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Published: March 28th 2015
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The last few days have seen a change of pace, which has been appreciated. There's also been a marked changed in climate and landscape.
The drive from Sigriya to Kandy took us through Mintale, an area famous for its herbs and spices, which are encouraged to grow in the cooler, hillier surroundings. We were told that pretty much everyone grows their own peppers and spices, and in addition to that you have the more commercial places. Mintale is a really beautiful part of this beautiful country and visiting the Sirilak Spice and Herbal Garden was a definite highlight so far.
Our guide, Dr D Manju was very knowledgeable about everything they grew and I actually wish I'd been taking notes, it was so interesting. He comes from generations of herbal doctors and has also trained in Ayurvedic medicine so is able to combine the two. His family can trace their lineage (all doctors) to the courts of the 1st century, apparently, and now they have employ over 250 staff at a hospital, manufacturing facility (all handmade), school and the tourist garden we saw. We walked round the garden and got to smell (or taste) various treats including cinnamon, lime,
curry leaves, aloe vera, lemongrass, sandalwood and more. We learned about what things are mixed together, and the results, and how longs some things take to make (one 'super juice with red pineapple takes 6 years!) He also put a natural menthol balm on our foreheads, and a patch of a natural hair removal cream which smelled a lot nicer that Veet! After the tour, two of the college students who are in the final year of Ayurvedic training came and gave us a neck and shoulder massage, which was actually nicer than the one we paid a lot of money for in a standard Ayurvedic salon earlier in the week. We were very tempted to buy loads of stuff, but in the ended opted for a cleansing moisturiser made form sandalwood, which I have to say smells divine and absorbs really easily.
We arrived in Kandy with high expectations. Owen was sitting beside a Sri Lankan expat on the plane, and Kandy was the one place she recommended. I can see why. It is very picturesque and has very famous temple that holds one of the Buddha's teeth in it, making it s popular destination for foreigners and
Red Pineapple
Can't be eaten, but a miracle medical ingredient, apparently locals. Once every few years (5 I think) the container holding the tooth is opened and at that point Kandy becomes impassable as so many pilgrims queue up to see.
We also did a lovely little boat tour of the lake (another man made effort, absolutely huge) and saw a Water Monitor which is a lizard almost the size of a small crocodile. We spent a good few hours in the Royal Botanic Gardens which was lovely, but no lovelier than the free park we went to on our first day in Columbo.
Kandy is pretty, but because it was so touristy it felt a bit too busy at times. The roads were always blocked and although we enjoyed it, we were glad to leave. By the way, our hotel in Kandy was a lovely little one called The Change. It was so far off the beaten track I would have been worried if we were in a tuk tuk, but totally worth it when we arrived. Gorgeous views downs the mountain from our room, a wee pool for cooling off and really friendly staff. Dinner was also fantastic, the first night was probably the best we've had.
Just a mixture of curries, but done so well ...I ended up having Owen's leftovers too 😊
Nuwara Eliya, where we are now, is also very touristy. It's a mountain resort so a lot cooler. We were expecting it to be freezing given what everyone in Kandy was saying but actually, the mornings and afternoon have been like a good summers day at home, and only the evenings and nights cooler. This area is famous for tree production and it seems every mountainside is covered in tea plants (trees?). We went to a tea factory which was quite interesting, but not amazing. Owen bought a couple of different kinds, of course. Our hotel is the best yet. It's called Melford Heaven and is only a year old. Our room is huge, with a four poster bed, wifi and satellite TV. We have a balcony and private garden and the boy who runs it is super helpful, offering us cups of tea and fruit platters when we come back.
This morning we were up before 5am to visit what was supposed to be a highlight of a visit to this area, a safari hike around Horton's Plains. It's a
National Park featuring Little World's End and World's End (both sheer cliff drop viewing areas) and Baker's Falls. In the end, we enjoyed the hike (about 9k on some really interesting terrain) but I think calling it a safari was misleading. It's a very, very popular destination and with groups of French and English people who seem incapable of doing any less than shouting at each other, there was no chance of seeing any animals. We did manage to walk some of the route without meeting other groups, and at those points it was just wonderful. And on the last leg everyone was out of puff so there was less shouting, which was a bonus.
This afternoon we've just walked along Lake Gregory and had some spicy fries from a street cart. Lots of other people about. Apparently this area is very popular with people from UAE because they can get here in just a few hours and they like that fact that it is relatively cool.
Couple more days in the mountains I think, before we start our journey south towards the beaches.
Detailed Itinerary Two nights at The Change Hotel, Kandy
En route visit
Ayurvedic Herbal and Spice Gardens
Explore the Kandy Temple of Tooth
Enjoying the Boat Ride in Kandy Lake
Visit Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens
Glimpses of Kandy through City Tour
Two nights at Melford Heaven, Nuwaraeliya
Explore the Ramboda Water Falls
Visit GlenLoch Tea Factory and Tea Plantations
Experience Little England Nuwaraeliya City Tour
Visit Horton Plains National Park
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Buddhi
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Gadadessa Nature Resort in Kandy
Hi there, Kandy is a beautiful and an unique place to visit in Sri Lanka. While your visit to Kandy you could stay at Gadadessa eco resort to get another unforgettable experience. camping, wild life, HTV riding and helicopter tours etc.. Here's the link for the site - http://www.gadadessa.com/