Posts tagged Sri Lanka Travel

Letters from Sri Lanka: Mirissa and Bentota, Real Diamonds of the Indian Ocean…

Adventure Travel 4 Comments

Dear my travelers and lovers of unusual journeys, welcome to the new adventure on the Mr.M blog! Thank you for the many letters and messages you have sent me and I must admit that it is a great honor and pleasure that my travelogues from Sri Lanka have fulfilled your time during winter and spring season. I am glad that you enjoyed my exotic adventure together with me and I believe that this year will be exciting for all my readers because I am preparing unusual travelogues from Europe and the world, so we will all truly enjoy it!

To my great regret, we have reached the end of this unusual and exotic adventure, so this letter will be the last in a series of posts related to Sri Lanka, but who knows, maybe I will return to this unusual island and continue our unusual adventure! Before I start today’s post I would like to thank the Sri Lankan Tourism Board for this amazing experience and for having the opportunity to continue my adventure on my favorite dream island!

If by any chance you missed any of my previous posts, take the opportunity to visit some of the previous stories at the following links:

  1. The Story about Colombo (Travelogue): LINK
  2. Unforgettable Fashion Safari in Sri Lanka: LINK
  3. My Safari Experience in Sri Lanka (Travelogue): LINK
  4. Sigiriya: The Magic of the Lost Kingdom (Travelogue): LINK
  5. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Travelogue): LINK
  6. Kandyan Dance, a Unique Example of Sinhalese Culture: LINK

I will start today’s post with one exciting early morning cruise – a whale and dolphin watching expedition. Mirissa is an ideal place for whale and dolphin watching, the season suitable for this type of activity lasts from November to April, the period when this part of Sri Lanka becomes one “big playground” for countless species of whales and dolphins.

Some of the most commonly seen whale species in the area include: Sperm whales, killer whales, Bryde whales, short finned Whales, of course next to them you will be able to see playful flocks of dolphins and striped dolphins having fun around your boat! However, the main type of whale that needs special attention is the Blue Whale – which is considered to be the largest animal in the world! Whale and dolphin watching in the Mirissa is ideal for all true nature lovers as they set sail into the ocean.

I had this unforgettable experience in Mirissa with Certina DS Jubilee.

For all the adventurers who are headed to Mirissa, here is some basic information. Mirissa is a small town on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, located in Matara County, in the Southern Province. It is located approximately 150 kilometers south of Colombo and is located at an altitude of 4 meters above sea level. Beach and nightlife of Mirissa make this coastal city a popular tourist destination in Sri Lanka. This city is also a fishing port and one of the main locations on the island for whale and dolphin watching.

After Mirissa, I headed to Bentota, a coastal town in Sri Lanka, located in Galle County in the Southern Province. Bentota is located on the southern bank of the mouth of the river Bentota, at an altitude of 3 meters above sea level. The name of the city comes from a mythical story which claims that a demon named “Ben” ruled the “tota” – the river bank.

Bentota is a tourist attraction, with a local airport and many hotels of different categories for each budget, from affordable hotels range up to the most luxurious hotel resorts. This is a destination for all water sports fans. Bentota also provides an ancient art of healing called Ayurveda.

Ayurveda is a science that describes all the favorable and unfavorable, including happy and unhappy states of life, together with what is good and bad for life, measures for achieving them as well as life itself. The written texts of this complete system of natural health are about 5,000 years old. For centuries, sages and physicians have discovered this ancient wisdom. Ayurveda is the oldest, most comprehensive health care system in use today.

Bentota is known for the production of Toddy, an alcoholic beverage made from coconut nectar. There is also a turtle hatchery here, located on Induruwa Beach. Bentota is a historical site described in ancient messengers’ songs (Sandeśa-Kāvya). Galapatha Rajamaha Viharaya is one of the five ancient temples in the region.

In the 17th century, the Portuguese built a small fortress at the mouth of the Bentota River (Benata Ganga), which in Sinhala was called Parangi Kotuva, which means fortress of the Portuguese. The river marked the southern end of Portuguese territory in Sri Lanka. The Dutch later allowed the fortress to collapse, turning one of the large buildings inside the fortress into a colonial resting place for Dutch officers traveling between Colombo and Galle.

The British then turned the holiday home into a seaside sanatorium. Sir James Emerson Tennent, the colonial secretary of Ceylon in his book, said the Bentota holiday home, set in a small park, deep in the shade of lofty tamarind trees on the part of the beach where the river meets the sea, is one of the coldest and most pleasant Ceylon. The British introduced railways in the early 19th century, mainly to transport coconut products from the deep south to the capital, building a permanent bridge – Bentota Palam to cross the river.

What can you visit in Bentota? Local sights you should visit:

  • Bentota Beach
  • Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery – a community turtle hatchery and turtle watching project established by the Turtle Conservation Project in cooperation with the Sri Lankan Wildlife Department.
  • Brief Garden – home and garden of renowned Sri Lankan landscape architect Bevis Bava, older brother of architect Jeffrey Bava. Located on the territory of a former rubber plantation, Bava continued to develop the estate until his death in 1992.
  • The Buddhist temple of Galapatha Rajamaha Viharaya, located in Bentota, contains stone inscriptions, stone carvings, pillars, ponds and troughs from the medieval period.
  • Helipad Richi Skilark. This heliport operates a helicopter ride in Bentota near the mouth operated by Skilark Aviation Helicopters.
  • River Boat Safari through the Mangrove Lagoon.

One activity I would advise you to embark on is a River Boat Safari through the Mangrove Lagoon. You can combine a river cruise with a visit to the Mangrove Lagoon, where you can see crocodiles that are now rare, but there are plenty of water monitors and river birds. This is a wonderful and relaxing experience where you can enjoy the majesty and beauty of the river landscape.

This safari is unusual because you have the opportunity to enjoy the exotic beauty of the flora and fauna that inhabit this part of Sri Lanka. In addition to the amazing scenery, you have the opportunity to get to know the locals and briefly get an impression of what life in Bentota looks like. During this one-day excursion, I visited a family that makes natural cinnamon products.

An unforgettable experience for me was to see the jellyfish live, when our guide suddenly dipped his hands in the water, I was expecting something preparing the engine, but suddenly he pulled the jellyfish out of the water, I was honestly amazed, but also delighted with the sight! I think this cruise is something you have to experience if you are coming to Bentota.

A few moments ago, I mentioned a visit to a family that produces natural cinnamon products, which was educational and unusual. I even had the opportunity to try cinnamon tea, which is effective and relaxes a person. Cinnamon can be used to make various creams, teas, cakes and products, even from the leaves of the plant, locals in Sri Lanka make roofs for their houses.

Another interesting thing that impressed me was that there are shops and fast food restaurants on the water, which I have not had the opportunity to see so far. There are also sacred places – temples on the water and on the shores that you can see during the cruise.

My stay in Bentota was unforgettable thanks to the team of the Sri Lankan Tourism Board and the friendly staff of the Taj Bentota Resort & Spa hotel who made my stay in this coastal city make me feel at home.

This luxury hotel complex, formerly known as Taj Exotica, this 160-room resort was built by Maga Engineering in 1997. Located in an exotic and beautiful town on Bentota Beach, the resort features distinctive colonial architecture marked by beautiful red tiled roofs.

This 5-star hotel resort offers an extremely rich range of services, including fine restaurants, modern rooms, a spa, a terraced infinity pool and a beautiful lobby with a high solid wood ceiling. The resort opened in 1997. Enjoy the view of the incredible beauty of the Indian Ocean.

Accept the modest greetings ‘Aiubovan’ with a smile, followed by sips of ‘Nelli’ (fruit wine), passion fruit or Ceylon iced tea. This is just a small part of everything that Taj Bentota Resort & Spa has to offer! Immerse yourself in a space that reflects the spirit of Sri Lanka.

Dear travelers, we have come to the end of this last post about the Sri Lankan adventure. It was my greates pleasure to present you all the beauties of Mirissa and Bentota, which would not be possible without the selfless help of the Sri Lankan Tourism Board in cooperation with local partners like Taj Bentota Resort & Spa. to feel the spirit and beauty of the Indian Ocean and Sri Lankan culture and tradition. Of course, as always, I tried to share my impressions of this unusual experience in Sri Lanka.

