sri-lanka-13-full-pdf-ebook.pdf

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ming pool. It’s towards the northeastern end
of the lake; head toward Hotel Chandrika,
then go 700m off the main road.

4 Debarawewa

West of Tissa, there are some good choices
amidst lush rivers and wide lakes.

oRiver Face Inn GU eSThOUSe $
(%077 389 0229; http://www.yalariverfaceinn.com; off
hambantota Rd; r Rs 3000-5000; aW) The real
highlight at this riverside guesthouse is the
huge covered terrace where an array of tables
with chairs, comfy loungers and hammocks
await the weary big-game-spotter. Rooms
are comfy and there is good food available at
night. It’s 3km west of Tissa; some rooms are
fan-only.

Tissa Inn hOTel $$
(%223 7233; http://www.tissainn.com; Wellawaya Rd; r Rs
3500-5500; aW) About 1500m from the land-
mark Debarawewa clock tower, this is a very
friendly hotel. It’s worth checking out a few of
the 10 high-ceilinged rooms as quality varies,
but at its best it’s a spotless place of starched
sheets and whirling fans.

Flower Garden Lake Resort hOTel $$
(%223 9980; http://www.flowergardenlakeresort.com; off
Wewa Rd; r US$50-80; aWs) In a very qui-
et and remote location about 2km west of
Tissa, this small hotel has a grand setting
on Wirawila Wewa. There’s nothing other
than the song of birds to interrupt the quiet.
Rooms have satellite TVs and there is a small
pool. The cafe is good.

5 Eating

oRoyal Restaurant SR i lANKAN $
(%071 085 1361; Main St; mains Rs 250-700;
h8am-10pm) Cheap and tasty curries draw
local families plus smiling travellers. Al-
though in the centre, it is off the road, so the
open-sided dining rooms are quiet. Don’t
miss the fried garlic.

New Cabanas Restaurant SR i lANKAN $$
(Kataragama Rd; mains Rs 300-1200; h11am-10pm)
A simple, open-sided restaurant with well-
priced rice and curry. There are regular fresh
seafood specials that are delicious right off
the grill.

Refresh Hotel iNTeRNATiONAl $$
(%223 7357; Kataragama Rd; mains Rs 800-1500;
h11am-10pm) This Western-style restaurant
always has a few tourist vans parked out

front. The setting is peaceful, and its even got

a bit of style. Food spans the gamut from piz-

zas to pasta to local favourites (which have

been tamed down for the timid).

8 Information

Banks, ATMs and markets are easily found on

Main Rd in the centre of town.

8 Getting There & Around

Few buses go directly to the hill Country, and

if you can’t get one you’ll need to change at

Wirawila junction (Rs 19, 30 minutes) and/or at

Wellawaya (Rs 80). There are no buses to Yala

National Park. Three-wheelers around town and

out to Tissa Wewa and beyond will cost Rs 100 to

Rs 200. Other major bus destinations from Tissa

include:

Colombo Rs 540, eight hours (buses start in

Kataragama, so may be crowded when they

reach Tissa).

Tangalla Rs 110, two hours

Around Tissamaharama

Wirawila Wewa Bird Sanctuary

West of Tissa, the Hambantota–Wellawaya

road runs on a causeway across the large

Wirawila Wewa. This extensive sheet of water

forms the Wirawila Wewa Bird Sanctuary. The

best time for birdwatching is early morning.

Kirinda

% 047

Oceanside Kirinda, 12km south of Tissa, is

a place on the edge. On one side its sandy

streets and ramshackle buildings give way

to a series of magnificently bleak and empty

beaches (heavy undertows make swimming

here treacherous but they’re perfect for long

evening walks). In the other direction, tan-

gled woodlands and sweeps of parched grass-

lands merge into the national parks.

1 ights & ActivitiesS

The village itself centres on a Buddhist shrine

dramatically perched atop huge round rocks

right at the shore. Visible offshore are the

wave-smashed Great Basses reefs with their

lonely lighthouse.

The diving out on these reefs is ranked as

about the best in the country, but it’s not for

inexperienced divers – conditions are often

rough. The best time is only between mid-

March and mid-April.