Sri Lanka 2023-Back in Lucky's Country

[Ade]

The north was generally cheaper than the south for similar style meals

This is very typical of SL. The North is cheaper and IMHO, has more tasty food, than South. Meals from the North tend to have more Tamil curry-ish/spicy-ish influence, whereas the South uses more Coconut base, which sort of dilutes the spice/curry

 

[Ade]

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Tops off for blokes
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Smashed coconut offerings
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The Hindu temples that you visited - the ceremony that was going on is to celebrate the month of "AADI" in the Tamil calender, which is famous for lady goddesses ... which is why there is a procession of a lady goddess and women carry pots with charcoal and neem leaves ...

 

[Ade]

I hope you bought some Basilur tea? Simply the best tea from SL that I have had so far ... Dilmah is a standard, but Basilur is best, IMO. I stocked on 2 boxes of Basilur Green Tea with Orange on my transit this time.

 

[RB]

This - very common in SL and India. I just returned after 2 weeks in MAA and BLR (a bit of work and pleasure) and my parents are regulars with one of such vegetable vendor who plays a very distinct music. Mum can recognise that music even if she is at the back of the top floor.

Makes for interesting people watching when you hear the fish/baker/veggie/garbo music coming along

 

[RB]

I hope you bought some Basilur tea? Simply the best tea from SL that I have had so far ... Dilmah is a standard, but Basilur is best, IMO. I stocked on 2 boxes of Basilur Green Tea with Orange on my transit this time.

We are more tea drinkers at home so didn't really stock up. We bought these 2 home (Mrs RB wanted the tin as a keepsake so the Battler was chosen)

 

[RB]

Gal Oya Lake Club

A fantastic overnight experience. Currently only 2 rooms available but a great set-up. Excellent staff, fantastic fully functioning room, infinity pool, lake backdrop and plenty of birdlife. Food was outstanding with the beetroot for the curry a
standout. The buffalo curd and treacle for dessert hit the spot also.
The location is on shimmering Senanayake Samudraya Lake – the country's largest reservoir and artificial lake. Plenty of staff are quickly progressing the site from a rough scrub wilderness to fit the vision of the owner. The owner is apparently an ex-army man who spent time serving in the north but is now a physio who also spends time working in Austria & Switzerland. We were treated very well!

Greeting area




Our room








Bathroom




Outside seating



View from room

 

[Cossie]

Looks very good! I’ll have to try a beetroot curry, sounds very interesting.

Great TR, thanks.

 

[RB]

Grounds of Gal Oya Lake Club.
They are taming the jungle and intend to expand the number of rooms, An area near the lake is going to be a few holes of golf. The day we left, a truck & some workers was arriving with turf that had been transported from Colombo!



Outside dining area


View back to rooms






Golf in the future


We were the only diners




Sunrise shot

 

[RB]

Gal Oya food-we are not food connoisseurs but this was great

Lunch


Buffalo Curd


I forget the details of the curry






This was the beautiful beetroot






Sorry lost focus here


Finished with a coconut crepe type concoction

 

[Ade]

Buffalo Curd

Was this served with Treacle? The golden syrup-y thing looks like a Treacle.

 

[RB]

Was this served with Treacle? The golden syrup-y thing looks like a Treacle.

Yes, this one was the best of a few versions we had

 

[Cossie]

As a proper borsch made with beetroot is probably my favourite soup, I think I would really like that curry! Some thing to do in a weeks time.

 

[RB]

Organised through the Gal Oya Lake Club was a boat safari in Galoya National Park. An early morning start was rewarded with sightings of wild elephants, basking crocodiles and plenty of birdlife all against the stunning backdrop of Sri Lanka’s largest reservioir.
Our timing wasn't right to see the elephants swimming between islands and water levels were down a long way
Gal Oya National Park

Some photos are ours and the others were taken by Lucky on the day









Obviously a popular rock




Weaver bird nests

 

[RB]

More Gal Oya boat safari

 

[RB]

Gal Oya to Ella
We rose about 1,100 metres during this drive. There is a small hydro scheme set up near the safari park. The cane harvest seems to be in full swing so we see more tractor drawn bins on the road and it slows traffic even more. The long distance buses are still the loose cannons of drivers in general. Our rise in elevation coincides with the appearance of tea and rubber plantations and the houses change in appearance. Our late lunch at a local bakery included fresh warm treats out of the oven for 3 people and 2 cups of tea and amounted to around $2.