Time always flies when a person has a good time! A man is rich at heart if he has managed to explore the world and I am glad to always be able to find partners for my projects that help me discover new and unusual destinations in a completely different way during this global health crisis COVID-19.

I am honoured to have the opportunity to work with companies that are at the top of the tourism industry and I would like to thank them for this amazing adventure and for allowing me to experience the beauty of this unusual island country in South Asia in a completely different way.

How did you like this story of mine about my experience in Mirissa and Bentota? Have you maybe had the opportunity to visit Sri Lanka before? Share with me your experiences, I would be glad to hear!

If you have a question, comment, suggestion or message for me you can write to me below in the comments. Of course, as always you can contact me via email or social networks, all addresses can be found on the CONTACT page. See you in the same place in a couple of days, with a new story!

Warm greetings from Sri Lanka,

Mr.M

This post is sponsored by the Sri Lankan Tourism Board and Taj Bentota Resort & Spa. This post presents my personal and honest review of the destination experience.

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Letters from Sri Lanka: Kandyan Dance, a Unique Example of Sinhalese Culture…

Adventure Travel 5 Comments

My dear travelers and lovers of unusual journeys, welcome to another new adventure on the Mr.M blog. Today we continue our story about Sri Lanka and today we will learn more about Sinhalese culture together. Before I start today’s post I would like to thank the Sri Lankan Tourism Board for this amazing experience and for having the opportunity to continue my adventure on my favorite dream island!

If by any chance you missed any of my previous posts, take the opportunity to visit some of the previous stories at the following links:

  1. The Story about Colombo (Travelogue): LINK
  2. Unforgettable Fashion Safari in Sri Lanka: LINK
  3. My Safari Experience in Sri Lanka (Travelogue): LINK
  4. Sigiriya: The Magic of the Lost Kingdom (Travelogue): LINK
  5. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Travelogue): LINK

Who are the Sinhalese people?

The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group of Sri Lankan descent. In history, they were known as Hela people. They make up about 75% of Sri Lanka’s population and have more than 15 million members community. Sinhalese ethnic identity is based on language, cultural heritage and nationality. Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an isolated Indo-Aryan language, and are predominantly Theravada Buddhists, although a minority of Sinhalese follow branches of Christianity and other religions.

Since 1815, they have been largely divided into two groups of peoples: the “Sinhalese of the Upper Lands” who inhabit the central mountain regions and the “Sinhalese of the Lower Lands” in the coastal regions, although both groups speak the same language. customs.

Sinhalese culture is unique, dating back more than 2,600 years and nurtured by Theravada Buddhism. The main features of Sinhalese culture are sculptures, fine arts, literature, dance, poetry and a wide range of traditional folk beliefs and numerous rituals. Ancient Sinhalese stone sculpture and inscriptions are known around the world and are a major attraction in modern tourism.

Sigiriya is known for its frescoes, which we wrote about in one of the previous posts. Interesting information from historical writings is that the workers sang their lives in folk songs to accompany their work and tell the story of their lives. Ideally, these songs consisted of four lines and in the composition of these songs, special attention was paid to the rhyming patterns. Buddhist festivals are interspersed with unique music that uses traditional Sinhalese instruments. Older rituals such as tovils (exorcism) continue to delight audiences today and have often praised and invoked the good powers of the Buddha and the gods to cast out demons.

The performing arts (dance) of Sinhalese can be categorized into several groups:

  1. Kandyan dance consists of 18 Vannam (dance routines) that depict the behaviors of various animals such as elephant, eagle, cobra, peacock, monkey and rabbit. These dance routines can be seen at the annual Perahara competition in Sri Dalada Malagawa Kandy.
  2. Pahatharata dance has a different significant style of dance that is used to cure diseases and spiritualize (spiritual enlightenment). The main feature of these dances is that the players wear masks that represent different gods and demons. Elements like fire and water are used to show people and bless their hopes.
  3. Sabaragamuwa dances also have a unique and significant dance style that is there to entertain the masses.

Folk music and dances differ significantly depending on the cast of Sinhalese. These dances are extremely popular among boys and girls who are brought up from an early age to nurture and preserve their culture. These types of art are performed during special events such as the Sinhalese New Year.

Kandyan dance encompasses various dance forms and routines that are popular and original in an area called Kandy, located in the Central Hills region, known as Udarata in Sri Lanka, which have also spread to other parts of the country today. This is an example of Sinhalese culture in Sri Lanka.

Let’s find out together which are some of the dances in Kandian dance, some of the many dances are: Ves dance, Naiyandi dance, Udarata dance, Pahatharata dance, Weeramunda Kankariya dance and Vannam.

Ves Dance

According to one well-known legend, the origin of Ves dance lies in a dance ritual known as Kohomba kankariya (named after the deity Kohomba), which is also known as Kohomba yak kankariya or simply kankariya. Masters of traditional dance believe that originally the king of a place called “Malaya Rata” and his two brothers performed the first Kohomba Kankariya. Some believe that this “Malaya Rata” was located in India.

According to legend, three shamans came to the island as a result of a trick of the god Shakra to cure King Panduwasdev, who was suffering from a mysterious unusual disease. It is said that the king suffers from a recurring dream in which the leopard directed its tongue towards the king, which is believed to be like the black magic of Kuweni, the first wife of King Vijaya. After performing Kohomba Kankariya, the disease disappeared, and many natives adopted the dance.

It was originally performed by dancers who were identified as a special caste under the feudal system of Kandyan. They were associated with the Temple of the Tooth and played a significant role in the Dalada Perahera (procession) held by the temple each year. The popularity of the dance weakened as support for dancers from the Kandyan Kings ceased during the British period. It is now revived and adapted for the stage and is the primary cultural export of Sri Lanka.

Ves dance, the most popular, originated from an ancient purification ritual, Kohomba iakuma or Kohomba kankariya. The dance was conciliatory, never secular, and was performed only by men. The intricate costume of Vesa, especially the head covering, is considered sacred and is believed to belong to the deity Kohombi. Only before the end of the 19th century, Vesa dancers were invited for the first time to perform in front of the Kankari Temple at the annual Kandy Peraher Festival. Today, the richly costumed Wes dancers represent the embodiment of Candian dance, which emphasizes the true and true culture of Sri Lanka.

Naiyandi Dance

Dancers in Naiyandi costume perform during the initial preparations for the Kohomba Kankari festival, during the lighting of lamps and the preparation of food for demons. The dancer wears a white cloth and a white turban, pearl ornaments on his chest, a belt, rows of pearls around his neck, silver chains, brass straps, ankle boots and jingles; just like the costume of Ves dancers except for the forehead. This is a graceful dance, which is also performed in the temples of Maha Visnu (Vishnu) and Kataragama Devales on festive occasions.

Udarata Dance

The percussive dance is a very prestigious and unusual show. The name of this dance comes from the word “udarata” – a small lacquered hand drum in the shape of an hourglass, about 18-20 cm high, which is believed to have been given to humans by the gods.

It is believed that the two skins of the drum were given by the god Iswara, and the sound by Visnu; The instrument is said to have been constructed according to the instructions of the Sacra and to have been played in the heavenly palace of the gods. It is a very difficult instrument to play. The dancer sings as he plays, tightening the strings to get variations in pitch.

Pahatharata Dance

The Patharata is an instrument dedicated to the goddess Pattina. It resembles a tambourine (without skin) and has small cymbals attached at intervals around its circumference. The dance is said to have originated in the days of Prince Siddhartha, who became a Buddha. The gods were believed to use this instrument to celebrate victories in war, and Sinhalese kings used Patharata dancers to celebrate victories on the battlefield.

The costume is similar to the costume of Udarata dancer, but the Patharata dancer does not wear a jacket with pearls and she replaced the silk handkerchief at the waist for the complex folds of the Udarata dancer.

Weeramunda Kankariya Dance

Weeramunda Kankariya and Kande Deviyan Pidima (evening ritual for the god of the mountain) can be identified as ceremonial dances rooted in the folk beliefs of the Kandyan Dewa people.

Vannam (Dance styles)

Originally, Vannam was a form of recitation. Most Vannam describe the behavior of animals such as elephants, monkeys, rabbits, peacocks, roosters, snakes and others. Later, the dancers used vannam as a background for their performance. There are 18 vannam in the Kandyan dance form. Traditionally, a dancer would have to learn to perform all these vannames before getting a Ves costume. The most famous among them are hanuma vannama (monkey), taste vannama (eagle) and gajaga vannama (elephant).

