Stepping out of Babylon

Sri Lankan food… a spicy experience

The Sri Lankan food is without any doubt strongly marked by the spices, the coconut and especially the chilly… yes, the traditional food is really spicy and not advisable for weak stomachs, but is not at all in excessive, as it doesn’t overlap the flavour of the other ingredients!

Having a strong South Indian influence, the Sri Lanka food is vegetarian friendly, with rice and vegetables curries being the base of the dish and with the meat and fish appearing as an easily avoidable complement.

The ease of communicating in English also helps to order a vegetable variant of the dishes on the menu, which are usually prepared in the moment.

In terms of the spices, the most common are the cumin, coriander, cloves, cardamom, ginger and turmeric. Also, present in many dishes are the curry leaves as also the cinnamon, which in Sri Lanka has a less sweet taste than the usual. Coriander is used in powder or fresh seeds. Cumin is also very popular, and easy to identify the seeds in curries, which are fried together with garlic. The onion is often used raw in the preparation as a side dish of curries, as sambol, a mixture of raw ingredients, made from coconut (pol sambol) or green leaf vegetables (sambol gotukola)… but always spicy.

The rice is the pillar of Sri Lankan cousine. It can be just steamed and serve with aromatic and delicious curries or as an ingredient in the preparation of string hoppers (idyyappam), a kind of noodles made from rice flour, eaten as a meal, with curries and dahl; these string hoppers also have a sweet version, being stuffed with grated coconut and sugar, called lavariya… both can be found at breakfast time!

Rice is also present in another icon of Sri Lankan cuisine, the hoppers: a pancake, thick in the center and crispy on the edges, made from rice flour and coconut milk, which serves as a snack or as a meal, accompanied by curries or spicy sauces. With similar ingredients are make the coconut hoppers, but being cooked steamed, are soft and smooth; less popular than the hoppers but much tastier and sweet version.

String hoppers (idyyappam), servidos muitas vezes como pequeno-almoço — String hoppers made from rice flour and served often as breakfast… these were made with rice flour that gives them the brownish tone

Coconut Hoppers... uma versão adocicada para pequeno-almoço — Coconut Hoppers… a sweet version for breakfast

The Sri Lanka dishes use a wide range of vegetable, and despite being a predominantly Buddhist country, is usual the consumption of meat, normally chicken, but also fish, especially at coast areas. But it is extremely easy to find vegetarian food, both at meals or snacks. In Muslim areas is evident the highest consumption of meat curries (usually chicken), while in regions with a greater Tamil presence, is easier to find vegetarian food.

Snacks and Street Food

Talking about snacks… Sri Lanka was a pleasant surprise: the variety, the taste, and easy to find, as they are cooked and sold bit everywhere. These delicious snacks are eaten for breakfast or at any time of the day, that they serve as a light meal. Are sold at a bakery, at roti shops, restaurants, street stalls… on trains, on buses… by street hawkers…

The names are many… ulundhu vadai, parippu vada , samosas, pol roti, coconut roti, patties, rolls, cutlets, roti… but all have in common the fact that are deep fried, spicy and usually vegetarian.

In terms of street food the easiest to find are the ulundhu vadai a fried dough pastry, ring-shaped, seasoned with spices, which is sometimes open in half and stuffed with a red and spicy paste. Also very popular are the parippu vada, small patties made from a paste of lentils, which are deep-fried, resulting in a crispy and spicy snack.

Both quite oily, but very tasty, often sold on trains and buses… but also easy to find on street stalls, usually at the busiest areas the city, such as markets, bus terminals and train stations. Made early in the morning or in the end of the afternoon, are kept at windows shop, which is a way to announce that a new fresh lot.

em cima "paties" recheados de vegetais em forma de meia-lua e "ulundhu vadai", massa frita em forma de anel. em baixo "parippu vada" um pastel frito feito de lentilhas, picante e estaladiço — on top”patties” stuffed with vegetables in a half-moon and “ulundhu vadai” fried dough ring-shaped. below “parippu vada” a fried pastry made of lentils, spicy and crispy

To these ones, can be added the patties, a pastel with a half-moon shape, with thick and soft dough, that are stuffed with lentils or mixed vegetable, and fried in oil. With a similar filling, but with a different dough and cooked in the oven, but not so common as other snacks, the samosas are usually sold in bakeries. In Sri Lanka the so called “bakeries” are shops like cafes but intended primarily for the sale of savory snacks as well as some sweets, juices and ice cream… but they are also a place to enjoy a tea or a coffee.

There is further a great variety of snacks, often deep-fried as rolls and cutlets, usually fish or meat, but sometimes made with vegetable filling, with a cylinder or ball shape. Whatever is the filling option, the result is always a blow of spicy.

But undoubtedly the most popular, in whatever part of the country, either in big cities or small towns, beach or mountains… is the roti, made the at “roti shops” that also serve kottu. The rotis are made with very thin dough; the same used for the parathas, and filled with a vegetable paste, strongly spicy. The dough is folded in a triangle shape, slightly flattened, and fried in a metal plate. If they are filled with fish have a cylinder shape, and if the meat is in the form of a rectangle.

roti com a forma de triangulo indicando que têm rechio de vegetais — “Roti” shaped triangle to indicate vegetable filling

Vadai e pol roti — “Pol roti”, a savory rice flour pancake with grated coconut, which is accompanied by a spicy red paste. In the middle are the “ulundhu vadai,” a fried dough pastry, flavoured with spices

vendedor ambulante de snacks nas ruas de Galle Fort — hawker snacks at Galle Fort streets

snacks à venda em Gelle Front, que depois do pôr do sol e local popular para passear em Colombo, e saborear alguns snacks — snacks for sale in Galle Front, which after the sunset is a popular place to relax in Colombo, enjoying some snacks and the fresh sea breeze

Roti and hoppers shop — “Roti shop” which also serves hoppers

Rice and curry

But if the snacks created a good impression of the tasty and diverse Sri Lankan cuisine, rice and curry, was remarkable, being the mandatory meal of the 30 days spent in Sri Lanka. Usually is eaten at lunch, but sometimes also as the first morning meal, the Sri Lankan rice and curry is a balanced meal, healthy and energetic, leaving the stomach satisfied for many hours. For all this is the most popular meal in Sri Lanka, being cheap and easy to find all over the place.

Even though consumed daily the rice and curry (so called also in Sri Lanka) never tired or becomes dull, it is amazing the variety of ingredients used, which results in a wide variety of curries.

The base is always rice, usually wit a thick lentils curry spiced with curry leaves and dry-fried chilies; the curries use a wide range of ingredients like pumpkin, courgette, jackfuit, bananas, potatoes, beets, green beans, okra, eggplant, many green leaf vegetables, some fruits… to add to many other unidentified or unknown ingredients. Adding to this dish, that always has a vegetarian base, can still be joined fish or meat curries.

The jackfruit, a giant tropical fruit, usually consumed fresh is in Sri Lanka mainly used in curries, in their different states of maturation, from “green” to ripen; and it’s not only the pulp that is used also the seeds, that look and have a similar texture of the beans. The jackfruit, despite not having a very intense flavour, has a soft texture leaving the food with a sticky appearance resulting from natural gum… a bit like okra.

