Country > Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka at last

“You will LOOOOOOVE Sri Lanka!” say most of our friends who have been there. And since it’s sort of close to India and since we have been thinking of going from the beginning and since our Indian visa had to expire one day… we booked a flight to Colombo. Staying true to our ‘don’t-plan-too-much’ motto, we had no idea where we will end up on this island that was new ground for all of us. However, after the great time we had traveling in the Paleymobile, there was one thing we could not resist: We went ahead and rented a car for a month. And despite several technical hick-ups with our ‘supercheap’ rental, it was a great decision!

Time spent in Sri Lanka

April 11th 2016 – May 9th 2016. One month (which was just the right amount).

Kilometers travelled

close to 3000 in our own snazzy 2001 stylish black Hyundai Santa Fe automatic jeep!

Favorite mode of transportation

It’s not that we tried many options – a rental car was perfect. Driving in Sri Lanka is a piece of cake when you have India experience!

Favorite food

Well, due to the amount of tourists, we found the food a bit disappointing, especially since our street food options were a bit limited with the kids (Sri Lankan curries are REALLY spicy). Of the local dishes, our votes would go to Hoppers (especially egg hoppers) and deviled prawns and squid (as I love seafood), and of course the good old (child friendly) Kotu cannot be missed.

Observations

You can go from beaches to mountains and back to the beaches, whenever you feel like you need a change in scenery.

Sri Lankans are extremely friendly and polite.

Lessons learned

Be prepared to change a tire if you rent a 15-year old car.

No spice always means spicy.

Don’t expect an off-the-beaten-track adventure.

Lasting impressions

Relax. Enjoy. Slow down. Have a break.

Sri Lanka in one sentence

It’s like being inside a hedonistic bubble of smiles and sunscreen. (~Matthieu Paley)


Sri Lanka Stories

Reflections – Month 6: Taking That Time

Power out. No electricity. The perfect moment for reflection. I have to admit that (especially) in this past month I have been so ‘hooked’ to my fast mobile-and-everywhere 3G network, that hardly 10 minutes go by without checking something on the internet. So, let’s... read more

Wanna Come?

I have not worn shoes in days. I live in a rickety two-level wood and bamboo thatched hut with a porch and sand in front. When I get up at 6.30am there’s a dread-locked girl doing sun salutations in a bikini and a blond tattooed Swedish guy in a hammock reading a... read more