ayubowan: October 2012

Days 5 - 7:
We left Mas Villa and Kotmale stopping at the Tea Plantation (see the post Passion, Loos and Laughs) and drove down through the beauty of the Hill Country; waterfalls and misty hills in abundance.

The drive down to the south coast of Sri Lanka is long and difficult with lots of winding roads so it was 8 hours later that we arrived at our next destination feeling somewhat exhausted. On reaching the Tangalla area we turned off onto an unmade road wondering if we had made the correct choice, but as we walked into the Turtle Bay hotel we knew in an instant we had.

The view from the grounds of the hotel was breathtaking. A wild and rough sea crashed over rocks just feet away from the gardens, with our room and balcony overlooking this amazing, ever changing, wonder of the Indian Ocean. I was in heaven!

Turtle Bay is a small boutique hotel which is rustic rather than luxurious but somehow the rustic feel suits the surroundings. The sea is too rough to swim in but the beach is the best we found in Sri Lanka, wide sands that stretch as far as you can see, perfect for an early morning or evening walk when the sun is less burning.

If thinking of booking at Turtle Bay do decide on half board as there is nothing else in the vicinity. The concept at Turtle Bay is that you can eat whenever you wish, so a late breakfast will see you through the day. Dinner was always seafood with the chef showing the morning catch at breakfast and discussing how you would like it cooked at dinner.

On the first night it was lagoon prawns as big as lobsters. On the second night it was a huge red mullet cooked on a charcoal grill which was absolutely delicious.

The hotel itself may not have been the most luxurious we stayed at but the beauty of the location and the unbelievably sweet and attentive staff definitely made up for the slight lack of luxury.

On our last night the staff organised a wonderful surprise evening for Feisal's birthday. All afternoon they were running up and down from the beach, taking tables and chairs down the rocky path so that by the time we arrived ready for an evening meal we were escorted down over the rocks to the beach where we found our table just feet away from the surf. They had transformed the beach into a romantic paradise for us with flame torches to light the area and a BBQ where they cooked prawns, steaks and seafood noodles.

We sat watching the waves by the light of the flames and felt we must be some of the luckiest people on earth. As if that wasn't enough, after we had eaten, the staff and the few other guests (just 8 rooms in the hotel) gathered around waving sparklers and presented a cake to Feisal. The local musician's joined in with their drums and everyone clapped and sang, wishing Feisal the best of birthday's.

One of the staff pointed up into the sky and there, as if on queue we saw the nearly full moon directly overhead with an enormous open halo surrounding it. Never before have we seen the moon in the sky quite like this and on asking around nor had anyone else. We didn't know what it meant but took it as a lucky omen.

Day 8 - 9:
We left Turtle Bay feeling well rested and ready for more exploration of this beautiful island. This time it was a shortish trip along the south coast to Galle Fort.

We had booked into the Colonial style, chic Galle Fort Hotel. On arrival we were greeted by the British manager, Oliver James, who very generously upgraded us to their Grand Apartment number 1 which is so spacious and tastefully furnished, that we again felt truly blessed.

We spent our days in Galle Fort just hanging out; shopping in the trendy little shops, enjoying the quant cafes and sampling the gourmet food at the hotel Amangalla and the Galle Fort Hotel.

Our last day at Galle Fort was Feisal's actual birthday and a Poya Day in Sri Lanka. A Poya Day is the day of the full moon and a public holiday where businesses generally close (some shops/cafes open) and no alcohol can be sold.

We were advised to take a walk around the ramparts of the Fort at sunset and were so pleased we did. There was a wonderful carnival like atmosphere where many Sri Lankan family's had gathered to watch the setting sun.

And so ended our time in Galle Fort but we left with high exceptions of our next stop...

View from our room at Turtle Bay - so beautiful!

Our very own deserted beach at Turtle Bay

A whole Red Mullet for us!

Sunset at Turtle Bay

The Grand Apartment, Galle Fort Hotel

Galle Fort at Sunset on September Poya Day 2012

Moon rising, September Poya Day 2012

The living room in the Grand Apartment, Galle Fort Hotel

Happy Birthday Feisal at Turtle Bay

|Turtle Bay room

Short reviews of our days in Sri Lanka - notice the main focus being food! :)

Day 1:
Checked in at Jetwing Sea, Negombo 9.30am. They made a room available to us even at this early hour, moving us to our booked room at 2pm.

The rooms were basic but for the price acceptable and the beach was literally outside the front window.

We walked 10 minutes up the road to the Jetwing Beach for very pleasant afternoon snacks and drinks at the beach bar there and stayed to watch our first Sri Lankan sunset - beautiful! The photo really doesn't do it justice.

We stayed for a reasonably priced 4 course set meal in which Feisal experienced his first Sri Lankan Rice & Curry - enough food in one portion for at least two people.

