EXCURSIONS & INCURSIONS

Recos to guide and inspire your travels to Sri Lanka.

GUIDE TO GALLE

WHERE TO NOM

Fort Printers, 39 Pedlar Street
Mama's Galle Fort Roof Café, 76 Leyn Baan Street
Pedlars Inn Café, 92 Pedlar Street
Serendipity Arts Café, 65 Leyn Baan Street
Chambers, 40 Church Street

WHERE TO SHOP

Barefoot, 41 Pedlar Street
Stick No Bills Poster Gallery, 35 Church Street
KK Collection, 71 Pedlar Street

WHERE TO TIPPLE

Church Street Social, 26 Church Street
The Beach Club, Talpe
The Top Secret, Hikkaduwa

BOOK CLUB

When we travel, we always read a book set in the place or by a local author in preparation for our trip. Join the club!

• Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje
• Tea Time with Terrorists by Mark Stephen Meadows
• Sita's Ramayana by Samhita Arni and Moyna Chitrakar
• The Seasons of Trouble by Rohini Mohan
• Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
• Roar.lk (not a book)

CULINARY BINGO

According to Dictionary.com, the winner of bingo is the first person to mark off all the cells in a row or another required pattern. The exclamation of "bingo!" is used to express satisfaction or surprise at a sudden positive event or outcome, such as winning the game of bingo. 

Will you be the first to get bingo?

THINGS TO DO IN SRI LANKA

These recommendations come from a very precisely-titled article on Roar.lk. We picked our favorites from their top 101 things to do, but as you will see, we have a lot of favorites...

1. Take the train

Up the hills. Down the coast. Through the Kelani Valley. Across to Batticaloa. All the way to Jaffna.

3. Turn your commute into a conversation

Ask your tuk tuk driver if they have a meter. Listen to their life story. Tell them your life story. Understand the politics of the country. Complain about traffic. And if you’re lucky, be serenaded.

4. Stare at an endless piece of ocean that stretches up to Antarctica

Dondra Head. There’s a lighthouse here, at the southernmost point of Sri Lanka.

6. Drink every kind of tea imaginable

The super-sweet kadé tea in cheap plastic glasses. True Ceylon Tea up in a plantation bungalow. The afternoon pick-me-up at your office.

7. Pay homage to an ancient relic

Home to the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha since the 16th century, The Dalada Maligawa or Temple of the Tooth in Kandy is one of Sri Lanka’s most venerated temples and famous tourist attractions.

11. Visit the second largest blowhole in the world

We call it the Hummanaya because of the “hoo” sound it makes. Find it in Kudawella, off Dickwella on the southern coast.

13. Explore ancient civilisations

Of all the historic capitals, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa stand out as two of Sri Lanka’s grandest ancient cities. Several well-preserved ruins remain today and serve as a glimpse into the advanced civilisation Sri Lanka once was, complete with a number of achievements that put us on the map too.

18. Get up close with almost every turtle in the world

Sri Lanka is visited by five out of seven species of sea turtle that roam the seas. Watch them lay eggs in Rekawa. Hold the little ones in your palm at the Kosgoda Hatchery. Touch the big ones that come ashore. The Chinese tourists will join you – turtles are a symbol of good luck for them.

19. Find all the nelum pokunas (lotus ponds)

The original pond in Polonnaruwa. The new pond in the Urban Wetland Park. The theatre in Colombo 7. The railway station on the Puttalam Line.

22. Tour a tea factory

Discover the craft behind the liquid gold that keeps our island running.

30. Wrap yourself in colourful patterns

Although not exclusively native to Sri Lanka, the sarong is an essential part of our culture. Historically, a form of traditional dress that is still worn today by both genders, the unique colours and patterns of our sarongs have begun making a comeback into other aspects of Sri Lankan culture, including fashion and tourism.

31. Get lost in a jungle or tropical rainforest

Our island has plenty of them. Sinharaja is arguably the most well-known. Think long walks, no cell signal, and the occasional leech attack.

32. Taste the fundamental flavours of nearly every meal in the world

Over the course of history, Sri Lanka has earned its reputation as an island of spices. While our most famous spice export is Ceylon Cinnamon (accounting for 85% of global market share), our other exotic condiments still don’t fail to attract taste buds from the world over.

