It was a very impromptu decision to begin with.
Because turning into adulthood means something to everyone, I thought I could do something different for my 21st. I decided to do something for myself.
Being part of my 21 things to do this year, I decided to do a backpacking/ adventure trip and Sri Lanka was the result between comparing mainstream countries like Indonesia, Cambodia, Myanmar etc.
Sri Lanka is still an untouched gem which little people would want to visit because of the civil war (which ended years back) as compared to Cambodia's Angkor Wat, Myanmar's pagodas. I would still visit those places but Sri Lanka shall kickstart all these adventurous trips.
So, me and my travel buddy for the trip, Laila boarded to plan and there we are, at Sri Lanka for 7 days.
Day 1
Train rides are a mandatory thing to do when we are in these countries. To the locals, they are considered as the cheapest way of travel as compared to TukTuks, not to even talk about cars. A one way ticket could cost from 80c SGD, at the least, to $6 SGD, at the most. Of course, that meant time taken to travel is a lot more than the other modes of transport.
With this, of course we do not want to miss the chance to take the train. Since we had an overnight flight, we reached Colombo Airport at about 5+AM. Did our money exchange and SIM card registers at the airport before we head out.
The airport is small and very simple but they had the very basics that tourists need (eg. Washrooms, Money Exchangers, Food Hall, Phone Cards booths etc.) but of course, it's no way near Changi Airport.
Managed to find our way out of the airport, because we had to like literally exit a gate of the airport to reach the taxi waiting area. We read up beforehand that there was a bus interchange that have services to the Colombo Railway Station. However, we were too early and still had about an hours' time before the operating hours. The TukTuk drivers outside, please be careful. We managed to shush them off but decided on a 'minibus' after the driver convinced us that it will be too long to wait if we were to wait for the first bus. The driver was very nice and told us some of the things around and taught us very simple Sinhalese but we were too tired to continue. Or maybe I should say, I literally stoned and dozed off for a moment when he was talking to us.
When we reached the Colombo Railway Station, there were already crowds of locals at the station waiting for the booths to open. Apparently, we were still early. We waited at the station for about an hour or so. Meanwhile we saw a young man, prolly a few years older than us. He was a TukTuk driver and he was trying to get some business around the station to get tourists who were unwilling to wait for the train. We had a small talk with him till we found him creepy but it was pretty heartening to hear about how he lost his family during the Tsunami in 2004 and how he was trying to earn a living to feed himself and his only sibling left.
We met a Russian lady too! She was alone on a backpacking trip and she had been backpacking for quite sometime before Sri Lanka. *motivation*
2nd class tickets en route to our first stop! Nuwara Eliya, which was the highest of the central highlands (realised after I left). First stop at Nanu-Oya which took us about 5 hours which we slept on off on off to check if we missed the station. We already got drivers who want to take us to our homestay, or even offering homestays for us, the moment we alight the train.
A little photo taking here and there before we decide to take one of the 'minibus' and towards our homestay. Interesting journey and ended up that our homestay was really a very simple room provided for us at the top of the hill. Not a bad thing tho, exercise for us while we walk down and up the hill to the central area just like the locals.
Our first meal costs us about $5 SGD all together which was pretty decent because the serving was huge for a plate of fried rice and we had a special omelette with 2 Colas. *Note: Fried Rice in Singapore can never fight with their fried rice. (Salivating now)
YOU ARE NOT IN A INDIAN CULTURED COUNTRY IF YOU DON'T TRY THEIR PRATA. Or like what they called, parota. Y'know, this is the damn authentic prata and you will never find the same taste again here in Singapore. (Salivating again) I miss the food there damn.
Bought necessities like water and some food to prepare out next day trip.
People who are fair, don't be surprised that they speak to you in Jap because even with my skin color, they assume that I'm a Japanese.
Day 2
Made plans in the night with the host and we had a driver who brought us to Horton Plains National Park which I last minuted changed plans to this after seeing @bonesgentle 's post at the World's end. It was a one hour's drive to the entrance of the park and it was already freezing cold. (forgot to mentioned that the central highlands are constantly at aircon temperature all year long). Our motive to be there was for the World's End and the Bakers' Falls but there were more eye opener stuff for us to see there.
We had 2 ways to choose, the hard or the easy first, at the beginning of the trek. Of course we chose the easy path first because we were not prepared to start anything scary yet. The first section, we had a walk in the 'woods' where there were descriptions provided for us telling us about the faunas in the plains. Then the rocky paths where there were stones, Laila's favourite. Steps everywhere so we had to be careful of every step we take to prevent ourselves from falling.
About an hour, we reached the place which they called the Little World's End and stopped for a rest. At this part, we were already amazed with the view that was in front of us especially that it was so clear before the fog came. Moving forward, finally reaching the World's End and did something I never knew I could. Going to the peak of the peak, beneath the wooden planks that were there for tourists and took a photo. I swear my heart was almost coming out at that moment. Photo taking session and it was a pity the fog came and we couldn't had a nice aerial view when we start taking our photos at the top. Onwards, we started to walking into the area where we believed the inspiration of the Windows wallpaper came from. It was damn awesome and the plains were hugeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Rested along the way on the dried plants and definitely still awed by what I was seeing by the 2nd hour. Till the strenuous path up to the Bakers' Falls which was definitely worth it because damn refreshing when you reached the place.
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| Our friend from Norway and a local guide |
In total we took about 4.5hours to trek the plains and our driver told us it was too long. I think we spent too much time taking photos haahhahaa.
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| Worth all the energy we used up to get here. |
Next stop was a Australian Farm where they produce milk and other livestock. Toured the cow farms and made little friends, human friends, animal friends. Hhahaha.
Back to the city to have lunch and we went to buy some tea leaves from the driver's friends and I swear I regretted not buying more there because it had the best tea leaves (given the location at the top of the central highlands) and cheaper and purer as compared to those we saw as we proceeded.
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| Packing of tea leaves. |
Shopped a bit at their market, apparently they have markets and carnivals set up (like our Pasar Malams) every year before the Vesak Day. End our day 2 with some groceries shopping, eg. water and food.
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| With our driver of the day, Yoga which I called him. (their names are too hard to pronounce) |
Costs so far:
Colombo Airport to Colombo Railway Station: 2000rps
Colombo Railway Station to Nanu-Oya: 5000rps
Nanu-Oya to our homestay: 800rps
Food: 1000rps (est.)(incl. of drinking water)
Horton Plains: 6000rps (for driver) + 6000rps (for entrance fee to park)
Food: 1000rps (est.)
Entrance fee for Australian Farm: 400rps
Total: 26000rps (est. $260 SGD)
All these are for 2 pax excluding personal expenses. Fee for Horton Plains took a bulk of it actually. But that was the main attraction we had when at Nuwara Eliya.
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