Boom!…………..Boom!………………Boom!………….This was no enticing drum sound to woo me deep into the bowel of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic; no, this was a command to follow the many pilgrims into the darkness of the night into the most important Buddhist site in all of Sri Lanka. The site that, as legend would have you believe, contains a tooth from Buddha himself. Smuggled to Sri Lanka by an Indian Princess, the sacred tooth has been at the center of many conquests as for it is popularly believed that whoever holds the Tooth holds the power and the right to rule over the diverse island of Sri Lanka. After stripping your feet from your earth worn shoes and passing over the deep moat, you enter an ornate and spiritual world filled with intricately decorated arched corridors, hypnotic sounds of drums and prayers, the intense aromas of burning incense and the throngs of the pilgrims dressed in white holding offerings to Buddha.
On entering the final chamber, waiting patiently for the door that houses the relic itself to be opened by one of the many monks that form part of an elite sentinel for the temple, you will glimpse a priceless golden vessel. No words can adequately describe its immense beauty, elegance and sense of spiritual power that it holds over so many Buddhists around the world, for the vessel houses the Sacred Tooth of Buddha himself. Draped in exquisite jewels and gems, surrounded by a room of golden light and lush red velvet drapes, you can’t help but be overwhelmed by the sight of people praying, placing offerings and crying, as for some, this is a once in a lifetime experience. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a must see in the city of Kandy in the Hill Country of Sri Lanka and will leave an impression on you for many years to come.
The Scared Tooth Relic protected by its guardians
Pilgrims follow the drums to the Sacred Tooth Relic
Burning candles as an offering and prayer to Buddha
The hypnotic mosaic tiles line the ceiling
The Intricate artwork is stunning!
The colourful offerings on display at the temple
The Temple of Tooth Relic Entrance Hall, Sri Lanka
Mosaic Tiles on display at The Temple of the Sacred Tooth
There have been a few times in all the years that I have travelled and all the countries that I have visited that I have truly had an experience that has left me so humbled. So as I laid upon the stomach of a small Asian elephant, rising with every breathe that he took and feeling his coarse skin against my hands, I couldn’t help but shed a small tear at how magnificent these creatures truly are. Niki and I were in the small town of Sigiriya, in the central plateau of Sri Lanka. The day before we had climbed Sigiriya Rock and waking up early after a gang of monkeys attacked our guesthouse, we had planned to head south to the city of Kandy.
Magnificent Asian Elephant at his morning bath, Sri Lanka
Just before 8am the sound of a trumpeting elephant erupted through our room and as I peered out through our room’s dusty little window, I saw two mighty beasts lazily walking past our window. Niki was out of the door before I could even mention the phrase “elephants on parade’ and I was content to let her take some photos whilst I finished packing. A good 15 minutes had passed and I thought I should go find my wife who I had a strong suspicion that wherever she was, that she would be surrounded by an interested group of men. As whenever I left her alone in Sri Lanka, men would come in all directions to start up a conversation – whether friendly or with other intentions. So as I strolled down the road to find her, it came as no surprise that she was surrounded by two men whilst she took photos from a small bridge. Her images were of a small Asian Elephant on his side being bathed by a young mahout, who upon seeing us called us down in the river to have a better look.
Bathing Time for the Elephants at Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
Climbing down the muddy embankment with Niki in toe, I stopped at the bank and felt my jaw drop. There was this creature that I had seen all over Asia, in a natural setting away from the touristic stage. There were no tourist buses, no tricks or elephant artwork, no elephant poo postcards and no amusement park atmosphere. I knew it wasn’t the same as seeing a Wild Elephant, however there was something special about seeing the mahout care for the young elephant as if a child of his own. Beginning to understanding, at least to a small extent, the bond that they share in the form of a working partnership that has been existent for hundreds of years in this part of Asia. Niki and I were then invited to enter the river.
