Jetwing Yala
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Jetwing Yala

This was the best hotel of the trip. Jetwing Yala is located on the southern coast of Sri Lanka on the Indian Ocean, right outside Yala National Park.   The main restaurant served an extravagant buffet of gourmet local fare and a second restaurant, Thambapanni, offered an Asian fusion menu and outdoor seating.   We loved…

Arugam Bay: Surf & Sun

Arugam Bay: Surf & Sun

  We were eager to explore the surf communities of Sri Lanka, which are on the east coast. This region was hit especially hard during the decades-long civil war and the 2004 tsunami. The area was abandoned and villages and structures were left in ruins. Redevelopment began after 2007, and the result is still serene,…

World’s End
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World’s End

Well, this could have been spectacular. Despite the rainy, overcast conditions, we decided to try our luck and visit World’s End. With a name like that, how could we not at least try? World’s End is in Horton Plains National Park, at the edge of the hill country in Nuwara Eliya. It’s where the Horton…

Blue Field Tea Gardens

Blue Field Tea Gardens

It would be challenging to drive through Hill Country and not visit at a tea plantation. Sri Lanka , formerly named Ceylon, is the world’s fourth largest producer of tea after China, India and Kenya. Tea accounts for 15% of the GDP. On our way from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya, we stopped at the country’s oldest…

Hill Country

Though this region was only a few hours from the Cultural Triangle, it was an entirely different topography, weather and ambiance. We started climbing the windy, steep, narrow roads and marveled at the lush tea plantations, thick foliage and gushing waterfalls. Fog blanketed the region, and the temps were chilly enough to warrant jackets.  …

Polonnaruwa: Raja Vaishyabhuganga (Council Chamber)
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Polonnaruwa: Raja Vaishyabhuganga (Council Chamber)

The Council Chamber, or Raja Vaishyabhuganga, was where the king met with his ministers and officials. The wooden roof has long disappeared, but the elaborate base and carved pillars survive. Friezes of elephants, lions and dwarfs cover the base.  Steps are embellished with makara (these look like mythical dragons) balustrades, a pair of moonstones and…