Rice and Curry.... no primeiro plano o gotukola sambol, à esquerda o dahl, à direita um caril de beterraba, e ao fundo um caril de jackfruit — Rice and Curry… in the foreground the “gotukola sambol,” left the “dahl” right a beet curry, and the background the “jackfruit” curry

Homemade Rice and Curry... arroz, batata, frango e abóbora — Homemade Rice and Curry… rice, potatoes, chicken and pumpkin, all cooked with coconut oil

Rice and Curry. Sri Lanka — Rice and Curry… where it is made available rice and various curries to “refill” the dish

Despite the curries diversity, the base is always rice, served in a generous amount and may be white grain or locally called “red”, a variety of traditional rice Sri Lanka, that where the grain after cooking seems to bring a thin layer of reddish or brownish tone. Tastier but less common than white rice

Almost always the rice and curry dish is garnish with papadum, a thin and crisp wafer which is fried in oil, but always served in a small amount.

Rice and Curry Traditional Buffet. Sri Lanka — Rice and Curry served in a traditional way, with various curries and condiments, placed in clay pots, where each person is served in “buffet” style

The combinations of curries are numerous and varied, generally with two or three or four varieties, resulting in a colorful and appealing plate. Attractive is also the price, because you can find a vegetarian rice and curry for 80 LKR (0.50 €) in small villages, and in the cities, it cost between 100 and 150 LKR, if you choose one of the most simple and casual places. In tourist areas the rates rise to 200 LKR minimum, but in some restaurants can cost more than 400 LKR. The meat or fish options are always somewhat more expensive.

The rice and curry is served on a plate, but always with the right to “refill” if you’re not a sophisticated restaurant or in very touristy areas.

In some places, either in small street stalls, the door of a cafe, a kiosk of a bus terminal and at more modest restaurants is possible to find the rice and curry for takeaway, that in Sri Lanka called “parcel”, in which the food is wrapped in plastic and then wrapped and newspaper. This system is quite popular among the local population, but impractical if you’re traveling, as cutlery isn’t provided, because in Sri Lanka is tradition and custom to eat with the hand (right) and the cutlery is provided only in restaurants, usually just a spoon.

It can be considered that the rice and curry is the national dish of Sri Lanka, beyond all ethnic groups, castes and religions.

Roti and kottu

Although rice and curry is considered the national dish of Sri Lanka, the rotis and kottus are strong competitors in this title. They are cheap, easy to find all over the place, easy to takeaway, with a wide variety and are mouthwatering.

The rotis are more frequent as a snack in the morning, as breakfast, or during the day between meals. But they can also be eaten as lunch accompanied by other snacks available in the restaurant, that brought to the table in a tray with others snacks, with the customer to make the selection and pay only those who consumed.

The rotis are made with the same dough of lachha paratha, a very thin flat bread, unleavened, which is extended with the help of quite some oil to almost tear. After rolled are flattened and fried on a metal plate until golden and slightly crisp… works like a bread that accompanies meals being a clear influence of Tamil culture from South India (not to be confused with the parathas northern India).

roti, pasteis de massa fina que são fritos sobre uma chapa metálica — “roti”, thin dough pastries, stuffed, which are fried on a metal plate until get crispy

The kottus, cooked in so-called “roti shops” are the most popular option for dinner outside. The kottus are based on a pancake made from wheat flour, similar to parathas which is fried in a metal plate, and then cut into small pieces and mixed with vegetables, eggs or meat. It results in a consistent meal but little nutritious as vegetables (onions, carrots, tomatoes, peas, spring onions…) are in small quantities, resulting in a lot of wheat and some oil. But the preparation of kottu always deserves attention because it involves a small show provided by the cook, that with two metal spatulas, cutting and mixing the ingredients with dough over the hot metal surface, a task performed with elaborate and spectacular moves, but that produces a noise a bit annoying and that overlaps the talks.

But with the same name, roti, can also indicate another snack, this more common at roti shops and some restaurants. These rotis are made with the same dough of parathas being prepared at the moment, and may have different fillings (vegetable, meat, cheese, egg…), resulting in a very thin crepe, flattened and folded into a rectangle.

roti, mas numa outra versão, e preparados na hora, cujo recheio pode ter muitas combinações, desde vegetais, caris, queijo, ovo... e até chocolate e banana, para agradar ao guloso padrão ocidental — roti, but in another version, and freshly prepared, whose filling may have many combinations, from vegetables, curries, cheese, eggs… and even chocolate and banana, to please the sweet western standard

The “roti shops” are specialising in rotis, kottus and fried rice… and to find a rice and curry, is better to look for a restaurant, that in Sri Lanka, are identify by the name “hotel”, and this designation applied the simplest establishments, unpretentious and cheap, but they are the favourite places among the local population…. and that don’t rent rooms!!

King Coconut

The “king” of the coconut! This species of native coconuts from Sri Lanka is an image that left a “yellow” memory of the island, where everywhere they sell these coconuts that grow almost everywhere (except in mountain areas), without requiring special care.

And not only in the color these coconuts are different, are also in the flavour, very sweet and more intense than the usual green coconuts shell, popular in neighbouring India.

The coconut has refreshing properties, helping lower the body temperature, which is great in tropical climates such as Sri Lanka. Besides leaving a fresh feeling when you drink the coconut water, it also leaves the stomach satiated due to the nutritional richness of the coconut. I often had it for breakfast or as a snack in the warm afternoons.

The coconut milk used in many dishes is made from the pulp, which gets thicker as the coconut matures and loses water. When almost dry, it grated and used to make pol sambol, a mixture of grated coconut, chilli (fresh and dry), onion, lime juice and salt. The grated coconut is also used as an ingredient of gotukola sambol , a crude mixture of a green leaf plant (gotukola) with chilli, onions and some spices.

Pol roti... panqueca salgada feita à base de côco ralada e farinha — Pol roti… on the right, a savory pancake made from grated coconut and flour: on the left the “ulundhu vadai”

Resulting from rice flour and grated coconut mixture, the pittu, is steamed in a cylindrical mold, resulting in a roll shape, that is soaked in curries, eaten as breakfast but that sometimes can be found at dinner time. Also, from this mixture is the pol roti, but where the dough is worked in the form of pancake and cooked on the stove, and which also serves as curries side dish.

pittu, rolo feito à base ce côco que depois de cozinhado ao vapor serve para acompanhar caris — “pittu”… roll made from grated coconut that after steamed is eaten with curries

In addition, the coconut is essential to making the most of the curries that are the basis of Sri Lankan cuisine, grated as a condiment or as coconut oil to cook.

Sweets

The sweets didn’t cause great impression in the gastronomic experience of Sri Lanka, but two stood out: coconut hopper and lavariya… not too sweet, light and without oil !!!

The sweet string hoppers or lavariya are a kind of noodles made with rice flour and steamed, which are then filled with a mixture of grated coconut, brown sugar (jaggery) and flavoured with cardamom… a delight.

lavariya, string hopper com recheio de côco e açucar — “lavariya”, string hopper stuffed with coconut and sugar

The coconut hoppers are made with rice flour and coconut, cooked steamed on a banana leaf; sold in pairs with a slightly sweet and creamy filling. They are soft, light and delicious.

Coconut Hoppers... a steamed version of the hoopers that is also made from rice flour and coconut milk — Coconut Hoppers… a steamed version of the hoopers that is also made from rice flour and coconut milk

Curd and honey

The curd and honey, which is no more than yogurt drizzled with honey, which in fact is not honey but molasses (treacle), very popular in Ella, where you can find it in different variations like curd and honey with rice, which makes it a good choice for breakfast. Good, but not amazing.

