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Colombo, cricket, coconuts, curries, Kandy. Read more
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  • Tim's TravelsSri Lanka - March 2024
    1
    Day 18

    Day 18 - Home. Awesome! Reflections...

    March 21 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    Day 18 - Home. Awesome! Reflections…

    02:30 (Colombo time)
    Sat in the departure lounge at CMB, waiting to board my flight. Colombo Airport is not one to aim for if you’ve got a long transit planned. There’s really not much of anything in the departure area. The one bar is a canteen style affair with a very limited range of food and drinks. There are two different tea shops, neither of which is open. There’s a Burger King, if that’s your thing.

    08:00 (Dubai time)
    First flight was pretty average. My seat was broken - I seem to be having a run of poor fortune with seats. This time, it would recline. It would ONLY recline. Every time I lean against it at all, it goes back to a full recline. Bit of a pain for me, but moreso for the poor guy behind me, whose drink I’m pretty sure I spill on more than one occasion. The cabin crew are powerless to do anything about it. The flight is entirely full, and was actually overbooked by 36 people. I’ll probably get some airmiles out of it, and I do at least manage to get a couple of hours sleep.

    The transfer at Dubai is a far easier-going experience. We’ve landed on-time, and I’ve a good 90 minutes to cross the airport. I even have time for a quick sharpener at Jack’s Bar. I’ve treated myself to a business class seat for the second and longer of my two flights, so have no worries about getting to the gate at the last minute. Once onboard, I unfold myself into my seat. I’ve flown in business on an Emirates A380 before, and it’s a very cool place to spend time. Couple of glasses of champagne before take-off, which I barely register, so gentle and quiet is it…

    11:00 (UK time)
    I decided after take-off to get some sleep early doors, then rinse the wine/cocktails/food etc. I get to sleep pretty quickly, and feel quite refreshed when I wake up. It’s only once I’ve popped to the loo, and have found myself a spot at the stand-up bar that I realise I’ve slept for all of 20 minutes. They’re serving a world class California Chardonnay, into which I tuck. My glass keeps getting refilled without asking. This is both great, and a problem - I’d quite wanted to try the 2011 Bordeaux they’ve got on board as well.

    ‘Lunch’ is served at a body-clock challenging 08:00 UK time, but is very tasty. I manage to snag some of that Bordeaux to accompany my lamb loin. After lunch, I grab some more sleep, and manage a good couple of hours before I’m woken ahead of our landing into Gatwick. Looking out of the window, it seems cold, grey and mizzly. Standard.

    15:00
    I’ve had an amazing trip, but it’s SO good to be home with my awesome Vicki, and my beloved boys, neither of whom yet seem that impressed to see me.

    Sri Lanka? Go. Go as soon as you can. Maybe even go twice. It’s a fabulous country to visit, and I can’t wait to take Vicki there in the near future.

    A few reflections:

    1) Going back, I’d go a little earlier than the middle of March. Several times, it felt like places I was staying were in the process of shutting down for the season, and I was among very few guests, or even the only one. That’s not a problem per se, but I think it robbed me of some opportunities to meet other travellers, From what I’ve heard, the heat is also a bit less humid earlier in the year. January or February might be a better option.
    2) Sri Lanka still offers amazing value, but it may not last forever. My average cost for accommodation was less than £25 per night for spacious, clean, comfortable rooms that more than served my purpose. I reckon I spent around £50 per day on ‘everything else’ which included a couple of relatively expensive activities - whale watching and a full day safari. Outside of that, I never felt like I was scrimping, eating what I wanted, drinking what I wanted (when it was available - see point 3), and doing what I wanted. If you were on a really tight budget, that number could easily come down to £25 per day.
    3) Buy a bottle in duty free to bring with you. Soft drinks / mixers are very readily available, but alcohol less so. The Government run liquor stores are both sporadic in their availability, and relatively expensive. There also appears to be a ‘tourist’ tax applied by some less than squeaky clean liquor store owners, charging visitors c. 20% more than locals.
    4) Take the train - it’s a fun and cheap way to travel. You can book the tickets directly on the Sri Lankan railways website 30 days before departure, and it’s very clear which class of travel you’re buying.
    5) Don’t take the bus - they’re driven by lunatics, many of whom don’t have a driving licence. They’re incentivised based on the time they arrive at certain destinations, and the time set to drive between these stops is insufficient. A couple of months back, 13 were killed in an accident caused by a bus trying to make up time on a busy road. Avoid.
    5) ‘Medium’ spicy is the correct answer when you’re asked how hot you’d like your food. I don’t recommend asking for hot and/or spicy unless you particularly love a burning mouth, and time on the toilet.
    6) Sri Lanka people are lovely - warm, welcoming and the vast majority I’ve met have got a great sense of humour. I’ve massively enjoyed meeting so many of them, chatting about their lives and their country.
    6) The country is on its knees financially. Do me a favour? When you’re paying for your very cheap meal / cheap tuk-tuk ride etc etc - be sure to tip generously.

    That’s all for now folks. You can join Vicki and I for 3 weeks in Thailand from April 5th!    Read more

  • Tim's TravelsSri Lanka - March 2024
    Day 17

    Day 17 - All good things must end

    March 20 in Northern Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    Day 17 - All good things must end…

    08:00
    Not really sure what to do with myself today. My cab to the airport is late tonight - 23:00, but I’ve booked my hotel until tomorrow so I don’t have to worry about checking out by midday. I’d originally planned to hang out at the beach, but after a squiz yesterday, I’m not sure that appeals. A quick run through Tripadvisor’s ‘Things to Do’ in the area reveals a few possibilities. Perhaps I’ll grab a bike for the day and just set off for a bit of an explore. Oooh, there’s quite a few Ayurvedic treatment centres - maybe I’ll get a full body massage…

    11:30
    Well that was unexpected. I have a delightfully light breakfast of a masala omelette and some dhal. Finally, a meal that doesn’t make me anxious to look at it. It’s also fantastic. The omelette has fresh chilli, tomato and coriander in it, as well as some cumin and nigella seed mixed through the eggs. The dhal is (yet) another great example. I can’t wait to get home and cook this for myself. I may even encourage Vicki to try some…

    It’s already 33C though, and the ‘feels-like’ temperature is at 42C. Walking back into the air-conditioned sanctuary that is my room is a fabulous sensation. I lie down on my bed to read while I decide what to do with the rest of my day. Moments later, I wake up after the best part of 2 hours of extra sleep. I’m still gonna try for an afternoon nap to get me through to my 03:00 flight departure, but this is a great little top-up.

    19:30
    Been feeling a bit strange today. Slightly dodgy tum, and just kinda wiped out. Hope it’s just a passing, food-based thing rather than anything more sinister. Utterly standard that it’s come on hours before I have a long, two flight journey home.

