Pictures from Sri Lanka

Ram, Sita, and Hanumaan in Sri Lanka

So Sita (me) and Hanumaan (Daminee) decided that they would join PJ (Ram)in Sri Lanka, where he was going for his off site. My vacation can be best described in just one word-- Exhausting! And I don't mean this in a pun-intended way :) It was exhausting because there is just so much to do there. I spent three and a half days in Lanka and I can tell you that it is not enough for this beautiful little gem in the Indian Ocean.

Daminee and I reached Lanka in the middle of the night. I had asked for the hotel cab to come fetch us. We were very lucky to have got cheap return tickets on Sri lankan Airlines (which is a direct flight- 3 hrs 30 mins). The only drawback with this airline is that there are no TVs on board so if you are not the sleeping beauty category, you will need to have a good book, or some nice music, or a good co-passenger to keep you entertained. The Lanka airport looked like a new bride...all decked up for the World Cup. We reached our BnB around 1 am. It looked beautiful. The 'Lake Lodge' in Colombo 3 is a central and very comfy place to stay. It is a small BnB with 10 rooms. The rooms are well decorated and spacious, the food is really good, and the overall cost is low. It can be difficult to get a room in Sri Lanka for less then Rs 5000. This BnB looked liked a decent option and the reviews were good. Note: It was not a disappointment!

Daminee and I woke up to some lovely FREE breakfast: a fruit platter, juice, bead basket, yoghurt, and lots of sun. The people at this place are extremely hospitable. They all know English so communicating what you want is not a problem. Chef Joe is a sweet man and he will cook you lovely meals. He will come up and personally take your order. Day one in Lanka was sent shopping as we waited for my dear husband to reach Colombo from Kandy. By the time he checked in, Daminee and I had finished all of our allowance for the day (actually, we over spent)...and this was just 3 hours of shopping. We went back to the hotel, ate lunch and we were out again. Only this time with the "baap" of all shoppers...PJ. I just knew right then that I would have to keep a $100 bill in my emergency money pocket in my wallet. Keep in mind that auto rickshaws or tuk tuks are expensive. Bargain before you begin your ride. Anything that costs 300 Lankan rupees can be availed for about 170 - 200. Now that we are talking shopping, here is where to go. And trust me, don't waste your time going anywhere else, because we did and then we felt bad about it.

1. House of Fashion: This one tops my list. You can get some really cool bargains here. From Gucci to Armani, CK to FCUK...just about everything. And its all genuine stuff. Things to buy: table mats, T-shirts, Shirts, ties, dresses, and some really cool afro hair wigs.


2. Barefoot: you can shop here for some funky kurtis, sarongs, diaries, key chains, and silver jewellery. They specialize in things made out of organic cotton. Must do: take time out for brunch at the Barefoot cafe.


3. Noritake: You cannot go back with out picking up some beautiful China from here. I picked up hand painted wall plates. It is a Japanese brand but manufactured in Lanka so it's the cheapest here.


4. Magestic city mall: we were stupid not to go here (we we running out of time)


5. Hannah: I would say it's Ok... not too great but it's good for clothes for men.

A lot of websites will tell you to go to Pettah and Odel. DON'T! They are crappy and an absolute waste of time.

At night, we put on our party clothes and went to Clancy's. Its a nice Irish pub and the food is good. The alcohol is slightly expensive, but it's a nice place to chill out in the evening. The overkill neon lighting could give you a slight headache, though.

On day 2 I woke up to chocolate and baileys Holi (we had to play some form of holi because it was my "first" holi after the wedding and its supposed to be auspicious) followed by some good breakfast. We tried to be a little less cheap and ordered eggs and sausages from the menu. Tummy full, we sat in our car for the day and were were off. The plan was to do some water sports at Bentota, followed by a trip to the turtle hatcheries, a short halt at Galle Fort and then Mount Lavinia hotel for dinner. Bentota is gorgeous. We tried water skiing, banana rides, and donuts. Awesome fun! Hikkaduwa is where you should go if you wanna do some snorkeling. If you've been to Maldives, you wouldn't care much for the marine life you'll get to see here, but if you haven't, you should stop by.

The trip to the hatcheries was really nice. We saw baby turtles, big turtles and very big turtles. I still can't get oer the one day old baby turtle. On our way from Hikkaduwa (hatcheries) to Gall Fort, we stopped for some refreshing nariyal pani. We slept most of the way because the water sports had got us tired. The fort is beautiful and magnificent. If you love photography, you'll want to be here. The Fort is set against the stunning backdrop of blue-green water, clear skies, and lush green grass. It is picture perfect. You can also get some neat shots of the sunset. Local boys will be happy to do some stunts for you. They take 500 Sri Lankan rupees and jump from the cliff into the water so you can capture that with the setting sun as the backdrop.

On our way back we stopped at Mount Lavinia hotel and ate to our hearts content. The restaurant is sea facing and you can see all of Colombo from here. Must eat: the dessert buffet. It's totally worth it! We spent the last day gallivanting the streets and finding places to shop. I just wish there was no sun because I looked like roast chicken by the end of it. We didn't get time to go to Gallery Cafe, but whatever I heard of it, it seemed very nice. The next morning was spent basking in the sun and packing. Now that our bags were packed and we were ready to go, we said bye bye to Sri Lanka with a promise to return so I can go to Sigiriya (an ancient rock fortress) and Nuwara Eliya. I haven't really seen Sri Lanka until i tick these off my list :) PJ---are you listening?