The traditional curd, a thicker yogurt, fatter than the usual, made with buffalo milk. Can be found in “milk bars” which are small street stalls, in “milk shops” and in some grocery stores. Being always sell in clay pots, with the smaller version weighing half a kilo. Mysteriously kept during the day outside of the refrigerator, without deterioration. They have sugar as usual find in Nepalese and Indian versions.

In bakeries beyond savory snacks, there are also cakes, that remind the European confectionary, with versions of bread sponge cake or marble cake, but with a rectangular shape. Another popular cake, similar to the “muffins”, but that proved to be quite dry and boring. In some cities, some bakeries offer a great variety of pastries with creams and fillings, but little catchy and too sweet.

uma versão do Sri Lanka dos muffins, ou praticamente o mesmo que os "queques" portugueses — Sri Lanka a version of the muffins

Bread

Despite these delicacies, bread in pale a Western version, is quite popular… toasted with butter or broken into pieces and drizzled with curry … unattractive but sold all over the places in so-called “bakeries”, in groceries, and in the streets by hawkers with bicycles or motorized tricycles that roam the streets of the villages, making themselves announced by ringing a bell or playing some tune.

The small white mass of bread, very light and tasteless, sold plain or stuffed with omelet: round or shaped as a baguette, are a Sri Lankan version of the sandwich. To these are also others to remind the “milk bread” and “donuts” but whose industrial aspect didn’t attracted.

carrinha do pão — van bread that circulates through the streets of cities

Pão — Bread in a more westernised version is also very popular in Sri Lanka, but unattractive, with white and very light dough, but with tropical climate gets quickly “rubbery”

Tea and coffee

Sri Lanka is known for tea, the famous Ceylon tea that the British introduced, and that continue to be produced on a large scale. And it is indeed the national drink, consumed with milk and lots of sugar.

But the coffee, without being famous, is quite nice, being prepared by filtration (filter coffee), not very strong, aromatic and smooth.

Meals Schedules

To find a particular type of food, you need first to learn about the schedule of each kind of food, as in Sri Lanka are followed unwritten rules about what to eat at certain times of the day.

So, in the morning, it’s time for roti, stuffed vegetables, fish or meat, as well as samosas, patties, rolls and cutlets, also with different fillings but all deep-fry in oil. The hoppers coconut and lavariya, slightly sweetened and steamed often serve breakfast.

Ulundhu Vada em primeiro plano.... depois roti, roti, roti... — “Ulundhu Vada” in the foreground… after cheese roti, roti fish, veg roti…

At lunch, the popular rice and curry are usually served from noon, and until it finishes at the pot, what can last a less than one hour but can extend up to two hours… looking for a rice and curry later increases the chances of eating cold food or reheated… or more probably not even find rice and curry. In some places, usually, in cities and great restaurants, this traditional meal is available from the morning, being served at breakfast. At lunch, an alternative to rice and curry are the string hoppers, but these more common in the most traditional places in Sri Lanka or in big restaurants in the main cities.

Rice and Curry buffet restaurant — Rice and Curry served in the traditional way of Sri Lanka on “buffet” system

String hopper (idyyappam) com dahl, um caril de lentilhas — “String hopper” to “dahl”, a simple curry lentils

At dinner time, which ends early, it is difficult to find places serving meals after 9.30 p.m, the more popular are the kottu, the roti and the paratha. For those who want a more substantial meal also the fried rice is a meal easy to find in the “Roti Shops”. The hoppers are also one of the traditional choices in the evening.

Fried rice with dahl, um caril de lentilhas — “Vegetable fried rice” accompanied by *dahl,* a lentil curry where sometimes a fried chilli show up remind us how spicy this cuisine can be!!!

Throughout the day, you can find the ulundhu vadai (fried dough ring-shaped), parippu vada (fried lentil pattie), the pol roti (pancake-based flour and coconut), the coconut roti (disc-shaped with onion and coconut)… and the omnipresent roti, whose popular vegetarian option triangle is marked in memory of Sinhalese snacks.

Street food junto à estação de comboios de Kandy, durante a manhã — Street food at Kandy railway station during the morning

Street food in Galle Fort, Colombo que só surge depois do pôr do sol — Street food in Galle Face, Colombo, that only comes after the sunset

The Sri Lankan cuisine was a good surprise, quiet different form the neighbouring India, very tasty, colourful, rich, nutritive… and vegetarian friendly. Resulting from different influences, the Sri Lankan food is absolutely connected with the green landscape and the warm tropical weather.

…. I miss the rice and curry as also the king coconut!

Sigiriya and the climb to the Lion Rock

Sigiriya was not on “the list”… too expensive and too touristy, being the most visited site in Sri Lanka. But not everything happens as planned, and the fact that in Dambulla have found a comfortable place to stay made that the planned one-night stay was extended for two. And the fact that the entrance to the Cave Temples of Dambulla is free, created a kind of necessity to use the money and time in a “useful” way. Thus, the proximity from Dambulla, that make it possible for a day trip, imposed almost naturally visiting Sigiriya, that joined a certain challenge to climb the 200 meters that separate the top of the rock from the surrounding ground.

The balance was unsatisfactory, mainly due to the high number of visitors, which allowed not enjoy the space, but mainly by the behavior of some people, who disregard the fact of being a sacred place for Buddhists, as here was a monastery until XIV century, not deprive from smoking or drinking beer, practices which are prohibited on site.

The climb is subject to some tension with the jerks and the disregard for the order of the line while waiting to climb the narrow stairs; on the top of the atmosphere is euphoric with visitors trying to find the best place to take the selfies… but not everything was negative. The arrival at the top, which slid a gentle breeze can cool the sweaty body of the climb, which is not at all difficult but where the tropical heat makes the body heavy.

Resting under the protective shade of a tree, he saw the gentle climb of fog that blur the horizon, bringing definition to the contours of the mountains and the lakes nearby. Looking in the other direction the landscape of tropical green vegetation, torn here and there by the ferrous red soil, extends in an endless plain.

With the advance of the morning, which brought a blue sky and a bright sun, away from the morning mist, making the temperature rises, the Lion Rock watched calm the stampede of most visitors, provided a quiet stroll through the place where you can enjoy the ruins of what was once the palace of King Kasyapa that in the mid-first century AD here founded the capital of the Kingdom.

Palace ruins at the top of Lion Rock. Sigiriya

Sigiriya Ticket:

Like any Classified Patrimony by UNESCO in Sri Lanka, Sigiriya also has a high fee, 4200 LKR, around 27€, much more expensive than a ticket to visit the Louvre Museum (15€) or the Museum Vatican (16€). What makes the visit to the historical/tourist sites in Sri Lanka, for example, Sigirya, Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura, more expensive than the most famous places in Europe.

Local people paid a derisory amount to visit Sigiriya of 50 LKR, equivalent to 0.30€) or is sometimes entitled to free entrance, as is the case of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Kandy.

The high value is to preserve the sites, yet there is not available relevant information is displayed, not being distributed any brochure or map that allows a better interpretation of the site.

Beyond the issue of discrimination in the ticket price, among locals and foreigners, who can be acceptable, the amounts charged to visitors are indeed too high, sometimes 90 times more expensive!!!!!… and all supported by UNESCO, which is funded by dozens of countries, including the countries of the “foreigners” who visit Sri Lanka!

Sigiriya Ticket: 4200 LKR ($30)

For those who are on a budget it makes no sense to climb the Lion Rock, is preferable to climb and visit the Pidurangala which costs 500 LKR, and from where you have a good observation point of the landscape and a privileged view of the Lion Rock.

To achieve Pidurangala, facing the Lion Rock entrance, you must turn left (there are a few signs) and walk along the road until you reach a place were some tuk-tuk are waiting. It takes more than 15 minutes to do all the walk.