    As a result, today’s been a bit of a non-event. Popped out for a wander earlier, and grabbed some lunch. Had a bit of a nap. Just back from a quick snack for dinner. Not much to report really. Soz.

    22:30
    Deffo not feeling 100%. Had ANOTHER nap a while back, so think my body is just in need of rest - from what, I’m not yet sure, but I’ll listen to it.

    All packed up and ready to go. I’m sad to be leaving Sri Lanka, as I’ve fallen in love with this small island nation, but I’m dead excited to be going home to see Vicki, Scout and Gizmo…

    00:00
    That was pretty straightforward. My cab arrives a little early, and I’m at CMB with nearly 4 hours to spare before my 02:55 flight. Happily, the Emirates check-in/bag-drop desks are already open, and by 23:30, I’m through emigration, and in the one and only bar that Colombo Airport offers. The airport’s quiet. Given there’s about 3 big planes leaving within 1/2 hour of each other, I’m a bit stumped as to where everyone is. I wander around for a while to see if I can find them, but no. I have what I realise is going to be my last Lion on Sri Lankan soil until I return with Vicki in two. Having given it such grief at the outset of my trip, I now realise I’m going to miss the little bugger.    Read more

  • Tim's TravelsSri Lanka - March 2024
    21
    Day 16

    Day 16 - The Mosquito Coast

    March 19 in Sri Lanka ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    08:30
    I’m awake just after 06:00. This is not entirely unintentional. My balcony overlooks the East side of Kandy, and various reviews of my guesthouse I’ve read have said the morning views are stunning. And - they are. It’s a really hazy morning. I don’t know if that’s moisture that needs to burn off, air pollution or something else - but it gives a somewhat mysterious air to the sunrise over Kandy. I can see a temple over to the East on a hilltop, the famous Kandy Lake off to the West of me, and the sprawling city laid out to the front.

    I’m not particularly hungry, but conscious I won’t be in Negombo till later this afternoon, so I need to eat something. A pleasantly austere version of breakfast here, which is welcome - some fruit, some juice, an omelette and some toast. Back at my room, I sit on the balcony as the day warms up.

    12:15
    Another day, another would-be Ayrton Senna. I have to ask this one several times not to look at his mobile phone while he’s driving. He’s clearly finding it very distracting. We do some really exciting overtaking around blind corners, and only on some of them do we encounter a bus coming the other way. Pretty sure we wing a couple of pedestrians along the way. Yesterday’s serene meander through the mountains, this is not.

    16:00
    I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting from Negombo. Maybe a version of Mirissa or Tangalle. It’s like neither of these. The beach is nice enough, but there’s nothing really on it - I walk up and down, in an increasingly desperate search for a beer. There are a couple of places that look hopeful, but which transpire to be closed. There are a couple of beachfront hotels that don’t look all that hospitable. I end up in what looks like a pretty generic chain hotel, but they have cold wine, so WTF do I care?

    My hotel room is another with an irritating key fob to turn the power on, so will be hot when I get back. The mountains were a blissful interlude, but it’s back up to 38C and humid. There’s at least a pleasant breeze coming off the ocean, which gives some relief.

    I’ve been up since early, and after some fried rice and a couple of wines, nap is calling…

    22:45
    Somewhat refreshed, I head out in search of sustenance in solid and liquid forms. It’s still swelteringly hot, and by the time I reach my dinner destination, my t-shirt is damp, and sticking to me. I’m at Tuk-Tuk Wine and Dine, yet another interesting name for a restaurant. I can see no evidence of tuk-tuks, and the less said about the wine offering, the better. They do, however, serve food, so let’s see how the dine side of things stacks up.

    I order the Black Pork Curry, a Sri Lankan speciality. A sizeable bowl of this curry arrives, along with a sizeable bowl of rice, a papad, and the standard rice and curry accompaniments of dhal, bean curry, curried aubergines etc etc. I’m somewhat overwhelmed. It’s delicious though. Properly hot, flavoured with curry leaves, cardamom, cinnamon and fennel seed - just brilliant.

    What is less brilliant is the onslaught of mosquitoes. I’ve not been bothered by these little fuckers for the past week, and should probably have been minded that a return to the coast would see them enact their revenge. I’ve not brought out any mossie spray, obvs, so am getting eaten alive. I can feel a few insanely itchy bites coming up already. When I’ve finished as much of my food as I can manage, I call for the bill and scarper as quickly as is feasible.

    Next stop is the wonderfully named Sherry Land - I shall do well here. I park up and order a glass of wine. Moments later, I feel another nibble. My guess is that as Negombo is less busy than it would be during the peak tourist season, and there are likely to be the same amount of mosquitoes, the bug to Tim ratio is far higher than it would be at other times of the year, ergo - I’m receiving special attention. Lucky, lucky me… I’ve got a bottle of red wine back at my room, so head back there to escape, cool down, and watch a movie.    Read more

  • Tim's TravelsSri Lanka - March 2024
    Day 15

    Day 15 - The slowest train. Ever.

    March 18 in Sri Lanka ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    09:12
    Last night I remembered in something of a panic that I have a 6-7 hour train journey coming up. Once again, no promise of water, food or other sustenance on the train itself, so I head out first thing to grab some supplies for the train. On the walk back up to Third Eye, my calves are burning - I can feel the hill-based hiking I did yesterday.

    I sit down for breakfast, and order much less food. MUCH less. Some eggs, hoppers and fruit - that’s it. Imagine my surprise when toast, pancakes and roti turn up. I try to explain that this is not what I was after, so Dilpesh brings more toast. Sigh. I resort to showing pictures of what I’d like with a thumbs up for YES! And a thumbs down for NO…. Amazingly, this strategy works.

    12:10
    It’s only a 5 minute walk down to the station, and I’m there in plenty of time. The train’s due to leave at 11:10, but is sometimes a little early, sometimes a little late, and often quite significantly late. I spend an enjoyable 1/2 hour people watching, and eavesdropping on the conversation of a couple of French women, probably in their late 60s or early 70s, who are talking about me in French. They’ve heard me speak English, and obviously can’t believe I would be able to speak or understand French. One of them says nice things about my tattoos, while the other disparages them. They try to guess my age - the low end of the range is 40, the high is 50 - I will accept the average. Around 11:00, a loud bell chimes, and the stationmaster says the train is approaching. I leap up, as much as you can leap up with 25kg of backpack attached to you, and in beautifully accented French wish the two women a good day and a safe onward journey, and smile as their faces drop. The ‘train approaching’ is something of an untruth. The train may well be within a few kilometres, but at the speed it moves, it’s still ten minutes out. It pulls into the station on time, and there’s a mad rush to board. I’m in the Observation Car at the very back of the train. There are plenty of free seats. Mine is in the very first row (or last row, depending on how you look at it), and my view out of the back window of the train is uninterrupted.

