Editor’s Note: If Egypt has lost its exotic appeal during sluggish Ukrainian winters, take a trip through Asia with the help of our four-part series. After hiking and swimming in waterfalls in Sri Lanka, we’ll take you on a journey to Malaysia, Laos and the Yunnan province in South China.
Sri Lanka was not originally on my list of destinations, as I did not expect it to be much different from India, where I’ve already been a few times.
But then I was seduced by the low-cost carrier Air Arabia flying to Malaysia via Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. A dedicated fan of Asia, I didn’t hesitate and booked the tickets.
If this is your first time in Asia, stay over in Colombo for at least a day feel the pulse of a big Asian city. Then get a ticket to one of Sri Lanka`s most beautiful mountain towns, Nuwara Eliya. I took a morning bus and was blown away by the views of rugged landscapes and roaring waterfalls during the four-hour journey.
A serpentine road weaves through stunning mountains and hills peppered with glistening green tea bushes, past locals carrying baskets of fruit and vegetables on their heads.
In Nuwara Eliya, colonial British buildings, parks and colorful street markets embellish the rural scene. Right in the town center, locals sell expensive brand name clothes for very decent prices. Rumor has it that they steal them from factories, which produce them for export to Europe.
Hotels arrange mountain and waterfall tours. For an extreme four-hour, uphill hike, try Adam’s Peak. I also visited a local tea factory, where they grow and process the world’s best Orange Pekoe tea.
Sri Lanka, a former British colony, is a predominately Buddhist nation of 20 million people. (Alex Filatov)
From Nuwara Eliya, I strongly recommend taking a train along one of the most beautiful train routes in the world. Old wooden stations, squeaking stairs, 1950s pictures on the walls – the railways seem to have stepped out from the pages of old children’s books.
Small cargo trains take you to the touristy village of Ella after a three hour-ride through the heart of the mountains. The best place to take in the view on the train is on the floor at the entrance to the carriage looking out. Locals take over the floor as soon as they jump on the train, but I was bold enough to occupy one immediately when it was vacated by a local man.
When in Ella, go swimming in the waterfall and trek to the caves in the mountains. If you stay longer than two days there, you risk getting sucked in by its tacky souvenir shops, Western cafes and watering holes.
For a cocktail of ancient temples and modern Sri Lankan landscapes, head to Kandy. This was an old capital of the last remaining independentkingdomin Sri Lanka when the Portuguese had conquered the coastal regions. Check the Royal Palace and the Temple of the Tooth where Buddha’s tooth is believed to be kept.
Every year in the midst of the dry season, followers take the tooth out of the temple and carry it through the city. Locals believe that the tooth has the power to summon rain. The president and all high ranking officials take part in this traditionally lavish procession.
A fisherman rests on the Indian Ocean beach in Negombo with his fishing nets nearby. (Vadym Voityk)
I was amused to talk to the locals and find out that even Sri Lankans with different denominations, for example Christians, also believe in the power of the tooth.
If you long for a little beach rest after this trip, head to Negombo, the town swimming in a marvelous lagoon in the Indian Ocean. While lazing on the sand, look out for fishermen pulling out huge nets full of fish from the ocean.
If you’re craving delicious Asian cuisine, don’t get your hopes up for Sri Lankan food. It’s good, but lacks the variety of ingredients, spices and elegance common in Indian, Chinese and Malaysian food. As for the tea, if you are not an Orange Pekoe lover, you wouldn’t be impressed with local specialties either.
But don’t despair, since the best tea and food in the world are to be found in our next stops – Malaysia, Laos and Southern China. From Negombo, it takes only 20 minutes to the airport where you can fly to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, with Air Asia for aroud $80
TRIP ESSENTIALS
- Flight Kyiv – Colombo (Air Arabia, one way) – $400
- Double room in a mid-range hotel in Nuwara Eliya –$13-20
- Double room* in Negombo – $13-20
- Meal in Sri Lanka, per person – $1-5
- Bag of local coffee (250 gr) – $0,7-2
- Silk scarf – $5-15
- Train ticket from Nuwara Eliya to Ella, per person – $1-7
Kyiv Post staff writer Svitlana Tuchynska can be reached at [email protected]
Читать статью на русском языке
