The Hill City of Kandy

A further half hour drive from the Royal Botanical Gardens brings us to Kandy, also known as the hill capital of Sri Lanka. This is a major tourist destination and has many attractions to offer to tourists. Kandy is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List

 Kandy is a town bustling with activity . It's a great place to connect with God - there are numerous places of worship and depending on your schedule, you could visit one or all of them - but do visit 'The Budhist Temple of the Tooth' and offer a prayer in the main shrine.

 The Temple of the Tooth

Some of the other well popular and  famous temples are Gadaladeniya, Lankathilaka Viharaya, Embekke Devalaya, Dodanwala Devalaya, Degaldoruwa, Hindagala Viharaya, Madawala Viharaya and Galmaduwa Viharaya. Besides the Budhists temples, there are quite a few Hindu shrines that exist side by side. The most famous Hindu Temples are  dedicated to Gods Vishnu and Natha and Goddess Patthini. Over time, Hindus and Budhists in Sri Lanka have learnt to coexist peacefully and Hindus actively participate in Budhist festivals.

 Budha Statue

This omnipresent Budha Statue at the Bahirawakanda temple can be seen from almost anywhere in Kandy. Located just a short distance of 1 Km from the city, a tuk tuk ride is the best way to reach here.

Kandy city is a fine mix of modern and traditional. You could enjoy a traditional Sri Lankan meal or if you are an American  missing your Mcdonald's and KFC, Kandy has them.

Kandy is also a great place for handicrafts from Sri Lanka. There are a number of shops catering to tourists - remember to bargain hard or you will end up paying upto 3 times the actual price. Also remember to pick up one of the famous Sri Lankan masks.

 The city of Kandy

The Amazing Botanical Garden of Peradeniya

One of the important halts of the Colombo - Kandy one day trip is the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens . This amazing garden/park is about an hours drive from Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage and about 6 Kms before the main town of Kandy.

The Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens

The garden is an example of the phenomenal wealth, diversity and beauty of the tropics and the botanical wonders that exist in the Tropics. The garden has an interesting history dating back to 1371 when it was conceived as The Queens Pleasure Garden. It was however only in 1821 that the foundations were laid to make it into a botanical garden.

A riot of colors in the Garden

Even if you are not into nature, you will love the riot of colors of the various types of plants in the garden. There is an abundance of glossy foliage, lovely fernery and orchid houses with rare blossoms and spice trees in groves. The botanical garden is large and covers an area of 147 acres. Keep aside at least 2 hours to walk around and enjoy the beauty of this place - nature lovers could easily spend a whole day here.

You need to buy a ticket to enter the gardens. Like other places in Sri Lanka, if you are from the SAARC countries, you only pay Rs 200 ( $2), from other countries, it is 4 times more. As you enter the garden, is a signboard with a numbered map to make it easy for one to navigate through the garden. These numbers are strategically placed around the garden. There are 4000 labelled species of plants with over 10,000 trees.

An exotic Orchid

To the right, as you enter the garden is the Orchid  house which houses a host of exotic orchids. I have never seen so many orchids under one roof. You could easily spend  an hour here just admiring these beautiful flowers. 

Another exotic Orchid

One of the majestic trees in the garden

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Elephants of Pinnawela in Sri Lanka

Visiting Colombo gives one an opportunity to go on one day excursions out of Colombo. One such single day tour is the Pinnawela-Kandy tour. Went on the internet and found http://www.colombo-travel.com/  offering day tours to Pinnawela and Kandy for $60.00. Fernando the driver cum guide was at the hotel next morning to take me on my trip. Our first stop was Pinnawela which is 90 Kms from Colombo - a 2.5 hour drive. The Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage was established by the Sri Lanka Wildlife Department in 1975 to take care of orphaned baby elephants

 There is an entry fee to visit the orphanage. If you are from one of SAARC countries, the fee is just Rs 500 ( $6) whereas for visitors from other countries, the fee is four times higher - Rs 2000 ($ 24) plus another $ 5.00 if you have a video camera. The elephant young are fed at 8 AM - be sure to reach the orphanage before this time. Feeding lasts for 2 hours after which the elephants are led to the bathing area in the river Maha Oya. The bathing area is surrounded by cafes and seating where you can enjoy a cup of coffee or fresh juice and watch the elephants in the water.