    The views from the train are incredible. More of the same scenery I’ve come to love around Ella - high, sweeping hills, countless tea plantations, deep ravines and valleys, kids playing football on a sandy school pitch, lots of waving people as the train trundles past. I may have done the train a disservice yesterday. 120km is the flying crow distance. The track distance is a hefty 154km. My train is due into Peradeniya at 17:17, so that’s… <MATHS> an average speed of 25 kmh. I find myself wondering whether the train actually goes faster than this, and perhaps stops for extended periods of time at some of the stops. I use a speedometer app on my phone to check. Yup - the top speed we hit is 37 kmh, and that’s on one of the very few straight sections of the railway. An average of 25 kmh is highly believable.

    13:59
    We’ve been sat at Ambewela station for over half an hour. Most of the track is single gauge, except for some of the stations. There’s another train heading towards , and limited places where trains can pass each other - Ambewela being one of them. Unhappily, the train coming the other way is late, and we have to sit here waiting for it to pass before we can continue. When the other train finally pulls into the station, no one even apologises. It’s an outrage.

    14:52
    We are 40 minutes late going through Great Western - which feels highly appropriate.

    16:34
    All told, we’re close to an hour late now, and I doubt I”ll get to my hotel much (if at all) before 19:00. Hadn’t planned on seeing all that much of Kandy - which is just as well. I may have time for a quick wander tomorrow morning before I head on to Negombo.

    At one point earlier, we were at 1,900m above sea level, and there was a lovely freshness in the air. We’ve come down significantly from there, and it’s getting demonstrably warmer. I deliberately chose a non air-conditioned carriage for this journey, so I could do the whole open window / photo thing. It does mean that carriage is starting to get rather warm though…

    19:30
    Finally got into Peradeniya, 10km from Kandy around 18:15, so pretty much bang on an hour late. So yeah - not the quickest train journey in the world, but definitely one of the most beautiful I’ve been on. A quick 20 minute cab ride later, and I’m dropped at The Hills - a new (ish) hotel on a hillside overlooking Kandy. I’m told the views from here are spectacular, but that’ll have to wait till morning. I’m hungry, having not eaten anything substantive since breakfast - but first things first, I’m in dire need of a G+T.

    22:00
    G+T denied! I get the distinct sense that this place is in the slow process of closing down for the off season. At a few places I’ve stayed, I’ve felt like I’ve been the only guest, or one of very few, and here is no different. I do see another couple grabbing some dinner, but there are only two out of eight tables laid. When I ask after a G+T, I’m told there is no tonic. When I ask after some wine, I’m told they’re out. Lion it is in then. To be fair, it’s ultra cold, and does the job.

    Similar story when it comes to dinner. When I ask for a prawn curry, I’m told no prawns. When I ask for a vegetable curry, I’m told no curry. I think basically anything that would normally be cooked in a batch for multiple guests, they’re not offering as they won’t sell enough of it. Fair enough I guess, but it means half the menu is unavailable. I end up with some chicken fried rice, which is pretty average. I ask for a bottle of water three times. My request is ignored the first two times, and I’m then offered ‘filtered’ water. I decline, and ask for mineral water with a sealed lid. They don’t have any. I hear the sound of a motorbike starting up, and five minutes later it returns. Two minutes after that, a bottle of mineral water appears. Magic!

    It’s a shame that this side of the hotel offering lets them down, as my room is spectacular. Huge space, with possibly the biggest walk-in shower I’ve ever seen. Maybe I’ll have more luck with breakfast…

    By the time I’ve eaten, it’s gone 21:00, and I don’t have the energy to head out down the hill into downtown Kandy. I grab another beer to take back to my room, and settle down with my book.    Read more

  • Tim's TravelsSri Lanka - March 2024
    Day 14

    Day 14 - I have located the ouch

    March 17 in Sri Lanka ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    09:15
    I’m awake at 07:30, and more than ready for breakfast at 09:00. Dilpesh brings me a plate of fruit and some coffee. So far so good. He then asks how I’d like my eggs cooked - fried or scrambled. Not a problem. He then returns with six plates - eggs, hoppers, roti, toast, butter + jam, pancakes… It’s a little overwhelming. I half expect him to return with bowls of curry, but happily he’s done. After eating what I can of that mountain, so am I.

    11:30
    I don’t think I’d quite realised, and please do take the opportunity to laugh at me etc etc, that the hill country in Sri Lanka would be quite so, well - hilly. After I’ve picked up my scooter, my first port of call is Nine Arches Bridge the insta-famous railway bridge a few clicks to the North of Ella. Following some fairly sketchy directions, I leave my bike up at the roadside, and start to hike down towards the bridge. I’m conscious that the people coming the other way are red-faced, sweaty, and panting. This can’t be good. There are some properly steep sections of path, and then around 400 deep steps to make my way down. I still can’t see the bastard bridge. According to Google Maps, it was only 1km from my bike to the bridge, and I think most of them are a vertical drop.

    Finally, FINALLY I make it to the bridge. It’s a pretty surreal experience, as people just casually walk across from one side to the other. There are only about 6 or 7 trains that cross here per day, so there’s (hopefully) fairly little chance of them being mown down, As per yesterday, the train moves so slowly that I suspect someone with the energetic vigour of youth could probably outrun it. I get a little anxious when I see people hanging their legs off the side of the bridge - there’s a sheer drop of 20m either side. One mother decides to place her baby on the bridge wall to take a picture of it, and I tut rather less than silently.

    It’s around 10:15 - a train was due through at 09:30, and there’s not another due for an hour, so I decide to start the gruelling climb back up to my bike. I make it not very far when I hear a train approaching. The 09:30 is apparently the 10:30 today. Looking back down, I can’t see anyone in danger of getting run down. Equally, I can’t see under the train’s wheels to see if perhaps some folks already have been.

    Continuing my climb, I reach the steps section of the course. Getting up these is something of a struggle. Whilst it’s cooler here in Ella, it’s still hot, and I’m steaming. The steps negotiated, I move onto the steepest hill I think I’ve ever climbed. It’s brutal. I keep making slow progress, and the road flattens out. Briefly. By the time I finally make it back to the road, my Garmin reckons I’ve climbed the equivalent of 45 flights of stairs. I catch my breath and head up the road to 98 Acres.

    98 Acres is a plush hotel that sits surrounded by tea plantations. A little out of my price range for accommodation, but I can stretch to a cup of tea. I park up, and am directed up some stairs to reach the restaurant/bar. MORE FUCKING STEPS. The views at the top are worth it though. Just beautiful. I have a cup of Orange Pekoe (nope? New to me, too…) and a very cold bottle of water, and Get back on the road.

