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<\/a><\/p>\nA young man is waiting to welcome us to Sinharaja Rest Guesthouse, where we’ll be staying for the next three nights. The table is covered with books and photo albums showing what we might expect to see in the rainforest. I still haven’t decided whether I’m going to venture into the forest myself.<\/p>\n
Over dinner, we plan the following day’s rainforest trek with the guesthouse owner and guide, Pali. It’s obvious that he regards the rainforest as his own backyard. He’s been organising trips there for the past 21 years. He tells us there’s a good chance of seeing plenty of animals and some fantastic scenery. But he also explains that there’s no possibility of going \u2018off the beaten track\u2019, as Christian and Sarah had hoped. Sri Lanka also has very particular rules about snakes and other reptiles: you’re allowed to photograph them, but not to pick them up. Doing so can apparently result in quite a substantial fine or even imprisonment. (\u2018Thank you,\u2019 I say quietly to myself.)<\/p>\n
I get talking to a group who went on a trek the day before. Naturally, I ask about my little concern regarding leeches in the rainforest. One of them lifts his trouser leg and shows me a leg covered in leech bites. OKAY, that settles it. \u2018You two can go into the rainforest on your own. I’ll stay at the guesthouse and write.\u2019<\/p>\n
Christian and Sarah have a wonderful trek, setting off at 8 a.m. and returning at 6.30 p.m. It’s a long day, and they walk a great many kilometres, but it’s worth it. They see lots of lizards and a couple of snakes. Naturally, they’re a little disappointed that they can’t explore further off the beaten track, but on the other hand, neither of them gets a single leech bite.<\/p>\n We spend our final day at Sinharaja Rest Guesthouse enjoying the views of the rainforest, valley and mountains from our own hut and the treetop hut.<\/p>\n Our journey continues to Udawalawe National Park. Lonely Planet says there aren’t as many tourists here, and that a safari can almost rival one on the African savannah. Once again, we have to agree with Lonely Planet. The park covers 30,821 hectares and was established in 1972.<\/p>\n Our safari leaves the hotel at 5:30 a.m. We need to be in the park early if we’re to see the animals before the sun heats everything up. We’ve booked a full-day safari, although that apparently means only from 5:30 a.m. until noon.<\/p>\n The landscape feels almost mythical, with a light morning mist hanging over the whole area as we enter the park. We’ve barely driven through the entrance when we encounter our first remarkable sight: a male peacock perched high in a tree, complete with his enormous, magnificent tail. We’ve seen plenty of peacocks in Sri Lanka, but never sitting in the treetops. It’s rather strange to see such a large bird, with such an impressive tail, balanced so elegantly on a branch.<\/p>\n The Indian peacock is said to be quite the charmer. The males choose particular spots where they put on a show for the females, dancing and shaking their fanned-out tails. That enormous tail is both heavy and awkward, and it also puts its owner at greater risk of being caught by a predator. But the tail is a clear sign of health and strength, and the females choose the strongest male with the most beautiful display.<\/p>\n Once the breeding season is over, the males shed their magnificent tail feathers. So it’s only during that period that they’re particularly vulnerable. When night falls, the males fly up to their usual roosts in the tall trees, away from the predators of the night.<\/p>\n Udawalawe National Park offers us several more beautiful experiences. We stop at little lakes to watch birds, see monkeys leaping about in the trees, and even spot the unusual jungle cat. But we’re also looking for elephants. Despite their size, they’re well hidden in the thick bush. Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, a huge bull elephant comes walking straight towards us along the road.<\/p>\n From my experience of safaris in East Africa, I think it might be a good idea to move the vehicle. But our driver simply sits still, and the enormous elephant comes closer and closer. Just a few centimetres from our vehicle, he turns elegantly to the right and steps off into the bush, passing right beside us. He’s a magnificent, beautiful animal, and we do feel rather fortunate to have been able to admire him from so close.<\/p>\n We leave the park feeling we’ve had excellent value for money.<\/p>\n After two nights in Udawalawe, we continue to our next safari experience in Yala National Park. But on the way, we’ve been invited to lunch by our friend Sameera. It was a very special experience to meet his mother and sister, see his home and taste his mother’s home-cooked food.<\/p>\n With full stomachs, we head south again. We have a couple of hours’ driving ahead of us. Along the way, we spot two monitor lizards that appear to be fighting. Christian quickly stops the car and jumps out with his camera. We later learn that this wasn’t actually a fight at all, but a \u2018mating dance\u2019 that can go on for quite some time.<\/p>\n Nature never ceases to amaze us, and the landscape changes yet again as we travel southwest. We enter the lowlands, a dry region. More than once we turn to each other and say how much it reminds us of South Australia.<\/p>\n We had actually ruled out Yala National Park because several people had told us there were far too many jeeps, too few opportunities to see the animals, and that it was much too expensive. But our Indian friend warmly recommended Wila Safari Hotel and Flamingo Tours, so off we went. Fortunately, Christian was also able to arrange everything at a very good price.<\/p>\n Let me just say that Wila Safari Hotel was absolutely fantastic. Sometimes it’s the little things in life you appreciate most: hot water, soft towels, a swimming pool, good air conditioning and a comfortable bed. It felt like a couple of days of pure luxury.<\/p>\n Yala National Park has yet another kind of landscape, quite different from anything we’ve seen so far, and I’m very glad we had the experience. I wouldn’t really call it savannah, as most people describe Yala, but rather bushland. At times it reminded us very much of the bush in South Australia’s Gawler Ranges, with large rocks and densely growing shrubs.<\/p>\n We didn’t see as many animals as we’d expected\u2014or perhaps we’d simply set our expectations too high. But people were right about one thing: there were FAR too many jeeps, all with a single goal of spotting a leopard for their passengers. We caught a glimpse of a leopard’s shadow, but we also saw plenty of elephants, crocodiles and birds, and some beautiful scenery.