26/5/26 – Negombo to Galle
Right, Sri Lanka Take 2….
With feelings of Deja vu we said goodbye to the caretakers once again, sent another thank you message to the amazing hosts and then shouldered our backpacks and made our way to the Kadawatha express bus Terminal. This bus terminal is the northernmost point for the ‘new’ expressway that effectively links Colombo to the south coast. When we arrived at the terminal we were surprised at the level of order and ease as to which to find the correct bus. The busses pulled into the allotted bays, all with clear signage written in English, Sinhalese and Tamil informing you of the destination.
We jumped on the Galle bus, payment is made once inside the bus, and soon after, a rather full bus pulled out of the terminal and made its way onto the expressway and south to Galle. The bus was a bit of an experience to be honest. It was our first one in Sri Lanka and the driver was more interested in eating, chatting on his phone, trying to drive with his elbows and having a yarn, than he seemed about driving. Thankfully though at one point he was doing none of these things and managed to jam on the brakes to narrowly avoid a car that had merged out to overtake without looking behind. These busses seem to have right of way and the smell of the brakes was testament to how quickly the driver managed to pull up the coach from 100kph! The bus driver was pretty pissed off at the other car…he was on the horn hard! Following this, once the car had overtaken and merged back into the left lane, the bus driver came up along side and purposely steered in hard towards the car in a ‘side swipe’ manoeuvre….it was pretty darn close. This happened yet again when the bus driver decided that another car had not done the right thing, the vengeful bus driver almost pushing it off the shoulder, maybe its a good idea we are not riding after all!
The expressway was impressive and in only around 2.5 hours we had made it down to Galle. It was incredible to drive through the city then finish right outside the cricket stadium. It is with fond memories that I remember watching cricket matches on TV from Galle, with the bowlers bowling from the ‘fort end’ or the ‘town end’. Furthermore it was crazy to think that all of this was destroyed in the 2004 tsunami!
We jumped off the bus, figured we would check out the fort later then headed to a nearby spot for lunch. Once again we were delighted with the Sri Lankan food, I feel we are going to be very happy here for the next few weeks. Finally we grabbed a PickMe and got dropped off at our accomodation. It’s always a bit of a gamble when you book things off booking dot com right? You read the reviews and look at the pictures but never truely know what you’re going to get…Turns out this place was a winner, albeit a little far out of town. The boys were straight into their togs and straight into the pool, it was perfect.
The rest of the day was spent at the hotel, resting, swimming, playing games and finally eating delicious dinner. We are so fortunate that Raelenes knee is allowing her to walk relatively pain free. The main issue at the moment is the swelling and also pain on bending. Hopefully over the next few days we can promote a bit of rest and some healing, however knowing my wife, this may be easier said than done!!!!
27/5/26 – Galle
What a place to wake up too, we were in tropical paradise and to make the morning perfect the kids jumped in the pool while they waited for breakfast to be ready. Straight after their omelette they were back in the pool. Rhys jumped in with them as I sat by the side and read a little before the urge to swim was too strong and I jumped in, well more like slowly entered the pool.
After a great swim, it felt nice on my knee, we all rested in the room. The boys were enjoying some colouring in while we tried to make a plan for Sri Lanka, we have decided to not ride at all even if my knee improves in the next week. The boys have all said they want a break, mainly because it is too hot. So plan b came into action and we started to make rough itinerary.
Oliver, Arthur and Rhys then headed into town to get lunch supplies while Patrick and I enjoyed some alone time playing cards and doing some of his maths book. The afternoon wasted away with more pool time, some TV and more card games. It was the day my knee needed as I really didn’t walk much at all.
I had found a jewellery making workshop and organised it for 4pm, due to our hotel being a little out of town we found it hard to find a car or tuk tuk to pick us up which meant we had to walk a little way. It felt good to walk and weight bearing isn’t hurting which is great. However 6km was a little too far! Luckily we found a tuk tuk to take us but he did try and rip us off with charging 4times the going rate. Our host for jewellery making arrived just as Rhys was having a chat with the driver and to our relief confirmed he was charging way too much. We paid the driver a fair amount and walked away.
For the next 4.5hrs we had the most wonderful experience. First we were welcomed into the home of the family and given a snack, then we went upstairs to have a look at the gems and designs of the types of rings we could make. Oliver had a very clear image of the ring he wanted, Arthur loved the big intricate rings but settled on a simpler design and Patrick like the classic 1 stone ring. I was going to try and make a toe ring.