    13:45
    I am in Cafe One Love - a restaurant and bar dedicated to Bob Marley, to the extent that they play 4 of The Wailers’ tracks on repeat. Still, the views from the third floor balcony are very pretty. The rest of my morning consisted of walking to the viewpoint of Little Adam’s Peak, and then riding down to the Ravenna Waterfall, 10km South of Ella. I also make it *some* of the way up Ella Rock - again, to stunning views. I think Ella is one of the most very beautiful places I’ve ever been - up there with the Franschhoek Valley, the top of Le Fornet in Val D’Isere on a crystal clear day, and Yosemite National Park. By 13:00, I’m knackered, and would commit crime to secure myself a cold beer.

    On a slight downer, my cookery class this afternoon has been cancelled. I’ve been picking up recipes as I go from chefs at various places I’ve eaten, so have at least got some options for recreating the amazing Sri Lankan dishes I’ve tried while I’ve been here.

    I can feel a nap coming on…

    17:00
    YES! Cracking little snooze. I decamp to the balcony to wake up with a G+T as the sun starts to hit the horizon in the distance. I don’t have much of a plan for this evening. Few beers, bite to eat etc etc. Ella’s a very easy place to spend time, and the prospect of an evening of doing not very much at all is a pretty damn good one.

    21:49
    I barhop. There are a few different bars in Ella that have a happy hour. I’m used to Happy Hours in the likes of Vegas, where it makes drinking just about affordable. Here in Sri Lanka, it takes drinks from thoroughly affordable to practically free. I have an Arrack cocktail for £1, a beer for less than that, and a glass of passable white wine for somewhere in between.

    The booze helps stimulate my appetite. I’m just round the corner from Cafe Samsara, very well reviewed little joint just off the main street in Ella. It’s small - maybe 5 tables and 15 covers. The menu’s pretty brief - lamprais (literally lump rice, served with a couple of meat/fish curries) or rice and curry, vegetarian this time around. I go for the rice and curry, and it’s brilliant. A great dhal, a beetroot curry, some spiced and braised pumpkin, a potato curry and some great curried aubergine. Just banging. The bill, including a Lion is less than £4.

    I head back to One Love for a post-prandial. I can’t quite face the walk back up to Third Eye just yet. Back at One Love, there’s the pungent smell of weed in the air. It’s a comforting smell, even if I don’t particularly want to smoke any at the moment. A couple of beers slip down incredibly easily. I’m close to ordering a third, but remember I have an 8 hour train journey tomorrow.

    Back at my room, I make a half-arsed attempt at packing. What’s particularly impressive, is that there’s not really anything to pack. I abandon this plan before it becomes foolhardy.

    I suspect the gin in the fridge will leak during transit. Happily, there’s a solution for that.

    23:30
    Gin!

    I take a second swing at packing, and it goes much better. It’s mid-afternoon back home, and Vicks suggests a call. It’s amazing to hear her voice, even if it’s a bit croaky. Vicks has been struggling with a cold all week, and has foregone her weekend plans of fun as a result. We sort of agreed that while I’m away, an actual call once a week or thereabouts would be cool. Given that when we’re both in the UK, we speak on the phone about once annually, this is markedly different. It’s incredibly welcome, and I'm incredibly excited to see her in a few days.

    I found myself thinking earlier about the emotional reaction to the end of an amazing trip. Obviously, I don't have the 'back to work' blues that I've experienced so often in the past. What I do have is a combination of sadness that my journey is ending, with excitement that I get to see my beloved wife, I get to see my baby bundles of ginger, and that our trip to Thailand is only a couple of weeks away...    Read more

  • Tim's TravelsSri Lanka - March 2024
    Day 13

    Day 13 - The Hills are Alive...

    March 16 in Sri Lanka ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    09:00
    Sri Lanka is in the midst of (coming towards the end of, hopefully) an horrific financial crisis. Doubtless COVID had a part to play, but for me, much of the blame rests with the previous President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

    This guy sunk billions into vanity projects that make white elephants look like good value. There’s the international airport about 50km from where I sitting writing this, that attracted 4 airlines initially, but which has not been used in 3 years. There’s the deepwater cargo port on the South coast, which completely ignored that Colombo has one of the busiest deepwater cargo ports in South East Asia. There’s the enforced switch to organic farming in 2021, without giving local farmers any guidance or training to switch to these new techniques, leading to a crippling failure of the crops in both 2022 and 2023, requiring huge outlays to import basic fundamentals like rice and grain. Honestly, the guy’s a fuckwit.

    And then - his crowning glory. HUGE tax cuts in 2019 - abolishing income tax for more than 1/3 of the Sri Lankan population, reducing VAT from 15% to 8%, and the abolition of the 2% ‘Nation Building’ tax that paid for nationwide infrastructure improvements. Are you listening, Jeremy Hunt? Honestly, this guy makes Liz Truss look, well - a little bit less of a lettuce.

    As a result, Sri Lanka’s inflation rate has been insanely high for the past few years. We, in the UK, feel like double digit inflation has been painful, and rightly so. Sri Lanka’s inflation rate peaked at 70% in 2022, and has since come back to something slightly more manageable at 11%. The average across the past two years is 45%.

    The result has been that prices have comfortably doubled over a 4 year period. Sri Lanka still represents great value for a Brit traveller, but that is changing. If the inflation rate doesn’t come back under control, it won’t take long for the prices to feel a lot higher, and for the local population to be incapable of paying for basic needs like housing, food and energy.

    I mention it this morning because I had a long conversation with Mohamed, the manager of Smoky Kitchen, a great little restaurant in the North of Tissa, where I ate last night. My rice and curry here is just about the best version of this staple that I’ve had in Sri Lanka, and Mohamed is at pains to apologise for what he feels is the sky high cost - 1800LKR, or £4.50 to you and me. He sold this dish for 800LKR as recently as mid-2022. Mohamed tells me how difficult it’s become to provide for his family. He thinks prices are about as high as they can go before they start to dissuade tourists from visiting. I might disagree slightly, but I understand his sentiment. Mohamed is a Muslim, and he shares with me that it’s got so bad that he’s seriously considered adding alcohol to his menu, something conspicuous by its absence currently. It’s a high margin product that would lighten his financial woes, but directly contravenes his strictly held religious beliefs.

    In other news, it’s moving day. I’m heading up into the hills to Ella, many peoples’ highlight of Sri Lanka. It promises to be noticeably cooler - late 20s, but without the humidity of the lowlands. Loads to see and do. Couple of hours in a cab to get past first…

    12:30
    This one, at least, appears to be sober. I’m not overly sad to leave Tissamaharama. The close proximity of Yala National Park aside, there’s not a huge amount to recommend it. After only fifteen minutes on the road, we’re already out into some lush green surroundings. We meander through some small villages, but most of the scenery is thoroughly rural.

