www.theblisspages.com - travel: Sri Lanka
www.theblisspages.com - travel: Sri Lanka
Whenever I stayed in Colombo, I always made a point of staying in the Galle Face Inn, a step back into the ‘great days’ of the British Empire.
There was an amazing atmosphere, from the ‘air conditioning system’ that appeared to be nothing more than panelled radiators with water dripping over them, to the Pimms served by white coated waiters off silver trays by the salt-water swimming pool.
I also loved the rooms – I remember one, more like a suite, with windows facing three aspects with sea-views through all of them. It was so spacious it had two three piece suites, desks, and other sundry furniture – including, of course, a large bed, and there was even wooden panelling on the walls.
Outside the main entrance of the hotel was Galle Face Green, a seafront expanse of occasional green graced by cricket games, kite flyers and trysting lovers.
Of course, in the hot dry season, it could more aptly have been called Galle Face Yellow or even Galle Face Brown.
Plenty of public and private buses run up and down the 72 mile stretch between Colombo and Galle, as well as any number of daily express trains.
I travelled to Galle on the bus, but was so traumatised by the journey that I insisted on returning by train.
I am not generally a nervous traveller, but the number of near-misses with lorries, buses, Kamikaze chickens and bicycle unnerved me totally.
On our way to Galle, we passed the poles of the stilt fishermen of Beruwela and stayed overnight in Hikkaduwa (61 miles south of Colombo).
In Galle, eleven miles further on, we stayed in a small but luxurious hotel, the New Oriental Hotel, built for Dutch governors in 1684, with large wooden-panelled rooms equipped with mosquito nets - sorely needed, but not totally successful, as I was still bitten. We had a lovely meal here - highly recommended.
The port of Galle, thought by some to be the Biblical city of Tarshish, splendidly illustrates the solidity of the Dutch presence in Sri Lanka. The 36-hectare (89 acre) Dutch Fort was built in 1663. Its massive ramparts surround the promontory that forms the older part of Galle, and shelters within its walls sturdy Dutch houses, museums and churches. This area has a quiet, relaxed atmosphere that seems almost detached from the flow of history.
Nearby is a tiny sliver of a beach suitable for a dip, though most people tend to head along the coast to the beaches at Unuwatuna, Weligama and Tangalla.
We went a few miles south to Unuwatuna, as you can see from my picture.
I visited a turtle hatchery and sanctuary at The Strand Guest House in Unuwatuna and saw some baby turtles, though I was not lucky enough to see any on the beach. We then took the train back to Colombo and thence on to Kandy.
The journey to Kandy was leisurely and we had a chance to relax as the train slowly wended its way up the mountains, new vistas awaiting us round every corner.
Kandy is 100km (62mi) north east of Colombo and is about 1,600 feet above sea level. We stayed at the Chalet Hotel. Kandy, the laid-back capital of the hill country and the historical bastion of Buddhist power, is built around a peaceful lake and set in a picturesque bowl of hills. It has a distinctive architectural character, thanks to its gently-sloping tiled roofs, and the town centre is a delightful compendium of old shops, noise, buses, markets and hotels.
We walked around the gardens, and visited the octagonal The Temple of the Tooth or Dalada Maligawa, which houses Sri Lanka's most important religious relic - the sacred tooth of Buddha. There are daily ceremonies of homage to the Tooth Relic, each attracting white-clad pilgrims carrying lotus blossoms and frangipani.
Other sights include the small National Museum, the market, and the Peradeniya Botanic Gardens. There are plenty of lovely scenic walks around Kandy.
All too soon, our time in Kandy was up, so it was back on the train to Nuwara Eliya.
Once the favourite hill station of the British, Nuwara Eliya still retains the vestiges of Empire: a blend of Tudor and Georgian architecture, gabled roofs, immaculate lawns with rose bushes and moss-covered gravestones. We wandered round the botanic gardens.
Buses going to Nuwara Eliya leave Colombo almost hourly, and from Kandy with regular frequency. You can catch a train, although you'll need to get off at Nanu Oya and catch a connecting bus, or taxi, to Nuwara Eliya itself as it does not have a train station of its own.
We stayed at the Hill Club in Nuwara Eliya, which again, was a bastion of Empire.
With large wooden-panelled rooms, a billiard room with two full-sized tables and stuffed animal heads on the wall, a reading room, and two bars, staying there was a truly decadent experience.
Nuwara Eliya is approximately 6,500 feet above sea level, and the resort specialises in horse riding and golf, though we had time to do neither. It was green and verdant and we loved our time there.
After leaving the Hill Club, we stayed for a couple of days at a tea plantation, owned by a friend.
It was a tranquil time, wandering round the tea plants, watching everyone else working, but soon we had to head back to Colombo, the train offering amazing views during another leisurely journey.
:
: © Mike Bliss 2008