The word vannam comes from the Sinhala word varnana (descriptive praise). Ancient Sinhalese texts refer to a significant number of baths that were only sung, later adapted to solo dances, each of which expressed a dominant idea. Historical writings reveal that the king of Kandiana, Sri Veeraparakrama Narendrasinghe, gave a significant impetus to dance and music.

It is believed that coffee (poetry sung with music) was composed for eighteen major baths by an old sage named Ganithalankara, with the selfless help of a Buddhist priest from a temple in Kandy. Vannam is inspired by nature, history, legend, folk religion, folk art and sacred tradition, and each is composed and interpreted in a certain mood (rasaia) or expression of feelings. Eighteen classic baths are:

Gajaga Wannama (elephant), Thuranga Wannama (horse), Mayura Wannama (peacock), Ukkussa Wannama (eagle), Vyrodi Wannama (precious stones) Hanuma Wannama (monkey), Savula Wannama (rooster), Sinharaja Wannama (lion, lion king) , Nayyadi Wannama (cobra), as well as many others.

Although originally only men were allowed to train as dancers, there are now several schools that also train women in Kandyan dances. However, there is no definite Wes costume for women, and many dancers have adapted the men’s costume in different ways. There are currently only a few performances of Kohomba Kankariya for many social, economic and political reasons. The dance in its traditional form is still performed every year at Dalada Perhahera in Kandy.

Kandyan dance was adapted for the stage by Citrasena Diaz in the 1970s. In several ballets he choreographed, he used the movements and characteristics of Kandyan dance. In a way, its popularity has also helped reduce the caste barriers that surround dance and made it more enjoyable for urban, contemporary audiences. Many contemporary modern dancers in Sri Lanka have borrowed the Kandyan form of dance in their work.

Dear travelers, we have come to the end of this special post about the Sinhalese culture and wonderful Kandyan dances which would not be possible without the selfless help of the Sri Lankan Tourism Board in cooperation with local partners to feel the spirit and beauty of the Sri Lankan culture and tradition. Of course, as always, I tried to share my impressions of this unusual experience in Sri Lanka.

Time always flies when a person has a good time! A man is rich at heart if he has managed to explore the world and I am glad to always be able to find partners for my projects that help me discover new and unusual destinations in a completely different way during this global health crisis COVID-19.

I am honoured to have the opportunity to work with companies that are at the top of the tourism industry and I would like to thank them for this amazing adventure and for allowing me to experience the beauty of this unusual island country in South Asia in a completely different way.

How did you like this story of mine about my experience with Kandyan dances? Have you maybe had the opportunity to visit Sri Lanka before? Share with me your experiences, I am would be glad to hear!

If you have a question, comment, suggestion or message for me you can write to me below in the comments. Of course, as always you can contact me via email or social networks, all addresses can be found on the CONTACT page. See you in the same place in a couple of days, with a new story from Sri Lanka!

Warm greetings from Sri Lanka,

Mr.M

This post is sponsored by the Sri Lankan Tourism Board. This post presents my personal and honest review of the destination experience.

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Letters from Sri Lanka: All the Secrets of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy…

Adventure Travel 5 Comments

Dear my travelers and lovers of extraordinary journeys welcome to the new post on Mr.M blog! Today we continue our adventure in magical Sri Lanka and discover some interesting facts about the The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy. Before I start today’s post I would like to thank the Sri Lankan Tourism Board for this amazing experience and for having the opportunity to continue my adventure on my favorite dream island!

If by any chance you missed any of my previous posts, take the opportunity to visit some of the previous stories at the following links:

  1. The Story about Colombo (Travelogue): LINK
  2. Unforgettable Fashion Safari in Sri Lanka: LINK
  3. My Safari Experience in Sri Lanka (Travelogue): LINK
  4. Sigiriya: The Magic of the Lost Kingdom (Travelogue): LINK

Travel is one of the best non-formal ways of education. When you travel, you have the opportunity to come into direct touch with new cultures and religions, so you have the opportunity to expand your knowledge and interests. Travels are memories that no one can take away from you, every trip is unique and each of us should fill our passport pages with destinations that would ennoble the soul because the interests of each individual are different, and therefore the destinations we choose.

Before heading to a new and unusual destination, we must keep in mind that we should not build prejudices and that it is best to go and enjoy the beauty of diversity without thinking too much. Every culture brings with it some special rituals and customs, every nation has its own beliefs that each of us should respect.

The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic or Sri Dalada Maligawa, better known as the Glorious Tooth Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Kandy in Sri Lanka. It is located in the complex of the royal palace of the former Kingdom of Kandy, which houses the relic of the Buddha’s tooth. From time immemorial, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic runs the state. The relic has historically been held by Sinhalese kings. The Temple of the Tooth is a World Heritage Site mainly because of the temple and the relic.

The monks from two special chapters, the chapter of Malwathu and the chapter of Asgiri, perform daily worship in the inner chamber of the temple. Rituals are performed three times a day: at dawn, at noon and in the evening. On Wednesday, the relics are symbolically bathed with a herbal preparation of fragrant water and fragrant flowers called Nanumura Mangallaya, it is believed that this holy water contains healing powers and is distributed to those present.

There is an interesting legend, in which way a relic like the Buddha’s tooth came to Sri Lanka. After the Maha parinirvana of Gautama Buddha, according to legend, the relic of the tooth was preserved in Kalinga and smuggled to the island by Princess Hemamali and her husband, Prince Dantha, on the instructions of her father, King Guhasiva. Hemamali hid the relic in her hair on the way to the island. They landed on the island of Lankapatana during the reign of Sirimeghavana of Anuradhapura and handed over the relic of the tooth.

The king preserved it in Meghagiri Vihara (present-day Isurumuniya) in Anuradhapura. Keeping the relics has been the responsibility of the monarch ever since, so over the years keeping the relics has become a symbol of the right to rule the island. Therefore, the ruling monarchs built temples of relics of teeth quite close to their royal residences, as was the case in the time of the Kingdom of Anuradhapura, the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa and the Kingdom of Dambadeniya. During the era of the Kingdom of Gampola, the relic was placed in Niyamgampaja Vihari.

Poems about messengers such as Hamsa, Gira and Selalihini state that the temple of the relics of the tooth was located in the city of Sri Jayavardenpura Kota when the Kingdom of Kota was established there. During the reign of Darmapala of Kote, the relic was moved and hidden in Delgamuwa Vihara, Ratnapura, in a grinding stone.

It was brought to Kandy by Hirpitiye Diyawadana Rala and Devanagala Rathanalankara Thera. King Vimaladharmasuriya I built a two-story building to deposit the relics of the tooth and the building is now gone. Later, at the beginning of the 17th century, when the Portuguese kingdom invaded Kandy, it was taken to Meda Mahanuwara in Dumbara.

The Buddha’s Tooth was found during the time of Rajasinha II and there are historical records that the relic was returned to the original building or it is unconfirmed that a new temple was built. Today’s temple of the Buddha’s Tooth was built by Vira Narendra Sinha.

The octagonal Paththirippuva and the moat were added during the reign of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha. The royal architect Devendra Moolacharia is credited with building Paththiripuva. Originally, the king used it for recreational activities, and later it was assigned to the relic of teeth, and now it houses the temple library.

The description of the architecture of this Buddhist temple is also interesting. The brick wall that stretches along the moat and Lake Bogambara is known as the wall of water waves. The holes in this wall are made to light coconut oil lamps. The main entrance gate above the moat is called Mahavahalkada. At the foot of the Mahavahalkada steps is the sandakada pahana (moonstone) which is carved in the Kandian architectural style.

Mahavahalkada was completely destroyed in a bomb blast in 1998 and rebuilt along with Sandakada Pahan with other stone carvings. Elephants are depicted in stone on both sides of the entrance. Makara Torana and two stone guards were placed at the top of the stairs. The chamber of the drummer Hevisi is located in front of the main shrine. The two floors of the main shrine are known as “Palle malaia” (lower floor) and “Udu malaia” (upper floor) or “Veda hitina maligava”. The door of the Veda Hitana Maligawa is ivory carvings. The real chamber where the relic of the tooth is kept is known as “Handun kunama”.

