Negombo Diaries: Pickleball
Pickleball, the new racket game sensation, has well and truly arrived in Negombo. Run by Pipinya, the company that launched pickleball in Sri Lanka, they use the Jetwing Beach Hotel tennis court which has been converted into two pickleball courts with floodlights. An opening weekend in December had lots of curious participants turn up and lots…
Abhayasekararamaya Temple, Negombo
Affectionately known locally as the Podipansala, (Little Temple), the beautiful Abhayasekararamaya Temple is a peaceful place exuding a sense of history and spirituality. The gleaming white stupa is the first place to visit before walking through the extensive grounds to the rows of little oil lamps waiting to be lit. A bit further on is…
Angurukaramulla Temple, Negombo
Angurukaramulla Raja Maha Viharaya, to give it its full name, is the most important Buddhist temple in the predominantly Catholic Negombo. It is situated in Temple Road about 3 km from the town centre. The imposing entrance to the Shrine Room is through the wide open mouth of a lion above which there is a…
Kumana National Park
The magic words “I guarantee you will see a leopard” were enough to persuade me to book a safari to this park, even though I know that there can be no such guarantees where wild life is concerned. Kumana National Park is in the south eastern corner of the island, north of Yala, covering an…
Highway Museum Complex
Kiriibathkumbura Driving to Kandy on the main road from Colombo at the 68th mile stone you will come across this quirky little museum at Kiribathkumbura. Established in 1989 and maintained by the Road Development Authority this eclectic collection of equipment from a bygone era is free to visit. In the early 19th century roads were still just…
Bananas
At least twenty nine varieties are grown in Sri Lanka. Fruit shops and roadside stalls offer a choice of different shapes, sizes and colours all hanging in huge bunches still on the main stem. Bananas are packed with potassium, minerals and essential vitamins. A cheap superfood to eat every day. All parts of a banana plant can…
Masks – Raksha Masks
The vibrant, colourful masks on display in many shops have their roots in primitive pre Buddhist beliefs going back more than two thousand years and come from the Rakshasas, a race who ruled Sri Lanka and could assume different forms. Raksha means demon and the masks are intended to ward off evil in a series of…
Galle
Most people visiting Galle bypass the modern town and head straight for Galle Fort on the south western tip of the island. The iconic lighthouse and Galle International Cricket Stadium are familiar sights whether you have visited the island or not. Just 119 kilometres from Colombo, the promontory is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and…
Udawalawe National Park
A nature lovers paradise, the Udawalawe National Park was established in June 1972. The 31,000 hectare park provides sanctuary for the animals displaced by the construction of the reservoir. Marshland, forest, scrub and open grasslands support a thriving diversity of species. The thrill of seeing elephants in the wild never wanes and with total numbers in excess…
Udawalawe
Tucked away in the depths of rural Sri Lanka lies the small town of Udawalawe. Equidistant from the hills to the north and the Indian Ocean in the south it is surrounded by vast sugar cane plantations, rice paddy and fields of manioc. It would have remained relatively unheard of if it had not been for…
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