Yearning to Return to Sri Lanka: Five Reasons Why

“Sri Lanka is an island that everyone loves at some level inside themselves. A very special island that travelers, from Sinbad to Marco Polo, dreamed about. A place where the contours of the land itself forms a kind of sinewy poetry.” Romesh Gunesekara

I was able to explore the magnificent island nation of Sri Lanka which translates to  “resplendent island” during a two-month sojourn around Asia. I spent three weeks in Sri Lanka which I had originally wanted to tour independently and not with a tour group. Once Covid grabbed hold of our travel plans, a recognized tour company was the only way to visit until the virus lost its grip. However, by that time I realized that to go into the interior and maximize my travel time, a tour group was the best way to go. Not all tour companies offer a fully escorted tours to Sri Lanka, but its certainly worth  looking into, and returning to as well. When I return, it will be as a solo traveler, although mindful that in my 70s and carrying my own luggage onto trains can be a challenge, if not sometimes a hazard.

There are many reasons to return after having seen Sri Lanka once, loving the often dramatic scenery, and dining on the exquisite and sublime tastes of their food, borne from their once troubled relationship with Southern India. Most notably, a traveler will not experience all of it due to the weather and monsoons, which makes it impossible to take in some parts of the island at various times of the year. For this reason, even tour companies that offer regular tours must offer two different sets of itineraries; one that focuses on the south and west, and one that focuses on the north and east,  So for my money, seeing the country once with  a tour group, then return another time independently (my favorite form of travel), is the way to go.

Here are five reasons to return to Sri Lanka:

The Weather –  Sri Lanka is hot and humid almost year round, with heavy monsoons twice a year in two different parts of the island. The main southwest monsoon is called Yala (like the national park), and it brings monsoons to that part of the island from May to June. This includes Colombo, the south, and the west coasts. However, organized tour group departures are well over by early to mid-April. The north and east monsoon is called Maha, and its weaker. It brings its monsoons from December to February. I went in early March, and while no monsoons were currently in progress on either side of the island, heat and humidity certainly was. However, for warm weather lovers such as myself, heat and humidity were a small price to pay since the glorious and over the top beauty was so unexpected, in what is known as the pearl of the Indian Ocean.  And since I didn’t get to see the north  and east, there is much reason to return. Why would I want miss seeing Dantes Peak?

The Beauty  – The beauty of this island nation astounded me, being the jewel that it is. Flights arrive in Negombo, about 45 minutes from the capital of Colombo. So many resort hotels are right in Negombo, it was a joy in the morning at breakfast to see its delightful and unexpected beauty. It surrounded us the entire trip, and it was one breathtaking scene after the next, consistently providing immeasurable beauty of waterfalls and coastlines,  albeit  mixed in with poverty. However, for lovers of waterfalls, vistas of tea fields (some of the most beautiful I’ve seen in the world), and views of the Indian Ocean everywhere, Sri Lanka offers one unparalleled surprise after another. When we drove from Yala down the coast of the Indian Ocean, the coastal scenery we drove past were stunning. On a return trip, a single day with this beauty would happily suffice, and that would be fine by me. Now I know where I want to return. But to have more than just a stop or a single day would make me thrilled upon a return.

The Cultural Diversity – I was not expecting to be in Sri Lanka when the major world religions were having their spring celebrations, but cultural diversity surrounded me. I was there for Ramadan, Tamil Hinu New Year, Buddhist new year, Good Friday, and Easter. I saw celebrations of all of them everywhere. Had I bothered to look, I would have probably found a tiny Passover Sedar among ex pats, but it was too early for that, and I was enjoying the cultural diversity anyway. Good Friday in particular, was when an ISIS attack occurred on the Catholic churches there. So, when I was there, they were celebrating in remembrance of the five-year anniversary. The red Muslim Mosque was beautiful, and I wanted to go inside, but it was for Muslims only due to Ramadan. But I also experienced a beautiful  Buddhist temple by the sea, which had Buddhas surrounding it, and overlooking the skyline. I would happily return to experience more of their festivities,

The Unique History and Landmarks – Much of what we drove through was devastated 20 years ago by the tsunami, and we saw a memorial to it, as well as the tsunami tracking pole and system in the center of the town which alerts people to hopefully prevent any future such tragedies. Our guide told us his story of having to run to escape the tsunami, as well as the friends he lost to it. There is still a lot of construction going on to rebuild the towns that had become severe casualties of the disaster. We saw on a map that nearly three quarters of the island was affected one way or another. And since this is not an industrialized nation, rebuilding takes time.

We went to the Buddhist temple caves of Dambulla which is a UNESCO world heritage site, as well as a pilgrimage site for Buddhists. There were five cave temples in the complex, and the art as well as the Buddhas were extraordinary, not to mention the whole feel of the place.  It’s over 2000 years old. I counted four reclining Buddhas(there might have been more), and one of those was a Buddha who had passed away. Their toes appear to be separated when a Buddha passes away.

Hinduism proceeded Buddhism, and I was reminded that Buddha was a man named Siddhartha who had  achieved enlightenment and enough clarity to become Buddha. Our guide wished to become a monk after his children are grown so he can devote his life to gaining clarity. So, their religious culture has inspired the general population, such that even a tour guide has aspirations to become a monk.

The Temple of the Tooth in Kandy was a real favorite. I loved this Buddhist Temple . It’s about 700 years old, and contains in a coffin a relic from Buddha, a lost tooth. They only bring the coffin with the tooth out on special occasions where good luck is needed, such as after the tsunami. People line up for miles when that relic will be available to see. At other times relics from monks are kept in coffins and those are out which is what we saw today. The devoted gather around those coffins and give offerings, chant, and pray. I was so moved I gave a small donation in the donation box. 

Kandy is the second largest city in Sri Lanka after Colombo. Sri Lanka has a population of 22 million and Kandy about 2 million. It’s both a city and a region and appears to be much more sprawling than I expected. On a return visit I’m sure there would be additionally fascinating things to see in the north and east.

The Wildlife  –  Wildlife was rich and abundant as we observed everywhere on the side of the roads.  We saw water buffalo on the road one day, elephants the next. The animals were everywhere and not necessarily confined to the parks. I had to miss a full day safari in Yala National Park due to a bad cold, but there was an abundance of wildlife on the hotel property which I enjoyed while eating lunch. A raven squawked while I was eating, and a monitor (very large lizard) met me in my room.

Cheeky monkeys were everywhere, and this is also a place to see numerous birds. When we saw the family of elephants off to the side of the road in the wild one day, our guide said that we are really on their land, so when they eat some of the crops of a farmer’s land that’s pretty much how it is viewed. A return visit would certainly be wonderful for more safari time, and to possibly enjoy about three days with the animals. We also went to one of the three parks which allowed visitors to enjoy an elephant safari, although we were part of a group of more safari vehicles than I have ever seen,  even in the Serengeti. The Cinnamon hotel chain and the Hilton are right on the Yala National Park land, which makes planning for a return trip convenient.

I travel with Overseas Adventure Travel often, but they did not offer a full Sri Lanka base trip. So, I went with Gate1. I also noticed that Explore Worldwide and Elder Treks have full base trips, although Elder Treks offers any of their trips just a few times a year, while the other companies offer a full schedule and changes itineraries based on monsoon season.  Overseas Adventure Travel has reinstated their Soul of India trip to Southern India, and that includes an optional pre-trip to Sri Lanka which hits all the high notes. However many times you go there, whichever company you use or decide to travel independently, a trip to this resplendent island will definitely be an experience that will reside in your soul and leave you longing to return.  It is, quite frankly, one of the best kept secrets on the planet.

All photos Jann Segal