The golden canopy over the main shrine and the golden fence surrounding the temple complex were built in 1987 by then-Prime Minister Ranasinghe Premadas. The relic of the tooth is wrapped in seven golden coffins engraved with precious stones. The relic of the Buddha’s Tooth is forbidden to paint, but it is a divine sight when you see the way in which such a shrine is kept.

Within this complex there is also the Royal Palace, an open hall for the audience. Vimaladharmasuriia I from Kandy built the Royal Palace in Kandy. The Royal Palace is located north of the temple. The Royal Palace is also known as “Maligawa”. There were three Vahalkadas and a wall almost 2.5 m high which was used as the main entrance. The part of the palace facing Natha Devale is the oldest.

During the beginning of the British period, it was used by government agent Sir John D’Oyley, the 1st Baronet from Kandy. D’Oili’s heirs continued to use it as their official residence. Today it is preserved as an archeological museum. Ulpen Ge and Queens Palace are connected palace buildings.

The audience hall or magul maduva is the place where the kings of Kandy kept their court. It was completed during the reign of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha. The carvings of the wooden pillars that support the wooden roof are an example of wood carving from the Kandy period. Sri Rajadhi Rajasinha from Kandy built this hall in 1783. The hall was renovated to receive Albert Edward, Prince of Wales in 1872.

The audience hall was the place where the Candian Convention was drawn up, where the convention was read to the people and where the conference on the convention was held on March 2, 1815. That space was later used to raise Kandy Kachcheri and Kandy Supreme Court. Today it is used for state ceremonies and is kept within the Department of Archeology.

Dear travelers, we have come to the end of this special post about the most famous symbol of Sri Lanka – The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic which would not be possible without the selfless help of the Sri Lankan Tourism Board in cooperation with local partners to feel the spirit and beauty of the Sri Lankan culture and tradition. Of course, as always, I tried to share my impressions of this unusual experience in Sri Lanka.

Time always flies when a person has a good time! A man is rich at heart if he has managed to explore the world and I am glad to always be able to find partners for my projects that help me discover new and unusual destinations in a completely different way during this global health crisis COVID-19.

I am honoured to have the opportunity to work with companies that are at the top of the tourism industry and I would like to thank them for this amazing adventure and for allowing me to experience the beauty of this unusual island country in South Asia in a completely different way.

How did you like this story of mine about my experience in The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic? Have you maybe had the opportunity to visit Sri Lanka before? Share with me your experiences, I am would be glad to hear!

If you have a question, comment, suggestion or message for me you can write to me below in the comments. Of course, as always you can contact me via email or social networks, all addresses can be found on the CONTACT page. See you in the same place in a couple of days, with a new story from Sri Lanka!

Warm greetings from Sri Lanka,

Mr.M

This post is sponsored by the Sri Lankan Tourism Board. This post presents my personal and honest review of the destination experience.

SHARE THIS POST

Letters from Sri Lanka: Sigiriya, the Magic of the Lost Kingdom…

Adventure Travel 5 Comments

My dear travelers and lovers of unusual adventures, welcome to the new adventure on the Mr.M blog! Today’s letter will be dedicated to one of the most famous landmarks of Sri Lanka – Sigiriya. Before I start today’s post I would like to thank the National Tourism Board of Sri Lanka for this amazing experience and for having the opportunity to continue my adventure on my favorite dream island!

The name Sigiriya itself means “Lion’s Rock” and is a symbol of this unusual island country. There is no tourist who came to Sri Lanka without visiting the famous rock that is on the UNESCO list of cultural sites of World Heritage in Asia and Oceania. What is the story that is passed down through the generations, from generation to generation?

Sigiriya used to be a kingdom at the “top of the world”, which was later turned into a Buddhist monastery. This historic landmark, a former fortification, is located in the northern part of the Matadalle District near the city of Dambulla in the Central Province. It is a place of exceptional historical and archeological significance, dominated by a massive pillar of rock about 180 meters high.

According to ancient Sri Lankan history, this area was a large forest, and after storms and landslides it became a hill and King Kashyapa chose it as the ideal place for his new capital. Legend has it that on top of this unusual scene, the king built his palace and decorated its walls with colorful frescoes. He made a gate in the shape of a huge lion on a small plateau of this rock. The name of this place comes from this word structure: “Sinhagiri” – Lion’s Rock (Lion’s City).

The capital and the royal palace were abandoned after the king’s death. It was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century. Today, Sigiriya is proudly on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is one of the best preserved examples of ancient urban planning of the city.

As you are used to, today I will do my best to tell you some historical interesting facts and facts related to this unusual rock. According to some historical writings, it is believed that the area around Sigiriya has been inhabited since prehistoric times. There is ample concrete evidence that many shelters and caves nearby were inhabited by Buddhist monks and ascetics as early as the 3rd century BC. The earliest evidence of human settlement in Sigiriya is the shelter in the rocks of Aligala, which is located east of the Sigiriya rock, which indicates that this area was occupied almost five thousand years ago during the Mesolithic period.

Buddhist monastic settlements were founded during the 3rd century BC on the western and northern slopes of the hills sprinkled with boulders that surround the Sigiriya rock. During this period, several stone shelters – caves were created. These shelters are made under large boulders, with carved edges around the cave entrances. Inscriptions on the rocks are carved near the edges of many shelters, recording the donations of the shelter to the Buddhist monastic order as residences. They are believed to have originated between the 3rd century BC and the 1st century AD.

How did King Kashyapa come to Sigiriya? Kashyapa I, the king’s son from his non-royal wife in 477 AD, took the throne from King Dhatusena, after a coup with the help of Moggallana, the king’s nephew and army commander. The real heir, Moggallana, fearing for his life, fled to southern India.

Frightened by the attack of Moggallana, Kashyapa moved the capital and his residence from the traditional capital of Anuradhapura to the safer Sigiriya. During the reign of King Kashyapa (from 477 to 495 AD), Sigiriya developed into a complex city and fortress. Most of the complex structures on and around the rock, including defensive structures, palaces and gardens, date from this period.

Cūḷavaṃsa describes King Kashyapa as the son of King Dhatusena. Cūḷavaṃsa or Chulavamsa (Pala: “Little Chronicle”) is a historical record, written in Pali, about the monarchs of Sri Lanka. Kashyapa killed his father by walling him up alive, and then usurped the throne that rightfully belonged to his half-brother Moggallani, Dhatusena’s son from the real queen. Moggallana fled to India to avoid being killed by Kashyapa, but swore revenge.

He raised an army in India with the intention of returning and re-occupying the throne of Sri Lanka, which he considered his right. Anticipating the inevitable return of Moggallana, Kashyapa reportedly built his palace on top of Sigiriya as a fortress and palace for enjoyment. Moggallana finally arrived, declared war and defeated Kashyapa in 495. During the battle, Kashyapa’s army abandoned him and he committed suicide with his sword.

Cūḷavaṃsa and a legend passed down for generations say that the fighting elephant on which Kashyapa was sitting changed course to take a strategic advantage, but the army misinterpreted the movement as if the king had decided to withdraw, leading the army to abandon it altogether. It is said that, because he was too proud to surrender, he took the sword off his belt, cut his throat, proudly raised his sword, put it in its scabbard and fell dead. Moggallana returned the capital to Anuradhapura, turning Sigiriya into a Buddhist monastery complex, which survived until the 13th or 14th century.

After this period, no records of Sigiriya were found until the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was briefly used as an outpost of the Kingdom of Kandy.

There are other legends where King Dhatusena has the main role of the builder of Sigiriya, and Kashyapa finished the work in honor of his father. Other stories describe Kashyapa as the playboy king, with Sigiriya as his palace of pleasure. Even Kashyapa’s final destiny is uncertain. In some versions, he is killed by the poison given to him by the concubine, while in the official “braver” version, he heroically cuts his own throat when he deserted in his last battle. There is some research that has come to some evidence that this place is the work of a Buddhist community, without a military function. This location may have been important in the competition between the Buddhist traditions of Mahayana and Theravada in ancient Sri Lanka.

