Ayubowan! (Good Morning!)
Sri Lanka you were nothing but incredible and I’m proud to now say I did it, one of my favourite countries ever.
Having just spent 2 months travelling Asia with multiple people, various schedules and plenty of shared rooms, I was keen for some luxury. By luxury, I mean an £8 room per night, but by myself. I basically couldn’t be arsed to make any more friends and wanted to have some personal space back in my life so chose to book double rooms for one instead of hostels, and embrace Sri Lanka solo. It was the best choice.
Because I rarely met an English speaking soul, (I visited in the off-season and avoided hostels where possible), I genuinely navigated my way around the country by travel manuals, TripAdvisor and approaching the locals with a massive smile on my face and lots of hand gestures. It was awesome. I travelled by public bus mainly, but used the local trains too - Sitting on a rickety, very loud train for 7 hours, driving through the mountains, and clouds, being the focus of major excitement and entertainment to school children on a passing train, and plenty of heart warming conversations with locals. Sri Lanka just seemed to get better by the day.
My favourite place by far has to be Unawatuna, along the coast just west of Mirissa (a more popular beach resort with whale watching options), and slightly east of Galle (a beautiful, historical old town). This area was pure bliss after a not so great stay in Tissamaharama… Avoid it like the plague. I can only describe Unawatuna by telling you how it made me feel; I felt content. I would wake up, swing in a hammock on the balcony whilst reading, have a breakfast of Queens, wonder down to the beach, more relaxation and selfish me-time, pop up to my favourite beach bar for afternoon refreshments, mooch around the incredible shops speaking with some beautiful people, inside and out, then have dinner where and whenever I wanted. I learnt so much throughout Sri Lanka; about their culture and way of life, but also about myself. It was as if the prior weeks of travelling had been leading up to this, if you’re considering travelling by yourself, do it. It may be daunting at first but it’s the best thing you’ll ever do.
When travelling with others it’s great to have that sense of comfort, someone to bounce ideas off and share the experience with, but when you’re solo you get an injection of confidence. You’re proud to have taken the plunge and want to make the most of it. You’ll do all of the activities you want to do, see all the sights on your list and take your time to take it all in. With no-one else to accommodate, there are no compromises, your trip is yours and yours alone.
What to expect:
- Incredible people: The people I met throughout Sri Lanka were simply the best; so kind, generous, genuine and extremely humble. The conversations I had and moments I experienced with local Sri Lankans were some I will always treasure
- Variety - every place has something different to offer
- Public transport like no other
Must sees/dos:
It was very busy when I went but still awesome. There was even elephants on my walk to it.
An idyllic old town, both coastal and cultural
A gorgeously green bubble of great walks, breathtaking hikes (Adam's Peak for example) and waterfalls. I stayed here for 4 days, staying in a lovely homestay, hiking a different trail each day and fully embracing the incredible food cooked by my host.
Public bus!
Do it. Seriously. Not only is it ridiculously cheap, it’s so entertaining. You jump on, (literally, they don’t stop) pay 30p for a trip you have no idea how long will take, have numerous conversations with Sri Lankan children amazed by your western status, then get told to jump off at your stop (throw your backpack else you will topple upon landing…).
Avoid:
Kandy, Negombo and Tissamaharama
From my experience, which I admit was limited, these places weren’t anything to write home about. Too busy, not pretty, nothing I enjoyed. In fact these were the places I felt harassed and the least safe, some of which I admit could have been avoided if I were more careful. However, being off-season, and travelling alone, I was quite vulnerable.
I’d love to head back to Sri Lanka one day, (with more money) and a specific plan. I’d feature more hikes, more beaches and definitely look into specific sights and activities instead of wondering. Aimlessly stumbling across things has its place when travelling, absolutely, but I do wish I’d had more of a plan of action. Coming home, I’ve found so many sights I missed. This could be said for any country I visit actually…
Hmm where next???
Bohoma Istuti (Thank you) and Ayubowan! (Goodbye!)
#SriLanka #LiveLaughLearnTravel
