My top 3 scenic drives in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, that hoary old cliche about the journey being better than the destination is actually true. What I have enjoyed most about my travels to hotels and bungalows around the country is the drive there.

You pass forests, waterfalls, rivers and see ancient trees, massive bougainvilleas just growing wild on the roadside, green fields pregnant with paddy.

Some of the wonders you pass are man made: lakes that go as far as your eyes can see, temples that have been there before Jesus was a twinkle in God's eye, fortresses that were somehow built by by our ancestors on rocks that their descendants strain to climb unburdened.

Before you know it - Sri Lanka is so small and geographically diverse - you've gone from the sea side of Colombo to RL Brohier's plains of gold to fields of paddy to mountains of tea and you are wherever you were going to.

But that arrival is poignant because there's no more to see.

(Click "Read More" to see the 3 scenic drives I enjoyed most)

Used Bookstore in Colombo Sri Lanka - K & S Sales - Old Curiosity Shop - Used Books Colombo Sri Lanka - Used Bookshop Colombo Sri Lanka

What is serendipity?

Just before I got married, I decided I wanted to do a trip around Sri Lanka on my own. I didn't understand exactly why I did but I wanted solitude, maybe to understand myself, maybe to bid my misspent youth a fare thee well, before I took the biggest step of my life.

On my way, I went to my favourite place for buying used books, K & S Sales in Kohuwela (on Dutugemunu St, next to the Police Station, in the same building as MaxMara). It's a gigantic antique/bric-a-brac store, not unlike the ones occupied by mysterious Oriental men in movies like The Gremlins inhabit.

Arugambay Driving Directions and things - Travel Guide 1

When to visit:
Arugambay is full of foreigners during the surf season (June to August) but seems empty otherwise. While surfing is good, I prefer swimming. And what makes the off season bad for surfers (no waves) makes it great for swimming. The waves break really close to the shore so if you slightly beyond, you can just float for hours.

Security:
It's safe as anywhere else in the country. We experienced no issues and there are STF/Army checkpoints all along the way. Where there are concerns (such as the road from Panama to Kumana) the roads are closed off.

Getting there:
The distance from Arugambay to Colombo is around 350km and the easiest way to get to Arugambay is by vehicle.

But you have to leave early enough. We left Colombo at 5am - you must leave then: the buses get on the road by 6, the schoolchildren 6:30 - and made it there around noon. There are two routes you can take.

Either way, you take the A4/High Level Road past Ratnapura to Pelmadulla.

From Pelmadulla, you can go south to Embilipitiya, go across Udawalawe to Thanamalwila and back north to Wellawaya. The road is carpeted all the way except for the awful 40km of road crossing Udawalawe National Park. It has always been awful and doesn't seem to have been fixed since, I think, the dam was built.

Or you can stay on the A4 past Pelmadulla and go through Beragala (here, the road forks. The carpeted road continues to Badulla but you have to take the right fork downward - the bad road) to Wellawaya. The 37km from Beragala is not great but the rest is carpeted all the way and the views are spectacular.

I prefer the second route: once you pass Pelmadulla, there's no traffic, the road is good and the scenery is beautiful and unspoiled, especially the bit from Belihuloya to Wellawaya.

It also means you can stop at Thunmansala Hotel in Haldemulla on the south side of the road for breakfast: it's clean and airy, the owner is very pleasant and you can see the Kiri Vehera on a clear day.

From Wellawaya to Pottuvil, the road is straight and good except for the last 40km which goes through Lahugala National Park. This road closes after 5pm. This part looks scary (because it is thick jungle) but there are STF/Army checkpoints all the way.

Budget:
It cost me less than LKR 6,000 (~ 50 litres) in petrol for a round trip in my Mazda.

Getting back:
When you're leaving Arugambay, you have to get a permit. Make sure you have a copy of your vehicle ID card: they need engine numbers and things.

On the day you leave, go to the police checkpoint in Pottuvil town, park the vehicle and get the police officer to fill out the form. Then, you walk to the police station, into an office marked Minor Offences (apparently, tourism is still frowned upon) and get the permit. The whole thing'll take less than half an hour if there's no line. This is open from 7am to 3pm, so go at 7am if you can. Or if you're posh, send the driver.

You'll get three copies and you have to hand them in at different checkpoints along the way back - the last one at Siyambalanduwa (Tamarind Wrench?). On the bright side, it'll give you something to do instead of contemplating work the next day.