Professor Senarath Paranavithana’s book “The Story of Sigiriya” says that King Dhatusena listened to the advice of the Persian Nestorian priest Mag Brahman on the construction of his palace in Sigiriya. According to Paranavithana, during this period over seventy-five ships carrying Murundi soldiers from Mangalore arrived in Sri Lanka and landed in Chilaw to protect King Dathusena.

In the middle of the 19th century, Major Jonathan Forbes of the 78th Highlanders of the British Army, while returning on his horse from a trip to Pollonnuruwa, came across “the forest-covered peak of Sigiriya”. Sigiriya was in the special center of attention of the antiquarian because of the unusual precious objects, and later also the archaeologists. The first archeological works in Sigiriya began at the end of the 19th century on a smaller scale. H.C.P. Bell was the first archaeologist to conduct extensive research on Sigiriya. The Cultural Triangle project, launched by the Sri Lankan government, focused on Sigiriya in 1982. As part of this project, archeological works on the entire city began for the first time. A lion’s head was sculpted above his feet and paws near the entrance, but unfortunately his head collapsed many years ago.

Sigiriya consists of an ancient citadel built by King Kashyapa during the 5th century. The Sigiriya site contains the ruins of the upper palace located on the flat top of the rock, the middle level terrace which includes the Lion’s Gate and the wall of mirrors with its frescoes, the lower palaces hold the slope below the rocks. The moats, walls and gardens of the palace stretched several hundred meters from the foot of the rock. The site was both a palace and a fortress. The upper palace at the top of the rock includes cisterns that are cut into the rock itself.

Sigiriya is considered to be one of the most important urban sites of the first millennium, and the plan of this impressive site is considered to be very elaborate and imaginative. The plan combined the concepts of symmetry and asymmetry to intentionally connect the geometric and natural forms of the man-made environment. On the west side of the rock is a park for royal families, set on a symmetrical plane. This park contains water retention structures, including sophisticated surface / underground hydraulic systems, some of which still operate today.

To the south of the rock is an artificial reservoir; these were largely used from the former capital of the dry zone of Sri Lanka. There are five gates at the entrances. It is believed that the more complex western gate was exclusively reserved for royal families.

There is one part of the rock that is painted with beautiful frescoes which unfortunately cannot be photographed, there are guards who keep the frescoes and making photos is not allowed, the frescoes are amazing and really worth visiting and enjoying the beauty of art made by man almost 5,000 years ago… Frescoes cover larger part of the western side of the rock, an area about 140 meters long and 40 meters high. However, a large part of the frescoes was lost forever and a small part remained, which can be seen today during a tour of Sigiriya during the descent from the rock.

After the great symbol of Sri Lanka, I would like to present you an amazing camp in nature where you can stay during your visit of this magical island. Situated among rolling hills, lush greenery and exceptional nature, the Wild Glamping Knuckles offers a completely different experience of atypical luxury camping in the central plateau of Sri Lanka.

With ten highly designed luxury tents ideally positioned amid the misty hills, the campsite allows guests to indulge in the beauties of nature while enjoying the modern comforts of camping. There is no internet or network telephone signal, so all you have to do is enjoy nature and the fantastic specialties prepared by the staff of this hotel from products that they grow or procure from local farms.

This unusual camp belongs to the group of hotels Theme Resorts & Spas, where you will always receive a special personalized exceptional service with a welcome smile. During my stay, I had a feeling of adrenaline because I had the opportunity to stay in tents, which I have not practiced for years.

In this luxury camp located in the Knuckles mountain range in Sri Lanka, there is an idyllic place where you can find refuge among the beautiful hills of the Central Province. The picturesque and secluded surroundings of Wild Glamping Knuckles offer its guests the opportunity to experience the adventure of the Knuckles mountain range and the surrounding wild flora and fauna, while enjoying the harsh and cold climate and the serenity of the rainforest and mountains.

Dear adventurers, we have come to the end of this special post about the most famous symbol of Sri Lanka – Sigiriya (Lion Rock) and an unusual camp, which would not be possible without the selfless help of the Sri Lankan Tourism Board in cooperation with local partners like Wild Glamping Knuckles. to feel the spirit and beauty of the Knuckles mountain range and Sri Lankan culture and tradition. Of course, as always, I tried to share my impressions of this unusual experience in Sri Lanka.

Time always flies when a person has a good time! A man is rich at heart if he has managed to explore the world and I am glad to always be able to find partners for my projects that help me discover new and unusual destinations in a completely different way during this global health crisis COVID-19.

I am honoured to have the opportunity to work with companies that are at the top of the tourism industry and I would like to thank them for this amazing adventure and for allowing me to experience the beauty of this unusual island country in South Asia in a completely different way.

How did you like this story of mine about my experience in Sigiriya and Wild Glamping Knuckles? Have you maybe had the opportunity to visit Sri Lanka before? Share with me your experiences, I am would be glad to hear!

If you have a question, comment, suggestion or message for me you can write to me below in the comments. Of course, as always you can contact me via email or social networks, all addresses can be found on the CONTACT page. See you in the same place in a couple of days, with a new story from Sri Lanka!

Warm greetings from Sri Lanka,

Mr.M

This post is sponsored by the Sri Lankan Tourism Board and Wild Glamping Knuckles camp which is a member of Theme Resorts and Spas group. This post presents my personal and honest review of the destination experience.

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Fashionable Letter from Sri Lanka: Stripes are Iconic!

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Dear my fashionistas and travelers, welcome to the new fashion adventure on the Mr.M blog! Today’s fashion story will be about the iconic fashion detail of this season, a print that has appeared in many world fashion houses this season – stripes.

Before I start today’s post, I would like to thank the Sri Lankan Tourism Board for an amazing experience and a wonderful trip. If by any chance you missed any of my previous posts, take the opportunity to visit some of the previous stories at the following links:

  1. The Story about Colombo (Travelogue): LINK
  2. Unforgettable Fashion Safari in Sri Lanka: LINK
  3. My Safari Experience in Sri Lanka (Travelogue): LINK

Today’s fashion story will be dedicated to timeless fashion detail – stripes, a print that has returned to the big doors of this fashion season, as evidenced by the new collections of all famous well-known fashion houses that have decorated some of their clothes, accessories and footwear with iconic detail – stripes.

What’s the behind story about the stripes? Over time, this print has become a symbol of classic and elegant style, simple and somewhat conservative, but the history of this fashion print in clothing is more than unconventional, sometimes it could be found on the “other side of the law”.

Striped design is one of the first characteristic examples of textile processing in the history of fashion, which has survived various eras and survived to this day. Perhaps today stripes are a feature of perfect classical style, balanced and somewhat liberal, the history of this fashion print is more than avant-garde, and often the print that could be found on uniforms worn by people on the other side of the law. According to some historical records, stripes on clothes were first found during the Middle Ages, and in their black and white version they were reserved for criminal convicts, court lunatics and “love sellers” – prostitutes.

The conclusion is that stripes may have gone through various epochs of condemnation and admiration, but today they have flourished and become an unavoidable fashion detail that is simply irresistible and simply impossible to avoid!

The jacket in today’s post is from the new collection of the Italian fashion house Tod’s. The jacket is made of the highest quality suede leather with brushed leather details.

Tod’s is one of the few brands on the fashion scene that has remained true to its roots and generations. Tod’s as a brand has always stood out for its quality leather and models that come from craft workshops. Mr. Diego Della Valle’s idea was to create shoes, appeal and fashion accessories suitable for both formal and informal occasions, with a casual, comfortable, simple but refined taste.

Today, the Tod’s brand represents the pinnacle of Italian fashion and in addition to footwear, produces clothes, knitwear and fashion accessories that have found their place in the hearts of people all over Europe and the world.

One of the brands that has recognized positive energy and love for adventures and unusual journeys is the Swiss watch brand Certina. We have already met with this brand during the winter season on the Mr.M blog and if you are interested to know why this brand is so special and unique, read the story at this link.

Certina watches are known for their precision, reliability and sporty character. The sports watch brand has built an international reputation for quality Swiss workmanship, during its long history, which is more than 130 years long.

Certina is a symbol of durability and longevity, which is why the mascot of the turtle armor brand symbolizes robustness and longevity – characteristics that all Certina watches, without exception. Therefore, it is no wonder that turtle armor has been a symbol of the brand since the 1960s. Today, the distinctive outline can still be found on almost every Certina watch, as well as on the brand logo. It evokes the exceptional endurance that characterizes every Certina watch.

