Shore Temple is in Mamallapuram, on the Bay of Bengal. This UNESCO World Heritage Site exemplifies the architectural and sculptural excellence of the Pallava dynasty. These monuments were built during the 7th century AD. The entire temple stands on a naturally occurring granite boulder. The temple complex has three separate shrines. Two are dedicated to […]
Mamallapuram
From Chennai, we headed south down the coast, which was similar to many sparsely developed coastal regions. The road was flat and open and lined with sporadic retail structures like electronics shops, discount clothing boutiques and restaurants. Every so often, we caught glimpses of secluded resorts tucked away along the ocean. We stayed at the […]
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Galle
Our last stop in Sri Lanka was Galle, a preserved Dutch colonial town. The town is lively, with many restaurants and shops. Well, it was established by the Portugese in the 16th Century. They constructed a fort and built bastions and walls. Then, in the the 17th Century, the Dutch captured it and expanded the area to include […]
Sinharaja Rainforest
We drove to Sinharaja Rainforest, which is the largest surviving tract (190 sq km) of undisturbed lowland rainforest in Sri Lanka. The general topography is hills and valleys, surrounded by two rivers which feed steep waterfalls. It’s endless lush greenery, loud with birds and rainfall. Most of the flora and wildlife are endemic. We went […]
Yala National Park
Another highlight of the trip was Yala National Park. It’s situated on the south coast of the country and stretches to the Indian Ocean. Yala contains over 375 square miles of forest, scrub, lagoons and grassland and is the largest park in Sri Lanka. Yala was designated a wildlife sanctuary in 1900 and has been […]
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
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 […]
