Surf & Safari in Sri Lanka - July 2014
The war is over and I returned to Sri Lanka last month. I first feasted my eyes on this amazing country as a young backpacker 25 years ago. Even though visits to certain areas of the country were restricted I acquired a taste for this exotic place. It has it all; delicious food, amazing culture, friendly people and spectacular sights.
This trip with my 2 teenage children was a balance of just hanging at the beach and seeing some of Sri Lanka’s amazing sights. We headed to Arugam Bay, a fishing village located on the east coast with good surf. It’s a chilled out place with restaurants and cafes and a good base for exploring the area. We would load the boards on the tuk tuk and head off to discover different breaks. Althought we had to avoid the elephants on the road!
From here we travelled North and inland to explore the Cultural Triangle on the central plains. Sri Lanka has many UNESCO World Heritage Sites packed into a small area. We climbed the rock fort at Sigiriya, cycled around the dagobas at Polonnaruwa and joined the locals in full moon celebrations at Anuradhapura. We even went on safari to Minneriya National Park, home to hundreds of wild elephants.
Breathtaking. Sri Lanka didn’t disappoint. It is an amazing destination still undiscovered by many.