38. Climb a sacred mountain

Adam’s Peak, or Sri Pada, has seen the likes of Fa Hien, Ibn Battuta, and Marco Polo over the course of history. Known for its sacred footprint, the mountain is significant to Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, and Muslims who, among tourists, show up in the thousands to make the ascent during the climbing season each year.

41. Climb to a temple that looks like part of a spaceship

The Sambodhi Chaithya is found on the road it is named after in Colombo 1 and features a large stupa high atop a concrete structure that could be ready for liftoff. Climb the stairs here for a fantastic view of the Colombo Harbour.

43. Spot elusive spots

The national parks in Wilpattu and Yala are hotspots for the Sri Lankan Leopard. The latter is said to be home to one of the highest concentrations of leopards in the world.

45. Play Indiana Jones at an ancient forest monastery

Ritigala and Arankale are great places to do this. No snakes or evil villains though, just adventurous treks through jungle ruins.

46. Consider a career in proofreading

Even a century of British rule couldn’t save the innocent (and entertaining) English errors seen on printed material across Sri Lanka.  Typos everywhere.

47. Ride a wave

Learn how to surf in Weligama in the south, then take on some of the world’s best waves in Arugam Bay in the east.

50. Eat exotic fruits most people have never heard of

Thought woodapple was exotic? Try Nelli. Jambu. Uguressa. While most tourists aren’t familiar with these fruits, some of us Sri Lankans are also unaware of their English names. Gooseberry. Rose Apple. Governor’s Plum. There’s many more.

51. Watch wild horses run free

Brought here by the Portuguese, the Neduntivu, or Delft Island, is now the only place wild horses roam in Sri Lanka.

52. Navigate Pettah

Don’t add to the cacophony by exploring in a vehicle. Experience it firsthand by foot on the streets itself.

53. See the sea from the mountains

Sri Lanka’s hill country plays host to endless vantage points with stunning views – some kept secret, some well known. The Ella Gap is one of the latter, where on a clear day, you can spot the southern coastline and, if you’re lucky, the Great Basses Lighthouse.

55. Race down rapids

Get your fix of white water rafting down the Kelani River in Kitulgala. Look out for the spot where they blew up the Bridge on the River Kwai.

56. Go into a forbidden forest

Once reserved only for members of the royal family, the Udawattakelle Sanctuary is now open for visitors to Kandy looking to escape the usual tourist circuit on a number of nature trails through a forest in the city.

57. Walk on red soil

The origins of Ussangoda’s red earth are mysterious. Some explanations attribute it to an ancient meteor, others to the mythical King Ravana.

58. Unwrap your lunch

Lunch packets. The quintessential midday meal for working Sri Lankans. Treat yourself to an army of colourful vegetables with an egg or a choice of meat and some papadom.

59. Explore the coral reefs without getting wet

Take a ride in a glass bottom boat on the south coast.

60. Climb an ancient fortress with a palace in the sky

Constantly debated as an overlooked world wonder, Sigiriya is equal parts history and mystery, and dominates nearly every list of things to do in Sri Lanka.

61. Climb an ancient monastery to see an ancient fortress

What’s better than the view from Sigiriya? A view with Sigiriya in it. Pidurangala Rock is located a few kilometres away from the ancient fortress, where a relatively quick climb through a rocky forest with religious ruins rewards visitors with a stunning view of Sigiriya at the top.

62. Walk kilometres into the sea

Wade through the clear waters of Passikudah, which offers arguably the longest stretch of shallow coastline on the island.

64. Get to know the sport that’s more popular than our national sport.

Play it in your garden, join a game on the streets, or watch an international match live at one of the many stadiums around Sri Lanka. Cricket is as much a part of Sri Lankan culture as is religion. Although not the national sport (that title belongs to volleyball), cricket is undoubtedly the most popular. Come rain or shine, wherever Sri Lanka is playing in the world, expect most computers to have a tab with live score updates, radios to be tuned into the commentary, and passers-by watching the TV through the windows of electronics stores.

67. Shake a leg, and everything else attached to you. Partners included.

When you listen to baila or papare, everyone becomes a dancer. No matter how bad you are.