The boys all wanted a gem and they had fun picking out a small sapphire, Oliver a blue one and Arthur a yellow one. Patrick got a green onyx. Next we went into the workshop and spent a long time melting down the silver, it was great. We all had a turn with the blow torch, hammering and using the press. The workers were so patient with letting the boys take turns. We even had a go using the traditional method of blowing a lantern to make the fire to melt the silver, the jeweller was so good at his circular breathing.
We then divided up with our own jeweller to make our rings. There was so much hands on activity which kept Oliver, Arthur and Patrick engaged for hours, it was fantastic. There was also a dog in the workshop which kept Patrick happy. Watching how they turned a hunk of silver into beautiful rings was brilliant, there were so many steps and with each step they allowed the kids to help.
It was getting quite late but to our surprise the kids were surviving very well. Once all the rings were completed we went back into their house and had the most delicious dinner of hoppers, Dahl and toasted sandwiches. The family was so lovely, their son was 2 years old and was quite smitten with Patrick. During dinner we had some music played for us which turned into a bit of a disco.
Eventually it was time to go home, it was getting close to 9:30pm. What a brilliant experience to have shared with a lovely family who have been in the jewellery making business for generations.
28/5/26 – Galle
Raelene was confident that she would be able to walk around the fort this afternoon so we planned to have another restful morning at the hotel then head in and enjoy the UNESCO world heritage Galle Fort this afternoon. What we didn’t take into consideration however was the large gap between breakfast and then effectively dinner at the fort that evening.
At 1300 we got a car into Galle and walked along the foreshore where the boys were keen to show Raelene the waves crashing on the rocks. Raelene managed this walk fairly well and was confident that she would be able to keep going, albeit slowly. But the time we wandered through the old dutch gate at the fort we had a few grumbles of, ‘I’m hungry’, this issue was that Raelene and I got so distracted in our travel element that we kept thinking “lets look up here”, “lets go in there” and “Lets walk along the wall and check out the view”….this all translated into BORING for the kids and the ice cream and snacks that were meant to fill the gap certainly did not. We finally managed to stop and grab some crepes which were apparently ‘not spicy’ much to the boys disgust however, they certainly were a little ‘spicy’. This set them back again with Arthur needing some coaching to get through most of his.
Grumpy, hungry children aside (our fault we know), the Fort was simply stunning and a joy to wander around. From the variety of shops and accomodation, to peoples homes being within the walls, it certainly is a wonder. The history of it as well really adds to the lustre of the place, From an ancient trading port, to Portuguese, Dutch and British occupation, there really is so much to the story which we really only scraped the surface of.
Finally we sat down for a proper meal and a drink, looking out over the western rampart from the old dutch hospital precinct. We had a great view watching fishermen in the bay and all enjoyed a nice dinner. By this stage the kids had recovered somewhat and they and I made a plan to nip around a few shops and find Raelene some things for her birthday. The boys took some coaxing and off we went, however the second shop we came too, Raelene was in there looking at the things we wanted to buy her! Luckily the boys kicked her out and we managed to grab a thing or two.
While we had a wonderful time exploring the fort, it was time to call it a night. We managed to get a ride just as it started to rain. On reflection we really just need to feed the kids a bit more, you’d think we knew that already but hey, maybe we will get it right one of these days!
29/5/26: Galle to Mirissa
We woke up to a brilliant storm, while everyone was still sleeping I snuck outside to listen to the thunder and watch the rain while reading my book it was lovely. The habit of having a swim before breakfast continued today then we packed up our bags and got a lift into Galle bus station to find a bus to take us along the coast to Mirissa. The sun was now shinning so it was a very hot day, so the shade of the bus station was quite nice. We found the bus we needed (again very easily) and found a seat on the already filling bus. Rhys and Oliver were in the middle somewhere as Patrick, Arthur and I scored the front seat next to the window with a great view.
For the next hour we drove along the coast picking up passengers until the bus was VERY full, it was a great ride. Arthur bought some yummy local treats that tasted like popcorn from a seller who got on the bus, ended up Oliver also bought some and enjoyed them too. Our plan was to stop at Koggala beach to see the stilt fishermen, however as it was midday no fishermen were on the stilts so we remained on the bus deciding to go all the way to Mirissa. The trip cost us a total of 750rupee (just over $3) an absolute bargain.