Best time of day to visit Sigiriya:

According to the tour guides the best time to visit the Lion Rock is early morning, and as this is an advice followed by almost everybody, that makes the “early morning” period is the busiest time of day, with the peak of affluence between 9 am and 10 am … at 11 am is visible a significant decrease in visitors, with many going down and returning to tour buses, so at this time there is no line to enter or to climb the stairs of access the Lion Rock top.

The alternative is to arrive before the big tour groups, which usually come from Kandy and arrive close to 9 am, which means to reach the site at the time of opening. This option has the disadvantage of sometimes mornings are a bit cloudy that does not allow a clear view of the surrounding landscape.

As for the heat, argument pointed to go early, is somewhat indifferent given that even the morning temperatures are high enough to make anyone sweat dripping with the walk to reach the top of the rock.

For all this, the best is to arrive around 11 o’clock … and anyone interested can start early by visiting Pidurangala and then heading for the Lion Rock … it is an easy climb by stairs and ramps.

Where to stay in Sigiriya

Around the archeological zone, there are many options from hotels, resorts, boutique hotel, guest houses, etc …

The best option was to stay in Dambulla, where prices are lower, and where you can easily access the Cave Temple, staying at the familiar and pleasant Gold Rock Guest House. From Dambulla Bus Terminal, about 1.5 kilometers, buses run directly to Sigiriya, every 30 minutes. Opposite of the main entrance to the Cave Temples pass buses that stop at Dambulla Bus Terminal, that for 10 LKR, make easy to reach the bus terminal.

Gold Rock Guest House

Address: 45, Kandy Road, Dambulla

Contact: 066 2248 114, 71 118 8958

Email: guestgoldrock@gmail.com

Room for one person with bathroom: 1000 LKR

In Wi-Fi

(Link)

Where to eat in Sigiriya:

Next to the ticket office there is a cafeteria. There is no hawkers food in Sigiriya. Leaving Sigiriya, walked toward the national road (Anuradhapura Road) there are some restaurants serving local and international food at inflated prices.

So the best option was to buy food before starting the tour and savor it at the top of Lion Rock. Inside the bus terminal Dambulla, there are several stalls selling rotis, samosas and other snacks that can be easily packaged for takeaway making a tasty meal. At Kandy Road between the bus terminal and the Clocktower, there are some restaurants that offer a little more variety, with hoppers and string hoppers filled with a mixture of coconut and sugar…. delicious breakfast!

sweet string hoppers (lavariya). Dambulla

How to go from Dambulla to Sigiriya:

From Dambulla bus terminal departing every 30 minutes, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., buses to Sigiriya.

Bus Ticket Dambulla – Sigiriya: 40 LKR

The bus trip takes 1 hour to make the 18 kilometers that separate the two sites.

The bus drops passengers a short distance from the entrance, about 10 minutes of a quiet pleasant walk, where you nice views of the Lion Rock.

This bus has a stop on the National Highway (Trincomalee – Dambulla) so if you come by bus don’t not necessarily to go to Dambulla, can catch this bus at the entrance of Sigiriya Road (Inamaluwa Junction).

Bus from Dambulla to Sigiriya — Bus Terminal. Sigiriya Bus stop

How to go from Sigiriya to Dambulla:

Leaving the Lion Rock, and walked back to the main road, ie first walked south and then east.

On the main road there is any bus stand or sign but just wait by the roadside for the bus back to Dambulla.

Dambulla … the city and the market

The city of Dambulla is strategically located in the “center” of the so-called “cultural triangle” passing by Kandy-Anuradhapura-Polonnaruwa, being necessary passage point and often “basis” for those visiting Sigiriya, the sacred place for Buddhists and unavoidable site in history and Sinhalese culture.

But by itself Dambulla has enough interesting features here if you stay at least for a day, and the city itself despite not having great attractions besides Cave Temples, and being crossed by two national roads, has a cheerful wholesale fruit and vegetable market that provides a lively and colorful spectacle, with the intense movement of people and goods.

Appearing at first glance a local unimportant when visiting Dambulla, being out of the tourist routes, the market located between the bus Terminal and the Cave Temples, provides an intense and lively atmosphere. It is clearly a male territory, divided between drivers, porters, traders and sellers, who in a constant bustle buy and sell goods. The market occupies a wide area but is totally packed with trucks, vans, hand-cars… and between porters, transporting the products on the back or on the shoulders, in an intense effort that leaves dry and muscular bodies.

No one walks around here and everyone seems absorbed in his task, with a routine made from mechanical gestures. However, a strange, yet for most women and foreign, it always causes curiosity, able to stop some conversations. But an exchange of glances, always returned with a smile that is contagious and is spread by groups of men, which often compete to appear in a photograph, leaving them proud and sure with a topic of conversation for the next few minutes…

Where to stay in Dambulla:

The best option is to stay close to the Dambulla Caves Temples, which are within a reasonable distance to be made on foot from the bus terminal.

Just opposite to the temple entrance, on the other side of the road (Kandy Road), gets a yard along which are aligned parallel to the road several houses, with some of them renting rooms.

It is recommended to Gold Rock Guest House, next to the “Oasis Tourist Welfare Center” that is mentioned in tourist guides and is usually full. The Gold Rock Guest House is located in a family house where the family, occupies the top floor, with rooms for rent available on the ground floor, surrounded by a pleasant garden. The atmosphere is very nice and comfortable with family to show up very friendly and helpful, providing all the information. The rooms are good, clean and well cared. The location is great within a 2-minute walk from Temple Cave and less than 10 minutes from Dambulla Bus Terminal.

In addition to all this, the stay of two nights in Dambulla provided nice chatting with the owner of the house, an English teacher, and her daughter that was a great opportunity to learns and understand more about the culture, habits and Sinhalese traditions, which are otherwise difficult to grasp. The generosity extended to a delicious rice and curry prepared by the owner, where the delicate flavor of coconut oil marked the difference between the many “rice and curry” tasted along the stay in Sri Lanka.

Gold Rock Guest House

Address: 45, Kandy Road, Dambulla

Contact: 066 2248 114, 71 118 8958

Email: guestgoldrock@gmail.com

Room for one person with bathroom: 1000 LKR

no Wi-Fi

Family from Gold Rock Guest House. Dambulla

Contacts. Gold Rock Guest House. Dambulla

Where to eat in Dambulla:

Near Dambulla Bus Terminal (Kandy Road) there are several options, with some restaurants opening early in the morning, with delicious coconut hopper, sweet string hoppers (lavariya) and the usual rotis, samosas and other deep-fried snacks that can also find throughout the day. In the evening, it is time for kotu and rotis. At lunchtime is not difficult to find a rice and curry, but that runs out soon, so it is not recommended to delay lunch.

Opposite the stop of private buses (Anuradhapura road) is a very recommendable restaurant with Sri Lankan food, which also provides food for takeaway.

… but the best meal was, without a doubt, a delicious homemade rice and curry at Gold Rock Guest House, that was a good example of the Sri Lanka generosity.

Internet and wi-fi:

At Kurunegala Road, close to the clock Tower, on the first floor, above an electronic shop.

Transports from Dambulla:

The Dambulla Bus Terminal is located at Kandy Road, about 10 minutes from Dambulla Cave Temples, and hence buses to Sigiriya and Kandy, among others destinations.

