Smart Traveller

 

SRI LANKA – PEARL IN THE INDIAN OCEAN 

Long weekend coming up and want to plan a short romantic getaway abroad but are stuck with visa issues ? Want to travel abroad, but high expenses are a deterrent ?  Last minute travel plans and no visa appointments available ? Want to experience, sun, sea, beach, hill stations, culture, tea gardens, adventure activities , all in one short holiday ?

The Answer to all the above questions is – SRI LANKA, the Pearl in the Indian Ocean.

 Forbes magazine has ranked Sri Lanka as the fourth most popular tourist destination in the world for 2024.  Sri Lanka has been placed 13th out of 50 in the “The 50 Best Islands in the World for 2023” to visit for 2023 by global travel website, Big 7 Travel.

Easily accessible from all major airports in India via direct ( Sri Lankan Airlines , Vistara Airlines  or one stop flights Indigo Airlines , Sri Lanka’s major airport the Bandaranaike International Airport at Katunayake is about 45 minutes drive from the Capital city of Colombo. The other international airport is Jaffna which is at the northernmost tip of the island which has flight connectivity (Alliance Air ) from Chennai. For the adventurous ones there is a 4 hour ferry connection from Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu to Kankesanthurai in Sri Lanka. And most importantly visa is free for Indian Nationals till 31^st March 2024.

The climate pattern  in Sri Lanka is  same as India with the main monsoon from June to September, winters from October till Feb and Summers from March to June.  Monsoon is actually a good time to travel within Sri Lanka as the greenery is at its best shade of green, hotels offer a good rate because of low season and its not too much crowded.  Winters of course have their own charm with thick foggy mornings and evenings in the hill country area which has the popular destinations of Nuwara Eliya and Kandy.

With so much to offer to  the tourist in terms of sightseeing options, you can choose to cover this country as per your choice of type of vacation and also the number of days that you have.

For a short 3 nights vacation, the best is to cover the beach destinations down south from Colombo which are just 2 – 3 hours drive from the airport. Best places to stay are Bentota, Hikkaduwa, Mirissa, Unawatuna, Galle and choice of stay depends on the kind of holiday you are looking at.

 If you want a relaxed holiday with not much sightseeing or activities, then Bentota is the place to go. If you want to do a lot of activities like Snorkelling, Scuba diving, coral viewing, whale and dolphin watching then the best places to stay are Unawatuna or Mirissa. There is also a thriving night life in Unawatuna with a lot of night clubs, pubs and discotheques in the area. Another option is to stay in Colombo to enjoy the night life and casinos there and may be do a one day excursion to see the beaches in and around Bentota.

For a longer duration holiday of 5 or 6 nights, then best to go for an itinerary covering the major highlights in Sri Lanka – Kandy (the former capital and has the Temple of Tooth Relic, the holiest shrine in Sri Lanka), Nuwara Eliya (famous for the Seetha Temple) , Bentota (beaches) and Colombo. In this short 5-6 days itinerary you get all of Sri Lanka in a short capsule – culture and heritage, Ramayana sights, vast vistas of tea gardens, cool weather, beaches and of course the capital City of Colombo

For the adventure and wildlife lovers there is whole gamut of experiences waiting for you. From hot air ballooning,  trekking, wildlife safaris and birding at the Wilpattu , Kaudulla, Minneriya or  Yala National Parks , rainforest ecosystem inside Sinharaja Reserve,  Ziplining at Ella, snorkelling and scuba at Unawatuna , surfing at Arugam Bay, White water rafting in Kithulgula etc etc.

Who can forget the centuries old relation between India and Sri Lanka through The Ramayana !! An itinerary of about 7 – 8 days can cover all the important locations in Sri Lanka associated with the Ramayana from temples founded by Shri Rama, Ashok Vatika, Hanumans Footprints, Seetha Temple, Agni parkisha place, caves where Ravana used to meditate and so many other such locations.

India and Sri Lanka share another centuries old relation bound by Buddhism. There is a rich tradition of Buddhism in both the countries and an itinerary of about 6 – 7 days can cover all the major Buddhist sites in Sri Lanka  - Dambulla, Sigriya, Anuradhapura, Pollonaruwa, Mihintale, Kelaniya  and so on.

So a travel to Sri Lanka must be on the bucket list of every traveler because the destination has so much to offer to all age groups and for all holiday themes.  Accessible with a short flight from most major cities in India, easy and free visa, breathtaking scenery, very hospitable people and most importantly a holiday at a budget that doesn’t pinch your pocket !!