Indian Excursionist

Buddha Statue at city center, Colombo, Sri Lanka

It has become a tradition in India, newly wedded couples are bound to discuss their honeymoon plans with everyone. Discarding the suggestions of others of going to Bali, Maldives, Kerala, Paris, Thailand, etc. I chose to visit the less explored country, Sri Lanka. Everyone said, "Why Sri Lanka?". This post is meant to be an answer to everyone who were surprised.

P.S. Never decide your travel destinations, or any important decisions of life, solely on the suggestions of others. I would rather suggest Listen, Think and then Decide.

So, I chose Sri Lanka for multiple reasons. Firstly, it was not going to be crowded as other destinations, because 'as per tradition' everyone were going to the places mentioned above.Secondly, it is a pocket-friendly country with countless beautiful places. Thirdly, we were able to cover almost every terrain, from beaches to mountain and from a heritage city to a completely modern city Colombo also the capital.

This is what our itinerary looked like :

Day 1 : Kandy

Day 2 & 3 : Nuwara Eliya

Day 4 & 5 : Bentota

Day 6 & 7 : Colombo

Kandy:

Kandy is declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO.Although, I did not find anything worth in the city as a whole. If you are going for a peaceful holiday then you could spend one day here. There is not much to see here, except for Temple of Scared tooth relic (which we skipped on purpose), Kandy Lake, Upper Lake drive and on the way from Colombo you should visit Pinnawala Elephant orphanage. It felt like a normal city, I don't know why it has been declared world heritage site.Still, we managed to spend our day here resting at the river facing hotel.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Sri Lanka


View from Ganga Addara Hotel, Sri Lanka

Kandy Lake as seen from the Upper Lake Drive, Kandy, Sri Lanka

Kandy Upper Lake Drive, Sri Lanka

Nuwara Eliya:

Nuwara Eliya is also called 'Little England' of Sri Lanka. The name suits perfectly. This town has the charms, with cottages and houses that were designed for the British for their Holidays. The houses and the view gives you a glimpse of English towns.The climate here is completely different from most other parts of Sri Lanka. A day or two is enough for this cute little hill town. A visit to Ramboda falls is must if you are here.You should travel to Nuwara Eliya by train as it offers a scenic view as recommended by most of the travelers. But we already had a van booked, so we drove from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya.If you follow the greatest indian epic 'Ramayana', you are at the right place. The famous Ashok Vatika, where Sita, wife of Lord Rama was captured by the evil Ravana, is in Nuwara. This place is now a temple called Seetha Amman Temple.

Ramboda Falls is 109 m high and is one of the highest water fall in #srilanka. It ranks 729, in worlds highest water falls. Ramboda comes on the way to Nuwara Eliya from Kandy. The sight is really soothing from a distant view. But as we move closer to the falls, it becomes fierce and deadly.A must visit place when you are in #Lanka. #waterfall #indianexcursionist #wanderlust #travel #bloggerslife #travelblog #srilankatourism #srilankanairlines #rambodafalls #nuwaraeliya #littleengland #kandy #wanderer #excursion #photography #travelphotography #exploresrilanka #shotononeplus #globetrotter #follow #followforfollow @cntraveler @malindoair @natgeotravel @srilankanairlinesofficial @indiantravelers @srilankantourism @ig_srilanka @cntravelerspain

A post shared by Nitin Bothra (@indian.excursionist) on Dec 19, 2017 at 6:45pm PST

Foggy view from Villa de Roshe in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka

View from Villa de Roshe Hotel in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka

Bentota:

We left at midnight for Bentota in our cab, as there was nothing left to see in Nuwara Eliya, due to rains.We already had booked a beach side resort Earl's Reef Beruwala. And we still can't stop praising ourselves for booking it. During our visit to Sri Lanka, the country got hit by cyclone Okhi which ruined most of our city tour. Although, we were blessed by the Sun at Bentota. And this was the best place in the whole of our trip. Good food, beautiful beaches, and most of all an amazing weather. A river safari in the river Madu should not be missed if you are here.

Earl's Reef Beruwala, Bentota, Sri Lanka

Sea view and a provate beach at Earl's Reef Beruwala

Bentota Beach, Sri Lanka

Madu River Safari, Bentota, Sri Lanka

Colombo:

We then reached the captial city of Sri Lanka, Colombo.Due to heavy rains and the cyclone we were able to visit Colombo only one day. In which we covered a few city sites and did some shopping at a nearby mall Liberty Plaza. But, the hotel location provided us with the scenic view of Colombo. Unfortunately, we couldn't go to any casino or bar due to rains.Colombo seemed a bit dull during the night compared to other capitals of the world, this surprised me. Either I chose the wrong curb of the city or the city had no nightlife on roads.

Independence Square, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Galle Face Green, Colombo, Sri Lanka

St. Lucia's cathedrial is a peaceful place.

St. Lucia's Cathedral, Colombo, Sri Lanka

In my trip I experience the tranquility and the scenic beauty of nature. The mountains, the beaches and the beautiful towns around rejuvenated me. So, if you are planning for a holiday which is more of relaxing type than Sri Lanka is a place to be.

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