But if you want to go from Dambulla to Trincomalee or Colombo, you must browse to the location where private buses stop. There are many buses linking regularly the east coast and the capital and which must stop at Dambulla. This buses stop at Anuradhapura road, next to a mango tree… yes! mango tree! It seems strange but this is the reference point used by the local people. The concentration of tuk-tuk also helps to locate the place, that has no signs or shelter, but where usually are some buses stopped waiting for passengers, before continuing the trip… or some people waiting for the buses.

Private bus stop at Anuradhapura Road. Dambulla

This private bus stop is about 700 meters from Dambulla Bus Terminal, walking north from the terminal to the Clock Tower, and then turn right and walk about 200 meters more.

For how is lodge near the Cave Temples, and wants to go to the private buses stop (Trincomalee and Colombo directions), have to walk more than 2 kilometers, which can be done on foot. But to make it easy you can catch one of the many buses that stop in front of the main entrance to the Cave Temples (no bus stand… just wait along the road) and ask for one that stops at “Clock Tower” or “private bus”. The bus ticket costs 10 LKR. A tuk-tuk costs 100 LKR.

Dambulla Temple Caves. Entrance near Kandy road

Dambulla Population: 70,000

Dambulla elevation: 168 meters

Dambulla and the Buddhas

The city of Dambulla is strategically located halfway between Trincomalee and Colombo, as well as between Anuradhapura and Kandy, getting little kilometers of Sigiriya. Dambulla beyond its attractions is waypoint required for those visiting the cultural triangle called passing by Kandy-Anuradhapura-Polonnaruwa.

But Dambulla appears on the tourist map by the Buddhist temples that nest in caves and for that simply called Dambulla Cave Temples, which are located on top of a granite massif rock that pop up from the flat landscape where the green tropical vegetation is torn by other rock elevations, among which is Sigiriya, sacred place for Buddhists and unavoidable steeped in history and Sinhalese culture.

Perhaps the simplicity, by age or by the atmosphere of being on a rock, a visit to these temples was strongly marked, where neither the lively conversations of the visitors or by the loud explanations of the guides, were enough to break the magic of the place.

The caves, five in total, are aligned along a horizontal fault in the rock mass, which was partially covered with a construction that “closes” the caves and creates a gallery along the rock. These temples dating from the first century B.C. and was subsequently the subject of restoration and renovations in the seventeenth and eighteenth century, during Kandyan Kingdom (or Kandy) which lasted until 1815, when the British troops arrived.

The interior of the caves is profusely decorated with paintings, where between religious motives are geometric patterns, mandalas and floral designs, and constitute a vast and valuable example of the Sri Lankan Buddhist Art. But what stands out at first glance are the dozens of Buddha statues in different styles and sizes, carved in wood or stone, representing Buddha in the usual sitting pose with different mudras (position of hand with different symbolic and spiritual meanings), but also reclined, representing the last moments before leaving the physical body and attain nirvana.

Many Sri Lankans come here to worship these stunning images that look in the serene face, depositing lotus flowers and praying. The atmosphere is dark and invites reflection and introspection, spiritual practices shared by all religious and belief, left a strong mark of this visit which extended for a long time, giving an opportunity to observe the comings and goings of pilgrims.

Dambulla Cave Temples fee:

In January 2016 admission to visit the Dambulla Cave Temples was free.

A recent decision by the Sri Lankan government eliminated (perhaps temporarily or definitively) the entry fee, which previously was $10 (about 1500 LKR).

Where to stay in Dambulla:

Gold Rock Guest House

Address: 45, Kandy Road, Dambulla

Contact: 066 2248 114, 71 118 8958

Email: guestgoldrock@gmail.com

Room for one person with bathroom: 1000 LKR

no Wi-Fi

Dambulla… the city and the markets

Where to eat in Dambulla:

Dambulla… the city and the markets

Transports from Dambulla:

Dambulla… the city and the markets

Uppuveli Beach, Trincomalee, and the rain

The first sound that comes in the morning from the sleeping Uppuveli streets is the “Für Elise”, a popular Beethoven composition, which played in a simplified version announces the passing of the bread seller, which slowly drives his motorized tricycle shop, spreading a lovely contrast between the sophisticated melody and the simplicity of the place… a beach on the east coast of Sri Lanka, fringed by green palm trees and tropical vegetation.

Uppuveli is only a small village, arranged in a grid of streets between the main road and the sand beach, located 4 kilometers north of the city of Trincomalee, the largest population center on the east coast of the island. Given the coast configuration that forms a bay, protected from the strong Indian Ocean currents, by a small cape, the curling is not so strong, allowing a relaxed swim, with memorable water temperature, which keeps warm despite the wintry gray sky.

The singing of the roosters, cows grazing by the roadside, the stillness of the place make us forget that Uppuveli is one of the most popular beaches on the east coast. But in January, during the rainy season, it looks almost abandoned except by the fishermen, who still routinely repairing their nets, while crows fill the air with the characteristic harsh and persistent sound.

Uppuveli Beach. Trincomalee, where the currents bring a significant amount of garbage that spread along the sea line

During the rainy season, the sky easily fills up with clouds, that don’t necessarily bring rain, but turn the blue sea in dark tones, with the waves spreading white foam on the sand, that without the sun, shows dark and sad. A walk by the sea brings the remembrance of the winter walks along the beach along the Portuguese coast; but here the warm breeze that comes from the sea and the hot water that wets our feet, contrast and creates a shock with this cold memory.

With the end of the day, the sun hides behind the tropical forest, growing the shadows of coconut trees that gradually conquer the sand, leaving us in the shade, while the sea still reflects the last rays of the sun.

Trincomalee, like Batticaloa, located on a peninsula, announced the possibility of pleasant walks through the city, but the persistent rain, that lasted more than a day, set aside this plan, anticipating the departure of Trincomalee, which stayed behind wrapped in a gray blanket.

... leaving Trincomalee — … leaving Trincomalee

Where to stay in Uppuveli:

Being one of the most popular beaches on the east coast along with Arugam Bay, in Uppaveli there is a great offer in accommodation, but at this time of year, in January, during the rainy season, they are mostly closed. The exceptions are the most sophisticated resorts, some hotels, as well the guest houses and many family houses that rent rooms. The price of a room in this homestays and guest house is around 1000 LKR, in low season.

As the bus leaves passengers at the main entrance of Uppuveli, the most natural is to go walking through the village streets to reach the beach. Entering the Beach Road, which despite being the main access to the beach, became a zig-zag through houses, where the construction of resorts blocked direct access to the sand.

Arriving at the beach, you can walk to the left, and find a sequence of accommodation, more sophisticated and where are located the resorts. Between the beach and the main road, along with village houses, there are some hotels and apartments, which have more attractive prices, than the ones on the shore.

This was the case of the Sunrise Hotel with excellent rooms in a quiet area about 5 minutes away from the beach. As it was empty was possible to negotiate the price for 1000 LKR per night. The staff is not very friendly and the place hasn’t an “atmosphere” but the rooms are very good compared to many other places checked, that for the same price offer poor conditions.

Sunrise Hotel

Address: No. 49, Alles Garden, Trincomalee, Sri Lanka

Free wi-fi, but that don’t reach all rooms.

But arriving at the beach, and walking to the right, toward the fishing boats, is other type of accommodation: modest but with more atmosphere. For those getting out of the bus on the national road, you need to walk a bit back towards Trincomalee until you come to a Christian Church (Holy Cross Convent), a massive building with modern architecture. On the opposite side of the main road is another beach access, which is easier to get to the “French Garden“, “Regist Guest House” and “Anton Guest House” among others accommodations existing in the same area.

