Top 10 Sri Lankan experiences

Saturday, 16 August 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Colombo Galle train view

When giving advice to friends visiting the beautiful island I call my home, I have to stop and think carefully. There is so much to consider, especially because Sri Lanka has so much to offer and it really depends on a few key factors: what time of year you come, what your interests are, and how much time you want trekking between sights. Instead of coming up with a list of must-see tourist spots, I have put together a selection of must-do Sri Lankan experiences. This focuses more on the little things along the way, the things you will probably end up doing without trying, that are quintessentially Sri Lankan and will add to the charm and memories of your trip. So be warned: this is not going to give you an idea for how to plan your trip overall. Later on I will be blogging about interesting sites to visit but for now, here is a selection of not-to-be-missed Sri Lankan experiences. If you live in Sri Lanka or are Sri Lankan, you may strongly disagree or indeed laugh out loud at which experiences I have fondly defined as unmissable.

Classic Sri Lankan drinks

The tasty and nutritious breakfast drink to look out for is kola kanda, a type of liquid rice porridge. It doesn’t sound or look very appetising, being green and kinda lumpy, but it is good. Filling without being heavy, kola kanda is most often found being sold on the side of the road by enterprising housewives in rural areas to people on their way to work. If you aren’t up and about early, you will miss it (it will probably all be gone before 9 a.m.). It is made with rice, different types of local herbs/leaves (kola), garlic/ginger (although not so much as to be overpowering), salt and some people also add coconut milk. You can drink it as it is (nikang) or with a nugget of palm sugar (hakuru) to sweeten it. It is usually drunk from a glass, but kola kanda is also sometimes served as a part of breakfast buffets, where you serve it into a soup bowl. Another cheap, nutritious staple drink is king coconut (thambili). These hefty orange balls are different to the coconut which is used for coconut milk in cooking (these are green when on the tree, not orange). Thambili water is clear, refreshing, light, nutritious and may be different degrees of sweet depending on how ripe it is. It is nature’s solution to replenish lost ions and liquids after exercising or even just after sweating a lot in the Lankan heat, and doubles up as an excellent hangover cure (failing which you could try Jeevanee, available in pharmacies and grocery shops). On the topic of alcoholic indulgences, a quick mention must be made of Sri Lankan arrack, made from the sap of unopened coconut palm flowers. Although arrack probably warrants more detail than this, I will say briefly: it is a fairly strong spirit, and may not be to everyone’s taste. If you are drinking a high quality variety, it is palatable as it is or with water/soda/ice. But for an easy drinking variety which is sure to get you tiddly quite quickly, drink it on the rocks with ginger beer (and do your best to find EGB – other types of ginger beer pale in comparison). For those who don’t drink alcohol, EGB is a delicious and refreshing must-try on its own, with no arrack.

Places of worship

There are many places of worship in Sri Lanka which are described in guide books as unmissable. However I would like to beg to differ – it is often in the smaller, less often visited holy shrines where we can get more of an insight into everyday life. There are reasons to visit the hotspots of course (impressive structures, fascinating history, intricate artefacts etc), but you can have and equally interesting (and perhaps more memorable) spiritual experience in a smaller place. So try to visit a couple – they are found everywhere after all – for religion and philosophy are an important part of many Sri Lankans’ lives. You will probably see a beautiful, quiet, determined respect for a greater force, whether you choose to visit a Buddhist temple, a Hindu kovil, a Muslim mosque or a Catholic church.

Experience a Sri Lankan breakfast

To miss out on Sri Lankan breakfasts would certainly be to miss out on a great experience. If you ask me, there are two rules. It should have a spicy element, and it should be eaten with your hand (remember to wash your hands and use your right hand for eating; left hand for drinking is ok). Even if your guesthouse/hotel offers Sri Lankan breakfasts, I recommend taking the plunge and stray from where you are staying to try something else in a small canteen type shop. It may be scruffy round the edges but the food is likely to be well made, fresh, tasty and cheap. Recommended combinations are string hoppers (indyappam) with lentil curry (parippoo) or potato curry and pol (coconut) sambol, or roast paan (bread) with egg, seeni sambol (sweet onion accompaniment). Also don’t miss hoppers, bowl-shaped pancakes made from rice flour and coconut milk. These typical breakfast foods are also often found in the evening at dinner time. If in doubt, ask someone to recommend a place for an authentic Sri Lankan breakfast. And if you aren’t sure what dishes to order together, let the staff give you a recommendation. You are almost certainly going to get more than what you can eat at a fraction of what you expect to pay.