    After a little over an hour in the car, we start to rise into the hills. There’s some beautiful mountain scenery to look at. The slight downside is that the road becomes quite twisty and turny - like a red rag to my rally driver of a cabbie. I should have packed the gin in my daypack to allow for easy cab-based access.

    13:15
    Well, this is staggering. I've arrived to new accommodation, and not immediately felt the need to turn on the AC. There’s a blissfully cool breeze, and I remind myself that we’re at 1100m above sea-level. If my memory of Geography GCSE serves (it probably doesn’t) it’s a c. 1C drop in temperature for every 150m of elevation, so a good 6C cooler than the coast. Finding Third Eye was a touch tricky. My driver clearly had no idea where he was going. Google Maps tried to send us up a very steep path, but I’m wise to the little fucker’s antics after our near-death Death Valley experience of 2022. Sadly, it transpires Google Maps was right. Up the ascent we go, round a couple of very tricky hairpin corners. My rooms is up even further up the hill - another 3 or so flights of stairs. It doesn’t matter though, because the views are spectacular. Mind-blowingly, jaw-droppingly, eye-poppingly spectacular. I can see Ella Rock in the distance, the highest point in the region. I can see waterfalls rushing down the green coated hills of the valley. I can see lush, tropical trees. I can see a man picking his nose. There’s a Sri Lankan home just off to my left. Going forward, I’ll be sure to look eyes front, and to the right…

    I’m sitting on my v cool and v cool balcony enjoying a beer, and trying to muster up the energy to go out and do stuff.

    13:25
    I have reached an executive decision. I’m sacking off my afternoon plans in favour of hanging out in, and getting to know Ella instead. I’ve got most of an empty day tomorrow, which feels like a much better option for exploring. I am getting pretty peckish though, as decided to forego breakfast earlier. Off out in search of scran and beer.

    15:30
    It’s fucking lush up here - BUT, it feels more like a resort town than Tissa or Tangalle, in both of which I was amongst the few white faces. In Ella, it feels like at least half the people I see are Western tourists. As a result, there’s a lot competition for the tourist dollar. As I walk down main street, I’m encouraged to try several different restaurants - “Cheap beer, I give you good price, fi’ dollar” and the like. I may have made the last one up. I end up La Mensa, and have the most amazing chicken and cheese kottu - just a big bowl of stodgy hug. About a third of the way through my food, the server asks if I would like some chilli chutney, and I say yes. The kottu’s tasty, but it’s anything but hot. What he brings back is my old friend from one of my first meals in Colombo, and I realise now how different it is to the coconut sambol I’ve been eating around the island. This is a properly fiery chilli purée, with some dried fish and fried garlic added to the mix. Lovely stuff. I have my first glass of wine in a few days, quickly followed by my second. Top lunching.

    00:00
    Back at Third Eye, I spend a blissful couple of hours on my balcony in the company of a G+T or two, my book, and the sounds of the hills. A train clatters past - if that makes it sound like it’s moving at pace, think again. 20 mph tops. On Monday, I’ll take the famous Ella to Kandy train, which takes around 8-9 hours. As the crow flies, it’s around 120kms. Intercity, this is not.

    I’m not really hungry, so not too fussed about grabbing dinner. Having a flick around the TV channels, I find that the Six Nations games are being shown. It’s probably a bit too much to try and make the France vs England that kicks off at 01:30, but the first two games are manageable. Italy beat Wales in a scrappy game, and Ireland edge a game against Scotland that should have been far more entertaining. I briefly consider cracking open the gin, and making a night of it, but I’ve got a busy day tomorrow, so hit the hay instead.    Read more

  • Tim's TravelsSri Lanka - March 2024
    2112
    Day 12

    Day 12 - Seriously? 04:30??

    March 15 in Sri Lanka ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    05:30
    With great safari, comes great alarm clock responsibility. Believe it or not, I’m actually awake just before my 04:30 alarm clock. Whilst my sleep is massively better than it used to be, the one thing I’ve really not mastered is the art of alarm snoozing - just grabbing another 5/10/15 minutes. Vicki does it with the style and grace of a champion. I do not.

    It’s pitch black. Not a scrap of natural light. Sri Lanka is only 400 miles North of the equator, so sun up is at or around 06:00 all year round, and it happens quickly. I don my leopard pants, pack my rucksack with everything I think I’ll need, and stumble a little bleary eyed down to the hotel reception area. My driver, Jagat, is already waiting for me. Bless - he’s brought his 8 year old kid along for the ride. We set off at an alarming pace for Yala National Park. There’s apparently a real race to be first into the park. I’ve seen and experienced similar in the past, and honestly - what’s the fucking point. We stop briefly to grab tickets for park entrance, and then join a 15 jeep long queue at 05:20, 40 minutes before the gates open. Does it guarantee us a majestic wildlife experience? Does it fuck. The sun’s light is beginning to lick the horizon, hues of grey and orange mingling in the distance. A lot of safaris I’ve been on suggest bringing a fleece type affair for the early morning in case it’s cold. Here - none of that. It’s beautifully warm, but 28C at 05:00 means it’s gonna be a hot one.

    14:00
    We’ve stopped for lunch, after a LONG morning game drive. I’ve signed up for a full day, which is collection from hotel at 04:45, and drop-off at 19:30. That might be a bit much to be honest. I’m more used to the African safari experience, which is 2 game drives per day, each around 3 hours, with a whacking great gap between them - to sleep, to gin, to lunch; whatever you fancy. 14-15 hours on the go might just be pushing it.

    Lunch is rice and curry - some very tasty chicken, some red rice, the ubiquitous dhal, and some curried aubergine. I could murder a beer, but that’s apparently verboten in the park. Unbeknownst to me, we have to stay 2 hours at the lunch stop. The park is officially closed between 12:00 and 14:00. It’s incredibly unclear to me why this is, but I decide to assume it’s so the park rangers can have lunch, a crafty arrack or two, and a little doze.

    The morning’s game viewing has been great, if a little unexpected. My leopard pants do no good whatsoever. There are more than 20 leopards in Yala, but the game drives haven’t spotted any for a few days, apparently suggesting there may be some birthing going on - it’s the right time of year for it. What we do see is a fuck-ton (technical term) of elephant. Several fuck-tons in fact. It’s the first time I’ve seen Asian elephant in the wild, and it’s fantastic to see so many of them, and interacting with each other in so many different ways. We see a bit of a fight, we see two elephants kissing, we see a little baby that’s maybe 5 months old, we see an old bull that’s been ostracised from his herd to die alone - basically a month of Eastenders in a morning’s safari. What we see a TON of is birds. I’ve always been a bit snooty about birders, preferring my safari game to be a bit bigger and growlier. Here, the colours are spectacular - bright greens, blues, pinks and turquoise. They’re stunning little creatures. We see a couple of mongoose (mongeese? mongooses?), some crocs, lots of buffalo, some white spotted deer, a couple of sambar. Just before we stop for lunch, we sea an eagle having a sun-bath - a first for me.    Read more

  • Tim's TravelsSri Lanka - March 2024
    Day 11

    Day 11 - There has been a gincident

    March 14 in Sri Lanka ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    08:50
    There is less of the gin left this morning than is absolutely ideal.