Rubber


Start of the tea plantations


Great design on the back of the bus

 

[RB]

Ella Hotel On Rock Hotel
We were a a bit disappointed with the view from our room and think the web site photos were taken from a yet to be constructed rooftop!
However we were well looked after and the general location is excellent - up a steep rise from town but only a 300 rupee tuk tuk ride from the very bustling town area. Breakfasts were excellent, but our impromptu dinner on the first night caught the kitchen a bit underprepared. Wi-fi was patchy, bar fridge excellent, bed super comfortable, hot water variable and outgoing and competent staff. All in all good value for money.

 

[RB]

Around Ella
It's our second visit to Ella with Lucky and we find this highland village that sits amongst tea plantations, forests and mountains just as beautiful as we remember. The spectacular view from almost every angle, takes in Adams Peak, Little Adam's Peak and the houses perched on the precipice. Adam's Peak (Sri Pada) is Sri Lanka's most famous peak at 2250 metres and holds significance to Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and Christians. There is a large depression on top that resembles a foot and it's believed to be that of Buddha or the place where Adam first set foot on earth. Big shoes to fill either way!
The Little Adams Peak hike starts in the tea plantations and snakes around various viewpoints. There is now a zipline (Flying Ravana Zipline), some air rifle shooting and a few modern shops now rivaling the traditional path side huts.
The afternoon was a trip to the Nine Arch Bridge to coincide with the 5 pm train. There is a bit of a party atmosphere as everyone gathers at this spectacular spot to watch the train exit the tunnel and cross the bridge.
A 1 hr ayurvedic massage at a place Lucky has known for many years was excellent (Ayusha Ayurvedic). Your blood pressure is taken & heart rate checked before the strong oily massage.
Our night meal downtown was at Ice Cube- smaller and less crowded than most of the neighbouring restaurants/cafes and we were very happy with our choice-simple dishes of noodles and another early night.















View from within Ice Cube restaurant






Our video of Ella Nine Arch Bridge

 

[RB]

Ella to Arugam Bay
A downhill ride - dropping around 1,000m in 17km. Great views from the road with first stop at the very busy Kuda Ravana Falls. We had visited here on our previous trip. Some backpackers apparently walking out from Ella & catch the bus back. There is still more terracing happening for rice growing and we see a mechanised harvester at work. Lucky topped up with diesel - there are still pump attendants in Sri Lanka & a barcode system is in place for rationing fuel. As with the rest of the world there are anomalies in the system where changes to quotas were made but scooter riders received the biggest % increase allowance despite not needing it! For a short part of the drive we go back over some territory we covered after leaving Kalkudah. It was certainly very dry as we approached the coast and it was extremely hot (approaching the century mark with high humidity).



Still carving out terraces


Difficult to capture the vast drop at Kuda Ravana Ravana Falls – Lakpura LLC




Bowser attendant chair seems to be outside the bowser protection barriers


Outskirts of Arugam Bay

 

[RB]

Guitar Bay Hotel Arugam Bay
A 3 night stay. Great staff let down by a very ordinary building structure. Badly fitting doors, general lack of furnishings with nowhere to store or hang bags or clothes, nothing to sit on, and a wreck of a bathroom - but a comfortable bed and air conditioning & fan that eventually cool the room down enough to make it bearable. The pool was fine & refreshing but no specific furnishings around it & the gardens/grounds in general are a bit neglected. The breakfast is fine (around $5 each for omelet, toast, tea/coffee, fruit) and our 2nd night coincided with a special seafood night of BBQ tuna wrapped in foil over coals with heaps of rice, chips & other salad again around $9 a head. The beach side bar & cafe were certainly redeeming factors.
Excellent staff but could not recommend until the touted building refurbishing/completing/tidying actually happens. We looked to move hotels but many in Arugam Bay don't have air conditioning and a pool.-essential the way the weather was while we were there. It seemed Aragum Bay has a huge supply of entry level rooms.

Pool and immediate hotel area

 

[RB]

Walking Distance from Guitar Bay Hotel
















Fish Night


Pretty good example of a pizza from a little store on the main drag