Where to eat in Uppuveli:

Some hotels have a restaurant and along the small Uppuveli streets are a few local food restaurant, which however have inflated prices.

The cheapest solution is to go to the main road (Trincomalee to Nilaveli) and walk a bit to the north, not more than 200 meters, until you reach a junction, gathering some shops, a fruit shop, a grocery, a cafe, a tailor and a restaurant serving roti and kotu. If you order in advance, it serves rice and curry, but in a modest and pale version, for 150 LKR.

However, the kotu is quite good as are the rotis, but the highlighted goes to the coconut hoopers that are made fresh in the morning and quickly disappear. The place has no name, but it is the only place serving food along in this area of the road.

Roti and Kotu restaurant at Nilaveli Road

Coconut Hoppers. restaurant at Nilaveli Road

How to go from Trincomalee to Uppuveli:

Buses to Uppuveli run from the left side of the terminal. However, some of the buses towards Nilaveli not always stop at Uppuveli. There are no indications about schedule and bus destinations, whereby is necessary to ask the bus drivers or anyone from the staff.

Bus Ticket: 20 LKR.

The trip takes less than 15 minutes

At 13.30h leaves from the right side of the terminal, in the same area where the private buses to Colombo and Kandy wait, a private bus that stops near Uppuveli.

Trincomalee, in front of the bus Terminal... some restaurants and roti shops — Trincomalee, in front of the bus Terminal… some restaurants and roti shops

How to go from Uppuveli to Trincomalee:

For those on Uppuveli, opposite the junction where lies the roti restaurant there is a bus stand, every hour… 8 a.m, 9 am, etc…, a bus to Trincomalee; note that not all buses stop at this place.

How to go from Trincomalee to Dambulla or Colombo by bus:

At Trincomalee Bus Terminal, conveniently located near the center of the city, departing regularly bus bound for Colombo that stops at Dambulla.

There are also buses from the governmental company, SLTB (red color buses) bound to Colombo and that take almost 3 hours to get to Dambulla.

Bus Ticket Trincomalee – Dandulla: 132 LKR (3 hours)

From Trincomalee Bus Terminal, departures along all the day, many buses from the main Sri Lanka cities: Jaffna, Kandy, Habarana, Batticzloa, Anuradhapura, etc…

Bus Trincomalee to Colombo_Schedule_DSC_7808 — Schedule. Private bus from Trincomalee to Colombo, that stops at Dambulla

Batticaloa and the Burghers

About Batticaloa, one can say that is off the tourist route, partly because it was quite battered by civil war that last for 25 years and only ended in 2009, by the few attractive in terms of historical and religious heritage and above all by the remote location, in the middle the eastern coast of Sri Lanka, totally out of the “cultural triangle” that includes Kandy, Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura.

And indeed, it appears that this is so, as during an all day couldn’t found other foreign, as also by the short offer of lodging in the city center and most of all the eager eyes of the local people, that shows very curious and at the same time very shy.

But Batticaloa proved to have a certain touch, with a prime location on the edge of a peninsula with the sea on one side and the lagoon on the other, making it seem almost an island, because when you walk through the city quickly faced with water.

Bridge that link Puliyanthivu to the modern town. Batticaloa

And the old town of Batticaloa, Puliyanthivu, it is indeed an island, where lies the old fort solidly built by the Dutch, and many houses, villas, schools, hospitals and Christian churches, where dominates the European colonial architecture style, with most of the buildings surrounded by high stone walls, where the metal gates let us view inside.

Along the quiet and almost empty streets of Puliyanthivu, which is easily reached by a small bridge that connects the island to the modern part of Batticaloa, women walk slowly absorbed in their conversation, men cycle smoothly in old fashion bikes, and children leaving school, whose immaculate white uniforms seems to take us back to the times of the British presence.

Comercial area of Puliyanthivu. Batticaloa

On the other hand, the “new” part of the city has little interest with the exception of the view to the lagoon and for the local market, simply referred Batticaloa Market, where inside they sell food and around align varied kind of commerce stores.

But Batticaloa along with the city of Trincomalee are areas where it has the largest number of Burghers, a name that identifies the descendants of Portuguese and Dutch who by family ties have been mix with the Sinhalese population since the 16 century, creating an ethnic group with their own language, Creole and professing the Christian religion, which still remain despite the passage of the English, that left here the Protestant religion.

From the Portuguese presence remain the names, Silva, Perera or Pereira, Fonseca… that show up as names of business, street names, inscribed on signs that identify doctors offices or law firms… showing that this small population of Burgher holds a high status in Sri Lankan society.

Batticaloa is the “Lourenço de Almeida Social & Cultural Centre”, a cultural association belonging to the “Sri Lankan Portuguese Burgher Foundation”, that support social activities in the East region of Sri Lanka. The short stay in Batticaloa, which wasn’t more that rest stop on the itinerary from Arugam Bay to Trincomalee, didn’t give the opportunity to discover the Burgher culture, but a walk through the streets came an encounter with two girls, one of them with green eyes and fair skin that after complimented by her beautiful eyes, proudly replied, “I am a Burgher.”

The presence of the Burghers, representing about 0.3% of the population of Sri Lanka, is discreet to those traveling in the city, but here there is a clear influence of Tamil culture, dominant in the north of the island, already visible in Batticaloa by the number of Hindu temples, the facial features and the dark skin typical of Tamil ethnic group, in many of the inhabitants… and even the rice and curry here get another taste, that takes us to India.

From Pottuvil to Batticaloa:

The road linking Pontuvil to Batticaloa develops always along the coast. However this proximity little one can see of the sea, but as a compensation, the landscape that can be seen from the road is dominated by water… whether in lakes, swamps and lagoons covered in water lilies and splashed by the whiteness of herons, either by extensive fields of rice, that in some areas show the light green of young shoots but elsewhere dyeing golden tones of mature grains.

It is a truly beautiful route, and where the scarcity of settlements makes the fluid and enjoyable, with the month of January to mark the rainy season, leaving a green trail in the memory.

Where to stay in Batticaloa:

There are not many attractive options of lodging in the city, since hotels and resorts are near the beach in Kallady, another part of the city on the other side of the peninsula which requires taking a tuk-tuk.

But as Batticaloa was only a stop in the middle of the route to Trincomalee, which resulted in only one night here, the search for a room was not very demanding. Thus arose the Hotel Sun Rice (yes… rice!! sun rise, predictably). A simple one story building with several rooms, located behind a restaurant with the same name. Near the train station and at a distance of about 800 meters from the bus terminal. Clean and well maintained, but painted in strong colour that can change the mood to more sensitive minds!!!!

Hotel Sun Rice

Addresss: Bar Street, Batticaloa

Bedroom with en-suite: 1000 LKR

But after some sightseeing were found other options:

LMD Guest House. Address: No. 15, Lady Manning Drive
The Moon Hotels, guest house conveniently located near the bus terminal building (CTB Bus Station). Address: 3rd Covington’s Road, West Puliyanthivu

Subaraj Inn advertised in various touristic guides is closed, permanently closed.

For those who prefer to stay away from urban areas, Kalkudah Bay, 30 kilometers north of Batticalola, is an attractive destination for those looking for beach and escaping to the “tour guides” suggestions. To sleep, Moni Guest House was a trusted suggestion that unfortunately there was no opportunity to experience.

Where to eat in Batticaloa:

Batiicaloa didn’t shine in terms of food, with usual rice and curry at lunchtime, and the rotis and kutus for dinner.