Today, after 60 years, Certina DS Jubile adorns my hand. It is an unusual feeling when one such brand with unique watch designs is my new partner in my adventures. The watch you have the opportunity to see in today’s post is the DS Jubile model, which exists in two versions, the basic one with a steel bracelet and the other with a leather bracelet.

This watch combines precious materials with maximum precision. This elegant men’s watch is equipped with an 18K yellow gold frame. It is powered by an innovative PrecidriveTM quartz movement, whose precision and reliability are confirmed by COSC. The watch has a date display. The scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and stainless steel case make this watch durable and robust: the watch can withstand water pressures up to 10 ATM. Illuminated hands contrast with the background and thus always provide the best readability. The stainless steel bracelet, which is attached to the wrist together with the button, makes this model from Certina impressive!

Technical characteristics

Dial: analog with display of date,hour, minute and second, hands with luminous material. Bezel: 18k gold
Movement mechanism type: Quartz
Glass: Antireflection treatment on one side Sapphire crystal
Case: 316L stainless steel
Case diameter (mm): 40
Case thickness (mm): 7.75
Bracelet: 316L stainless steel
Water resistance: 10 ATM – 100m
Buckle: 316L stainless steel
Collection: Urban

Warranty: 3-Year Warranty

If you want to be updated and find out which models Certina has to offer, visit their Official Online Store and follow them on the social networks Facebook and Instagram.

Loro Piana is a well-known Italian company for fabrics and clothes specializing in top, luxury cashmere and wool products. This brand belongs to LVMH premium luxury brands and has been at the very top of the fashion industry for years.

Loro Piana world is special and magical where everything can be done according to your wishes. In addition to an amazing fashion program for men and women, Loro Piana also has a home decorating line. This brand is recognizable by its products made of cashmere and a special Vicuna material, which is considered to be the most expensive material in the world.

Certain pieces of my today’s outfit, such as a silk T-Shirt, the jeans and sneakers, are part of the new Loro Piana Spring – Summer 2022 collection.

OUTFIT

Leather Suede Jacket: Tod’s

Watch: Certina

T-Shirt: Loro Piana

Jeans: Loro Piana

Sneakers: Loro Piana

Dear my fashionistas and travelers, we have come to the end of this special post where we discovered the beauty and brilliance of light tones for Spring and I sincerely hope you got inspired for some of your ideal spring outfits! I wish you a pleasant and enjoyable weekend and see you soon to continue our adventure in Sri Lanka!

How did you like my outfit today? I really tried to prepare today’s fashion outfit post for you with a lot of love and I hope you will like it! I look forward to your comments and can’t wait to hear your opinions!

If you have a question, comment, suggestion or message for me, you can write me down in the comments. Of course, as always you can contact me via mail or social media channels, which you can find on the CONTACT page. See you soon, stay tuned!

With Love from Sri Lanka,
Mr.M

This post is sponsored by Sri Lankan Tourism Board, Tod’s, Certina and Loro Piana brands and represents my personal and honest review of their products.

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Letters from Sri Lanka: The Beauty of the Safari Experience in Hurulu Eco Park!

Adventure Travel 6 Comments

Dear my travelers, welcome to the new post on Mr.M blog! Today may be April 1st, but I don’t have an April Fool’s joke for you, but that’s why I’ve prepared a new story and I’m taking you on a new adventure! Today we continue our tour of Sri Lanka and I am very excited to share pictures from the safari experience with you. During the trip, when I shared my Instagram stories, a lot of people sent me emails and messages with questions regarding the safari experience in Sri Lanka. What a safari really looks like on this unusual island and what can really be expected, I will try to convey to you in today’s post. Before I start today’s post I would like to thank the Sri Lankan Tourism Board for this amazing experience and for having the opportunity to continue my adventure on my favorite dream island in South Asia!

If by any chance you did not manage to read my first letter from Sri Lanka or you want to remind yourself of some interesting details, take the opportunity to get acquainted with the jewel of Sri Lanka – Colombo and see what you can visit in this unusual city! You can read my previous story at the following link.

I am sure that many of you are wondering what the safari, wildlife and national parks of Sri Lanka really look like, so I think now it’s the perfect time to describe this amazing experience to you!

Sri Lanka is an island country that is rich in diversity of geographical relief forms with extremely rich flora and fauna. Sri Lanka is a true paradise for all nature and animal lovers. There are 26 national parks and over 500 protected areas on this small island, which together cover about 27% of Sri Lanka’s area. The modest size of Sri Lanka allows you to experience all these little natural wonders in a relatively short period of time.

Before embarking on the adventure of a lifetime, consider whether you would like to go back to a bygone era, where architecture was still earthy, food more “organic”, surrounded by many species of birds and diverse trees. Would it be interesting to go back to an era when animals lived with humans with mutual trust?

If you want to feel the spirit of those times at least for a while, my sincere advice is to stay during your vacation in Sri Lanka at Cinnamon Lodge Habarana, a hotel surrounded by over 2000 trees, which are home to various animals such as serpent eagles, kingfishers and monkeys. This is an interesting coexistence of life, so if you still want to be in direct contact with nature and add a little color that will enhance your vacation, consider staying in this hotel, which will become your “distant exotic home” for at least a few days, the lifetime experience which you will remember for a long time.

Today I will share with you some of the useful tips which national parks you could visit in Sri Lanka and with great pleasure see some of your favorite animals or just simply enjoy the unreal landscapes and the beauty and scents of unusual exotic plants. If you want to see certain animals you can visit the following national parks:

Leopards: Yala National Park, Wilpattu National Park.
Elephants: Udawalawa National Park, Minneriya / Kaudulla National Park, Wasgamuwa National Park and Hurulu Eco Park.
Bears and Sloths: Wilpattu National Park
Exotic bird species: Bundala National Park, Kumana National Park, Gal Oya National Park.
If you want to enjoy amazing landscapes: Horton Plains National Park, Gal Oya National Park.

Hurulu Eco Park is the smallest of all three national parks in the vicinity of Habarana and Polonnaruwa. The animals here are not fenced with electric wire, so it is possible for animals to move within these three national parks (Minneriya, Kaudulla and Hurulu Eco Park).

This eco park is located in the north central province of Sri Lanka, which is reserved for all adventurers who are truly in search of Sri Lankan culture and heritage, but you can also enjoy the unrealistically beautiful landscapes and wildlife of Sri Lanka and the advanced ecosystem with various animal species. Just outside Habarana is the Hurulu Eco Park, on the edge of the Hurulu Forest Reserve.

There are many protected areas near Hurulu Eco Park, such as the strict Ritigila Nature Reserve and Wasgamuwa National Park. This reserve serves as a natural habitat for Sri Lankan elephants, and tourists can enjoy a jeep safari organized to admire these giant mammals up close. Visitors also have the opportunity to see other endemic (local) animals such as the Sri Lankan leopard and various exotic species of birds from the jungle.

There is a dry period of three to six months, from April to September, but a visit excluding these months will be promising. With a special jungle corridor connecting Hurulu Eco Park with two other major national parks nearby (Minneriya and Kaudulla), elephant herds can always move freely between these three places, so the chances of seeing elephants are great for all fans of these giant mammal.

The average annual temperature in this reserve is around 27 to 28 ° C. This area receives 1600 mm of precipitation per year, the extremely dry season of three to six months lasts from April to May to September. The altitude of this area ranges between 90 m and 150 m above sea level.

What does the migration of elephants between Minneria, Kaudula and Hurulu Eco Park look like?

There are three national parks in this region of Sri Lanka. These are Minneriya National Park, Kaudulla National Park and Hurulu Eco Park. All three parks are extremely popular with locals and tourists around the world because of their large herds of elephants.

Generally, every year from July to September, large groups of elephants are in the Minneriya National Park, and then migrate to the Kaudulla National Park during October to November due to heavy rains and the filling of the lake. Shortly afterwards, the elephants set off for Hurulu Eco Park as their last part of migration during December and January.

What does a visit to Hurulu Eco Park look like? You can choose between morning and evening safaris depending on your preferences and desires.

