Sarongs and soothsayers in Sri Lanka

Train journeys that take you back to another era 

From the shady pool deck of the welcoming Buckingham Place boutique hotel on Sri Lanka’s eastern coast we watched as a peacock stepped gingerly along the edge of the infinity swimming pool, dipping every now and again into the water to take a sip.

Cicadas

After it flew away we dozed, listening to a variety of bird songs in the surrounding trees where the incessant shrill of cicadas slowly diminished as the heat intensified. 

A visitor to Buckingham Place

Much of Sri Lanka consists of unspoiled nature - jungles, rainforests, arid plains, sandy beaches and mountains, and visitors to this beautiful teardrop shaped island just off the southern tip of India come to embrace it.    

I confess I was worried about visiting in early May this year as the terrible Easter Sunday bombings that took place two weeks before our departure date were still very prominent in everyone’s minds and of course splattered all over the baying media. 

My sister said I mustn't go. My children sat on the fence. Our travelling companions Chris (aka Job Job) and Liz scoffed at the very notion of being put off by a bunch of terrorists (Zimbabweans have been through and still are going through various hells and back for decades) and set off from their home in Victoria Falls a week before us, via Seychelles. So we went, and this tailor-made trip sparked by Chris @victoriafallsconsultants and designed by JF Tours & Travels (Ceylon) Ltd turned out to be a magical journey. Well planned, the choice of destinations and accommodations to suit the type of clients we were - just superb.

Plants and plantations

After touchdown at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport, driver Vijitha took us smoothly through the traffic ranging from tuk tuks to vintage tea lorries, to where the green things are - sprawling tea plantations, cinnamon forests, steep winding jungle roads and magnificent scenery to reach our hotel in Ella some six hours away. 

The 98 Acres Hotel & Spa sits on the slopes of a working tea plantation, where traditional tea pickers work steadily throughout the day, a system so much more beneficial for all than the mechanised methods used in other countries. What a spectacular region of mountain ranges, waterfalls and lush vegetation in which to walk, bird watch or do nothing at all.

98 Acres Hotel & Spa

Here we met our two Zimbabwean mates who had already been in Wilpattu Park, Anuradhapura, Dambulla and, rather enviously, they had seen sloth bears in Wasgamuwa National Park. We also met their and now our trusty JF Tours guide and driver Jeewa Kumar.

Within walking distance of the hotel is Little Adam's Peak, all 1,141m of it, which husband Robin and I climbed early the next morning. A steep well-worn path led to the pinnacle where we appreciated panoramic views of mountains and jungle, a Buddhist shrine and met an enterprising local chap sitting under a eucalyptus tree selling coconut water to tourists. 

By the way, the more famous Adam’s Peak (2,243m) lies further west near Nuwara Eliya.

Over the Nine Arch Bridge

Chugging through history

Taking a short train ride from Demodara Railway Station (opened in 1923) along the Demodara Loop to Ella will induce a nostalgic lump to the throat. This is said to be the only railway loop in the world that features a tunnel directly beneath the station, which can be seen from the station grounds.

We chugged and swayed dramatically across Nine Arch Bridge, a 24-metre high viaduct built purely of stone bricks and   cement and apparently one of the   country’s best examples of British colonial-era railway construction, a structure of which designer Harold   Cuthbert Marwood of the Ceylon Government Railway and his team would have been justifiably proud. The railway station itself is a historian’s dream for it remains as it ever was. 

Sri Lanka (once upon a time Ceylon and Serendib) was colonised by the Portuguese, Dutch and British and with each period came fascinating influences and traditions that are still an intricate part of the culture today.

Demondara loop

Jeewa then took us to his home in nearby Bandarawela village where we met true Sri Lankan hospitality as the women in his family produced a delicious vegetarian lunch. Spontaneity is the reward for travelling with an excellent local guide with “cousins” in almost every town.

Whisky behind bars

After releasing a bottle of imported whisky and a few Lion lagers imprisoned behind the metal bars of a street side shack we drove to Yala National Park, a 978.8 square kilometre protected park in the south east. This place holds the highest density of leopards in the world (according to the BBC, National Geographic, the Discovery TV channels and Chris) as well as 44 species of mammals and around 215 bird species.

Breakfast at Tuskers

Our hotel Cinnamon Wild Yala was as the name suggests. Situated near to the park’s boundary, a few exploratory teams of wild boars and langur monkeys wandered through the grounds and lodges, and one morning an elephant strolled up for breakfast in Tuskers Restaurant. We quickly moved - the excited staff had already whipped all our bread rolls and fruit off the table. The elephant sauntered to the swimming pool, waved its trunk at the water then walked to the open-plan reception desk (to check in perhaps), pulled at some tree leaves then headed back from whence he came.

A lake just beyond the swimming pool hosts perpetually hungry pelicans, spoonbills, ibis, egrets, herons and painted storks yet all managed to avoid what the hotel guests’ welcome letter states: “The lake is occupied by a number of untamed crocodiles therefore refrain from going very close the water.” 
And at night the friendly staff insisted on escorting guests to their lodges. Fair enough!

Early next morning we took a safari through Yala National Park, picking up a knowledgeable volunteer guide from just outside the main gate. 