Opposite the bus terminal (Private bus terminal) are some restaurants serving rice and curry but dull.

In front of the CTB Bus Station, next to the Cargills, is a cafe/restaurant with good snacks.

How to go from Batticaloa to Trincomalee bus:

To make it difficult, Batticaloa has 3 bus terminals. To facilitate the three terminals are located side by side at East Puliyanthivu, along 300 meters.

For those who walk from the “clock tower” (a cliché in any Sri Lankan city), first you’ll find the Minibus Stand, which is no more than a plot by the road where the buses park. Ahead lies the gigantic building CTB Bus Station, for buses of state-owned, identifiable by the red color. Between is the Private Bus Terminal, that is also a plot by the road but with a small building, which consists of a set of information (not very useful) and a waiting room.

There’s no information about schedules and destinations, so the best option to ask the drivers who roam in the terminal… they are always the best source of information as well as restaurants or kiosks located in the area.

For those who follow northwards towards Trincomalee, there’s a bus passing by Private Bus Terminal around 8:45 a.m., and goes direct to Trincomalee, with no need of stopovers.

Bus Batticaloa to Trincomalee: 180 LKR (8:45 hours)

Batticaloa_CTB Bus Station_DSC_7781 — CTB Bus Station. Batticaloa

Population: 90,000

Elevation: 17 meters

Arugam Bay… at the beach in low season

Arugam Bay being one of the best places for surfing in Sri Lanka has two appearances: the peak season, from May to August… and the rest of the year, were Arugam Bay is not much more that a fishing village!

Between November and April can be considered the best time to visit Sri Lanka, with the months of December and January to reach the peak of tourist. But the east coast and the northern part of the island, that are the least visited areas, difficult to reach and that for many years place of war, have a different climate, with rainfall during this period. The months from May to October are those with a more favorable climate in the north and on the east coast, where lies the beach of Arugam Bay.

But for those who do not chase the “waves” visit Arugam Bay or any other place, during the low season provides some advantages: more peace, more space, more affordable rooms, less crowded transport… on the other hand many restaurants and guest houses are closed, less social life and sometimes rain that may show persistent and annoying. Although the temperature is never chill, and the sea never cold.

As the southwest coast rather dry and arid, the visit during the rainy season, which still does not bring rain every day, provides a landscape full of green and enough water to make Arugam Laguna attractive to many birds that gathering here looking for food.

the stay at Arugam Bay provided calm and long walks along the almost desert beach, accompanied by the heavy rhythm of the waves, feeling the moist air that comes from the sea and the warm water temperature that plays around our feets. Walkings that can be extended to the lagoon, located north of the bay, which separates Arugam Bay Beach from Pottuvil.

With light filtered through the soft layer of clouds, the sea shows up with heavy dark colors as well as the sand, which tones along with the abundant garbage brought by the tides is far from forming a paradise image of this place. Nevertheless, this picture changes in the months where dozens of surfers compete for waves that form at the entrance of the bay.

Arugam Bay lives from the surf and surf related business, like surf schools, rentals, rooms, etc… As off-season there’s no activity in terms of surf, with a rough and disorganized sea, at an upper level than usual making the beach narrow, the local population is targeted for fishing, which remains the main occupation and source of income this small town that was seriously affected by the 2004 tsunami, which severely hit the south and east coast of Sri Lanka.

Arugam Bay is not only a place where you go… you have to get there… it’s on the opposite coast of Columbus and the only international airport, between are the mountains and to escape the mountains you must go around to the south or to the north, passing extensive tropical plains… whatever option are trips that do not are not made in one day, forcing always to one or a more stops along the way.

Going to school. Arugam Bay. Road Pottuvil-Panama

Where to stay in Arugam Bay:

In low season, most places are closed or whether they were open probably are deserted. Along the main road, on both sides, line up successive accommodation of different styles and for different budgets.

The Beach Hut is one of the oldest places and, therefore, very popular even in low season attracting most of the foreigners, some passing by but others that remain here for long periods, enjoying the tranquility of the place and the proximity of the sea, which is around twenty meters far. There are several types of accommodation, rooms and huts with different levels of amenities and comfort. The Beach Hut has a restaurant provides a nice common area surrounded by forest.

double bedroom with en-suite: 1000 LKR (low-season)

Free wi-fi

Where to eat in Arugam Bay:

Many of the guesthouses have a restaurant, but during the low season many are closed. Those who are open, such as the Beach Hut, offer the usual menu with many international options.

On the main road that crosses Arugam Bay (road Pottuvil-Panama) there are some local food restaurants, serving only tea, rotis and fried-rice, but most of them just open during the high season.

But proved to be indifferent to variations of tourists and surfers, because essentially live from the local population, there’s a restaurant in the south of Arugam Bay, along the national road, very close to the curve that in some way marks the border of the village. Working also as a kind of small grocery, sells delicious King coconuts, serves rotis, kotus and a variety of snacks, including some Sri Lanka traditional sweets, popular as breakfast, like coconut rotis and coconut hoopers, that runs out quickly in the morning. At lunch the usual rice and curry, for which foreigners are overcharged with 250 LKR; yet delicious, rich and entitled to refill.

Bus from Arugam Bay to Batticaloa:

In the morning there is only one direct bus from Arugam Bay to Batticaloa, passing on the main road by 5 am or 5.30 am, and reaches Batticaloa around 10:30 am.

Alternative is a tuk-tuk to Pottuvil (100 LKR) and at the bus terminal catch one of the many buses bound for Batticaloa, but most of them aren’t direct buses; although at 10 am there’s one that avoids stopover.

The Pottuvil Bus Terminal, which is no more than a set of buses parked perpendicular to the road, with tuk-tuks waiting on the other side, there are buses with high frequency to Kalmunai, from where you can find another to Batticaloa.

Bus Pottuvil – Kalmunai: 93 LKR (2.15h)

Bus Kalmunai – Batticaloa: 59 LKR (1.5h)

Bus Pottuvil to Kalmunai, on the way to Batticaloa @ Pottuvil Bus Terminal

The trip between Pottuvil and Kalmunai is particularly beautiful with the road crossing vast plains of rice fields and many natural vegetation zones with a scarce human presence, and form the Lahugala National Park.

Ecowave Sri Lanka

Is a organisation based in Arugam Bay, focuses in developing projects to support local community in a sustainable way.

There are many things going on in Ecowave, that suites a travellers, like stay with a local family, and cooking classes, in a way to show the local cuisine and also local products that come from their own organic farm. There are also more tourist activities, in a more responsible and sustainable way.

Check their page so se what’s going on or just pass bay their shop in Arugam Bay Road (not far from the entrance to “Beach Huts” where you can find organic products as food and cosmetics as also handicrafts made local community.

https://www.facebook.com/ecowavelk/

https://www.facebook.com/EcowaveTravels/

About Elephants and buses… from Kataragama to Arugam Bay

Having already visited the south coast, is time to look for other places, but the topography of the island, with a mountain range to occupy the entire center of the southern part of the territory, make it an unattractive option with slow journeys, pushing you to longer but more easy and accessible itineraries.

Other obstacles are the natural parks, which make the roads go around large areas, with Sri Lanka to stand out for a total of 26 wildlife reserves in an area 1.4 times larger than Portugal.

And an image that stays in the memory after traveling through Sri Lanka is green. The green of palm trees and tropical forest. The green plains of rice fields. The green forests in the mountains. The green of the water lilies and lotus flowers covering lakes and wetlands.