Once in Mirissa we thought we should get something to eat however the heat and bags were getting to Oliver so we went straight to the hotel and jumped in the pool for a quick cool off, it was a good suggestion from Oliver to do this! Feeling refreshed we walked down the road and found a fantastic buffet style curry house and we gorged on the most amazing food! One plate was 1500rupees (around $6.50), they didn’t charge for Patrick and only charged half price for Oliver and Arthur – incredible.
Feeling ridiculously full we went to the beach for a walk, I am so thankful my knee is not causing me pain. The swelling makes walking slower but it is nice to slow down a little (kind of….). At the beach Rhys and Arthur braved the crazy waves and crossed over to walk up Parrot Island which gave them a great view of the waves crashing on the rocks. We then continued along the beach and stopped at the swimming flags where I could sit down and the boys could have a swim. The lifeguards in the tower were very casual, often looking at their phone rather than the swimmers in the water. Rhys and I sat on the sunbeds watching the boys get smashed by the waves while having a drink, it was great to watch them have a blast in the waves and it certainly made the afternoon disappear quickly. The laughing, huge smiles and “lets do that again” is something I will never forget.
By late afternoon I decided to head back to our hotel and get a massage, there is a massage place just under our hotel which is very convenient and maybe a sign so Oliver and I walked back together and while I enjoyed my massage Oliver had quiet time in the room until the others joined him.
My massage was amazing! She worked on my legs quite a bit and was very gentle on my injured knee, she even put some local healing cream on it. After an hour of pure relaxation (cost me 5500r = $24) I felt wonderful and as I walked into our room everyone commented on how relaxed and shiny I looked, I was covered in oil still.
It was then time to venture out to find a place for dinner, on the map we found a curry house that looked good so we got a tuk tuk toward the locations, the roads got smaller and smaller and eventually had a sign saying narrow road no cars. We were dropped off and walked the rest of the way, much to Arthur’s disgust as he was knackered from swimming in the waves. To add to Arthur’s delight when we arrived at the restaurant it was not open….opps. We started to head back but were side tracked with signs saying secret beach, best sunset beach, so we walked down the path to discover a lovely little cove but no sunset or restaurant as advertised on all the signs. We had to walk back up the hill and then down the other side as we tried to find somewhere to eat. It was rather dark by this stage and we couldn’t get a tuk tuk so we continued to walk, much to the boys disgust. Every time a car or tut tuk went past Oliver would say get that one….they were always full. Again I am so lucky my knee isn’t causing me too much pain as we ended up walking all the way back to our hotel and found a great local roti restaurant only 100m away from where we started. As we were walking Patrick would say we are lost, as we didn’t really know where we were going as we walked the narrow paths towards the Main Street. I would reply by saying ‘you can’t be lost if you don’t know where you are going’ reminding him its all part of the adventure to walk around the streets enjoying the views. In the end the walk was quite nice, we saw fireflies, passed some very cute little houses, dodged stray dogs and said hello to many locals who would look at us with expressions of why are they walking around here…! hehe oops another planning fail but hey that travelling and exploring!
30/5/26 – Marissa
Waking up in beautiful Mirissa with the view of the ocean from our hotel was pretty awesome. We re visited the roti place from last night for breakfast Roti! A cheap and easy start to the day. It was then time to hit the sand, we went for a wander up the beach to parrot island again, this time all making the short crossing across the spit to venture onto the island itself. It was a cool little trip and we were afforded better views today due to it being clear and sunny.
Back across the beach we went and it was hard to keep the kids out of the surf, they were already in, luckily they had their togs on already! Oliver was chomping at the bit to have a go on the surf board, Arthur was a bit keen as well however when we got to the surf school he opted for a Boogie board instead. Oliver signed up for his first surf lesson however and was properly pumped to get it done. for 5000 rupees he got shore instruction then an hour in the water with an instructor. While he was getting his head around how to stand, I headed into he surf with Arthur and Patrick and had a great time helping them catch some waves on the Boogie boards. Next thing we knew however was Oliver standing up! He nailed his very first wave, and did it time and time again. He was rather chuffed with himself and his brothers were cheering for him! The hour went quite quickly and then the kids stayed on in the surf, swimming and having an awesome time.
This day also marked the first day of the Vesak festival – a major Buddhist celebration that recognises Buddhas Birth, Enlightenment and Passing (to Nirvana). Major preparations had been happening all week in the places we had travelled so we knew something was probably going to be afoot tonight. We asked at the hotel and were told that there would be a big festival at the next major town – Matara. We were keen to head out and have a look so we got he kids sorted and grabbed a local bus to follow the constant stream of traffic also heading to Matara.