Then it was back to the Jetwing Sea, another first - a ride in a tuk tuk (or a three wheeler, as the locals call them).

Breakfast at the 'Sea' was excellent with a huge choice including beautifully fresh fruit prepared to order, every conceivable hot dish including curry, fried fish, pancakes and omelettes cooked to order. The full list is too long to state here but no one could be disappointed with the choice.

Day 2:
After a four hour drive and a day spent at Buddhist sacred sites we arrived at Cinnamon Lodge, Habarana, to a delightful welcome and an upgrade from the standard room we had booked, to a Deluxe Suite which included our very own room boy! The room was luxurious, large, cool and clean.

That night we dined at their Lotus organic, fine dining restaurant where we sampled the most delicious black bread, so soft and tasty that it just couldn't be resisted along with aged balsamic so sweet it was almost like treacle and good olive oil to go alongside.

But I mustn't forget the lunch we had on day 2. Along the way to Anuradhapura and the sacred sites our driver, Sampath, took us to a local Sri Lankan bakery. Salgado bakery was definitely not somewhere we would have ventured into on our own but it turned out to be one of my favourite meals.

Feisal and I shared a vegetable patty which cost only 40 rupees (18p) but was fresh and yummy made with paper thin dough filled with curried vegetables. Following that the three of us shared a portion of chicken fried rice which I couldn't believe any one person could ever manage as there was more than enough for the three of us. The rice was tasty and salty and so very enjoyable not to mention extremely cheap at 190 rupees (85p) for the three of us! Eating local style in Sri Lanka certain makes the money go a long, long way.

Day 3:
Breakfast at Cinnamon Lodge was even more vast than at Jetwing Sea. We discovered that many Sri Lankan's eat Rice and Curry three times a day so a full on Rice and Curry meal was available along with every conceivable English style breakfast item and many other Sri Lankan options including little muffin style cakes called Wandu's. These little cakes are made with coconut and honey and baked in a leaf instead of a paper cup. So sweet!

A word about Sri Lankan Rice and Curry. Don't think it is what we would call curry and rice. In SL the rice is the main event and comes served up on your plate with between 7 and 10 different curries and accompaniments served in small bowls and placed around the table for you to serve yourself. The curries usually include a chicken or fish curry, almost always a portion of Dhal (lentil curry), various different vegetable curries, relishes and crispy fried strips of poppadoms.

To drink we sampled our first taste of King Coconut juice said to be extremely health giving and rehydrating.

In the afternoon we went on an Elephant Safari which was amazing and up close with 45, or was it 46, wild elephants including a two month old baby and other little ones ranging from 1 to 5 years old. Our guide brought along a local pineapple which he prepared for us during a rest break. These local pineapples are so much sweeter than the ones we get in the UK.

Elephant safari

Day 4:
We began our journey south stopping at what turned out to be the most beautiful and touching of the Buddhist sacred sites we visited, Dambulla Royal Rock Temple. This is a series of caves which contain many carved statues of the Buddha.

In our pilgrim clothes after visiting the Rock Temples at Dambulla

Travelling on from Dambulla we arrived in Kandy where we stopped for lunch at a noted local Indian restaurant, Sriram, to satisfy my craving for a Biryani. The portion sizes of rice were hugh, served with raita and crispy popadoms on metal trays instead of plates, all washed down by fresh lime and soda drinks. All this for three people came to a total of just under £10!

Next we visited the famous Buddhist Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. This is said to house a tooth snatched from the flames of the Buddha's funeral pyre in 483 BC and smuggled into Sri Lanka in the 4th century AD hidden in the hair of a princess.

Before entering the temple we took part in a ritual where you make an offering of flowers to a number of Buddha statues around a circular walkway and then having made your offerings you take a container of water around the circle three times walking clockwise. We didn't really understand exactly what we were doing and the elderly gentleman showing us what to do didn't speak hardly any English but we managed and as we left he ran after us and gave us two leaves from the Bodhi tree there. He offered them saying 'You. Good luck!' and absolutely refused to accept any money which is highly unusual in Sri Lanka. We took this very sweet gesture as being meaningful and the leaves will find a new home in our meditation room when we return home.

Leaving Kandy we traveled further south into the hill country stopping overnight at Kotmale in the beautiful boutique hotel, Mas Villa. Here the Angels smiled on us once again and we were upgraded from the standard room we had booked to their top room which was a first floor suite overlooking one of the most outstanding valley and lake view you could ever imagine.

The room was huge and furnished extremely tastefully including a Jacuzzi bath which enabled you to relax in bubbles looking out over the valley :)

Dinner was served in the open air on the veranda as was breakfast where the view was even more spectacular with the morning mists hanging in the valley and surrounding hills.