KarenZ's Family Travel Adventure: A Hidden Gem in the Indian Ocean

Our latest trip was to Sri Lanka. Grandparents were worried that the children (P1 & P3) may not enjoy the environment and food. Instant noodles & biscuits were part of the luggage, so was the mosquito-free lotion, insect repellent, patch and the full works of medication.

Boy, we were wrong! We love the country! The first impression is that it is clean. Another family who was brave enough to join us at the last minute corrected me saying "It is very clean!". Well, I must add that our gameplan did not cover big cities, so that may have helped.

We love the mountains and the waterfalls. So, for the 1st part of our trip, we covered central Sri Lanka. The drive from Colombo to the central was long 3 - 4 hours and some parts bumpy, and at the towns, jammy, but we got to see how bricks were made, how coconuts were husked by hand, and the good old reliable shops that lined the roads selling muruku, roti praratha (we called it roti prata), hoopers (putu mayam without the sugar & coconut) and brooms and pails.

Brick Making by the villagers

Coconut husking by the villagers too

Our 1st stop was Kaudulla National Park, a sanctuary for wild elephants and birds aplenty. We were on a Jeep, so safe from the herd and mud.. Anyway, we were told that the elephant population was depleted rapidly during the colonial time but it is now gradually growing back to 6,000. And shooting an elephant in Sri Lanka will end up having a life imprisonment!

Here are some lovely pics of the wild:

Next Day, our 2nd stop : the lost kingdom of Sigiriya - A UNESCO site, we were told that that this palace was built by King Kassapa I (477-95), son of Dhatusena. the King came to power after he had engineered the assassination of his father and had disposed his brother. As the King fear a revenge, he built a fortified palace on the rock of Sigiriya, which is 200m high. In modern terms 1,200 steps to get to the top

The Sigiriya Rock

View mid-way up the Rock, here, we can see the road at the start of the palace & a Buddha statute (small white line)

Yes, we completed the hike and enjoyed the lovely view. In the forefront, ruins of the castle wall

On the 3rd day, we decided to do a whitewater rafting and for many of us, it was our 1st time. All eight of us including my two young boys love the thrill. Of course, we were accompanied by two expert oarsmen who did a crash course before we set off. A pic of how the raft was transported to the start point. Funny huh?

After an exhilarating morning, we felt energetic enough to travel and hike to a nearby waterfall. It was a bad decision, the road was rocky and bumpy and narrow as it is a less travelled way. We took 1.5 hour to cover 20 km by our van.But I must add that the hike to the waterfall, getting to know the various herbs, and the view of the waterfall is lovely.