The ?finest island of its size in the world? is how explorer Marco Polo chose to define this teardrop-shaped place. The very definition would seem more than inviting to any traveller at heart. And Sri Lanka with its etheral beauty fails to disappoint.
For one, you don?t have to worry about currency conversion while shopping ? the Indian rupee is almost thrice as strong as the Sri Lankan. So, indulge in some retail therapy. And get an ayurvedic massage ? a full-body massage can be had for less than INR 600. Could you really care to ask for more? Book yourself at a spa lounge for the evening because you may not find many other engagements. Most shops, except for a few, close by 7 PM. However, in Colombo you do have the option of trying your luck at one of the casinos. Another word of advice ? always carry your passport on you ? chances are you might be stopped at one of the checkpoints for routine enquiry. It is hardly a hassle, but yes, the subtle threat of Tamil insurgency is in the air. Most Sri Lankan guards at the checkpoint are very young, with barely any hint of facial hair ? you?d rather imagine them on a cricket field than manning a police picket!
But the bottom line remains that Sri Lanka has a lot of pleasant surprises to offer. The Pinnawela Elephant Orphange is a must-visit. Here you will find elephants of all ages that are abandoned or unable to fend for themselves due to injury. I forced myself out of bed at 6 AM to be able to reach there by 9.15 AM. ?That?s the time when the elephants are fed milk in bottles. If you miss it, you just miss it,? the words of my guide, Sahama, kept resounding in my dreams. The threat of losing the opportunity was enough. I did not need the alarm to wake me up. Fortunately we just made it on time ? not a minute late and not a minute earlier. It indeed would have been a lost opportunity otherwise ? where else in the world could I have got to feed milk to a baby elephant? The orphanage started in 1975 with just five elephants. It has over 60 elephants today ? making it one of the biggest and most popular in the world.
From Pinnawela we further proceeded to Nuwara Eliya or the ?city of light?. We?d left the traffic snarls way behind in Colombo. This quaint town, 2,500 m above sea level, with endless tea estates also boasts of Pidurutalagala, the highest peak, standing proudly at 2,524 m. As we entered Nuwara Eliya, it began to rain heavily, adding further to the chill. I literally cursed myself for not having brought a cardigan along. Rubbing my palms furiously was of little help to battle the cold. ?This is our ?Little England,? Sahama chuckled, peeping momentarily into the rear view mirror. He had the best antidote for the cold ? a stopover at a tea estate for a freshly-brewed cup of Ceylon tea. I cupped the tea in my hands, sipping it, inhaling the brew as another person escorted me inside the tea factory to explain the genesis of the tea I so preciously held. It was the first time that I was having tea in Sri Lanka. Colombo was hot and I was surviving on King Coconut ? the yellow variety of coconut. Is it different? From the green one yes, but not too different from the one you get in Kerala. But right now all I could think of was tea. I had walked out empty-handed, but on my way back I was loaded with tea of all variety ? Earl Grey, Raspberry, Strawberry?. just the souvenirs I could take back, I thought to myself while heading towards St Andrews hotel ? a British country mansion.
It?s a good idea to base yourself here and take day-long tours ? to Horton plains which has Sri Lanka?s national park or take the Leopard rock trail. Over the next two days I explored Kandy, the second-largest city of Sri Lanka and also the last stronghold of the ancient Sinhala Kings against the British empire. The Temple of Tooth Relic and a Royal botanical garden remain the main attraction of the city. It is equally popular with Europeans and Americans who throng the city to play golf.
Just a couple of hours drive out of Kandy takes you to a circuit of ancient Buddhist temples. And on the last day, like most other tourists, I stopped over at Negombo, a peaceful town with several old Roman Catholic churches and a Dutch canal that was once 100 km long! However, it?s barely 25 km-long now. Stone?s throw from the international airport, it offers the perfect opportunity to bid adieu to the mighty island.
?That?s quite a natural farewell actually.