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
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, […]
Seetha Amman Temple
We stopped by this roadside temple on our way out of Nuwara Eliya. This is the only temple dedicated to Seeta Amman, consort of Lord Rama. Here is where Seeta was held captive by King Ravana, after he kidnapped her from India over five thousand years ago. I don’t know much else about this, […]
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 […]
Heritance Tea Factory
We loved our stay in this very unique luxury boutique hotel near Nuwara Eliya. It’s set high on a hilltop surrounded by tea estates. It was a picturesque approach, even though the sun didn’t appear the entire time we were there! The building used to house the Hethersett Estate Tea Factory, which closed in […]
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)
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 […]
Polonnaruwa: Vijayanta Prasada
Vijayanta Prasada is the first ruins after entering the grounds. This was the royal palace, built by King Parakramabahu I in the 12th Century. In its heyday, the palace stood seven stories tall and contained 1,000 rooms. Construction took a little over seven years. It was destroyed by South Indian invaders in the 13th century. Burned bricks […]
Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights
This winter was the peak of the 11-year solar cycle, the period during which the sun produces sunspots and solar storms, resulting in high auroral activity. Since there’s nowhere better to view the aurora borealis than Lapland, my husband and I stocked up on extreme cold-weather gear and headed north. Way north. We were prepared […]