Beautiful Asian Elephant bathing at Sigiriya
The coarse hair ran through my fingertips, the elephant’s eyes gazed upon me before contently blowing water over its back and continuing to rub the cool earthy mud over its body. All this whilst the young man used a sturdy coconut shell to scrub the elephant’s skin of the muddy dust that clings to the air in this part of Sri Lanka. Nervous like I was on a first date, I couldn’t help but lay my ear against the elephant’s skin. I wanted to hear the sound of his beating heart and feel the rise of his stomach as air filled its lungs. I laid there in the moment, tranfixed in a world of discovery and felt humbled at the size and placid nature of the elephant. After I helped wash the young elephant’s leathery skin, which I wasn’t much good at, I slowly retreated back to the bank with a tear in the eye and a sense of awe at some of the amazing experiences you get to partake in when you travel the world.
Bathing with the Elephants at Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
The dilemma of elephants in tourism is a juicy conundrum. New technologies are replacing the need for elephants in agricultural and logging industries, coupled with the high expense of feeding them, often mahouts either have the choice of releasing them (which they may not survive), destroying them or potentially engaging them in tourism activites. However elephant tourism if done wrong, can be cruel and tacky, with elephants made to do tricks and ‘perform’ for the paying tourist. Ideally in the wild is the best place to see them, however with this not always possible, many successful elephant tourism operators (orphanages and rehabilitation centres) have been developed that create a sustainable way of fostering a balance between using elephants in tourism to help tourists get up close with the animals whilst meeting animal welfare standards and continuing to promote the growth of the Asian elephant population. It’s up to us and our travel choices about which type of elephant tourism will win out in the future!
As much as you want to rent a vehicle for your trip, you might be confused and afraid of paying unnecessary fees with cheap campervan hire Australia. The thing is, you just have to understand the industry and a few of the most common terms that the car rental agents use. Why not sum up the courage to call a car rental company and ask them a few questions so that you can learn something about renting a car for your trip?
You start with the size of car. If you’re travelling alone, you wouldn’t need a very large one. If you’re travelling with friends or family, you need a car that can perfectly fit everyone including your luggage. But remember to just rent the right sized car since the larger the car – the pricier it gets. So if you’re shopping for cheap campervan hire Australia, you should get the one that isn’t too big for you and your companion and not too small either. Regardless if you got money to burn or you’re on a strict budget, you need to make comfort a priority. Know the meaning of terms like luxury, compact or mid size so you can end up with the car that you need.
Whatever the price that companies have for their rental vehicles, know that you can always get them at a better price. Get yourself a price estimate before you book a vehicle. At the same time, you can also ask the agent about any specials or promos they have. When you’re choosing between two or three car rental companies, you can take a look at their rental car prices and use that as a basis. Make sure that you ask about restrictions that come with special offers too. Hidden charges? That’s another thing that you should be wary about.
A trip can go as smoothly as you planned when you have a car on your own. Before you go on a trip, domestically or internationally, make sure that you look into the possibilities of renting a car out instead of going through public transport. With cheap campervan hire Australia, you can go from one place to another to feel and experience everything that your vacation spot has to offer.
If you squint you will see a giant lion entangled in the encroaching jungle, overlooking the Hill Country to the south and protecting the central table of Sri Lanka. If you open your eyes fully, you will see the ruins of an ancient fortress or Sigiriya Rock as the locals call it, resting upon the top of a megalithic rock in a sparse plateau that would once have been a glorious residence for those who dared climbed upon the lion’s back. Photographing Sigiriya Rock is a wonderful challenge as there are so many aspects to shoot. From the rock paintings concealed within the overhanging caves, to the decaying ruins, to the 360 degree views from the top and of course, the mesmerizing rock itself. Lion Fortress is well worth the three hours travel from Colombo and is best experienced in the early morning as the sun rises over Sri Lanka.