Before entering the park, meet your experienced safari tour driver in front of your hotel or in front of the agreed place and set off on a 2.5-hour tour of the park in special safari jeeps.

You will have an amzing opportunity to see elephants enjoying their natural habitat in the tall grass and forest. Of course, during the visit, you will see a variety of wild animals in the park, including grey langers, purple-faced leaf monkeys and various exotic bird species.

When the tour of the park is over, the driver will return you to the hotel or to the agreed original place of departure. Everything is extremely easy and simple, everything is tailored to your needs and you just need to enjoy and indulge in the beauties of nature. Of course, don’t forget to recharge the batteries of your cameras and mobile phones, because these are the moments you just need to capture!

The evening was slowly starting to fall, the elephants were extremely nice and willing to pose, I enjoyed this visit, but the time for dinner was approaching and little Marko just wanted to see which cakes will be on the menu! I left Hurula Eco Park with a smile on my face and great hope and desire that I will soon return and enjoy the beauty of the safari in this exotic island country!

My dear travelers, we have come to the end of this special post about the Sri Lankan safari in Hurulu Eco Park, which would not have been possible without the help of the Sri Lankan Tourism Board in cooperation with local partners such as Cinnamon Lodge Habarana Hotel. They made it possible for me to feel the beauty of Habarana and Sri Lankan culture, tradition and amzing wildlife. Of course, as always, I tried to share with you my impressions of this unusual experience in Sri Lanka.

Time always flies when a person has a good time! A man is rich at heart if he has managed to explore the world and I am glad to always be able to find partners for my projects that help me discover new and unusual destinations in a completely different way during this global health crisis COVID-19.

I am honored to have the opportunity to work with companies that are at the top of the tourism industry and I would like to thank them for this amazing adventure and for allowing me to experience the beauty of this unusual island country in South Asia in a completely different way.

How did you like this story of mine about my safari experience in Hurulu Eco Park? Have you maybe had the opportunity to be on safari? Share with me your experiences, I am would be glad to hear!

If you have a question, comment, suggestion or message for me you can write to me below in the comments. Of course, as always you can contact me via email or social networks, all addresses can be found on the CONTACT page. See you in the same place in a couple of days, with a new story from Sri Lanka!

Warm greetings from Habarana,

Mr.M

This post is sponsored by the Sri Lankan Tourism Board and Cinnamon Lodge Habarana Hotel. This post presents my personal and honest review of the destination experience.

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Certina: It’s always the Perfect Time for a Fashionable Safari in Sri Lanka

Adventure Fashion Outfit Post Travel 5 Comments

Dear my fashionistas and travelers, welcome to another fashion adventure on the Mr.M blog. Today’s fashion story stands out from the others we experienced together this season because we are going on a real exotic fashion safari to far away Sri Lanka with my friends from the Italian fashion house Loro Piana and the Swiss watch brand Certina.

When we think of safaris, we all imagine light linen jackets with 4 pockets, which in the fashion world are defined as “Safari Field Jackets”, which are indispensable in the collections of all famous brands every spring/summer collection. There is no brand that has not made this jacket in any of its versions, but only one world Italian brand has managed to make a timeless iconic classic – Loro Piana.

If by any chance you missed my first travel letter from Sri Lanka, you can read it by visiting this link, I am sure you will enjoy it.

When I saw the linen jacket that arrived in a beautiful box, the first thing I thought was: “God, when I’m going to wear a jacket like this, this is the perfect safari jacket!”. Shortly afterwards, a few weeks later to be exact, an invitation from the Sri Lankan Tourism Board followed to visit my favorite dream island again. The first thing I remembered was the famous exotic safari in Sri Lanka and I took my Safari jacket out of my wardrobe and excitedly counted down the days and hours until the trip with the help of my new faithful buddy Certina DS Jubilee whom I also took with me on an adventure of a lifetime.

I am sure that many of you are wondering what the safari, wildlife and national parks of Sri Lanka really look like, so I think now it’s the perfect time to describe this amazing experience to you!

Sri Lanka is an island country that is rich in diversity of geographical relief forms with extremely rich flora and fauna. Sri Lanka is a true paradise for all nature and animal lovers. There are 26 national parks and over 500 protected areas on this small island, which together cover about 27% of Sri Lanka’s area. The modest size of Sri Lanka allows you to experience all these little natural wonders in a relatively short period of time.

I will share with you the best tips on which national parks you can visit in Sri Lanka to see your favorite animals or enjoy extraordinary landscapes and exotic plants. If you want to see:

Leopards: Yala National Park, Wilpattu National Park.
Elephants: Udawalawa National Park, Minneriya / Kaudulla National Park and Hurulu Eco Park.
Bears and Sloths: Wilpattu National Park
Exotic bird species: Bundala National Park, Kumana National Park, Gal Oya National Park.
If you want to enjoy amazing landscapes: Horton Plains National Park, Gal Oya National Park.

During my second visit to Sri Lanka I had the opportunity to see exotic safaris and unusual river safaris. If you want to experiment like me and pack your suitcases with fashion pieces in which you will look fantastic and then have pictures as proof that you can show your grandchildren how fashionable and cool you were, then this post is perfect for you! ?

I have always run Mr.M blog because of my immense love for beautiful and positive things in life that have never disappointed me, and those are fashion, travel and some lifestyle topics that fill our daily lives with beautiful and positive vibes. I am really glad and my heart is full when I receive your emails and messages about how my stories encouraged someone to do something new and unusual in their life.

I feel great happiness and indescribable joy that Mr.M blog has become a great community of people who enjoy the beautiful moments in life and I will always try to meet the expectations of people who are with me on this unusual life journey and it is nice to know that there are people who appreciate someone’s work to show some beautiful aspects of life with unusual stories almost every week for 7 years.

One of the brands that has recognized positive energy and love for adventures and unusual journeys is the Swiss watch brand Certina. We have already met with this brand during the winter season on the Mr.M blog and if you are interested to know why this brand is so special and unique, read the story at this link.

Certina watches are known for their precision, reliability and sporty character. The sports watch brand has built an international reputation for quality Swiss workmanship, during its long history, which is more than 130 years long.

Certina is a symbol of durability and longevity, which is why the mascot of the turtle armor brand symbolizes robustness and longevity – characteristics that all Certina watches, without exception. Therefore, it is no wonder that turtle armor has been a symbol of the brand since the 1960s. Today, the distinctive outline can still be found on almost every Certina watch, as well as on the brand logo. It evokes the exceptional endurance that characterizes every Certina watch.

Today, after 60 years, Certina DS Jubile adorns my hand. It is an unusual feeling when one such brand with unique watch designs is my new partner in my adventures. The watch you have the opportunity to see in today’s post is the DS Jubile model, which exists in two versions, the basic one with a steel bracelet and the other with a leather bracelet.

This watch combines precious materials with maximum precision. This elegant men’s watch is equipped with an 18K yellow gold frame. It is powered by an innovative PrecidriveTM quartz movement, whose precision and reliability are confirmed by COSC. The watch has a date display. The scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and stainless steel case make this watch durable and robust: the watch can withstand water pressures up to 10 ATM. Illuminated hands contrast with the background and thus always provide the best readability. The stainless steel bracelet, which is attached to the wrist together with the button, makes this model from Certina impressive!

Technical characteristics

Dial: analog with display of date,hour, minute and second, hands with luminous material. Bezel: 18k gold
Movement mechanism type: Quartz
Glass: Antireflection treatment on one side Sapphire crystal
Case: 316L stainless steel
Case diameter (mm): 40
Case thickness (mm): 7.75
Bracelet: 316L stainless steel
Water resistance: 10 ATM – 100m
Buckle: 316L stainless steel
Collection: Urban

Warranty: 3-Year Warranty

If you want to be updated and find out which models Certina has to offer, visit their Official Online Store and follow them on the social networks Facebook and Instagram.

Loro Piana is a well-known Italian company for fabrics and clothes specializing in top, luxury cashmere and wool products. This brand belongs to LVMH premium luxury brands and has been at the very top of the fashion industry for years.

Loro Piana world is special and magical where everything can be done according to your wishes. In addition to an amazing fashion program for men and women, Loro Piana also has a home decorating line. This brand is recognizable by its products made of cashmere and a special Vicuna material, which is considered to be the most expensive material in the world.

