Wanderlust - 04.2020

Shutterstock; Alamy

DURATION1014days

ROUTEKandy•HillCountry

• GalOyaNationalPark


• Passikudah•Kalkudah
  WHYDOIT?Tocombine
  Kandyandthehillswith
  o-the-beaten-trackGalOya
  NationalParkandchilled-out
  easternbeaches.

SriLanka’sayear-round

destination,butwhenand

whereyouvisitdependsonits

weatherpatterns,whichare

dictatedbyopposing

monsoons.Thisiswhymany

headeastinthesummer,forthe

driestweatherandcalmestseas.

Thisroutecrossestheislandby

roadandliesbacktoColombo

fromBatticaloaAirport.

HistoricKandy,afour-hour

drivefromColombo,makes

Coast to coast

Best for: Adventure, trekking, wildlife &beaches

a logical irst stop,andthecity’s

treasure trove of religioussites

include the gilt-roofedTemple

of the Tooth. Kandyisalsothe

gateway to the hills–theirlush

tapestry of tea estatesandthick

jungle are best navigatedby

train. Easterly Ella is a popular

activity hub with hikes up Little

Adam’s Peak and Ella Rock.

Wildlife sightings are patchy

in Gal Oya NP (as is its mobile

signal), although it makes a great

GalOya

NP

Minneriya

NP

Kn

uc

kl

es

Ra

ng

e

Batticaloa

International

Airport

Kandy

Matale

Dambadeniya

Anamaduwa

(HillHattonCountry)

Ella

Batticaloa

Passikudah

Kalkudah

COLOMBO

0 20 km

stepping stone from the hills

to east coast beaches. The

reserve sees few visitors, and

exploring the park’s pristine

surroundings – home to Veddha

villages, vast jungle and shy

wildlife – feels like you’re

stepping back in time.

There’s only one lodge here

(galoyalodge.com), but it o ers

curated experiences, including

watching elephants swimming

on a boat safari, bicycle tours

and a walk of discovery with

a village chief.

From here it’s a couple of hours’

drive to Passikudah, which o ers

year-round swimming and water

sports – although it’s very much

resort-based. Instead, low-key

Kalkudah is around 20 minutes

south and is by contrast virtually

undeveloped, with a 12km-long

bay. The preserve of local

ishermen, it’s fringed by coconut

plantations and cashew estates.

SRI LANKA

wanderlust.co.uk April 2020 97

Good morning

A valley view from

Adam’s Peak; (above)

local “ishermen tend

their nets at Kalkudah