    10:00
    Need to get my arse in gear. Today’s another moving day, and I’m heading inland to Tissamaharama. Prabin, the manager of Luaya Beach, seems distraught when I tell him I would like a lighter breakfast than yesterday. Some fruit and a coconut pancake should do it. He asks me several times if I’m completely sure I don’t want eggs, hoppers, curry, and looks crestfallen when I decline.

    Packing is a quick and easy affair, as I’ve barely unpacked, and have lived in the same few sets of clothes for the past couple of days. This trip has been something of a revelation for realising how few clothes I can get away with packing for a long journey. The very vast majority of places to stay in Sri Lanka offer a 24 or 36 hour laundry service, and the only real limitation is how long I’m staying at a particular establishment. I’ve got a bag of laundry ready to go when I arrive into Tissamaharama, and that should just about keep me going until I head home. In a lot of ways, my Sri Lanka sojourn is serving as a dry run for the 3 1/2 weeks that Vicks and I will spend in Thailand. I can definitely go lighter on the clothes packing front, but will pack extra deodorant. I may also invest in some packing cubes, if for no other reason than it’s nice to know where in your rucksack your pants are located.

    11:30
    Back on Expressway 01, heading further to the East. There’s quite a bit more traffic today than Tuesday, when I arrived from Mirissa, and I’ve no idea why. I’d ask my driver, but he’s a bit drunk right now. He tries to join the Expressway up the off ramp. Not a great look when there are police manned toll gates in front of us. He effects a quick u-turn, and I suspect hopes/prays no-one saw.

    There’s a very distinct hierarchy to the roads in Sri Lanka, and it dictates how different vehicles are driven. Buses / lorries are at the top, and they simply do not give a fuck about you. They’ll pull out in front of you when you’re steaming along at top whack. They’ll brake suddenly, and for no earthly reason. Hilariously, many of them do not possess functioning brake lights - something I discovered yesterday on my bike trip around Tangalle.

    Car drivers are a little more sensitive to their surroundings, but not a huge amount. The level of spatial awareness on display is laughable. They will overtake a slow moving bike/tuk-tuk/car/truck at a moment’s notice, without indicating, and without materially accelerating, and they’ll expect anything coming the other way to slow down and/or take evasive action.

    Next are tuk-tuks, which are typically driven like they’ve been stolen. Tuk-tuks are basically a wedge shape, narrower at the front than the back, where the passenger(s) sit. Tuk-tuk drivers do not seem to understand this, and it’s quite an experience when your chariot is heading towards a narrow gap that the driver thinks is wide enough based on where he’s sitting in the vehicle.

    Then we’ve got bikes/scooters, which are expected to make way for any other vehicle on the road, whilst also moving fast enough to keep up with other traffic - fine around town, but starts to get a little more challenging out in the countryside.

    And last, and by all means least, pedestrians. You do not matter, you are invisible, you will cause little to no harm to any vehicle that mows you down. There are pedestrian crossings all over Sri Lanka, but their use requires some practice and a dollop of bravado. You need to start walking across while the traffic is still bearing down on you, and hold out your hand to indicate that you’ve seen them, you know they’re there, and you’re crossing anyway. It takes me a few goes to get it right, mainly by copying other folks, but once you get the hang of it, it gets marginally less terrifying.

    13:20
    I *think* I might be the only guest at my hotel. Certainly can’t see/hear any other guests. Perhaps they’re all out on safari at the mo. I’m staying in downtown Tissamaharama, as much of any of it can be classed as downtown. There’s a 2km stretch of road, with buildings either side of it. I’ve yet to see any more than this. I unpack a little, and get my stuff ready for tomorrow morning’s 04:30 alarm call. I discover a pair of my boxers have leopards on them, so I’ll wear these in the hope that they’ll bring luck on my safari.

    I’m getting a bit peckish. Off for an explore, and definitely a beer…

    18:00
    It’s feckin hot. Weather app reckons it feels 38-39C, and I can’t argue with them. I walk maybe 500m up the road, and am dripping with sweat. I’m not too fussed. You just have to learn to live with it, if not necessarily like it. I order the largest/coldest Lion they have. It does not disappoint. After spending a few days trying to find a suitable Lion alternative in Mirissa, I’ve come to terms with the fact that this is it - you want cold and refreshing? It’s gonna be a Lion. A few places serve gin, arrack, wine etc - but they’re actually pretty few and far between. Certainly out here in the sticks, it’s beer or a soft drink.

    Lunch is a stir-fried rice dish - Mongolian rice, which apparently is a local speciality? Tons of seafood in it, and really quite hot with chilli powder. It’s bloody lovely though. It’s about 14:30, and I’m considering a nap. Getting back to the hotel, I spy a pool out in the garden - result! I bound upstairs to change, and then bound downstairs to the pool area. I disrobe (apart from my board shorts, obvs) with gay abandon, and jump in. Weird. The water is either quite warm, or quite cool. There are hot spots and cool zones. I manage to find one of the cooler areas and lurk for a while…

    I air dry for a while, listening to the sounds of… what? I’m not really sure. Rural Sri Lankan life I guess. Occasional beeps from cars, trucks and tuk-tuks on the road, lots of bird song and squawks, the occasional sound of men noisily clearing their sinuses - that sorta stuff.

    Back in my room, I have a cold shower, and lament the lack of a fridge, as a G+T would go down brilliantly right about now. The A/C across the hotel was being fixed earlier, but it’s running at full whack now, and I spend a delightfully cool 1/2 hour reading my book as I air-dry.

    22:00
    There were a couple of places I’d tagged in Tissa as good for lunch or dinner, and one is just a few minutes walk around the corner from me - Royal Restaurant. It’s pretty full, both with diners at tables, and with folks waiting to collect takeaway orders, and I take this as a good sign. I’m seated right next to a Buddha statue, that endearingly (at first) and irritatingly (ultimately) emits some Buddhist chanting throughout my dining experience.