Jungle fowl, the national bird

Bee-eater

Spotted deer

The light was perfect for photographing birds: green bee-eater, Malabar pied hornbill, Indian robin, jungle fowl (Sri Lanka’s feral hen of a national bird), black headed oriole, lesser golden-backed woodpecker, Indian thick-knee, lesser whistling duck and white throated kingfisher included.

 I did not expect such heat and diverse semi-arid terrain, with dry yellow dust roads very like Africa. It has riverine, thorn and dry monsoon forests, salt and freshwater lagoons, grasslands, tanks (reservoirs) and sand dunes. But the dryness paid off as we saw herds of elephant, wild water buffalo, sambar and spotted deer, wild boar, mongooses and a leopard on each day lying 

Not the best leopard shot but you can see his tail!

on a tree branch far away in the distance. Despite there being a resident population of sloth bears we didn’t see any.

There were other tourist vehicles in the park, but numbers were down due to the recent incidents. It was still busy for us when compared with the exclusivity of Zimbabwe’s national parks of course, but that is a safari experience on a different level.

I didn’t realise that in the horrific Boxing Day tsunami of 2004 some 250 people died in this park, and there is a memorial to 47 visitors who were killed in the now destroyed Patanangala Rest House, a sobering reminder. This is one of the few designated places where you can stop and get out of vehicle for a break. The animals were more fortunate. On the park's official website it states: “…….no animals were in harm’s way, prompting a theory that ‘sixth sense’ of animals took them out of the path of on-coming waves."  

Swamp hen

From Yala our air-conditioned Toyota KDH took us past a marshy area full of birdlife to find Chris a rare pheasant-tailed jacana. Spotted! near Weligatta, along with some ungainly swamp hens (my jacana photo is blurred so you have a swamp hen instead).

Tangalle

The drive to Buckingham Place mentioned earlier was easy, although us four did wonder if Jeewa had got the right address for this oasis sits on a very quiet tatty road flanked by mangroves and jungle – to be precise, in Tangalle between the Rekawa Lagoon and a beach facing the Indian Ocean. That’s part of the intrigue; you will be taken by surprise as the huge double entrance gates open to reveal a stylish homestay more than hotel, with a tropical modernism feel of Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa ilk.

Infinity pool at Buckingham Palace Place 

Dining room

Stunning decor in a superb location

Rob, Nick (owner), Cheryl (i.e. me), Liz & Chris

Warm, old-fashioned hospitality is owner Nick Buckingham’s forte – he is a genius (or a soothsayer) when it comes to predicting exactly what people want without them having to ask for it, and so too do his friendly staff of about 60.

The zany brightly coloured décor, the swift, polite yet unobtrusive service, the gourmet cuisine of its Oceanfront restaurant (I’m talking chilled pumpkin and ginger soup; Suranga’s griddled seer fish; a six curries Sri Lankan feast for two; ice cream hoppers with kithul treacle and arrack); the spacious gardens as well as garden suites complete with outdoor bathrooms that are sprinkled with rose petals upon arrival; simply took my breath away.

Casablanca under the stars

“…I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

The 33m infinity pool that merged with the sky and ocean took centre stage but so too did the outdoor cinema where in the warm evening air under a canopy of stars we watched Bogie and Bergman in the classic Casablanca. Even a tub of salted popcorn appeared surreptitiously at my elbow during the show – what could be more perfect?! 
The final day sarong-clad husband had his first ever massage in the calming on-site spa, quite a revelation for him. 

So it was pretty tough to leave 
paradise, but Galle called. 

The blowhole

En route we stopped at the Hummanaya Blowhole, a natural blowhole with sea water that booms as it shoots upwards dramatically every few minutes. It’s an interesting feature if you are heading in that direction.

Historic city

Galle on the south western tip of Sri Lanka has such a varied history it is difficult to keep up. The Dutch Fort is a walled town within the city, the first basic fortifications built by the Portuguese in the late 16th century. Now it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring Dutch-colonial buildings, ancient mosques and churches, museums, picturesque lanes stuffed with art shops, restaurants and cafes as well as being a working community, with administrative offices, courts, businesses, colleges and schools.

Lunch at The Tuna & The Crab in the historic Old Dutch Hospital (now shopping precinct) offering sushi, steaks and seafood is a must-do. 

The Old Dutch Hospital 

Just one night we spent at Le Grande Galle Hotel overlooking Galle Fort and the Indian Ocean, it’s location ideal for exploring the city. An amazing feature about our luxurious room was a fully automatic loo (Japanese of course) that does everything a machine can possibly do to assist in your ablutions. The lid opens when you approach, the seat is warmed, there are different settings for spraying water in appropriate directions and drying certain areas with remarkable precision. Quite incredible!

Galle Fort view from our Le Grande Galle Hotel room

Galle Clock Tower built in 1883

Go visit!

The country’s tourism industry has been badly affected by the senseless acts in April, with so many local people losing their incomes overnight. Yet not once did we feel frightened or threatened. 

Of course it’s vital to be vigilant when travelling anywhere in the world, a universal requirement being to use that often neglected facility we have in that brain somewhere - common sense. 
More visitors to this gem of a destination will surely help ordinary Sri Lankans of all religions and beliefs to recover.