This is the second trip that I organize in my new Travel Agency called Travel with pauli. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce my initiative. This time I sent Marina and Lidia and Juanita and Laura to Sri Lanka, to what they say, has been the trip of their lives.
What is special about the “Travel with Pauli trips”?
During this last year, many people have been sending me private messages via email or social networks asking me for nice travel agencies that organize trips in groups. Most of them complained about the these agencies organization as most of them deal with large groups, usually take clients to the most touristy parts of the destinations with lack of authenticity and adventure, and ask lots of money for it. They used to ask me how I have the courage to travel alone and if I knew people looking for some traveling partners or agencies that organize small groups of 2-3 people at a good price.
Since traveling for me is the most wonderful thing in the world, and I had that fear of traveling alone years ago, I decided to start helping those people to fulfill their dream. I decided then to create an organized travel organization, based on unique experiences and good price.
How it works?
- The first step is to contact me via email and I will arrange a coffee or a Skype call to meet the future traveler. I would ensure I get to know her needs, preferences, tastes…. In order to find her/him the perfect travel companion
- Then I will share with her/him in my views about travelling to the countries she/he is interested to visit (I do not organize trips to places I have not visited, since I want to make sure that your experience is unique).
- Once she picks a few destinies, I would look for the perfect girl partner and if they all agree on price and itinerary, I will introduce each other. If either of them tell me they did not get along, or prefer to go with another person, they can always share it with me privately and I would look for another option.
I am using “she” instead of “he”, because I found girls more interested in traveling with another girls. Just would like to highlight this is not a dating travel agency. However, if boys are interested I would definitely organize them a trip and look for a partner to go with.
SRI LANKA IN 12 DAYS
I would like to start by saying that Sri Lanka is one of my favorite destinations. After having traveled all over the world, I would like to share how surprised I was with the people of this country. For their joy and big heart. I want to thank all my friends and followers for caring about me on the day of the terrorist attacks. Thank God we decided to change the plans last minute and not go to Colombo to spend our the last day.
A horrible tragedy to a country that only deserves the best. A place that has made me feel at home.
I would like to share my experience with you .
Scenic Grand Tours Sri Lanka
We flew with the airline Saudia, where we felt very bad treated (especially on the flight from Jeddha – Colombo) where men have all preferences in every sense and attendants were not even willing to give us a blanket, when 3 men had two each. Jeddah airport is probably the most horrific to make a stopover, so I recommend you trying to find another option.
I don´t normally travel with organized tours, I usually go for free, but I had read very good reviews about «Scenic grand tours Sri Lanka» so we decided to book the driver with them, since I was told that you can either let them organize your tips or you can do suggestions and improvise on the way. It also got my attention because travelers were saying they show you more local and native places. All my friends who had visited Sri Lanka less than two weeks told me that without a driver you won´t have time to see anything, since public services are very slow and the distances are very long. It was a good choice without a doubt.
Sri Lanka is a cheap country, especially on accommodation. However, going to see temples, certain buddhas and national parks is quite expensive.
Colombo- Sigiriya
Day 1
Charly, our driver, picked us up at the airport at 9am. From there we decided to go straight to Sigiriya. If you arrive late, I recommend the area of Negombo to spend a first day near the sea. On the way, we stopped at the elephant orphanage. The driver told us he did not recommend it, but I had read that they treat well the elephants and I wanted to see them on the lake. The entrance price is $ 15 and honestly it was a bit sad to see the chains in their legs. They do not seem to be treated badly, but they tie those who are dangerous and can harm the other elephants. I will never really know what it´s being done there, but I cannot recommend it as I did not feel a good energy.
From there we continued for an hour and a half and stopped to see the immense Buddha of Aukana of 13 meters. We were quite impressed, the entrance fee is 1000 rupees (about 6 euros). That one was worth it, however I recommend not going crazy paying tickets to see them all, as there are many with free entry.
We stayed at the Hotel “Into the wild in Sigiriya”.I chose it because “Into the wild” is one of my favorite books is and because I had a good review on booking. The hotel is great, very good quality-price. The road you take on the way to the hotel has an illuminated buddha on the top of the hill. It is a privileged place to stay at. Fully recommended.
Day 2
Polonnaruva – Minneriya National Park
Polonnaruva is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka. It was the seat of the Sinhalese kings from the 11th century to the 13th century. It was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. Do not miss visiting it. I did not go to Anuradhapura, because most of the travelers I met told me that Polonnaruva is much prettier and the entrance is cheaper. It takes at least 2 hours to visit the whole site and the ticket price is $ 25. DO NOT FORGET TO TAKE SOCKS, and something to cover your shoulders and knees since in all the temples you have to enter barefoot and the floor is burning.