Travel Sri Lankan style

Even if you prefer to travel in comfort with air conditioning, it can be rewarding to step outside of your comfort zone when exploring a new country. I think you should try to at least one of the following. After all, it’s as much about the journey as the destination. Tuk tuks: also known as three wheelers or trishaws, these small motorised taxis are found all over and generally cover short distances. They are easy to flag down and will take you straight where you are going, while providing you an up close and personal view of what is happening on the street beside you. They generally take 2-3 people, but for extra fun you can try and squeeze a couple more in. Remember to check the price before you get in or make sure they are using a meter. Trains: many train engines and carriages covering popular routes in Sri Lanka are relics from the British Empire and therefore fairly old and a little uncomfortable (comparing to travelling in a car at least). But the charm factor is high, the views are great (especially the train to Galle and the one to the hill country) and they are cheap, cheerful and generally reliable (allow longer for the journey than what you are told). Pro tip – get there early and move quickly to ensure you get a place, tickets aren’t seated and they sell more tickets than there are seats available (you may have to run). Buses: you need a bit more courage to get onto a Sri Lankan bus, but it will give you access to more places than travelling by train and is an experience you will never forget. The less said the better. Don’t drink too much water before you travel, steel yourself and see how it goes. Warning: Sri Lankan bus drivers tend to race other buses so they can pick up more passengers, this can and usually does make for a hair-raising journey.

Nature experiences

A visit to a country with so much diverse and beautiful nature would not be complete without at least one nature experience. Although national parks provide you with harder to spot species in more relaxing and natural surroundings (and a wider variety as well as higher absolute number of animals/plants), you don’t have to try hard to see wildlife in Sri Lanka. Keep an eye out for the cute squirrels (everywhere), brightly colours birds (again, everywhere, especially outside urban areas), and monkeys. If you are walking near monkeys make sure to keep any food well hidden, or you may have an unwanted friend climbing your back. If you are more into nature, be sure to visit a national park, spend some time birdwatching, consider doing a jungle trek or even snorkelling/scuba diving. You won’t regret it. Beautiful plants include numerous hibiscus varieties, the ubiquitous and serene water lilies and the majestic imported baobab trees. Be aware that your Sri Lankan nature experience may come in an unwanted or unexpected format: cockroaches and geckos inhabit even the cleanest of homes and hotels, rats do live on the street and if you are spectacularly unlucky as I was once in Trincomalee you may even get a warm monkey shower from the upstairs balcony (yes, that). Look out for a post later on with more details on Sri Lankan nature experiences.

Haggling with vendors

Haggling with vendors is of course not unique to SL but still a must do. It can be hard to tell which shops have fixed prices but whether shopping in a shop or at a market stall, do be aware that they will elevate the prices as much as they think they can get away with. If they drive a hard bargain, pretending to lose interest and walking away can be a deal breaker. Another part of Sri Lanka’s charm is its recent as well as ancient history, therefore I would say that a colonial experience is an integral part of the Sri Lankan experience. Colombo, Galle and Nuwara Eliya boast many colonial buildings, a few to look out for would be the Grand Oriental Hotel in Colombo with its quaint balcony bar overlooking the harbour, the Grand Hotel in Nuwara Eliya is a great for a cup of hot chocolate to warm you up on those chilly hill country evenings, and wandering around the dusty lanes of Galle Fort (or renting a bicycle by the hour) will all give you a feel for how things used to be.

Sri Lankan sunsets

Sri Lankan sunsets (and sunrises) can be beautiful, and you don’t have to climb Adam’s Peak to realise this (although I have heard the sunrise there is well worth the climb). Add some beauty to your holiday by checking out the sunset in Colombo in places like Galle Face Green (a cheap, cheerful must, even if you are rushing through the capital). You can grab a drink in the Galle Face Hotel, the rooftop of OZO bar (slightly more upmarket options), or Whight & Co which also offer sea views, and if you are in Galle check out Fort Dew’s rooftop bar. On the east coast, drag yourself out of bed for the sunrise.

Street food culture

Although Sri Lanka doesn’t have the street food culture of say Thailand or Malaysia, there are a few tasty goodies you should definitely stray from the restaurant scene to try. Spiced fried chickpeas with chilli, coconut and curry leaves (known as kadala) is a not too spicy but oh so comforting snack that can be nibbled as you go along. Kotthu roti is a fairly spicy roti (soft bread) dish made with your choice of chicken/egg/vegetables/other meats – try to get it from a small cafe (kade) where they prepare it fresh so you can see (and hear) the chopping that goes into preparation. Short eats or baked (sometimes fried) goods are great to eat on the go, or if you find you are in a small place and have somehow missed lunch (the blander versions are also good if your stomach is telling you that curry for breakfast, lunch and dinner perhaps wasn’t the best idea three days in a row). Gems to look out for are Chinese rolls (choose between egg, mutton, fish, chicken, vegetable...), ulundu wade (little savoury doughnutty puffs of fried heaven, served with coconut accompaniment), samosas and on the sweet side you could try pancakes with palm treacle/coconut/cardamom filling (perhaps not strictly considered short eats but tasty nonetheless).

Getting lost

Getting lost is an inevitable part of your Sri Lankan adventure and should be embraced. People will be keen to help you and point you in the right direction (though you should probably be a bit less trusting if they promise to show you a “special festival” nearby) but bear in mind that when asking for directions, there is a significant chance that despite a good overall level of English literacy they don’t understand where you want to go or if they do understand you, they simply don’t know where that is. And they are very unlikely to tell you that they have no idea. So although the first person you ask may be very convincing, do try to ask a few people to get an idea of whether you are on the right track. (Trekurious together with DailyFT explores Sri Lanka for the curious traveller. Trekurious works with talented individuals and great brands to create amazing experiential tours, activities, and events in Sri Lanka. You can find out more at www.Trekurious.com.)