Matara was pumping! We arrived and literally followed the crowds. Everyone was heading to the large temple on the ocean front. Without another tourist in sight we arrived at the Tempel, removed our shoes and hats and followed the constant stream of people up to the Stupa. We were given a lot of smiles and Hellos and never felt out of place as we joined the crown funnelling into the interior of the temple. Inside was a domed vaulted ceiling, decorated with buddha statues and worshippers. There was a large golden stupa in the middle of the room with another golden Buddha in front. People were giving offerings of lotus flowers then moving around the room to leave. It was pretty cool and on our way out we were thanked for coming to visit the temple, so lovely. Outside people were ringing a singular bell via a long rope. A man asked if we wanted to ring it so I picked up Arthur quickly and we were guided over to the rope where Arthur gave it 4 sharp tugs and rang the large, loud bell! The view off the top was great, we enjoyed it briefly then once again followed the crown back down to our shoes and then back over the water.
From here we just spent the next few hours wandering the foreshore, eating as much yummy foods as we could find such as green mango battons with chilli salt, hot chickpeas with onion and coconut, freshly roasted peanuts, spiral potatoes and sausages, egg burgers, ice cream and fairy floss. It was awesome. Oliver even bought a Kite and enjoyed flying it, saying it reminded him of home. As night fell the temple lit up as did the streets, furthermore we also found that different community organisations and school groups compete to build the best ‘lantern’ for the festival. These Lanterns were massive, some twice as tall as me. A lot were made with paper, some with palm fronds but all with intricate designs, movement and coloured lights. By the time we had seen all the lanterns and eaten all the foods (we totally got more mango, it was incredible with the chilli salt on it), we decided it was time we left….
The plan was to head back to the bus stop and simply get a bus back to Mirissa, a whole of 12km. It was around 2100 and on arriving at the bus stop it appeared that there were simply no more busses….this was something that we had not really considered….The town was literally jam packed, the boys described it as ‘half the world’ was here in Matara. The only place I have been where there was more people was probably New years eve out the from of the Brandenburger Tor in Berlin. It was Bedlam. We asked around but didn’t have any luck. We resorted to trying the PickMe rideshare app however traffic into Matara was at a standstill so there was no way that someone was going to come and pick us up from town.
With tired kids in tow – thanks to their time in the surf this morning – we simply had no choice but to hit the old foot falcon and walk out of Matara. It was quite an impressive walk actually, the lights strung over the road were incredible and we passed another temple that was light up in white LED’s. All the while we were still trying to Get a ride via the PickMe app but with no success. It seemed that we were going to be walking the entire way back to Mirissa – about 10km by this stage (doable but probably not with kids). Finally Raelene managed to find a TukTuk down a side street while driver was happy to take us to Mirissa for about 3000 LKR. We didn’t really mind how much, we just wanted to get home so we jumped in and shot off. This only lasted a few Kms however when we needed to change to another TukTuk for some unknown reason. The next 7km was heavy traffic, our tuktuk had a huge sound system in the back which made the ride fun. The driver was a bit of a legend and pulled some questionable manoeuvres however managed to get us all the way back to Mirissa unscathed. We were very thankful and so was he when it turned out I only had a large 5000 LKR note and he had ’no change’….whatever, it was good to be back, what an incredible day!
31/5/26 – Marissa to Hirikeytia
Rhys has found a roti restaurant which the lovely planet guide had recommended so we walked there for breakfast. The recommendation was spot on, all our roti’s were delicious! Very full we walked back to the hotel to pack up, while we did this the boys wrote their diaries. We have got into a great routine with diary writing which is quite lovely. As Patrick finished his I went and got a quick leg massage which made my knee feel nice. It was great our hotel was only a short walk to the bus stop as it was another hot day. Honestly riding in this heat would have nearly killed us 🤣
The first bus to arrive was quite full so we waited for another one. We are finding the public transport fantastic, the buses are so regular and so cheap. 10mins later another bus arrived which had space and to make the trip more exciting it was a disco bus, all along the roof were glowing disco balls and the music was great. Arthur loved it. We had to swap buses in Matara, it felt like we knew the station quite well after spending a bit of time here last night. We pretty much got off one bus and onto the next which was great timing.
As we drove along the coast we passed through lots of small villages and through one we saw our very first elephant! Woohoo everyone was so excited. The lady we were sitting next too said there was going to be a parade, I couldn’t understand when or where but it sounded cool. We missed our stop due to the bus being so full and it took a while to push through to the front, it didn’t matter too much but did mean we had to walk a little further to get to our hostel.
