After a week in the “cultural triangle” in central Sri Lanka we headed to Colombo on 17 December, our final day with driver Rohan. I’d imagined a scenic and rural countryside drive from Dambulla to Colombo, but was disappointed. The drive to Colombo was anything but rural and the roads busy and congested as we passed through towns. As we approached Colombo, even more traffic, so progress was slow reaching our city hotel just south of Colombo Fort. As we settled into our room at Renuka City Hotel we were excited at the prospect of meeting the girls in Colombo for our upcoming Christmas holiday. Ellen arrived late Friday night from KL with a tiny suitcase (she impressed us – only hand luggage) and Joanne a few days later from Germany.
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| Colombo exploration in a tuktuk |
It was hot on Saturday morning, 16 December, by the time we started exploring Colombo. The sight of tourists appearing on busy Galle Road from a hotel brought multiple tuktuks weaving towards us, all eager for us to choose them. In spite of the heavy city traffic (at least half are tuktuks), tuktuks are an enjoyable mode of transport, getting you from A to B as swiftly as possible, with a bit of breeze in your hair. Yes, you inhale exhaust fumes, but that’s unavoidable. With shopping high on Ellen’s agenda we found ourselves at a well known gift shop and restaurant called Barefoot. Barefoot products are all designed and made in Sri Lanka by local artists and craftspeople and it’s pretty much a must-visit shop for tourists. Shopping commenced and then a good lunch! Sunday morning was devoted to more serious sightseeing, with a walk in the Colombo Fort district and the busy, rough and ready market streets in Pettah. The former is full of old Colonial buildings and borders a huge port (no public access). Standing in front of the iconic Grand Oriental Hotel (opened in 1875) we imagined what it must have been like to arrive in Colombo and stagger over to the hotel from the port terminal. Unfortunately the hotel is no longer a grand place to stay, although it is still open.
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| Grand Oriental Hotel in Colombo Fort |
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| Colombo Port and terminal from the Grand Oriental Hotel |
We liked Colombo very much and in spite of the heat and traffic enjoyed zooming around the city in a tuktuk, retiring to a restaurant or cafe for refreshment. Sitting on the verandah at Galle Face Hotel, another grand iconic hotel overlooking the sea, we downed G&Ts and had a pleasant lunch before going to the airport to meet Joanne's flight.
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| G&Ts on the verandah at Galle Face Hotel in Colombo |
Leaving Ellen basking by the rooftop pool at our hotel, Gordon and I went to the airport on Sunday afternoon to meet Joanne. She too surprised us with her luggage. She appeared with an enormous trunk-sized suitcase and after we’d stopped laughing she explained that the lack of an appropriate suitcase only become apparent as she started to pack the day before (the day of her flight). We had many laughs and jokes at Joanne's expense over the next ten days as Ellen’s suitcase seemed ever smaller next to Joanne’s "trunk" as we moved around Sri Lanka.
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| Our pale-skinned Joanne fresh out of Europe! |
With Joanne's arrival completing our family group we set off by road on Monday morning to Newara Eliya, known as Little England, in
the hill country. Mentally prepared for a long day’s drive I’d read that the
170km would take 5 – 6 hours. As predicted,
leaving Colombo was slow...more traffic than the roads can cope with, as well
as poor road conditions through busy towns.
Almost the entire way the road was narrow and windy but as we climbed
higher into the hills the towns became smaller.
After covering only 100km in about 4 hours we stopped for lunch at a
simple riverside hotel near Kitulgala, with beautiful views over the Kelani
Ganga River. From our lunch spot we could see rafts coming down the river, this
being a popular white water rafting destination.
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| On the way to Newara Eliya in the Hill Country |
From here on the windy road gave us great
views of jungle vegetation and tea plantations but it remained slow going as
our skilful driver avoided oncoming traffic (often enormous buses travelling at
great speed) which frequently appeared as we rounded sharp bends. The hill
country really is hilly, with the road constantly winding upwards and then
lowering into the valleys. We stopped to
admire a view of St Clair’s waterfall and have a cup of pure Ceylon tea at a
small shop selling tea from the nearby St Clair’s tea plantation. Being several hundred metres higher than
Colombo the afternoon air felt crisp and cool, a welcome change from the heat
of Colombo.
We’d intended to take the train from Newara Eliya (the
nearby station Nanu Oya) to Ella, but as I hadn’t been able to reserve seats on
this popular route we went by road on Tuesday morning. It was disappointing to miss what is reputed to be one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world, but the thought of
standing for 3 -4 hours if we didn’t get a seat on the train made the road
journey a welcome alternative! The drive
to Ella was (like the previous day) a lot of ups and down and hairpin bends,
and every now and then dramatic views of jungle covered hillsides and valleys, interspersed with vast areas of tea bushes.
The name Ella conjures up a quaint town in the hills, but it’s
really a base for tourists who come to hike around the hilly countryside. It’s a small bustling place and Ella’s
popularity has brought expansion and everywhere you look there construction,
which doesn’t really add to the charm of the town. We stayed at The Chillout, a km from town, charmingly
described on Trip Advisor as a peaceful retreat. Unfortunately the
construction of a small hotel opposite meant this was anything but a place to
chill out. We felt sorry for Chillout's owner whose business is likely to suffer because of the noisy building works so close by.
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Chillout and the green hillside seen from Little Adam's Peak path
(and the ugly construction site nearby!) |
As soon as we arrived we set
off to Little Adam’s Peak. It only takes
about half an hour to get to the top and the views from there are worth the
climb. I should think everyone who comes to Ella does this walk.
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| Views along path to Little Adam's Peak |
Wednesday, our second day in Ella, we woke up to the sound
of rain and it rained so hard the whole day we didn’t go walking. The road near
the guest house became a river of red mud, carefully negotiated when we
ventured out to for lunch at a nearby restaurant.
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| On the balcony at Chillout, hoping the rain will stop |
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| The road to lunch! |
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| Sri Lankan rice and curry in Ella |
Thursday morning, at dawn, Gordon, Ellen and Joanne set off
to hike up Ella Rock, a mountain peak which overlooks the town of Ella. The popular 4 hour hike begins by following
train tracks through tea plantations and villages and then ascends the peak
which is famous for amazing views. About an hour after starting out Joanne felt
unwell and it started raining so they made the wise decision to turn back. By
midday the rain and mist over Ella finally lifted and the sun came out. At
last, a chance to get out and about. Getting
to Uva Halpewatte tea factory in a tuktuk was an alarming/thrilling ride as the
ancient noisy tuktuk taking me and Ellen struggled to keep going up the steep
and windy road. Stunning views of the steep hillsides covered in tea bushes are
memorable.
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| Uva Halpewatte Tea Estate |
Three days in Ella was perhaps a little long since the rain
curtailed outdoor activities, and as we piled into yet another vehicle for a half day drive to the south coast we all looked forward to warm days on the
beach. The 4 hour drive from Ella to
Mirissa was much prettier than expected. Once down from the hills we careered
along quiet country roads between rice fields and coconut plantations, not stopping for lunch, eager to get to the Spice House where we'd be spending Christmas.
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