<\/p>\n In the end, we stay for a whole week at Wila Safari Hotel in Yala, enjoying the views of the two large lakes from our balcony and, otherwise, complete relaxation beneath \u2018our\u2019 mango tree.<\/p>\n On our last day in Yala, we decide to visit the nearest \u2018big town\u2019, Tissa. There isn’t really much to see, but it gives us a good excuse to get out and have some lunch.<\/p>\n Our tuk-tuk driver offers us a good deal on a visit to Bundala National Park. To be honest, we’d had about enough of fairly expensive national parks, but sometimes you simply have to seize the spontaneous opportunities\u2014they often bring something unexpected.<\/p>\n Bundala National Park certainly delivers some unexpected experiences. For one thing, our jeep driver knows a surprising amount about the park, its landscape, birds and animals. He talks about the area with real passion, and that definitely makes a difference to the experience.<\/p>\n Bundala National Park is just under half an hour’s drive from Yala. It’s a wetland close to the sea, with a truly distinctive landscape. We see an enormous number of birds, as well as many cactus plants in full bloom, covered in flowers. Our driver has thoughtfully brought along some cactus fruit for us to taste. We also see large crocodiles slowly slipping into the water as we approach the shoreline, until suddenly there’s no sign that a crocodile was ever there.<\/p>\n Our driver stops at a spot where we’ve just seen a crocodile slip into the water. Here, there’s a lake on one side of the sandbank and the very rough sea on the other. \u2018Would you like to come out and see the sea?\u2019 our driver asks. I have to admit, after seeing the crocodiles, you hesitate for a moment before climbing out of the jeep.<\/p>\n And then, right there in the road, stands a huge bull elephant. He scrapes up grass with his right foot and gathers it into a little ball with his trunk. He knocks the earth off the ball of grass, slowly puts it into his mouth and chews. Our driver tells us that an elephant eats 160 kilograms of grass a day. That’s an awful lot of times to repeat that little routine just to get a meal.<\/p>\n We are very close to this elephant, and once again I wonder how our driver dares to get so close to these enormous animals. But the elephant doesn’t seem bothered. He just keeps chewing his clump of grass.<\/p>\n We leave Yala at 10 a.m., with a good three-hour drive ahead of us. Our next stop is Arugam Bay. But after only an hour we can go no further. The road is blocked and there’s a very long queue of cars. Our dear driver tries to find alternative back roads, but everything is blocked. The local people take it fairly calmly. They get out of their cars, find a shady spot beneath a tree and wait. We decide to follow their example.<\/p>\n The barricades have been set up as part of a demonstration. Local residents want to get the government’s attention, and one way to do that is to close all the roads running from south to north. The reason for the protest is that a man died after being attacked by a large elephant a few weeks ago. Elephants coming too close to communities and attacking because they feel cornered is a growing problem. In Sri Lanka, shooting an elephant is not permitted, so people have few ways to defend themselves. They want the government to put up more fences to keep the elephants away. But, to be fair, aren’t humans also the ones who have moved too close to the elephants’ natural habitat and taken over large parts of their territory?<\/p>\n Still, I can’t quite stop thinking about how close we’ve been to those big bull elephants over the past few days. Perhaps moving out of their way when you encounter one isn’t such a bad idea after all.<\/p>\n In three days we’ll be leaving Arugam Bay. We’d originally planned to travel up the east coast to a larger town called Trincomalee. From there, we were going to take a boat out to an island to snorkel. But yesterday we met our Dutch friends, who had just come from Trinco. They told us the sea was at least as rough there as it is here. On top of that, getting out to the island was very expensive.<\/p>\n So we’ve changed our plans, and our compass is pointing towards the east coast again. We’ve rented a house there, so we can once more enjoy Christian’s home cooking.<\/p>\n Falling in love with Sri Lanka happens slowly, creeping up on us and bringing a sense of calm. We’ve definitely fallen for the country, and we can’t understand why we didn’t discover it sooner. It’s easy to get here with a short stopover in either Doha or Dubai, depending on whether you fly with Qatar Airways or Emirates. We’re told the two airlines are currently in a price war, and we’ve heard of return fares as low as DKK 3,500.<\/p>\n It’s also incredibly easy to travel around the country. The trains are convenient and comfortable, though seats can be scarce in third class. As we’re carrying quite a lot of luggage, we’ve mostly arranged private drivers along the way. There are local buses too, but you’ll need a strong heart, plenty of patience and steady nerves if you’re going to use them for long journeys.<\/p>\n The country has an incredible diversity of both nature and culture. In a short time, you can experience savannah-like landscapes with plenty of bush, highlands with fir trees, and endless sandy beaches.<\/p>\n Buddhism is the most common religion, alongside Hinduism, but Islam is prominent too. In everyday life, the religions coexist in peace and harmony. Yet just beneath the surface, there are also religious differences and a lack of mutual understanding. Marriages between the religions are almost unheard of and often cause serious problems.<\/p>\n Above all, it’s the people and the experiences that stand out. Their friendliness and hospitality have completely won us over.<\/p>\n Tourism is growing, and it’s clear how much the industry has developed over the past ten years. But that growth also has consequences for the country and the people who live here.<\/p>\n There are many people living in poverty who will do whatever they can to earn their share of the tourist trade.<\/p>\n There are also a few scams worth watching out for:<\/p>\n Accommodation comes in all sorts of standards and price ranges. But if you have the time and flexibility, book places as you go. That gives you a chance to negotiate prices and, just as importantly, the freedom to extend or shorten your stay in each place.<\/p>\n If you would like to know more about places to stay and other useful tips, take a look at Reviews and recommendations<\/a> here on the site.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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