Once at the hostel we quickly dumped our things then headed straight for the beach. Hiriketiya beach is a beautiful horseshoe bay which is protected from the monsoonal winds the south gets this time of the year so the waves are meant to be pretty good for surfing.
The beach was full of people, a lot of locals which was great to see but man there were heaps of people. To get into the beach we had to walk through a surf school and the instructors jumped on us pretty quick. Arthur was keen to have his first lesson, we waited for a while for another instructor to come however he never showed so Rhys got in the water to help out with Oliver.
The boys had a great time surfing, Arthur did fantastic and stood up on his first attempt. It was great to watch both stand up and also crash pretty dramatically. Patrick was loving the boogie boarding. I even braved the water which was nice but needed help getting back to shore so the waves didn’t bowl me over.
After a great surfing session and realising we hadn’t eaten since breakfast we quickly got changed and found a great little restaurant just down the road from our hostel. We had the most delicious meal! Arthur was desperate to try the seafood platter and loved every mouthful and the curry was the best we had had so far.
1/6/26 – Hiriketiya
When we woke today we heard drumming and trumpet playing from the near distance. Prior to breakfast we went for a little wander to try and find the source of it, we came close a few times however ultimately failed. This sparked our interest though and when we rolled into our new favourite shop for breakfast roti we asked what was going on. Apparently there was going to be a large parade today, it was even going to have elephants in it! This was due to it being the final day of the Vesak festival and was apparently going to start at around 1200. Raelene and I were pretty keen to get up and see it, the route was a bit vague and also the start time was a bit vague so we asked around a few more people and found that it was going to be either coming from or going to the temple at Dickwella and that it was more likely to start at around 3.
We headed back down to the beach for another session of surfing and boogie boarding then got sorted to try and find where the festival was going to be. We wandered up to the main road, found some roti for lunch, then continued to roll up towards the road that lead up to the temple. There were heaps of people gathering around and many young shirtless dudes with sarongs depicting various ‘groups’ – some of these being the ‘town boys’ ‘air boys’ ‘fun boys’ etc etc.
Finally we found a tuk tuk driver who confirmed that there was a parade happening up near the temple and was happy to take us up for 500LKR. up we drove through heaps of people lining the road. We were definitely in the right place and were pretty excited about what we might see. The road was closed up to the temple so we got out and walked the rest of the way. As we approached the temple however it appeared as if the parade was just starting and coming towards us!
We made a hasty retreat and found a piece of grass by the side of the road half in the shade. We sat down and were then treated to the most amazing spectacle over the next 2 hours!!!
So it turns out that this parade is called the Dickwella Perahera, it’s a traditional festival and is organised by the local temples. The parade started with these amazing whip crackers nearly hitting people in the crown with their whips as they cracked them in the street. Next came drummers and dancers and behind them….came a huge elephant!! It was all dressed up and looked incredible. We were stunned! It was also quite daunting as we were sitting and only about 3 meters away from it. Absolutely bonkers.
The parade continued with traditional dancers in beautiful dress, Kandyan drummers who beat out loud repetitive rhythms for the dancers and we were treated to another 6 elephants at various points along the parade. One elephant was the main attraction. He carried some sort of important thing on his back and was dressed more grandly than the others and had one giant tusk. (we have later found out that this particular elephant is always a grand large male and it is his job to carry the relic or important piece from the temple) he walked on a carpet that was continually rolled out in front of him and then was followed by 4 monks dressed in bright orange robes and shaded by people carrying what can only be described as a decorative cloth roof, on poles.
We were all impressed with the parade, the pride that the dancers and musicians showed, and of course the elephants. To close it out the young boys dressed in sarongs, that we had seen in town earlier, all organised into their respective ‘crews’ (which we found out, represented their village) and drummed, trumpeted and danced their way down the road. The music was incredible, so loud and dance inducing. Arthur and I were pulled up for a dance and joined a crew for a song and a jaunt down the road. Classic!
Pretty much all of them were loaded up on heavy beers and it was at this point that things became a little too much, especially for the kids. Most of the crowd was trying to disperse so we did the same, grabbed a cold water and then scored a tuk tuk who dropped us all off at the beach back in Hiriketiya.
After such a hot and exciting day we cooled off with another swim at the beach before revisiting our ‘usual’ restaurant. (in actual fact It’s also that it’s one of the only ones open in town at the moment!).
Travel can always throw new and interesting experiences at you and we had that in spades today. We were so fortunate to be in the right place at the right time and persist in asking enough people to follow our noses! This will be something that we remember for a long time….