Sigiriya Rock, Sri Lanka
Stairways cut through the rock as you ascend the fortress
The Giant Lion Paws of Sigiriya Rock
Beautiful Frescoes dating to the 5th Century - Sigiriya Rock
Royal Gardens below Sigiriya Rock
A Storm brewing over Lion Fortress
The rickety spiral staircases
Intense Greens of the moss that grow along the stone staircases (not photoshoped)
Getting the best priced rental car where you get cheap rent a car takes no effort whatsoever on your part. This is true, particularly when you shop at websites that partner with highly reliable car rental companies. With selections of cars from Redspot, Europcar, Thrifty and many others, you can find out which car gives more value to your money. Apart from that, there’s the prospect of getting an additional discount when you book rental vehicles from a specific rental company.
Having found the cheapest car in the lots of Avis and Budget, you might still have a mind to get something cheaper. As you can see, you can still find more affordable cheap rent a car if you take some time to look over the various offers. Maybe you’re looking to rent a car out for more than three days. When this is the case, you can get free days for your rental or you can get a huge percentage of the total rental price taken off. Again, this is with some car rental companies only so you have to really look at your options thoroughly.
Let’s say that you find the cheapest rental car from Thrifty. But if you book the same car at Budget, you’ll have a bigger savings even if it’s worth a day’s rental for a few more dollars. However, if you need the car for more than 10 days, look for promotions. Going with Thrifty, you have to pay for all the 12 days that you’re renting out the car. However, with Budget, it’s a different story. You only rent the car for 10 days and the other two days of your trip is covered for free. Yes, you get two days free renting a vehicle from Budget for 10 days. Indeed, cheap rent a car is easy to find through the help of comparison websites.
To be honest Anuradhapura accommodation isn’t cheap and Niki and I struggled to find anything under 2000rp per night. We ended up settling on the Saubagya Inn, which at the time of the post had a reasonable rating on TripAdvisor. The Saubagya Inn is a newly opened four bedroom property operated by friendly staff and is located about thirty minutes from the main street by foot and five minutes by a three wheeler in the main budget accommodation area. The area itself is quiet and residential, yet the streets are dirty. The local markets in the area will help you keep the cost low though if travelling on a budget. Saubagya Inn is about fifteen minutes by three wheeler to the main tourist sites and ruins.
The rooms at Saubagya Inn have a slight boutique feel to them with timber furnishings and semi stylish décor. Our room had two single comfortable beds pushed together and a good sized ensuite with hot water. The bathroom had a slight smell to it, however the area had seen some intense rain and the smell cleared after a few hours. Each room has mosquito nets however no fridges or internet.
The atmosphere had a more mature feel to it with many mature travellers and their drivers staying overnight. The food was a little overpriced compared to the street food located a mere 30 seconds away, yet well sized and delicious. You’ll pay about 500rp for a curry and three vegetables which turned out to be a great spread. Thirty seconds from the guesthouse is a local bakery and eatery which provides tasty hoppers, yummy cakes and any provisions you may need.
We paid 2500rupees a night and that got us a fan cooled room. 3000rp will get you air conditioning however at this time of the year fan cooled was perfect. Security is good both on the doors and windows. The owner, Sunil, was very friendly and warmly welcomes his guests by telling them that “My house is your house”.
My only small issue with Saubagya Inn was the front room merged into the restaurant and on our last night we had to ask the friendly but boisterous travellers to quieten down at 11pm at is started to turn into a late night drinking session. Besides that, Saubagya Inn was a comfortable and quiet place to spend a few days in Anuradhapura and well recommended.
Saubagya Inn is tricky to find as there is no signage or street numbers (Google maps says it is on the airport runway!), however it’s on the same street at Milano’s and just south towards the T junction. Saubagya Inn is next door to the bakery and look for the white walls and tables in the foyer.
