Page 138 - Asian Paradises 2019-20

— Sri Lanka —

preserved here at the Temple of the Tooth. can experience five-star luxury at very reasonable prices in
the countryside, while budget travellers can find delightful
Visit Kandy, which is 116 kilometres from Colombo traditional ‘rest houses’.
and built around a peaceful lake that is surrounded by
picturesque hills. Enroute to Kandy, and about 90 kilometres Food and entertainment
from Colombo visit the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Traditional Sri Lankan food is dominated by rice and curry,
home to more than 109 elephants including adorable baby and is usually very spicy and hot. Colombo teems with
elephants that you can bathe and feed (with gigantic milk restaurants that offer a spectrum of international gourmet
bottles!). Bathing time is 10am and 2pm, with feeding time and fusion cuisine. If the high-end fine dining isn’t what
an hour before. you are after, there a number of places offering good and
reasonably priced fare. To experience local cuisine and
Unawatuna Beach is a lovely semi-circular stretch of golden
sands bordered with coconut palm trees located four roadside dining, Colombo offers numerous roadside cafes
kilometres southward around the coast of Galle. This is that serve up the tantalising kottu, a Sri Lankan favourite,
paradise for those who just want to enjoy to the silence of the and string hoppers (a tangle of rice flour noodles that
sea and dive deep into the blue waters of the ocean. are eaten with curry), pittu and rotti. Sinhalese dancing
resembles Indian dance but the story is told using acrobatics
There is a reef protecting the beach making it perfectly safe and symbolism. Sri Lankan folklore is recreated in theatre
for bathing. Unawatuna Beach was voted as one of the “Top using dance, masked drama, drumming and exorcism rituals.
10 most beautiful beaches in the world” by the Discovery Things to do
Channel and Mark Ellingham, the founder of Rough Guides.
The southwestern coast offers good swimming beaches. The
Where to stay dive centre at Hikkaduwa is a good base to explore the reefs
Travelling in Sri Lanka is quite economical and travellers in the region such as Dodanduwa, Gintota and Ralagala.

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