Sri Lanka – Lost in Time

Stepping into unfamiliar territories proves its worth, as Felix Tan, a member of Photography Club, brings you the colours of Sri Lanka.

It was one of those ‘must-leave-Singapore’ sojourns, when I chose Sri Lanka to be the destination of my little 12-day getaway. Arriving at Sri Lanka’s Bandaranaike Airport in the evening, I was quickly whisked away in a van my friends had rented, beginning my travelling journey.

My first stop was the former capital of Sri Lanka – Kandy. It was a rather quaint town filled with a mishmash of old British colonial buildings, which had been converted into hotels or guesthouses, and an array of gaudy decrepit post-independence shop-houses. At the town centre, I visited the famous Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. Regarded as a national treasure, I found out that this temple is where one of Buddha’s teeth is supposedly buried.

Another noteworthy place I visited in Kandy was the National Museum. It did not meet my expectation, as it resembled more like a storeroom than a museum.

To get a good view of the town centre and another famous landmark Kandy Lake, I stayed at one of the guesthouses that were stacked along the sides of the numerous hills surrounding this city. But if you want to indulge yourself, then the grand ‘ole Queen’s Hotel next to the lake will be a better choice.

Another place I visited was the mountainous region of Nuwara Eliya (pronounced as Nu-reliya). When there, do take a pit stop at one of the many tea plantations along the way for lunch with the cool mountain air at its abundance. But more importantly, take this opportunity to watch tea pickers go about their work. After a good Sri Lankan lunch, I continued up the mountains, past majestic waterfalls and finally reaching the charming town before dusk.

Dotting the entire city of Kandy are the remnants of old colonial styled buildings which have been converted to guesthouses and hotels. Wanting to get a better view of the city, I stayed at the 4-level Greek-inspired Hellenic Guesthouse that boasted a spacious lawn and a fireplace. Besides the town centre, you can pay a visit to the lovely Victoria Park to snap a few pictures of flowers and insects. Stay a day or two there because Nuwara Eliya does provide one with a sense of being ‘lost in time’ that harks back to the early days of colonialisation.

Due to the bad weather in the last few days of my journey, most of the roads leading to places like Horton’s Plains Nationals Park and the famous World’s End have been made impassable. Thus, I had to make a detour down treacherously improvised roads and sides of mountains.

I soon figured out that it was much better to walk downhill and experience the fresh mountain air a little. Plus it never hurts to trek and explore the unexpected paths that occasionally pop up along the trail.

Nonetheless, having had to make last minute changes to my plans, my next pit stop was Haputale, a large Tamil town perched along a narrow mountain ridge. The unexpected stop turned out to be my most enjoyable one – not only did I indulge myself snapping away at the life of the town, this place was surrealistic and mystical. When at the town, do make a short trip to the Adisham Monastery that is run by the order of the Benedictine fraternity. Take your time to walk leisurely around the beautifully maintained grounds of the monastery and experience the serenity that this place exudes. But, do explore the insides of this stone-block monastery where most of the furniture and books have been well maintained.

I stayed at the Sri Lak Holiday Inn, which was near the edge of a cliff overlooking the vast Sri Lankan plains across the horizon.

No words could aptly describe my feeling when I walked through this town. From small shops selling trinkets and daily provisions like chickens and slabs of lamb to a small pub catering to the needs of workers going back home after a hard day’s work – this town centre really is underrated. Strong winds also did quite a nifty job in kicking up a small dust storm in the town, although most of the inhabitants were strangely oblivious to such happenings. A short walk and you will find the railway station surrounded by more shops and push carts selling hot pastries, string hoppers and assorted Sri Lankan delights. The beautiful thing about this place is that there is nothing too commercialised and it sure provides a spectacular view of the Sri Lankan plains and a great moment to just get away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities.

We soon made our way back to Colombo after travelling through dense jungle forests and facing landslides on perilous mountain roads. There, I checked into the Ceylon Continental Hotel.

When you are at Colombo, take a stroll along the beach at Galle Face Green and just enjoy the cool sea breeze sweeping inland from the vast Indian Ocean. Or pay a visit to the crowded bazaar of Pettah for a good bargain. For something less crowded, make your way down to the Independence Hall or the National Museum.

However, the best part of Colombo wasn’t the sights, but rather a drive around the city as you might get lost in the maze of turns that the Sri Lankan roads present. If you have the time, take a 3-hour drive up north, past the beach resort town of Negombo and to the ancient cities of Sigiriya and Dumbulla, where you will be enthralled with the Royal Rock Temple and experience the Buddhist influence in the Sinhalese culture.

Whatever you decide to do in Sri Lanka, take the necessary precaution for this is not something for the faint-hearted or the impatient. Take the road less travel and do not plan too much, for this is one place where the unexpected is where beauty lies and a moment lost too soon.

Are you planning for a holiday where you can take beautiful photographs? Check out the Travel Club for some ways to stretch those dollars! And members of Photography Club can give you some tips at the forum on how to capture those travelling moments the way you want it.

Have something of your own to share? Contribute it to us here and walk away with TWO free magazines of your choice if you are one of the first 60 each month!

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