    From the menu, I ask the server about his favourite, traditional Sri Lankan dishes, and he points me to Black Pepper Chicken, so I order it. He asks how spicy I want it, and I ask for medium, but Sri Lankan medium, not tourist medium. He looks a little confused, but nods anyway. I’m not sure how well my request was translated, but what I get is a delicious and properly hot curry. I had wondered whether it would be similar to the Pepper Chicken Masala curry that I learnt to cook when I was in Kerala, and there are some obvious shared traits. They both have chicken, and they both have a lot of black pepper. There things start to diverge. The Sri Lankan dish has cinnamon, cardamom and a handful of fresh curry leaves, where the Keralan version focused on fennel seed, cumin and coriander. It’s also got some sweet capsicum in it - similar to the yellow bell peppers I’d get in the UK. There’s also an unmistakable flavour of soy sauce, and the heat has been tempered with some coconut milk. There’s something a little sour in the background - I’m going to guess tamarind. It’s banging. Served with the plainest of steamed rice, it’s one of the best things I’ve eaten on the island, and something I’ll definitely look to recreate at home.

    Back at Serenity Tissa, the place remains deserted. I thought I saw some other guests a little earlier, but they were apparently having a look around to see if they wanted to stay here. They declined. I’m yet to see evidence of any other guests. By that token, I think the hotel staff outnumber me by a factor of 5 to 1. I’m not really tired, but I’m very conscious my alarm is going off at 04:25. Yikes.    Read more

  • Tim's TravelsSri Lanka - March 2024
    2
    Day 10

    Day 10 - Easy, rider

    March 13 in Sri Lanka ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    09:40
    Ok, interesting. I slept until nearly 08:00 this morning. I think my sleeping frailties at Mirissa were probably the result of noise - not just the beach parties, but also the morning chorus of cockerels, peacocks and dogs. Here in Tangalle, there’s no noise. It’s so utterly quiet, and I’m pretty sure this is what lets me sleep through, and sleep until such a relatively late time.

    It looks like a stunning day, so plonk myself in Luaya’s lush garden. I can feel the sun warming up already, the heat starting to prickle on my skin. Around 08:30, the guys running Luaya bring me a Sri Lankan breakfast. I’m not kidding when I say that it arrives in about 7 stages. Massive pot of freshly brewed coffee, the best I’ve had since I arrived in Sri Lanka; a plate of hoppers - waffer theen pancakes filled with a fried egg; a bowl each of dhal, potato curry, and coconut sambol; a plate of string hoppers - noodles made of a pancake dough; a plate of fresh fruit; a coconut pancake with a set yoghurt; a glass of pineapple juice. It’s comfortably enough to feed 2. I’m stuck in that typically British mentality, where if you took / are served the food, then you’re supposed to finish it. That was the rule in my house growing up, at any rate. I reason that the banana can at least be served to someone else, and the yoghurt is in a pot with a lid, so can be reused. I’m so overwhelmed by the amount of food that I barely notice how amazing it tastes. I have GOT to get a recipe for Sri Lankan dhal while I’m here.

    Plan today is to rent a bike, and head out for a bit of an explore of the areas surrounding Tangalle. Might need a quick nap first after that hefty breakfast…

    16:30
    Awesome fun.

    Pitching up at the bike rental shop, the owner takes one look at me, and decides I need a big chopper type affair. I point at one of the scooters - it’s been nearly 20 years since I rode a proper motorbike, and I don’t feel like the roads of Sri Lanka are the place for me to get reacquainted. He insists. I insist. Some insisting happens. He finally gives in, and allows me to rent what I came here wanting to rent.

    I need to run a few errands in town. I feel like today is the day I might finally be able to buy a bottle of gin to carry on the rest of my journey. I’m also close to running out of deodorant, as a consequence of taking so many cold showers to remain cool. Time to re-up on some cash as well. I manage to find the bottle shop easily enough. You don’t actually go into a shop. There’s a cashier behind armoured glass who gets what you ask for - a little like a petrol station in the UK after-hours. Success though! There’s a local gin called Rockland that I’ve been drinking out, and it’s pretty good. I grab a few beers as well - just because. At the supermarket, the only deodorant options are Axe style body sprays. Hmmm, I’ll leave it thanks. I try a pharmacy, and then another supermarket. Turns out the only option on the entire island by way of anti-perspirant is a roll on. Don’t think I’ve used one of those for 30 years? Still - it’ll do a job…

    I drop my groceries back to my room, and head out for an explore - firstly to the East, where I find a bar called The Lounge that is only accessible by boat. They claim to have an uninterrupted view of the sunset, so I decide to come back later for beers and dinner. Back through town, and towards the west, I stop at Coco, where Rach and Whiskas stayed, and enjoy a pretty decent glass of wine. I push further on, around 10km outside of Tangalle, and come across a tiny little restaurant just off the beach - which one, I really couldn’t say. They make me a great cheese and egg rotti, and provide me with the very coldest of beers.

    Getting back on my bike, the seat is on fire. The scooter’s been parked in the sun, and the vinyl seat is properly hot. I head back through Tangalle, and out towards my guesthouse. I ride past a little beach bar called Watergate Bay, one of my favourite places in Cornwall, and I reason that it would rude / foolish not to stop for a beer. A couple a few tables away from me are getting a bit flustered because the bar is cash only, and they don’t have enough to cover their bill. I ask how much they need, and it’s only a couple of thousand rupees, so I pay it forward.

    Around 16:00, I drop the bike back, and walk back to my guesthouse. It’s stinking hot, and all I can think of is a cold shower, and then a cooldown/read under the air-conditioning, perhaps accompanied by a G+T…

    19:00
    Well that was a bit of a damp squib. I’ve read about a beach bar a couple of kilometres from me, right down at the far end of Tangalle Beach. It can only be reached by boat, and is supposed to have the best views of sunset in all of Tangalle. Sounds right up my strasse. I jump in a tuk-tuk, arrive at the side of an estuary, and see a sign directing me to ring the bell to summon ‘The Pirate’ (I’m not kidding). This all sounds very jolly fun, so I ring the bell, and - nothing. I ring the bell again. And again. And again. After a couple of minutes of looking like a prize potato, someone emerges from the bar and waves at me. I wave back. I’m polite, of course. He waves again. I think this could go on for some time, but wave back anyway. He waves in such a way as to make me thing he’s not waving. I shout across the river, asking if they’re closed. He nods. Fucksticks.

    Somewhat deflated, I start walking back to the centre of Tangalle Beach. There are, at least, a few beach bars along the way. I decide to have a sort of mini bar-crawl (NB - not a mini-bar crawl) on the way back - as some form of ill-informed and possibly ill-advised protest. Three bars in, and I find myself at a bar whose name I do not know, drinking impossibly cold bottles of Lion - one of which actually freezes in my glass to form the coolest possible kind of slushie. I stay for 3 - spending most of my time gazing absentmindedly out across the water.

