I arrived in Sri Lanka at 8:30am. Customs was a breeze & I was outside the airport before 9:30am after changing some money at one of the many booths inside, which are full of young locals trying to grab your attention! The first thing that hits you once leaving the airport is the heat!
I decided to save a little money & not bother with a taxi to Mount Lavinia & take the shuttle bus to Averiwatte bus station (where there are plenty of tuk tuks). The bus #187 was waiting, so I jumped on board & I soon realised that it was not going to leave until it was full! It also became apparent I couldn’t leave my backpack next to me on the floor, so I lifted it & placed it on my lap for the full 1hr+ trip! My guidebook advised against the trip, but actually it was ok. The fare was 70 LKR all the way to Colombo Fort.
After getting off the bus, I very quickly found a tuk tuk driver & agreed to pay 500 LKR (probably too much!) to Mount Lavinia (I could have taken another bus, but I thought I would see what it was like on one of these three wheelers!) Unfortunately I didn’t find such a great tuk tuk driver, as he was having a few problems trying to find my homestay, he had to stop a few times to ask people. In the end I just asked him to drop me off nearby & I eventually found my homestay myself on foot with the aid of my map. 'Mount Lavinia Home Stay' on Off De Saram Road, which was booked online back in England.
I was shown to my room, & I was pleasantly surprised as it was quite large & had two ceiling fans. It even had its own bathroom & outside courtyard (when I booked online it had said 'shared bathroom'). The internet was a great bonus too. Unfortunately I would later realise the room had an ant problem!
I had a few hours sleep before walking to the nearby beach which was full of locals flying kites & playing cricket. Before I ventured any further, I decided to have a meal at the 'Golden Mile' restaurant (as it had a good write up in my guide book). I had nasi goreng & a papaya lassi which was great (massive helping). It was a little expensive for a budget traveler, but I fancied treating myself as it was my first meal.
Mount Lavinia Hotel - Once a house of the Governor Thomas Maitland (1806), & also famous for being featured as a hospital in the movie 'The Bridge on the River Kwai'.
I popped into one of the local craft shops near Mt Lavinia Hotel & met a very nice old gentleman who informed me all about the wonderful art of Batik making. I later decided to head back to my homestay for some much needed sleep!
I decided to save a little money & not bother with a taxi to Mount Lavinia & take the shuttle bus to Averiwatte bus station (where there are plenty of tuk tuks). The bus #187 was waiting, so I jumped on board & I soon realised that it was not going to leave until it was full! It also became apparent I couldn’t leave my backpack next to me on the floor, so I lifted it & placed it on my lap for the full 1hr+ trip! My guidebook advised against the trip, but actually it was ok. The fare was 70 LKR all the way to Colombo Fort.
After getting off the bus, I very quickly found a tuk tuk driver & agreed to pay 500 LKR (probably too much!) to Mount Lavinia (I could have taken another bus, but I thought I would see what it was like on one of these three wheelers!) Unfortunately I didn’t find such a great tuk tuk driver, as he was having a few problems trying to find my homestay, he had to stop a few times to ask people. In the end I just asked him to drop me off nearby & I eventually found my homestay myself on foot with the aid of my map. 'Mount Lavinia Home Stay' on Off De Saram Road, which was booked online back in England.
Arriving in Mt Lavinia in style!
I was shown to my room, & I was pleasantly surprised as it was quite large & had two ceiling fans. It even had its own bathroom & outside courtyard (when I booked online it had said 'shared bathroom'). The internet was a great bonus too. Unfortunately I would later realise the room had an ant problem!
I had a few hours sleep before walking to the nearby beach which was full of locals flying kites & playing cricket. Before I ventured any further, I decided to have a meal at the 'Golden Mile' restaurant (as it had a good write up in my guide book). I had nasi goreng & a papaya lassi which was great (massive helping). It was a little expensive for a budget traveler, but I fancied treating myself as it was my first meal.
The beach at Mt Lavinia (with Mt Lavinia Hotel in the distance)
I continued to walk along the beach before noticing a crowd gathering around a snake charmer, so I decided to hang around & take a few photographs. However I soon realised the snake probably did not have such a great life & decided to leave the crowd to it. I kept walking in the direction of Mt Lavinia Hotel, (just before you reach the hotel you have to leave the beach & walk along the rail track). Its here you see plenty of young couples hiding under umbrellas!
Snake Charmer on Mt Lavinia beach
Young couples on the beach
Mt Lavinia beach
Hi,Mark
ReplyDeleteYour blog is really informative and detailed. Thanks for sharing! I plan to go Sri Lanka in Feb 2013. So your sharing is a great help for my planning ! :)
Kennis
Have a great time! :-)
ReplyDelete