Minneriya National Park is one of the most visited parks by nature lovers for the amount of elephants in freedom you can see. We went around 3pm and found the number of Jeeps doing the Safari at the same time excessive, but the park is definitely worth it. We were so fascinated when we saw a family of 20 elephants together in the water (3 of them calfs). The price of the entrance to the Park is 3500 rupees (only entrance) and about 5000 the jeep (therefore the more people the cheaper). Look around because in addition to elephants you can see water-buffalos, peacocks, monitor lizards, different species of birds. The safari lasts an hour and a half or so, depending on the time you want to stay taking pictures.
Day 3
Pidurangala- Lion Rock Sigiriya – Golden Buddha & Dambulla Cave temple
Lion Rock is the famous rock of Sigiriya. It contains the ruins of an old palatial complex, built during King Kasyapa kingdom.There are two possibilities: Climb the rock ($ 30) or climb Pidurangala rock (500 rupees / $ 3) and from there you can enjoy the views with the famous rock on the background. This last option apart from being more economical and less tiring, from my point of view, is more interesting, since the climb is beautiful and the Buddha lying down that is on a the way is very impressive. Do not forget for any of the two options to wear trainers or boots, not flip flops. I decided to go in flip flops and ended up going barefoot since it slips a lot.
Golden Buddha & Dambulla Cave temple
The Temple of the Dambulla Cave, also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla, is a World Heritage Site.
The Golden Buddha is the biggest I have ever seen, but what really impressed me was the Temple visit, surrounded by monkeys and with a variety of innumerable colorful buddhas. The entrance price is 1500 rupees.
This day we slept in «One more night Hotel Dambulla«. A very economical backpackers hostel. The owner is a teacher and works hard to send his son to university in Japan. In addition to the accommodation, it has a restaurant called “Mum’s kitchen”, very well known in the area. There we had one of the most authentic food we tried (along with the Welligama hotel, which I will mention later).
Day 4
Kandy
Sigiriya is 2-3 hours from Kandy, it depends on traffic. We visited Sri Lanka on the tamil New Year week, so it took us a while since there were many celebrations and the entrance to Kandy was a bit collapsed.
In Sri Lanka, as it is not very touristy yet, it is difficult to stop to eat on the road, so I recommend you to have a good breakfast and bring fruit or cookies for the road, since sometimes it is not easy to find food on the way. (I personally was hungry the whole trip, but I eat a lot, so I am not a good reference).
Kandy is one of the most picturesque cities in Sri Lanka, located in the center of the country in the Highlands surrounded by mountains, tea fields and tropical jungles. It is famous for its sacred places for Buddhism. The beautiful Lake Bogambara crosses the city and the Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa).
Here we stay at the Theva Residency hotel, a beautiful hotel on the hill with an infinity pool with unimpressive views. We loved the treatment we received and the food. Without any doubt, the best quality food of the entire trip. Besides being a very famous hotel, it is a well-known restaurant in the area and highly recommended. The owner, who had a special energy, told us that it was a family business and the house of his childhood that they turned into hotel cuisine. The thought it was sweet and a beautiful project (it is the dream of my life to do something like that, a small boutique hotel somewhere dreamy, ideally close to the sea)
Theva Residency hotel
Days 5 – 6
Nuwara Eliya – Nanu Oya to Ella train
Kandy is about 3 hours from Nanu Oya. We decided to get up early to have time to stop at Nuwara Elilya. On the way we really enjoyed the scenery: tea fields, leafy forests and a lower temperature. Nuwara Eliya is the vacation spot of the locals, who tired of the heavy heat they dream with escaping to the mountains for a few days.
Ella’s famous train
As beautiful or more than Ella is the journey to arrive. They say it is one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world, we can not disagree. I was aware of how complicated is to get tickets in first class or get to sit in second class. Especially if you decide to get the train at Nanu Oya station. It is true that Sri Lanka is way less touristy than any of other countries of Southeast Asia (very similar to Myanmar), but this train is full of travelers.
First class tickets must be reserved at least a couple of months in advance. As that is not usually my style, we bought second class (200 rupees) tickets 10 min before departure. When we boarded we realized it was packed and we couldn´t even get a piece of ground. Then, our driver, saw us overwhelmed and decided to go talk to the driver to see if there was any sit left in 1st class. What a surprise when he realized the driver was a close friend of his father, and suddenly, in less than a minute, the 3 of us were in the driver’s cabin, laughing, watching huge monkeys crossing the tracks. It was without a doubt an unforgettable experience. The drivers showed us the system they use, inherited from the English. They carry a leather case a round steel plate that marks the route, and when they arrive at the next station they exchange it in progress. They also offered us delicious homemade pastries and made us hide in the machinery carriage when we passed through the stations, since we should not be there. The journey lasted 2 and a half hours, but it was short for us. Waterfalls, villages, exotic animals, green jungles and many laughs was the summary of that journey.