More: See Arugambay Travel Guide Part 2 - Hotels and Restaurants for where to stay and eat.

Long Weekend in the Southern Tea Hills of Sri Lanka - 6 Day Itinerary

Six days of holidays are coming up! The 9th to the 14th of April, 2009 are holidays for most of us - for others, you just need to take the 10th off.

Only in Sri Lanka do we get these kind of long weekends. Most of us head in one direction: down south. The roads are good, the beach is there, etc. But so is everyone else.

Here's a slightly alternative itinerary, with minimal travelling time, which will take you to parts of Sri Lanka which almost no one sees. As a plus, you'll visit unique hotels - most of which you've probably never been to - and support them through this difficult time.

First, go to Halketha. Leave Colombo early in the morning when there's minimal traffic. It's in a rubber estate in Matugama, off Kalutara. Enjoy the scenery - go for a bike ride using the hotel bicycles in the surrounding paddy lands and rubber estates with minimal traffic - we counted 1 van per hour. See if you can bike to the Peeli Hatha (7 Waterfalls).

Then, head to Rock View Motel, Kalawana near Sinharaja. The road takes you across the Agalawatte tea plantation, which is gorgeous. When you get there, hike to or drive to Sinharaja if you want - stay in the room and enjoy the view and the chop suey if you don't.


You can also try Rainforest Edge, also in Kalawana, which is much more expensive - about twice the price of Rock View - but also much posher.

Finally, hit Bopath Ella Rock Chalets in Kuruwita past Ratnapura. The road from Kalawana/Sinharaja to Ratnapura/Kuruwita is similarly scenic, full of southern tea.They have an amazing chop suey and fried rice, so try both. Remember to take the Bopath Ella main road from Kuruwita junction and, when you come to some rocks on the Bopath Ella road put there by touts who want you to pay for parking, just drive past them and you'll find the hotel. By no means should you stay in Minara Bopath Ella which is just nearby: the parking lot is prettier than the hotel.

Travel time should not exceed 2 hours per leg. The total should not exceed LKR 30,000 accomodation for two people.

Day Trip to Yapahuwa Rock Fortress via Kurunegala Sri Lanka - Chop Suey and Chinese Lions

Sometimes, when visiting places in Sri Lanka, multiple days aren't required. The island is small enough that a 3 hour drive out of Colombo can take you somewhere completely different.

Yapahuwa is one of these places. In the 13th century, one of our kings, seeing how well Sigiriya had turned out for King Kasyapa, (Tangent: Actually if King Kasyapa had just stayed on the rock and lobbed things at his enemies, he'd've done fine. What's the point of a giant rock fortress if you're not going to use it?) decided to build his palace on another giant rock. Unfortunately for us sightseer types (and I suppose fortunately for those who had to actually carve and carry things up the rock), his ambitions were nowhere as lofty as Kasyapa. And his subsequent PR was also nowhere nearly as good as Kasyapa.


This lack of Sigiriya level awareness means, however, that Yapahuwa is nowhere nearly as crowded as Sigiriya is. And while it is not as impressive as Sigiriya, it still is pretty impressive.

First, you get the iconic stone staircase with the Chinese lions, the ones on our ten rupee note. Looking at it makes you queasy as its steepness makes it feel like you're going to be climbing one of those rollercoaster rails that curls back on itself. As you climb, though, your confidence increases till, at the top, you pretty much could be the king, looking out and surveying all the land you reign over.


For most people, that's it. However, from there, you can walk through a forest path to the top. The path is overgrown and all the signs tell you not to go past the staircase area but you should. It's worth it when you reach the top and survey that vista.

Yapahuwa should be done as a day trip. This is how I would do it: Leave at 9am - weekdays (except Tuesdays: it is closed) are preferable as it is less crowded - from Colombo.

Stop at Diya Dahara Hotel in Kurunegala - which is right by the lake - for lunch. Get a table by the lake and order the Diya Dahara House Special which is a gigantic, incredibly tasty Sri Lankan chop suey - one dish is enough for about 3 people. Gorge on the chop suey while enjoying the lake view and a couple of beers. Leave for Yapahuwa by 1:30pm, climb it by 3pm (wait for sunset if you can) and you can be back in Colombo by 9pm. The Cholas never had it this easy.

Hotel Name: Diya Dahara
Address: 7 North Lake Rd, Kurunegala
Phone: (037) 222 3452
More Pictures: Picasaweb