Saubagya Inn Room
Saubagya Inn Bathroom
Saubagya Inn Restaurant
Saubagya Inn Yummy Dinner
Contact Saubagya Inn
Email address for Saubagya Inn: saubagyainn@yahoo.com
Saubagya Inn Phone Number: +94252223490
Saubagya Inn Address: 10/395 Bandaranyake Mawatha, Kada Panaha, Anuradhapura
As the soles of your feet touch the soft earth, the whimsical smoke from the sweet burning incense floats through the air around you and the soft murmurs of prayers takes you to a enlightened time, a time recorded in stories and by the religious offerings made by the many pilgrims that surround you. The ruins of Anuradhapura is nothing like I’ve ever seen before and will leave an impression on me for the many years to come. For this Photo Junket I wanted to share with you the incredible site of Anuradhapura in Northern Sri Lanka. Never heard of Anuradhapura before? Well, think Angkor Watt without the hordes of tourists! Anuradhapura is a sprawling town that is home to many impressive ruins, colourful Buddhas and grand Dagobas surrounded by jungle keen to return the man-made structures to nature. It’s four hours by train from Colombo or two from Kandy. I hope you enjoy these photographs, they only give a glimpse to the grandeur of this former capital!
Reclining Buddha at the Abhayagiri Dagoba, Anuradhapura
A solitary Monk chanting his moring prayers at Ruvanvelisaya Dagoba, Anuradhapura
The Elephant Guard at Ruvanvelisaya Dagoba
The Crumbling Jetavanarama Dagoba, Anuradhapura
The Striking Ruvanvelisaya White Dagoba, Anuradhapura
Ruvanvelisaya Dagoba Prayer Flags, Anuradhapura
The ancient Abhayagiri Dagoba
Abhayagiri Dagoba Buddhism Artwork
Ruvanvelisaya White Dagoba, Anuradhapura
The Intense reds and yellows of the incense burner at Thuparama Dagoba
Burnt out train wrecks from a war not long forgotten, butterflies and birds of intense blues and reds, cattle feeding in the fields of green and friendly waves from local villagers tending their rice paddies await for you along the rails from Colombo to the ancient city of Anuradhapura. Niki and I, after spending a day in the city of Colombo, decided to begin our four weeks here in Sri Lanka by heading north to the Ancient Cities region before making a circuit south through the Hill Country. Before commencing this trip, Niki sat me down and whilst referring to our recent chaotic adventures in Vietnam, gave me two strict rules; Firstly no entering into political sensitive areas and secondly, no dodgy trains. So at 5.30am when we found ourselves hurling through the backstreets of Colombo towards Fort station in a three wheeler driven by the Sri Lankan version of Michael Schumacher, I was hoping I wasn’t about to break Niki’s rule on train travel. On a side note, Niki’s post traumatic therapy sessions that she received after travelling in Vietnam by train has gone well, she is now able to look at a train without running in the other direction!
Fort Station in Colombo
Coach 15707 - Fort Train Station Colombo
Considering it was early morning, the city was alive with people going about their prayers, local business men buying their morning coffees and soldiers completing their intense Rocky Bilbao montages. Picking up some fresh fruit and roti from the local street stalls, we boarded our 6.50am train for Anuradhapura. If you’re like me and when you think of Asian trains you think of old carriages falling apart at the seams, chickens running lose and the carriages so crammed that people under your armpits can tell what type of deodorant you’re wearing, you’re in for a pleasant surprise! Niki and I boarded our clean 2nd class carriage with only eight other people and as we took our seats, I sat with an anxious wait to see if anyone else was to board. Surely there had to be more people, every other train arriving at Colombo was so packed with early morning commuters that if someone farted a person would be pushed out the door! However to our honest surprise, we left on time in a quiet cabin bound for Anuradhapura.
Onboard the Train from Colombo to Anuradhapura
Waiting for The Train to Pass
For the first half hour of our trip we passed through the urban sprawl of Colombo city, passed shunting yards and other trains full to the brim with people. We eventually broke out into the green rice paddies and small villages that dotted our trip over the next four hours. The mountains shrouded in low mist were a constant backdrop. Everywhere you looked birds of vibrant colours where nesting and buffaloes were grazing in the fields. The further north you got the deeper into the jungle you went, with train stations becoming more overgrown with vines and tropical flora. Every stop would see men and women wandering the aisles with the most savoury and sweet dishes; from spring rolls to mangoes and my personal favourite, salted peanuts.