Day 7 – Ella
Little Adams Peak
Adams Peak is a mountain venerated by locals, who go on a pilgrimage to the peak at least once in a lifetime. It is a beautiful place where you can do zipline and enjoy the views of Ella from above.
Bridge of the Nine Arches
The bridge of the Nine arches is a must visit. It is only 25 min by car and can be accessed on foot or in a Tuk Tuk. The bridge was built by the English during the colonial period and is surrounded by tea fields. It is convenient to look at the time at which the train passes. There is one that passes around 12pm and another at 13.30pm (the two red trains). The famous blue train passes at 4:30, perfect for taking some good pictures.
Yala National Park is the most famous and visited national park in Sri Lanka. If you’re lucky, you can see leopards. There is more chance to see them in the evening visit. Another park is Udawalawe National Park, less visited, but very interesting too. It has a great variety of animals, large families of elephants and is very close to Ella, only 2 hours away. Yala almost 4 hours away.
Day 8-12
Welligama – Mirissa – Dikwella – Galle – Unawatuna
Welligama – Mirissa – Dikwella (Day 8-10)
Weligama was our first stop on the south coast of Sri Lanka. In this city full of life and surrounded by beautiful beaches, a few minutes from Mirissa that has unmissable beaches, we found what could be one of our best stays. Upon arrival at Sainans Boutique Villa we were welcome by Raijan, a very friendly and calm persson, since our arrival he made us feel at home or even better … the hotel is located in the best part of Welligama, a few streets from the beach. It has very well equipped cabins, surrounded by nature, and with modern and comfortable facilities.
On our first day Raijan prepared a welcome dinner for us and we shared with him and his friend a very special time in which they told us about the history of Sri Lanka, telling us very interesting anecdotes. The food was amazing, the best we tasted in our trip and not to mention the breakfasts, it was too opportune since up to this moment we traveled more than half way and it was the beginning of our exploration in the coastal area. It was perfect to recharged for the second / last part of the trip. We booked only 2 nights but we decided to stay one more. Same as the nice Portuguese couple who had stayed the previous nights, and instead of continuing their trip to other cities, they changed their plans and preferred to return to Sainan´s and spend their last nights in Weligama.
The next day we decided to spend the day in Mirissa, and the Raijan surprised us with a tupper full of watermelon. It was a very nice gesture.
One of us decided to do the whale tour in the morning, and unfortunately she didn’t like it at all. We can’t recommend it. The tour consisted of many boats surrounding the only whale that was quietly in the water. The tour is $50 and really not worth it.
We decided to party that night in Welligame and went to a place near Sainan’s boutique hotel called «Tiki bar», very close to the sea and full of backpackers from all over the world. Very good music and atmosphere.
The next day we decided to explore the Dikwella area. I recommend a beautiful beach called Blue Beach, and also the famous “Dikwella swings” where you fly while gazing at the wild beaches of Sri Lanka.
Galle – Unawatuna (Day 10-12)
Our last days we were a little bit sad. On one hand we woke up a bit down because the trip was coming to an end. And on the other hand it was the day of the horrible terrorist attacks in Colombo and surroundings.
Unawatuna is the best area to dive on the island, and even if I had only 24 hours to my flight, I decided to go diving. When I returned from seeing those wonderful fishes and corals I saw the locals watching a small TV they had in the diving school. Many were crying, others were restless, with their hands on their heads. They could not believe what was happening. How, overnight, something could change the direction of their country. A country that since the end of the civil war in 2009, when they received 100,000 visitors, had opened up a lot to tourism, receiving 2.5 million visits in 2018. It was something brutal and horrible, because apart from being one of the nicest countries that we had ever visited, we felt so well treated… The local people are truly special. They are humble and noble andwill share their food with their neighbors and their loved ones.
They cut both «whats app» and social networks so our family and friends were worried. We had toquickly drive around Galle in a tuk tuk, seeing how people was getting into their homes before 6pm(curfew time) and the streets were suddenly empty. The locals that are characterized by their smile stopped smiling and our hearts were breaking in pieces.
Unawatuna is a mandatory stop, with white sand beaches and crystal clear water, you can find accommodation along the beach. We came across to a wonderful villa, which simulated an authentic colonial house called “Hiding Unawatuna”. With a spectacular garden and entrance, which had a terrace still under construction. Once is finished(end 2019), it will have an amazing restaurant, but in the meantime you will be served at the famous“Happy Banana”, a beach front hotel. The rooms are well equipped (AC, wifi, minibar …). It is a very special and not pricey accommodation. Definitely the best way to end the trip.
That night there was a party on the beach, where DJs from Colombo came and we had a great time. Very good music and a lot of travelers from different countries . We loved Unawatuna and all the places we visited. I AM COMING BACK FOR SURE!
Enjoy SRI Lanka
Travel with Pauli 