Adventures in Sri Lanka

I was expecting, somehow, Sri Lanka to be a bit more "different" from India. It's more green, of course, and more peaceful...but really it feels pretty darn similar to Goa or Kerala in island form. First time I've ever seen Buddhism in tropical incarnation, but on the whole, it doesn't feel as culturally distinct as Nepal...or even Leh.

No direct flights from Hyderabad, have to connect in Chennai (or Madurai, from what i hear). The Colombo airport is old school, no way near as modern as most of the nice, new Indian metro airports. Same with roads, bus stations, train stations and the overall infrastructure. Taking the local bus was dirt cheap, but relatively more difficult to understand than in India. Bus station wasn't well labelled, nor was the staff able to help much, but i always managed to hop out at the right spot.

I had a hard time choosing between surf school and adventure camp for my short vacation, but i finally settled on three nights at Borderlands, a great little camp tucked in the foothills three hours east of Colombo. Great spot to raft, kayak, canyoneer, hike, read and relax, etc. Great food, too. I had hoped to meet some new friends there, but as it turned out, i had the place to myself. i did enjoy the company of the French guide and the local staff, though.

Back in Columbo for a night, the local train was a quick, easy and fun travel option. Mount Lavinia's the southern-most suburb of Colombo, a beachside neighborhood complete with little resorts and beach-side restaurants. Makes a great place to spend a day if you aren't able to get to the nice beaches further south. From the main/central/Fort train station, just take the southern line to Mount Lavinia until you find a passable place to spend the night or eat a meal.