Blogs from Dambulla, Central Province, Sri Lanka, Asia

I think I will divide the second part of our trip into two parts because we did a lot in 4 days. Well, comparatively. The tourist spots we were allowed to visit were limited and spread out, so we had to choose wisely. We both wanted to see SIgiriya Rock and Polonnuwara, so I started looking for hotels in those areas. Luke had previously found Jim's Farm Villas before we left Dubai, but my request on the website went unanswered. However, when I was trying to find a spot and having no real luck, I decided to use their WhatsApp number and I got an immediate response and booked four nights there right away. The protocols in Sri Lanka were pretty strict - we had to stay only in Tier 1 hotels, which meant we could ... read more

Ducks AWAY! After a week of desk work finalising the trip we made it to Heathrow for our first flight! We were pleasantly sent off by Sophie’s Mum and Dad, and Matt’s mum, step dad and Auntie. Our flight was due for departure at 2130hrs, with that in mind at 2045hrs we went for a coffee. 2100 approaches.... FINAL CALL FOR SRI LANKA - FLIGHT CLOSING We charge off, Sophie knocking coffee all over Matt.... which was so kind. Straight to the desk, last people to check in. As we enter they call our seat, straight on the plane, no messing. We were sat next to one another by the window, with a selection of movies in the head rests. Flight delayed... 2230hrs take off Arrive at Colomobo 1245hrs the next day. Pretty worn out by ... read more

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” - Helen Keller 14th January There is nothing worse than your alarm clock not going off. The panic when you realise you slept in – whether you’ve got to catch a train, plane or be somewhere at a certain time. With an 8am departure scheduled for today to head into Dambulla to visit the Dambulla cave temples, a loud thudding at my door at 810am woke me from my slumber. My alarm had failed and everyone was waiting for me….. Rather impressively (even if I do say so myself, it took me 12 mins exactly to be ready and on the bus with Ella. That’s right – from both of us asleep to ready to climb another mountain in 12 minutes). Carlie had kindly got the hotel to ... read more

HE SAID... Today we were travelling inland (north-east) from Negombo to Dambulla and Sigiriya. We left Negombo around 9:30am after an early morning visit to the beach town’s fish markets and lagoon foreshore. We initially travelled north, hugging the western coastline for about an hour until we arrived in the small township of Madampe. We visited a colourful Hindu temple (Murugan Kovil) on the main road, and I was struck by the modern tin-clad structure that protected the statues from the elements. It had the feeling (to me) of a gigantic farm shed, where bales of hay could easily have been stacked from floor to ceiling. The statues themselves were very colourful and impressive, albeit a little too modern and garish. There’s a captivating charm to old stone temples… Unfortunately, this temple hadn’t captured much charm ... read more

At 5 am we were awakened by the sound of chanting booming from loudspeakers. It was the full moon and a religious holiday. Although the local town authority had agreed not to broadcast early morning prayers, today was a religious holiday so the prayers were broadcast! We set off at about 9 am for Kandy via Dambulla. The roads are really narrow and when we arrived in the centre of towns we realised that there are no traffic lights! At major junctions it’s a case of “he who dares wins”. However, there is a degree of politeness in that car drivers do let in other drivers. Israeli drivers could learn a lot from them, not least regarding the use of indicators. We passed a place where people were lining up to get their drivers’ licences so ... read more