 Tourists watching the elephants

The elephants are bathed in the river for 2 hours after which they are led back to their resting place. It is possible to get close to them and also offer some food to them.

Tourists offering food to a Baby Elephant

The orphanage is doing commendable job looking after these orphaned elephants. These animals are released into the wild only after they have matured and can take of themselves which is usually when they are around 5 years old.

You can also sport this lame elephant who was rescued by the orphanage and has been here since the last 3 years.

 

A tired baby elephant resting its trunk

As you head back, do not forget to stop at the workshop at the entrance which makes beautiful paper sheets and other items from the dung of elephants through an elaborate process of recovering the fibre that is used to make the paper. The entrance is also lined with shops offering leather goods like bags etc. The initial prices quoted are high and you need to bargain to get the right price. Start by giving a counter offer which is 1/5th the orignal price and you could settle at 1/3rd the price quoted.

A cute Baby Elephant at the centre

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Shopping and Dining in Bentota

Bentota is a great place to pick up some of the fabulous Sri Lankan handicrafts that this island country is famous for.  The markets of Bentota are colourful and interesting and you could walk the streets going through the offerings and pick a great bargain for yourself.

The high street shops and kiosks stock a whole variety of Sri Lankan handicrafts  ranging from Bamboo hats to intricate masks. However keep in mind that you need to really bargain to get the right price. Prices are quoted over 3 times the actual selling price - so put your best foot forward on negotiations. Do remember to pick up a mask. These are  exquisite.

You can pick beautifully crafted  masks like this one from Sri Lankan Handicrafts - one of the best stocked outlets on the outskirts of Bentota. These are made of balsa wood and painted with organic paints. Cost varies from US$ 50 to US$ 200 ( The mask shown above cost me $50).  The ones available in the kiosks on the high streets are for as low as $5 - certainly very much inferior in craftsmanship .

A visit to this outlet in Bentota is a must even if you dont buy anything. Ask any cab or auto driver and he will take you there. The prices are much higher here and there is no bargaining . The quality and craftmanship is the best.

Evening's in Bentota are very pleasant with cool sea breezes blowing inland. There are numerous bars and eating joints all along the beach serving Sri Lankan food as well as cuisines from around the world. Sea food is a speciality and fresh catch of the day is served . One popular place which I highly recommend is the WUNDERBAR. The food is excellent though expensive. Be sure to try thier fish baked in bamboo leaves. You could also try the local beer - Lion.

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Exploring Bentota - Buddhist Temple of 'Galapatha Raja Maha Vihara

A 15 minute drive from our hotel, The Tax Exotica saw us at another 'must visit' place  in Bentota  Buddhist Temples - also known as the 'Benthara Galapatha Raja Maha Vihara'. This ancient Budhist temple is famous for the tooth relic of the 3rd desciple of Buddha that lies buries in the Stupa. This temple is believed to have been made in the 12th century, it however was destroyed by the Dutch in the 16th century and was subsequently rebuilt giving it a newer look.

 A Long path leads upto the main building

 This is the main entrance to the temple complex. At this point you will be required to remove your shoes. ( When it is hot , your feet can really burn). The arched doorway is made of 2 upright monolith carved pillars with another 2 pillars on the top and bottom of the doorway. Dating back to the 'Kandyan Period' (1590 to 1830), these pillars are elaborately carved with the 'Nari Latha' motifs. The Nari Latha is a mythical creeper orignating in the Himalayas that when it blossoms , the flowers take the shape of dancing girls.   

The main temple building houses a mumber of brightly coloured statues and images. The sleeping Buddha is a long over 25 ft statue that is placed on the floor in sleep posture.

One of the statues in the temple. There is a visible connection to Hinduism.

Statue of the Budha where offerrings are made

You cannot miss this large bell with inscriptions near the entrance, It is supported on two ancient rock pillars.

At the end of the tour, remember to make an entry in the guest book that is maintained and make a donation to the monastry.

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Exploring Bentota - Turtle Breeding Farm

On the second day of our vacation we decided to explore Bentota and see what else there was to do besides lazing on the beach, swimming in the ocean and sunbathing. Cab drivers in Bentota double up as guides and tour operators. The cabs are fairly decent and air conditioned. We arranged for one of these to take us on a guided tour for $ 20 ( Sri Lankan Rs 2000).  We were promised a tour of the region - about 4 hours. If you are a good negotiator, you could pay as low as $10. Our first stop was the Turtle Breeding farm on the outskirts of Bentota.