68. Rip up the water

From jetskiing to wakeboarding, Bentota River is famous for watersports of all sorts. For something more extreme, head up to Kalpitiya for some kitesurfing.

71. Forget the weight of the world on your shoulders

After all, Sri Lanka has the least amount of gravity on Earth!

72. Survive the end of the world, three times

A trail through Horton Plains National Park takes visitors to World’s End, a4,000-ft precipice and one of Sri Lanka’s most famous vantage points. Not far along the trail sits its sibling, Mini World’s End, while its cousin of the same name can be found in the Knuckles Mountain Range near Kandy.

73. Crave snacks that the rest of the world doesn’t understand

Short eats. Nobody else calls them that. Cutlets, chicken rolls, egg triangles, fish patties ‒ there are too many to name. And each of them is subject to their own critique. Why is there not enough maalu in the maalu paan (fish bun)? What’s so Chinese about a Chinese Roll?

74. Take a hike

Sri Lanka’s diverse terrains make it a  hotspot for hiking – through tea plantations, rural villages, mountainous forests, and more.

75. Ditch the supermarket for something noisier

The disorderly charm of wholesale markets across Sri Lanka makes for an exciting adventure when you discover groceries you can’t find in your everyday supermarket. Urbanised areas tend to feature larger marketplaces such as the Colpetty Market or the Peliyagoda Fish Market, but the smaller neighborhood Sunday polas are just as fascinating.

77. Eat and drink from one fruit

Thambili, or King Coconut. The elixir of our eternal summer. Best served on the street, inclusive of a measly splash of coconut water when it is cut open to drink. Once you’re done drinking, ask the thambili karaya to cut open the entire coconut. If it’s a healthy one, they will happily oblige and even make you a spoon out of the thambili’s skin to scoop up everything inside to eat.

78. Follow the trail of an ancient epic.

Several locations attributed to the world-famous Ramayana can be found across Sri Lanka.

79. Travel like an ’80s pop star

The English band, Duran Duran, filmed three music videos around Sri Lanka – the most famous being “Hungry Like The Wolf”, followed by “Save A Prayer”and “Lonely In Your Nightmare”. Most locations from these videos still exist today!

81. Seafood. And eat it!

From the traditional ambul thiyal to the modern hot butter cuttlefish, seafood is one thing Sri Lanka is never short of as an island. Try some by the ocean for the complete experience.

82. Drink spirits created with the help of traditional daredevils.

Toddy and coconut arrack are two of Sri Lanka’s signature spirits that are made using the native superpower of toddy tapping. This traditional exercise sees a toddy tapper scale tightropes across coconut trees nearly 50 feet above the ground to extract the sap of the coconut palm that later ferments into toddy, or is distilled into coconut arrack.

85. Surround yourself with greenery

Responsible for cultivating our staple diet of rice and painting the island with every shade of green imaginable, paddy fields have long been an essential part of Sri Lankan lives. Appreciate the greenery with a walk along their narrow pathways. Most paddy fields are away from the city, but the Talangama Wetlands are easily accessible to Colombo residents.

87. Visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The UNESCO lists eight World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka that include six cultural sites and two natural sites.

88. Visit a national park

There are 26 national parks declared in Sri Lanka, each with their own combination of exotic flora and fauna. Safaris, scuba diving, camping, trekking, and more. What are you waiting for?

89. See enough waterfalls to last a year

Yet another natural gem of Sri Lanka’s rich biodiversity. The Lanka Council of Waterfalls counts  nearly 400 cascades in Sri Lanka – only some of which feature safe base ponds to bathe in, but still an astonishing number for an island of our size!

92. Have milk and cheese on a dairy farm

Ambewela not only has a reputation for having the  highest and widest grassland in Sri Lanka, but also dairy farms with high-bred cattle and other animals such as goats, pigs, and rabbits. The  Ambewela Farm allows visitors to watch the cow-milking process, pet animals, and even try some dairy products fresh from the farm itself!

93. Drink at a dodgy bar

Cheap alcohol. Relaxed dress codes. Bad lighting. Fascinating characters. Always an adventure.

97. Never lose a hairpin

Sri Lanka’s mountain roads are filled with hairpin bends, but none are as famous as the Daha Ata Wanguwa or 18-hairpin bend between Kandy and Mahiyangana. There’s even a song about it.