Lonely Planet India – August 2019

WORDS: PRIMROSE MONTEIRO-DSOUZA PHOTOGRAPHS: HIMNASHU PANDYA, VAIBHAV MEHTA, VALENTIN SHEVCHENKO

Whenyoutravel,themoneyyouspendhasfar-reaching

benefits, andnevermore so thanin destinationsthat are

working to pullthemselvesbackfrom thebrink

TRAVEL

TOSUPPORT SRILANKA

Sri Lanka was our #1 country to visit as part of the Lonely

Planet Best in 2019 list. We tempted you to go, or revisit,

for its mix of religions and cultures, its timeless temples,

its wildlife, its surfing scene, and its welcoming people.

And, of course, the food! Then, sadly, came the travel

advisories after the Easter bombings that shook not

only the country but also all those who have enjoyed

Serendib’s hospitality.

Most of the travel advisories have now been lifted,

and Sri Lanka is ready to welcome visitors again.

WHAT AWAITS YOU?

GREAT VALUE: The tourism board, Sri Lankan

Airlines, and hotels and transport services across the

island have come together to offer special packages

starting from ` 24,999 for travel up to September 30, 2019.

GREAT HERITAGE: A UNESCO World Heritage site,

Sigiriya rises dramatically fromthecentralplains.

Set on a 200-metre-high lavaplugleftoverfroman

ancient volcano are the ruinsofanancientcivilization

• palace ruins surrounded bya m
  network of reservoirs, gardensa
  structures. It takes some climbi
  steep staircases attached toshee
  walls, but, on the way, you’llfind
  famous Sigiriya frescoes. Sigiriy
  thought to have been inhabited
  prehistoric times, and wasused
  a mountain monastery from
  5BCE. Visit the Sigiriya Museum
  to take a whirlwind tour of
  excavation photos, excavated

artefacts, reproductions of the frescoes, and translations

of ancient graffiti.

THE LITTLE-EXPLORED NORTH: It’s time to head nor th,

still not as popular as the south as it recovers from years

of being off-limits. Start at Kalpitiya, where kitesurfing and

dolphin-watching are on the menu. See leopards and other

wildlife at the Wilpattu National Park. Then move onto

the island of Mannar, where remote Talaimannar, ringed

by African baobab trees, looks out to Adam’s Bridge that

once formed a land link to India. Come around to the Jaffna

peninsula, where Thirukketeeswaram Kovil, just east

of Mannar Town, is one of the five historical Sri Lankan

Shiva temples established to protect the island from natural

disaster. Drive to Mullaitivu, and see the Sea Tiger Shipyard,

where the LTTE tried to build submarines. Then on to

starkly-beautiful Elephant Pass and its war memorials,

and further to Jaffna, where you will find Tamil temples,

a Colonial fort, a buzzy market and good restaurants.

Nearbyislands that beg exploration are Nainativu,

andNeduntheevu (Delft), where wild ponies roam.

IFSFJTBDPODFSUFEBOEDPMMFDUJWFF҃PSUGSPN

F HPWFSONFOUBOEUPVSJTNCPBSEUPESBX

TJUPSTCBDLUP4SJ-BOLB4FDVSJUZJTUJHIUFS

BO FWFSCFGPSF

CVUTQJSJUTBSFIJHI

BOEUIF

DBMT BSFQBSUJDVMBSMZUISJMMFEUIBU*OEJBXBT

F PG UIF҄STUDPVOUSJFTUPSFTVNFWJTJUBUJPO

IF JTMBOEQBSBEJTFBXBJUTҋ

Lives

to

anancientcivilization

massive

andother

ngof

er

dthe

ya is

from

as

m

and

5I

UIF

WJT

UIB

MPD

POF

5 I

46