And out of the most densely populated areas such as the southwest coast, south of Colombo and the triangle covering Colombo-Kandy-Galle, scarce villages and dozens of kilometers can be made trough a landscape that still maintains natural.

The Kataragama travel toward the East Coast is far from being linear, taking a longer route to avoid the Yala National Park. First to the north towards the anonymous Buttala, then northeast to the unknown Monaragala, and then heading east to Pottuvil. But the final destination of this route is the beach of Arugam Bay, about 4 km south of Pottuvil.

While about the stops in Buttala and Monoragala to change buses there’s no trace of memory, as well as the road that links this two places, with houses, shops, restaurants, workshops and other buildings line up along the road.

But between Kataragama and Buttala is one of the nicest bus trips made in Sri Lanka, that in a month were more than 20… not counting with the usually necessary bus change during the same trip. This route passes near the Yala National Park, a vast area that ranks as the second largest natural park in the country, whose significant population of elephants and leopards attracts lots of visitors.

But leaving the animals peacefully live their life away from human hanging in jeeps that roam the streets of the park, visits to national parks were off the itinerary.

But as a compensation, the bus ride between Kataragama and Buttala offered an unexpected whole show, with the passage of an elephant that circulated by the roadside, that without showing any kind of fear or surprise, stopped as if to observe the giant vehicle that was crossing his path. But spotting wildlife along this road is not unusual, forcing the vehicle running at low speed and avoid beeps, which makes this a truly relaxing trip, offering the possibility to quietly enjoy the natural landscape. From wetlands, the road goes gradually getting drier as one moves north, with the reddish soil where vegetation comes down to trees and small leaf bushes, through which it was possible to see yet another Sri Lanka elephant, a subspecies of the Asian elephant.

Bus Kataragama to Buttala. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay

Leaving behind Monaragala and as it moves to the east toward Pottuvil road extends almost in a straight line along wooded plains that offer a bit of freshness to the tropical temperatures of the region, refreshing the body and softening the intense sunlight. The last kilometers before Pottuvil landscape let behind the trees transforming into endless plains of rice fields. We are again close to another national park, not as popular as the Yala but whose lagoon features attract many species of birds: the Lahugala National Park.

The warm breeze coming in through the windows, while the bus glides smoothly through the endless road and the serenity of the landscape that fills the eyes, provide a deep sense of calm and tranquility, that along with the unexpected “encounter” with an elephant, made this trip a strong memory of positive feelings.

Monaragama to Pontuvil. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay

How to go from Kataragama to Arugam Bay bus:

The route has a total of 137 kilometers but it took six hours to do it.

As the only direct bus that leaves Kataragama to Pottuvil is at 6 am, the alternative was to go first to Buttala. In Buttala just ask for a bus in the direction of Pottuvil, and as there is no direct connection is necessary to stop in Monaragala and change there to another bus to the final destination, Pottuvil.

Some buses end in Pottuvil, the largest village in the area, but others continues up to Panama stopping at Arugam Bay. If the bus ends in Pottuvil the only option is to take a tuk-tuk to make the last 4 kilometers that separate the bus terminal the first guesthouses of Arugam Bay. If you want to go to the “center” of Arugam Bay you need to walk another kilometer, but in any case, the tuk-tuk shouldn’t cost more than 100 LKR.

Bus from Kataragama to Buttala: 46 km (9.35h – 11h)

Ticket: 85 LKR

Bus from Buttala to Monaragala: 20 km (11.05h – 11.55h)

Ticket: 40 LKR

Bus from Monaragala to Arugam Bay: 71 km (12:30 – 15:30)

Ticket: 120 LKR

Monaragama Bus terminal. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay

But all bus changes required during a journey are not as bothersome as they seem at first glance, as all the buses stop at the terminals, where it is not difficult to find the next bus; yet is necessary ask for help to the local population or bus drivers waiting in the terminal, as many times there are no proper information or signs.

These breaks in the terminals, given the high frequency of buses, never take longer than 30 minutes, the most usual is to find a bus that is about to depart, being only necessary to “jump” inside. Alway take your backpack with you, inside de bus, no matter what the drive helper can say as the trunks are dirty and full of dust or mud, on rainy days.

Tickets are always sold inside the vehicle, whatever the route or the bus company.

The bus terminals are away of being an attractive area, but if you have to wait for a few minutes this places always provide the chance to of finding a meal, fruit, roti or another kind of snack to eat during the trip… even rice and curry properly wrapped for take-away, which only has the drawback of not being provided cutlery as in Sri Lanka food is eaten by hand, and only the restaurants offer spoons.

The buses are neither good nor bad… they’re basically all the same, all made in the same factory Lanka Ashok Leyland, following all the same model… the only difference is that there are older ones and newer ones, that means in better conditions, but even the older buses never appear properly degraded, and are only used in urban areas and for short distances.

The red buses belonging to the state-owned company (SLTB); blue and white buses are from private companies, more focused on profit, which leads to the bus stop every time someone on the roadside or at any point of the city makes a signal to stop, and every time someone want to get off at a particular site. Buses from SLTB are more respectful of bus stands but are less often.

Despite the discomfort caused by too full buses, by numerous stops, by constant honking, by dangerous overtaking and the unbridled driving of some drivers, the bus is no doubt the best way to travel by Sri Lanka, which in addition to cover the whole territory they provide a stimulating contact with the population and multiple smiles…. and a lot of Sinhalese music !!!!!

How to get out of Arugam Bay:

In the morning, only one bus pass by Arugam Bay destination North towards Batticaloa, with the inconvenient time of 5 or 5.30am, being difficult to get accurate information.

The Arugam bay bus stand is in front of the school, in the northern part of the beach, not far from the bridge that crosses the lagoon that separates Arugam Bay from Potuvil.

The alternative is to take a tuk-tuk to Pottuvil (100 LKR) and from the bus terminal catch one of the many buses to north, in direction of Batticaloa.

Stepping out of Babylon

Snacks and Street Food

Rice and curry

It can be considered that the rice and curry is the national dish of Sri Lanka, beyond all ethnic groups, castes and religions.

Roti and kottu

King Coconut

Sweets

Curd and honey

Bread

Tea and coffee

Meals Schedules

The Sri Lankan cuisine was a good surprise, quiet different form the neighbouring India, very tasty, colourful, rich, nutritive… and vegetarian friendly. Resulting from different influences, the Sri Lankan food is absolutely connected with the green landscape and the warm tropical weather.

…. I miss the rice and curry as also the king coconut!

Sigiriya Ticket:

Best time of day to visit Sigiriya:

Where to stay in Sigiriya

Where to eat in Sigiriya:

How to go from Dambulla to Sigiriya:

How to go from Sigiriya to Dambulla:

Where to stay in Dambulla:

Where to eat in Dambulla:

Internet and wi-fi:

Transports from Dambulla:

Dambulla Cave Temples fee:

Where to stay in Dambulla:

Where to eat in Dambulla:

Transports from Dambulla:

Where to stay in Uppuveli:

Where to eat in Uppuveli:

How to go from Trincomalee to Uppuveli:

How to go from Uppuveli to Trincomalee:

How to go from Trincomalee to Dambulla or Colombo by bus:

From Pottuvil to Batticaloa:

Where to stay in Batticaloa:

Where to eat in Batticaloa:

How to go from Batticaloa to Trincomalee bus:

Where to stay in Arugam Bay:

Where to eat in Arugam Bay:

Bus from Arugam Bay to Batticaloa:

Ecowave Sri Lanka

How to go from Kataragama to Arugam Bay bus:

How to get out of Arugam Bay:

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