    I’ve been dreaming about dead people recently. Not in a Sixth Sense kind of way - but just conscious my subconscious is thinking about people I’ve lost along the way. Both my Mum and Dad have featured heavily recently, which is perhaps no surprise. My good friend Ailsa, who died from breast cancer in 2023 is also in there. Even my old and dear friend, Phillip, who died nearly 30 years ago. These aren’t unpleasant dreams - I’m not waking up in an anxious cold sweat. I’m just aware that my brain is wanting to think about them all in some way, shape or form. As a result, I spend a happy hour with beer, reminiscing, reflecting and remembering.

    The water is even rougher today than yesterday. Some of the waves are so powerful that I feel a little worried for a couple of folks who are swimming amongst it. I get chatting to one of the bar guys. Pretty unsurprisingly, he ends up offering me some smoke. Is it my face? Suddenly conscious that the beer is making me hungry.

    21:45
    Walking back towards my guesthouse, none of the restaurants were grabbing me. I made it as far as Let’s Sea, and decided to pop in again. I’m welcomed like some kind of prodigal son, but without the biblical implications. This evening’s prime catch is seer fish - a close relative of king fish, which Vicks and I have eaten so happily in Goa, and kissing cousin to our own mackerel. It’s got a more robust flavour than the white snapper I ate last night, so is prepared with a sauce of deeper flavour - lots of cumin, curry leaves and some fennel seed. It’s breathtakingly good - the fish has such a firm, meaty texture. The guys at Let’s Sea throw in some big grilled prawns for me as well. My bill doesn’t come close to a tenner.

    The temperature’s still up close to 30C. The gin in my minibar fridge is calling to me, and I might just throw on a movie tonight to wile away the time…    Read more

  • Tim's TravelsSri Lanka - March 2024
    Day 9

    Day 9 - Mirissa to Tangalle

    March 12 in Sri Lanka ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

    FFS. Awake again by 05:30. I’ve no excuse this time. I’d always blamed my shit sleeping on stress and strain, but I have none, and still… I at least know I can nap later to catch up a bit if needs be. It’s moving day - I’m heading down the coast to Tangalle, which is an hour or so. Heat and humidity are back up today, so think I’ll probably jump in a Tuk-Tuk or cab, rather than take the bus. A cab works out to around 100 rupees per kilometre, perhaps 25p, Feels like decent value to have an AC car for the journey.

    Packing is pretty straightforward. I’ve not really unpacked, so little to shove back into my rucksack. The biggest logistical challenge is working out what to do with my sandy board shorts and flip-flops. I’ve got a carrier bag, so bung them in their, and attach it to my rucksack.

    I need to grab something to eat before ordering a cab. I’ve not felt like eating breakfast out here so far. Couple of cups of coffee, and maybe a fruit juice has been easily getting me through to an early (ish) lunch. Today is no different, and I’m heading back to Mila on the main road. It’s a c 10 min walk with 25kg of backpack, and I’m building up quite the head of steam by the time I get there. The guys at the restaurant recognise a man in need, and bring me a Lion within seconds of my arrival.

    15:00
    Lunch at Mila was great. A simple prawn Kottu, and some chicken kebabs. The journey over was a breeze. My driver, Nishan, actually lives in Tangalle, and comes from Tissamaharama, my next stop. He gives me his card, and says he’ll undercut Uber by 15% if I contact him directly, as Uber take 30% of everything he earns in his cab. Sounds like a fair deal to me. The journey from Tissamaharama to Ella particularly will be a ball-ache, as it needs 3 separate buses, and would take around 7 hours. A direct cab will be more like 2 hours. Probably won’t be cheap, but already feels like good value. His cab feels sturdy, and he’s a rarity amongst drivers here - sensibly cautious. It’s also blissfully cool. I feel like he and I shall be friends.

    The scenery on the drive over reminds me very much of Kerala. It’s beautifully lush and verdant. There are countless rice paddies bordering the road, and more than a few rivers and streams as we pass by. Much of the distance of the journey (if not the time) is spent on a highway - Expressway 01. It’s a lot less busy than the expressway from Colombo airport into the city centre (thankfully). Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has been booming in recent years, and has recovered from the pandemic particularly quickly. It’s easily seen that there has been and continues to be investment to attract travellers. Expressway 01 is the first (obvs) of 9 planned highways, all due for completion by the end of 2024. There are many other facilities that make the traveller’s life that much easier. When I first travelled around India, none of the places I had offered Wifi. To be fair, my phone at the time wasn’t exactly built for high speed internet. Roaming wasn’t a thing - any and all calls, texts from the UK were wickedly expensive. If you wanted to find somewhere to stay, you arrived there and asked if there was space. Certainly, the availability of sites like booking.com and Agoda has made finding accommodation much less fraught. I’ve talked before about my desire to be less constrained on the various journeys I’m taking during my sabbatical. I have a sneaking suspicion that whilst I’m really enjoying having next to no plan, subconsciously I’m aware that I can source transport and accommodation pretty quickly and easily.

    Arriving into Tangalle, my room is ready for me. It’s a step up from Sajana Ocean Hill, which whilst clean and functional was pretty basic. Luaya Beach has a few more creature comforts - a minibar with soft drinks and beer in it, a table and desk, some shelves, a coffee station. My max stay for the rest of my trip is 2 nights, so I’m not unpacking as I go. I arrange a few things on the shelves to show willing, and head out to explore Tangalle.

    18:30
    The coastline in Tangalle is much wilder than Mirissa. The surf right at the water’s edge is messy and strong. Not particularly conducive to swimming. The beach is much more basic as well. There are still beach bars dotted along it, but they’re a much lower tech version of their equivalents in Mirissa - none the worse for it, but markedly different. There’s a strong wind blowing off the sea, which is keeping the temperature in check. At 16:00, walking around is just a pleasantly warm sensation, rather than the stifling heat to which I’ve grown accustomed. I stop for a beer at one of the beach bars. I’m one of perhaps 10 customers. The pace of life here is much slower and laid back.

    Walking back to Luaya Beach, I browse a few restaurants for dinner later. One in particular jumps out - called Let’s Sea. There’s already a strong smell of garlic, butter and grilled fish emanating from the kitchen. This must be a good sign.

    23:00.
    Dinner was a cracker. I had a whole, grilled white snapper, with some grilled prawns, and baby calamari, and in a lightly spiced sauce. It’s accompanied by some plain rice, but also with a cabbage salad/slaw type thing, which has some pineapple running through it. I’m not always a fan of sweet and savoury together, but this is brilliant. The restaurant is full. Given how few people I saw on the beach earlier, I assume that’s because this is one of the best places for seafood, and thus very popular locally. Dinner costs a princely £12, including a couple of monster bottles of Lion.

    I briefly consider a nightcap at one of the bars along the walk back to my guesthouse, but honestly, I’m not sure I have the energy or will. Look, it’s been a tough day, alright?    Read more

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