Young Hatched Turtles

The work being done at this breeding farm on conservation of these endangered animals is commendable. Turtles come onto the beaches to lay their eggs in the sand. The greatest danger to the young turtles is when the eggs hatch and the young ones move towards the ocean. Very few survive as most are picked up by hawks and crows and the ones that do make it to the ocean get eaten up the big fish. As part of the conservation efforts, the hatchery picks up the eggs and releases the young turtles into the sea only after the turtles are at least 2 years old and can look after themselves.Loggerhead Turtle

There is a small payment of $2  to be made as entry fee to visit the Turtle Farm. The hatchery has different species of turtles - these include the Loggerhead Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle and the rare Albino Turtle.

Hawksbill Turtle

Albino Turtle

The hatchery has turtles of various ages. There are some which are over 20 years old- these are those turtles that have lost a limb or have some other disability which would make it impossible for them to survive outside. Turtles can live upto over 100 years of age.
At the end of the tour, you could buy some handicrafts that the centre sells which go towards funding of this effort.

Beaches at Bentota, Sri Lanka

At Bentota we wake up to the gentle sound of waves breaking on the golden sandy beaches. In the month of February, the mornings are cool and a long leisurely walk - bare footed - is a pleasure. The time to visit Bentota is between November and March - the best time being December and January when the weather is really pleasant.
Take a deep breath, soak in the clean environment, wade into the clean blue water and let your senses drift.
Morning is when other living animals too make their appearance on the beach. Crabs of different colours and hues can be spotted on the rocks .
And of course the omnipresent Crows which are present in abundance in Bentota can be seen at any time. These crows are also the biggest threat to the baby crabs and newly hatched turtles on which they feed.

The beaches at Bentota are safe through the year for swimming and surfing. Most of the swimmers and surfers visible at the beaches are tourists.

There are also a host of water activities that are popular which include wind surfing, water skiing and para sailing, riding on the fishermen boats, cruises on the Indian ocean and the the Bentota river and of course the most enjoyable of them all - swimming in the clean blue waters of the ocean. As the sun rises , beach chairs are laid out on the beaches and tourists spend a relaxed day sunbathing.
Tourist out for a walk in the morning

Local Fishing Boat

Sunset at Bentota Beach

Vacationing in Bentota, Sri Lanka

A long weekend is a great opportunity for taking a break. Last week was one such opportunity and we headed for Bentota Beach in Sri Lanka. Though Colombo is just a 3 hour flight from Delhi, had never considered holidaying in Sri Lanka earlier - (what with the problems of insurgency and LTTE planting bombs at will !). The problem was that everyone else seemed to have the same idea and no hotel rooms were available. We were finally however able to book at the Taj Exotica on the beach. Arrived at Colombo airport in the afternoon to be met by the hotel staff ( very corteous and well informed driver and a nice comfortable Toyota Corolla car) to take us to Bentota - a 3 hour drive from the airport though the distance is just 80 Kms. The Sri Lankan countryside is very green and it is a pleasant drive winding through the small towns and fields to Bentota. Movement of traffic is slow because of the of the heavy traffic and small towns and villages that are on the way.A stopover coffee point on the way to Bentota

The route to Bentota from Colombo is along the sea cost. As you drive down to Bentota, the sea is never far from you and you can stop at the numerous eating places on the seaside and enjoy a cup of coffee or beer .

The Taj Exotica at Bentota

The Taj Exotica is a very well located hotel with a wide front facing the beach. We reached the hotel to a welcome of garlands and welcome drinks. The rooms are good sized with a terrace/balcony - ours was facing the sea and on the same level as the swimming pool. Couldn't wait and hit the beach as soon as check in was complete.

Bentota Beach at Dusk

The Bentota Beach is a clean white sand beach. No hawkers so no garbage, plastic bags and bottles. Great to walk on the beach barefooted. Our tiredness of travelling since the morning vanished with the cool and refreshing wind and the sound of the sea gently lapping the shores.

Anita enjoying a stroll through the water
View of the Sea Shore from our hotel balcony