Sunrise, scooters, boats, jeeps, new friends, adventures, elephants, buffalo and so much more .. the past few days have been unforgettable and some of the best during our time in Sri Lanka so far! It might help that the cloud of jet lag has finally passed, we took a break from public transport and our legs have recovered from the impossible Adam’s Peak hike, but all of a sudden the incredible moments of joy and beauty are outweighing the confusion, miscommunication and challenges that hung over our first few days.
We have been in Sri Lanka for over one week now, and this incredibly diverse country continues to amaze us daily.
One important part of traveling through Sri Lanka that has been such a positive impact on our time here is the Sri Lankan people. The people of a nation are a reflection on the values of their culture, and Sri Lankans are an absolute delight. Whilst we have had our fair share of miscommunications and friendly bartering situations, we are yet to meet a single unkind Sri Lankan – their sense of community, inclusiveness, hospitality helpfulness and kindness is an absolute credit to their beautiful way of living and has helped us greatly with our travels.
Sri Lanka is a safe and diverse travel destination for people of all backgrounds – we have come across multiple families, backpackers, couples and retired travelers, and it truly is a country suited for every traveller’s adventure. Being able to walk the streets in any local community and be greeted with children running out screaming ‘hello!’ ‘ bye!’, invited to speak with elders and locals and the number of home stays welcoming travelers a smile and a helpful hand (oh and of course delicious rice & curry dishes!). Having travelled solo to various countries before, we both feel at ease in Sri Lanka with the only exceptions being road crossings and celebratory fireworks. We really hope reading our blog so far is encouraging you to add this beautiful country to your bucket list if it’s not there already!
It was an early morning start to be at the Pottuvil Lagoon for our sunrise boat safari through the mangroves. The lagoon tours are an initiative not only to help participants to explore the mangroves unique wildlife conservation area, but also to provide the local fishing village with a source of income to help their community, especially after the devastating effects of the tsunamis that hit Arugam Bay in 2004.
We spent a couple of hours onboard a dodgy platform nestled between 2 canoes with a couple of local men paddling the way without a word of English. It was like cutting through glass, gliding through the lagoon and observing multiple species of birdlife, including varieties of stork and eagles. It was a peaceful experience as we caught our first glimpse of elephants in the distance, roaming around the marshlands, and stopped by several fishermen’s boats to check out their catch, and the pesky crabs caught in their nets.
The lagoon meets the sea near Whisky Point, our surf spot from the day prior, and we enjoyed sweet tea from a beach shack family restaurant on the waterfront. Luke made great friends with the owner Muhammed, and we enjoyed learning about the family history of the area.
Still keen for adventure, we met a couple of extra friends Nat & Sebastian, and along with Elsa hired a few scooters to head 30km south from Arugam Bay in search of elephants and temples around the border of the Kumana National Park.
Jelley being the ever-terrified passenger, held on tight as Luke negotiated the rough dirt tracks on the town scooter, narrowly avoiding a herd of buffalo and almost panicking seeing a metre-long lizard across the trail. Again, viewing elephants only from a distance, we continued through to the base of the Kudumbigala Monastery. This hidden gem had been recommended by a friend back home, and after a short easy climb to the top, we were rewarded with uninterrupted views over Kumana National Park, the coastline and Arugam Bay. The temple was a place of serenity, and the 360degree views were stunning, at times taken away by thunderstorms passing through.
Continuing back through the downpours, we were treated with buffalo bathing in the mud and several more elephants, but keen to get back before dark, we continued on for an early night.
Due to the Sinhalese New Year, alcohol is banned for several days, and while it depends who you ask and if you can get some on the black-market, it is days like these when a beer is most deserved. With some local Kottu Roti and Sprite to quench the thirst, we battled on another day without, waiting for the new year and new beer.
Arriving in the town of Udawalawa was crazy – with no buses running over the new year, we took a 3 hour tuk tuk from the coast. With new years celebrations underway and some crazy drunk drivers ruling the roads, we were lucky to have a great driver who drove us straight to our Hotel “The Happy Elephant” where we were greeted by our host “Mr. Happy”.
Keen to stretch, we grabbed a couple of bicycles to check out the community and brave the roads before sunset. Luke joined in with local drunken men in some traditional drumming and dancing in their backyard, before our 3rd time lucky with an ATM actually working here.
After another delicious Sri Lankan curry at our accommodation, we went to bed – alarm set again for an early start.
Our safari companions today were from Switzerland, and the 4 of us were joined by Pierre, a local guide for 20 years in the Udawalawe National Park, and his experienced showed.
Within minutes of entering the national park, we were greeted by a family of 4 elephants. With a swarm of jeeps around, the elephants were unphased and wandered on, basking in the beautiful sunrise, on their way to drink more water (approximately 200 litres per day!) or eat more food, the two favorite activities for elephants.
Over the next 5 hours, we were treated to over 30 marvelous elephants, some eating solo, others with teenage kids and one tiny baby elephant. Understandably, the parents of the baby elephant, barely 1 metre tall, were protective at the presence of outsiders, and threatened to charge at our jeep. We made sure to keep our distance as we captured some great shots of the elephant families in their natural environment.
We saw numerous water buffalos hanging out in puddles and lakes, a couple of crocs posing with their sharp jaws open, a tiny turtle, hundred of birds, a cheeky monkey in a tree and a long scaly lizard. It was a dream morning, and an absolutely unforgettable experience.
It is heartwarming to see that in Sri Lanka, home to 22 national parks, there appears to be a high level of importance placed on conservation and the animals of the land. While national parks may be seen as controversial, as these mighty animals once freely roamed the country unrestricted, in a world where a priority is placed on humans and infrastructure, these can only be seen as a positive for animals who have had their homelands invaded. It is 110% more enjoyable to observe animals such as elephants in their natural habitat, as opposed to confined ‘sanctuaries’ or zoos around the world.
We thoroughly enjoyed this wildlife experience and it has been a unique way to spend the Easter Weekend! The chocolate eggs Jelley’s mum gave us before departing had to be eaten last week to avoid melting, so we will again spend Easter Sunday on a public bus around the winding roads of Sri Lanka, in search of air conditioning and another beach.
Until then,
A Kiwi & A Cali xoxo
P.S. This post is a little late – although we’re now in the more developed town of Mirissa, finding reliable wifi has been a challenge. This has been by far the hardest & longest blog post, possibly a combined total of 4 ours between various coffee shops and bars! We’ve been enjoying beer, beaches and Easter, so cutting ourselves a little slack. We hope your Easter has been as beautiful as ours x
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