To kick off the newest series in Livin’ La Vida Lanka (List La Vida Lanka), let me share with you my list for the first category: Must-Go Places!
I took my first trip to Sri Lanka in 2009 for a conference for work. The civil war just ended and the prospect of traveling to the different parts of the country seemed tempting. Little did I know that I would actually have 22 months of possibilities for not only just going to one part of Sri Lanka but to all if I wanted to. So here is my list of Must-Go Places!
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| Photo Courtesy of www.integritea.org |
Number 1: Tea Country
What is living in Sri Lanka without going to the heart of the famous Ceylon Tea? Taking a trip to tea plantations and even living in a Tea Planter’s Bungalow are musts!
Number 2: Kandy
The place where Julia Child and Paul Child fell in love. But really people come here for the Sacred Tooth Relic (of Buddha, none the less!).
Number 3: Ancient Cities
To get to the root of Sri Lanka’s history, one must take a trip to the former royal capital of Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura; cave shrines in Dambulla and a paranoid King’s palace in Sigiriya.
Number 4: Galle
One of the major and still standing 17th century Dutch fort is in Galle. In as much as Galle was severely affected by the tsunami in 2004, many still marvel at the beauty of the seaside city.
Number 5: Jaffna
The seat of the Civil War. The place has just been opened and it symbolizes a window of opportunity for the country. H, a classmate in Sinhala class was awestruck by this city because it was just so different from the rest of Sri Lanka.
Number 6: Trincomalee
Also in the “just opened” area of the East Coast, Trinco boasts of glorious beaches and the serenity of being in a place that is almost undiscovered.
Number 7: Cinnamon Plantation
Sri Lanka is not only known for it’s Tea but also for it’s Cinnamon. Did you know that 90% of the world’s cinnamon actually comes from La Lanka? Well, just saw that from a local HSBC ad. And I thought, why not?
Number 8: Bawa Pilgrimage
When I came here to Sri Lanka, I discovered their beautiful architecture. It was stunning to be within the confines of such great art. One of the premier architects is Geoffrey Bawa. And my goal is to set foot on most (if not all) of his works (that are open to the public of course!).
So that 8 out of 22 on my list! Watch out for the rest of the 14.
OMGosh Ta! Where can we go when I visit?!?
ReplyDeleteI will take you to Arugam Bay for a taste of Sri Lanka surfing :-) It's along the same coast as Trinco :-) East :-) Of course around Colombo and wherever else you want :-)
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