THE ISLAND THE ARABS CALLED SERENDIP

Colombo has been in the international shipping lane linking East and West since time immemorial. The Portuguese landed there and called the island Selan alluding to the many herbs and spices found there. The Arabs called it Serendip when, perchance, they sailed to it. The word 'serendipity' entered the English lexicon from it. The British called it Ceylon and the name remained so until 1972 A.D. when she became Sri Lanka. The ship of Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana of Nepal docked in Colombo on his sea voyage to England and back in 1850 A.D. Much later in 1956 A.D. Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew visited Colombo and, bowled over by the beauty of the land, vowed to transport Singapore in its image. 

Independence Square with statue of the country's
first prime minister Rt. Hon. Don Stephen Senanayake

I had the fortunate opportunity of visiting Sri Lanka recently taking time off during the Dasain holidays, a much deserved sojourn having survived two lock-downs brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and twenty months of a cautious, self-imposed near isolation, a difficult feat for a person used to a peripatetic lifestyle. Sri Lankan Airways had recently started twice weekly flights from Colombo to Kathmandu and I took this option to visit a country I had put in my travel bucket list since a long time. Sri Lanka's leading travel company Aitken Spence Travel, one of the largest tourism conglomerates in Sri Lanka, played host and they offered me a well curated itinerary taking my interests to heart. 

Independence Memorial Hall at Independence Square

I was mightily impressed by the transformation the country has undergone since the terrible days of the conflict we came to read about almost daily with utter incomprehension. A paradise had been transformed to a hellish cauldron. Tourism had hit rock bottom. Earlier though, I recall how TUI the German tour operator had put Nepal and Sri Lanka in their air-charter program in the 1980's, a perfect combination of adventure in the mountains of Nepal followed by a well-deserved rest and relaxation at a Sri Lankan beach resort. I dream of a time in the not too distant future when this enlightened travel itinerary will be offered by enterprising European tour operators to their clientele.

Peace restored since May 2009 today Sri Lanka looks and feels like a South East Asian nation rather than South Asian, comparable with Malaysia in terms of its infrastructure development. I drove 700 kilometres from Colombo to Dambulla to Kandy to Galle and back to Colombo without encountering a single pothole! The Sri Lankan people are well educated and friendly. Hospitality comes automatically to them as I observed the attentive hotel staff going on a charm offensive to please their customers.

My Aitken Spence vehicle was a new Mazda 6 

Driving with Deepti my guide-cum-chauffeur was utterly safe and a learning process for me. So, the travel companies in Sri Lanka provided a single person to show guests around whereas in Nepal we book a driver and a guide separately. Lack of drivers with a good command of English or a foreign language here makes this essential, and more costly. Sri Lanka always fascinates us Hindus as the home of the Ravana, a protagonist in the famous story of Ramayana. Deepti told me that there are many places identified with the epic such as the grounds where Sita was imprisoned after her abduction, where Hanuman secretly met her, and where the eventual rescue by Ram unfolded. Deepti told me about the location where a section of the Dronagiri Hill brought by Hanuman to Lanka with the life-saving Sanjeevani herb to cure the wounded Laxman fell. Wondrous and unique plants not found elsewhere in Lanka is growing there today. In fact Aitken Spence has developed an itinerary for 7 Days called "Ramayana Trail" that is very popular with Hindus from India. It looks very interesting indeed!

Leaving the mythical traditions aside for another visit, I did the more touristic attractions such as the Minneriya National Park where the largest population of Indian elephants in the wild is still roaming free, paid obeisance at the holy Kandy temple where Lord Buddha's tooth relic is enshrined and finally, enjoyed the soothing sight and smell of the Indian Ocean at Unawatuna near the Dutch port town of Galle. From Colombo the drive to Dambulla is a pleasant experience crisscrossing the Sri Lankan countryside and towns with distinct local flavour. I checked in at Amaya Lake Resort in Dambulla. Meeting the general manager of the hotel, a very pleasant Sri Lankan gentleman with Scottish ancestry, I was awed by him recounting to me how during the entire pandemic the owners of the Amaya Group of Hotels did not lay off a single staff, paid full salary to all and even gave their usual annual increment during the period the hotel was closed. I have not heard of such largess anywhere! Kudos to the owners.

Lions Rock

Atop Lions Rock

Next day's experience was noteworthy as it took us to Lions Rock at Sigiriya, the famous rock outcrop that was consumed by the jungle from the 13th century until Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka under the British unearthed it and its historical treasures in the 1920's. A king had built his palace atop the rock in the 4th century A.D. and it had thrived as a cultural and political citadel until its inexplicable abandonment, similar to the story of the ancient Angkor Wat Temple of Cambodia. The cave paintings there remind one of the Ajanta cave paintings of India. There are many semi-nude apsaras or celestial nymphs depicted in the frescoes, thankfully a few clearly visible even to this day.

On the way from Dambulla to Kandy the old capital of Sri Lanka, I visited Dambulla Cave Temples, a World Heritage Site dating back to 3rd and second century B.C. There are a total of 153 Buddha statues in these caves, once an abode of monks. The spice gardens of Matale is in the agricultural zone of the central provinces and it is very interesting to check how the variety of spices we are familiar with actually grows and how they are harvested to make curry powder and therapeutic herbal medicines. A well stocked shop means you will bring back home oils and balms for the usual aches and pains. Kandy is the highlight of the tour. The city reminded me of Kathmandu Valley, only it is smaller, greener and better managed. From atop the newly built luxurious Grand Kandyian Hotel a panoramic vista can be enjoyed. The famous Kandy Temple with the tooth relic of the Buddha is a must visit pilgrimage spot, especially during the evening when devotees throng the premises for the evening 'aarti' prayer. 

Octagon, part of the Kandy Temple complex
housing the tooth relic of Lord Buddha

The city of Kandy in the background

On the way to Unawatuna the famous beach area I took a short diversion to Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage opened in 1975 A.D. Spread over a 25-acre coconut property the orphanage takes care of over 70 elephants. Till date 20 calves have been born there. Elephants that cannot survive in the wild anymore are taken care of. I saw a big fat one that was supposed to have been raised by Prabhakaran as a pet in his jungle hideout. It found its way to the orphanage after the civil war ended. 

Prabhakaran's elephant

Next I was at a sea turtle farm. It was good to get familiar with a wide variety of these animals that are bred there and released in the ocean. The tsunami of 2004 had completely submerged this part of the island causing many deaths and untold damages. The caretaker at the turtle farm had lost his entire family. There is a natural danger lurking everywhere and the current debate on climate change is timely. 

Infinity pool looking out at the ocean at rooftop, Ayaliya Resort 

Life-size carved wooden elephant at Ayaliya lobby

Then I was finally ensconced at the luxurious Ayaliya Beach Resort in Unawatunga. Ayaliya is frangipani flower in the local language. What a fantastic property it is in its facilities and spread. A rather curious feature there is that the owner has placed wooden carved elephants of all sizes, from very large, life-size ones in the arrival bay and hotel lounge to medium and small ones in every nook and cranny of the property including in guestrooms. The hotel P. R. Manager told me that there were in total 5,300 carved elephants in the property. The resort was full of domestic tourists and the atmosphere was vibrant with great expectations for both guests and staff following the closure and lock-downs brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. It was really nice to see tourism bouncing back. The Sri Lanka visit came to an end after two nights of relaxation there. I am thankful for this opportunity that I took to see a truly beautiful and inspiring destination and promised to return for more. 

Those who are interested in visiting Sri Lanka kindly drop a line at anupama@mallatravels.com.np