hooks, organic vegetable farms thrive and the best chocolate brownie dripping with cinnamon ice cream you will ever have, is to be found at the Dairy King in Galle.
Curries range from vibrant green vegetables to yellow and deep brown meats and come in every form that you can think of. A Sinhalese greeting actually translates to "Have you eaten rice?" Dishes are dressed in freshly grated coconut, sambols are dynamically red and rich custards are infused with spices.