2/6/26 – Hiriketiya
I was woken up by Oliver who was so excited to get down to the beach early for a surf before the waves got too dumpy. Unfortunately the early start he was hoping for didn’t eventuate due to a number of reasons such as waiting for the others to wake and then kids not listening. Next time Oliver and I will just sneak down.
Finally at the beach, I enjoyed a lovely cuppa on the water front while the boys hired some boards. Arthur didn’t want to surf as he had a bit of chaffing on his legs so he enjoyed boogie boarding with Patrick. Oliver tried surfing for about 10mins and was finding the waves very difficult as they were quite dumpy and he was also hurting for chaffing so he swapped out to a boogie board and had a great time with his brothers.
After a great wave catching session we had breakfast and our favourite restaurant before heading home for a quick rest and reapplication of zinc. On the way to the beach this time we looked in the shops for a rash vest for Arthur (we lost his back in Mirissa) and was lucky enough to find one that fitted.
We spent all day at the beach, the boys going between boogie boards and body surfing the waves. It was great watching them having the best time catching waves. They even shared a wave with a turtle and black tip reef shark.
I was finding sitting on the beach a little difficult with my knee and couldn’t get out past the waves as it was a bit rough so I walked back to the hostel for a rest and to read my book in the air conditioning.
When the boys returned they were full of more stories and Patrick loved telling me about his awesome sand castle he built with rhys and how it survived being hit by a big wave.
We went to the beach to enjoy some refreshing drinks for sunset before finding a place to eat as our regular was too busy to fit us in. While walking to find a new restaurant we saw fireflies flying around it was quite cool. Arthur was quick enough to catch one so we could get a close look at his it glows, it was very cool.
Dinner wasn’t as good as we hoped for as the kids found it too spicy and some were in a pretty bad mood.
To be honest most of the day has been probably our hardest day with moods, for me I think I was having a pretty down day maybe because of my knee or maybe because sometimes I feel Oliver, Arthur and Patrick are taking things for granted too much lately and have been quite pestering and are speaking quite rudely to us more often than usual.
After dinner we had a quick family meeting to remind everyone to be kind to each other and respect how other people might be feeling. Lots of apologies were made and we all agreed to start a fresh tomorrow.
3/6/26 – Hirikeytia to Tissamaharama
Another pre breakfast surf and board was on the cards today, Oliver got another Lesson and managed to paddle onto a couple of waves. He was proud of his efforts and thought that the waves were a little bigger today…Arthur and Patrick were just having an absolute ball with their body boards again. It’s lovely seeing them just catching wave after wave, never seeming to tire nor getting turned off after getting dumped by the particularly ‘dumpy’ surf.
En route back to the hostel we stopped off for breakfast at our ‘regular’ and went large, ordering roti and even trying a few Lassies. The banana Lassie was a hit, need to rememebr this for future. We said our goodbyes to the family who run the restaurant and got a photo with them all. They wished us well on our travels, it has been lovely to see them each day and w will certainly miss the food.
Pack up and diary writing went pretty well and by 1130 we rolled out of the Hostel and headed up to the main road in the hope of grabbing another local bus to Tissamaharama, the gateway to Yala national park. Google maps pointed us in the direction of the bus stop and told us what bus to look out for. Sure enough 15 minutes rolled by and so did the bus to Tissamaharama! We jumped on, managed to get seats and settled in for the 3 hour trip east. These busses, while a little cramped, are by far the most economical way to travel. For all of us to get the bus today it was 1845 rupees – around $8! Bargain. This bus was Yellow and had Ice age characters adorning the inside. There was also some ‘pumping’ Sri lankan tunes and enough LED’s to be classified as a Christmas display…
The bus ride went down without a hitch and at 1500 we arrived in Tissamaharama. There was a definite different feel in the air, we were a little more inland and with this, the landscape had also changed. Upon reaching our hotel we had a chat to our host and guide who will take us into Yala national park tomorrow for our full day Safari. The boys (and adults) were all super excited about seeing animals tomorrow. Thankfully we are in the off season as he let us know that during peak season it is possible to get 500-600 Jeeps, cramming into the park in the morning, however tomorrow we can expect only around 60-80 jeeps….what a difference!
We went for a wander, spotting large monkeys cruising around, and got ourselves something cool and yummy to drink after our hot bus ride. The kids were also happy to find egg Hoppers again for dinner after a while between tastes! Yala tomorrow, can’t wait.