One of the many rivers you'll see from Colombo to Anuradhapura
Potuhera Train Station
As we travelled north, we also begun to notice more and more train wrecks and carriages on the side of the rails that the jungle was slowly claiming back. The wrecks, either by accidents or by more sinister doings, indicated that the north wasn’t going to be as tourist friendly as the south, especially considering I read that only a few years ago a bus was destroyed when it hit a landmine in the area. It was slightly unnerving to think that Sri Lanka was still in a state of military readiness and that Niki and I were moving closer to the areas that were under heavy observation and military occupation. There goes Niki’s first rule about politically sensitive areas.
A colourful lady walking through the Rice Paddies
Niki watching Sri Lanka go by.
About an hour from Anuradhapura station the clouds opened and started a monsoonal down pour that would last for the next twelve hours. Later on we would discover that this wet weather was the left overs from a big cyclone that hit the south of Sri Lanka and sadly took the lives of some of the villagers in the area. On arrival, we were greeted by the usual line of touts and were whisked away to our accommodation. We paid 100 rupees for a taxi tide to our accommodation at the Surabagya Inn. Even if this was too much the rain guaranteed that our driver held all the bargaining chips. The train was 380 rupees ($3.80aud) with reserved seating that we had booked the day before and gave an interesting insight into the local Sri Lankan life as well as provided a comfortable and very affordable travelling option to Anuradhapura.
Do you ever meet some people along your travels and think “what the hell are you thinking?” Take for instance the man I met on-board a train bound for Colombo today. Choosing to sit next to Niki and engage her in a smile and nod routine as neither of them spoke the others language, the elderly man eventually decided to latch onto me. Grabbing the inside of my hand he kissed it before clasping his hands together as if I was a miraculous person who just cured him from some horrible foot disease. After a brief lull is his escapades and just before pulling alongside a urban rail station where he was about to disembark, the man then grabbed my hand, looked deep into my eyes (which is when I thought he was puckering up for another kiss) and chose to snot on the back of my hand….yes, you read right, snot.
Street Vendors in the Pettah District
Sitting there as if I just been slapped in the face with a tuna fish, going over it in my head wondering if I missed some local custom where snotting in another person’s hand brings them good-luck, I contemplated how I was going to clean my hand or cut it off all together. My dilemma though was how to do it without offending the other passengers on the train who may misconstrue my overt hate for other people’s snot on my hand, with thinking the locals were dirty people. It was about this time I start contemplating my visit to Colombo and tried to work out where all this started?
The Chaotic Streets of Colombo
The first time I ever heard about Colombo was when I was working for an airline and there was a message left on everyone’s phones saying that some type of surface missile had been fired at a plane on the runway at Colombo airport. The message informed us that any current aircraft on the ground were told to get off the tarmac and into the air immediately to avoid being destroyed. I also remembered thinking at the time that the name ‘Colombo’ seemed mundane for a city name and couldn’t help but associate it with the image of an old detective program. Not to mention always getting it confused with Colombia! So why was I here being snotted on like I was in some Kleenex commercial from hell? The answer was simple, because the island of Sri Lanka had captured so many hearts and minds of many of the great travellers in our history, I had to visit to understand why!
Along the Colombo Rails
So ten years on from the message on my phone and in a time which has seem some stability return to Sri Lanka, Niki and I would begin our four week jaunt around the island in Colombo. As soon as we arrived we understood that whilst the war may have ‘ended’, the local military presence across the city was still unnervingly tight. This brings us back to me standing at Fort station in central Colombo for 30minutes scrubbing my hand like a crazed man. Colombo is chaotic at the best of times which when stifled by the humid weather made the traffic fumes intoxicating as you walked throughout the city. Coupled with the heavy military presence, which considering some of these military men and women only come up to my shoulder but looked like that could a do a Rambo on my arse, I started to realise that Colombo wasn’t some pretty tourist town.
Fort Station, Colombo
Since our arrival, there has been military everywhere; from bridges, airports, schools, train station and the list goes on. It’s not just a couple of guards either; its full blown bunkers, road closures, vehicles and weaponry. However the city is still thriving and I think their presence is more for precaution then necessity. The tourist attractions in the Fort area are small and limited to a ramshackle collection of furniture at the Dutch Museum, the various streets in the Pettah district selling all sorts of bits and bobs as well as a clock tower surrounded by the military. Which, incidentally, if you try to photograph you’ll have weapons pointed at you so quickly that you won’t have time to even think about peeing your pants!
National Museum in Colombo
Niki and I finished the day visiting the National Museum (south of Fort) which houses a unique collection of statues depicting the various religions of the island, unique archeological relics and heaps of great history displays to help us understand the regions we were about to visit. Overall Colombo is a city that is a faded relic of a time gone past. Modern buildings sit next to dilapidated shacks, retro buses push past the latest Honda however everywhere you look there is something to feast your eyes upon. From the colorful dresses that drape the women, to the buzzing three wheelers that own the streets. Yet the town, to me, just felt like a rundown city with too much pollution, no waste management and a clear divide between the rich and extreme poor. This is the real Colombo in many ways. After two days in Colombia, sorry Colombo, it was time to head north to the ancient capital of Anuradhapura.
I could think of no better way to start this exciting post than with something Niki just said to me. “Peter I want you to take note of this quote from my book, “not all activities in India involve hauling your arse up a mountain!”
So with that read between the lines message given to me with one eyebrow raised and a look in the eye that says my wife hasn’t forgotten out last foray into Vietnam (Hello, Whats Your Name?), Im very excited to announce our latest travel blog series and of course, our next big travel adventure. In just over three weeks Niki and I will be heading off to fabled island of Sri Lanka for six weeks before landing in the mother country of India for a three month off the beaten track experience and to dig deep into the roots of Niki’s family tree.
Our trip is inspired by Niki’s grandparents who migrated from India to Australia in the 1950′s. Learning recently that Niki’s family has amazing stories of opulent Raj’s, famous Lieutenant-colonel’s of the East India Company as well as survivors’ of shipwreck’s, we hope to trace some of these inspiring and tragic moments in history. Taking the opportunity to visit the places that have lined the photographs of her grandparents walls over their lifetime. Our adventure will be like our own version of Who Do You think You Are?
For me, this is a time to consolidate the last three years of studying for my degree. In just a few more weeks this all comes to an end. After nine years of studying on and off, my tourism degree will finally be in my pocket. I don’t know if you heard that, but that was the world’s biggest sigh of relief. I have been pondering for a while about what should happen next. Should I get a job and start climbing the career ladder? Should I settle down, buy a house, acquire 2.3 kids and have a animal that resembles a dog? Should I torture myself even more and complete my honors? Should I start up an enterprise called bookface plus? Or should I go after a child hood dream of visiting India?
In the past when situations have arisen similar to this I have ultimately chosen the road less travelled and somehow I have always ended up exactly where I want to be – happy! When asking Niki what she wants to do next year, she inevitably shouts at me “travel, travel, travel” as she runs out the door to work. So with a clear goal in mind, its time to travel again! One last hoorah of an unadulterated travelling adventure before I settle down for some career building. Niki and I will be leaving Perth in late November after graduation, travelling from Perth to India via Sri Lanka. We will spend three months experiencing two of the most amazing cultures the world has to offer. We will blog, vlog and photograph our way through these adventures, giving everyone the information needed to do it yourself and hopefully inspire travellers to get off that packaged tour!
I’m also really excited about travelling more sustainably and genuinely cant wait to see how different operators around Sri Lanka and India are adopting ethical tourism programs. At the heart of this is the chance for Niki and I to visit destinations that are legendary on the travel circuit as well as pivotal societies of the world we live in.