Certain pieces of my today’s outfit, such as a linen Safari jacket, a T-shirt and trousers, are part of the new Loro Piana Spring – Summer 2022 collection.

Since today’s outfit was in a certain elegant Safari vibe with classic trousers, a linen jacket and a silk T-shirt, I decided to wear my favorite GuidoMaggi sneakers made of real snakeskin. I have to admit that they complemented this exotic safari outfit in a very unusual way.

Of course, the beige-taupe color goes great with the colors that predominate in my spring wardrobe. GuidoMaggi brand is run by the famous Italian footwear designer Emanuele Briganti, who is at the very top of the footwear and leather goods industry and has conquered the fashion scene.

OUTFIT

Safari Field Linen Jacket: Loro Piana

Watch: Certina

Silk T-Shirt: Loro Piana

Trousers: Loro Piana

Sneakers: GuidoMaggi

Dear my fashionistas and travelers, we have come to the end of this special post where we discovered the beauty and brilliance of light tones for an unusual safari experience and I sincerely hope you got inspired for some of your ideal spring outfits! I wish you a pleasant and enjoyable weekend and see you soon to continue our adventure in Sri Lanka!

How did you like my outfit today? I really tried to prepare today’s fashion outfit post for you with a lot of love and I hope you will like it! I look forward to your comments and can’t wait to hear your opinions!

If you have a question, comment, suggestion or message for me, you can write me down in the comments. Of course, as always you can contact me via mail or social media channels, which you can find on the CONTACT page. See you soon, stay tuned!

With Love from Sri Lanka,
Mr.M

This post is sponsored by Sri Lankan Tourism Board, GuidoMaggi, Certina and Loro Piana brands and represents my personal and honest review of their products.

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Letters from Sri Lanka: Colombo, an Exotic Metropolis on the other Side of the World…

Adventure Travel 6 Comments

My dear travelers, today is the perfect time to delight you with new travelogues in the “Travel Letters” section that you have all loved during the 7 years of the Mr.M blog. The past 2 years have been very difficult and uncertain for many industries, but one of the industries that lost the most during the pandemic is tourism. Things are slowly returning to the normal, the old life we all know well continues and we have the opportunity to do the activities we love once again.

Just one email from my friends from the Ministry of Tourism of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka was enough to get out of the comfort and fear zone due to the current health situation and go to my favorite dream island that I had the opportunity to visit for the first time in 2018. If by any chance you want to remind yourself what my first adventure in Sri Lanka looked like, you can visit this link where you can find all the travel stories that accompanied my first visit to this exotic country.

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. If we look at its geographical position, the island is located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal and southeast of the Arabian Sea, and is separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Manar and the Palk Strait.

An interesting fact is that Sri Lanka shares a maritime border with India and the Maldives. There is one fact that few people know about, and that is that Sri Jaiavardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital of Sri Lanka, while Colombo is the largest city on the island and also a financial, political and cultural center.

The members of the team, which consists of people from the Ministry of Tourism and the National Tourist Board of Sri Lanka, really made a real effort to devise a travel itinerary and program that will inspire every traveler to spend their vacation in this distant exotic destination. When you come to Sri Lanka, you realize that all the roads lead from Colombo to further unusual places on the island, so that’s how I started my adventure.

My best travel buddy during my adventures around the world – Bric’s

Colombo is the largest commercial city on the island, the city center of Colombo alone has a population of almost 6 million people. This metropolis is the financial center of the island and the main tourist destination. Colombo is on the west coast of the island and next to the Greater Colombo area which includes Sri Jayavardenpura Kote, the legislative capital of Sri Lanka and Dehivala-Mount Lavinia.

Many people often call Colombo the capital because Sri Jaiavardenepura Kotte is located within the urban / suburban area of Colombo. Colombo is a unique, bustling and vibrant city with a mix of modern life, colonial buildings and historical monuments.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the manager and staff of the The Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo, who really did their best to make me feel at home. This nation is known as one of the best hosts and due to its cordiality and exceptional hospitality they are at the very top in the tourism industry.

My first day in Sri Lanka began with a tour of Colombo with the selfless help of Mrs. Rajini de Silva Mendis, who is the founder of the largest travel agency Ebert Silva Holidays in Sri Lanka. The members of her team made an effort to fulfill my plan and program and to spend an exceptional day in Colombo. Let’s (re)discover the beauties of this exceptional city together!

If we take a good look at the geographical relief of Colombo, we can conclude that it is an unusual mixture of land and water. The city has many canals and in the heart of the city is Lake Beira. The lake is one of the most prominent sights of Colombo and colonists have used it for centuries to defend the city. Today, this lake is becoming a local tourist attraction, where various public events are held every day, such as regattas and theater performances on the shores of the lake. The northern and northeastern borders of the city of Colombo are “drawn” by the river Kelani, which meets the Indian Ocean in the part of the city known as Modera.

Now we come to the favorite part that interests all true adventurers… What to visit if the road leads you to Colombo?

Galle Face Green city promenade is located in the heart of the city along the coast of the Indian Ocean and this locality is equally interesting to tourists and residents, believe me, it never leaves you indifferent. Galle Face Hotel is a historical landmark on the southern edge of this promenade.

The Gangaramaya Temple is one of the most important temples in Colombo. The architecture of the temple shows an eclectic mix of architecture from Sri Lanka, Thailand, India and China.

Viharamahadevi Park (formerly Victoria Park) is an urban park located next to the Colombo National Museum and the City Hall. It is the oldest and largest park in Colombo and has a large Buddha statue.

As part of the Government of Sri Lanka’s Urban Regeneration Program, many old sites and buildings have been converted into modern public spaces for recreation and shopping. The program also includes Independence Memorial Square, Floating Pettah Market and the Old Dutch Hospital and many other sites.

Now we will go together on an interesting and detailed tour of the National Museum of Colombo. The Colombo National Museum, better known as the National Museum of Sri Lanka, is one of the two museums in Colombo. It is the largest museum in Sri Lanka. The museum contains many rich collections of great national importance to Sri Lanka, such as the royal regalia of the country, including the throne and crown of Monarch Kandy, as well as many other exhibits that can “tell” you an unusual story of ancient Sri Lanka.

The Colombo Museum, as the museum was originally called, was founded on January 1, 1877. Its founder was Sir William Henry Gregory, then British Governor of Ceylon (Sri Lanka). The Royal Asian Society was instrumental in informing Gregory of his appointment as governor in 1872 on the need for a public museum, with many problems, and approval to build and open a museum was obtained by the legislature in record time.

Architect James George Smitter, who was in charge of designing the museum’s plan, was able to prepare projects for a completely new structure in the Italian style. The construction of the building was completed in 1876, and the museum started working the following year.

In January 1877, Governor Gregory declared the Colombo Museum open, in the presence of a large number of guests.

In the period between 1877 and 1999, the museum authorities undertook numerous efforts to exhibit exclusively the cultural and natural heritage of the country. Over the years, several new wings have been added to the museum and everything has been added from time to time. The museum received the status of a national museum during the period of P. E. P. Deraniiagal. He opened branches of museums in Jaffna, Kandy and Ratnapura, and a full-fledged department of the National Museum was founded in 1942. In the end, nine branches were opened, and a new school science program and a mobile museum service were also opened.

The museum has a copy of the Tara statue, three-quarters of the life-size Tara statue currently housed in the British Museum. Numerous royal jewels and the throne of the last King Kandy, which was returned to Sri Lanka by the British government, are also in the museum’s collection. The ground floor exhibition galleries are arranged in chronological historical order, and the exhibitions on the first floor are divided thematically.

The library was also founded on January 1, 1877. The State Oriental Library was incorporated into the library of the National Museum of Colombo and served as the core of the collection by collecting local publications for the past 130 years. The library functioned as the unofficial national library of Sri Lanka and became the first official library on the island. From the very beginning, special attention was paid to the creation of a collection related to Sri Lanka, Orientation and Natural Sciences.

One of the important facts is that in 1982, Dr. Thelma Gunawardena became the first woman director of the Colombo National Museum. She performed her function of the director of the museum in the period from 1982 to 1994.

From 1972 to 1991, prof. Pandula Andagama was the head of the Department of Anthropology and the assistant director of the National Museum. During his tenure, he established an anthropological deposit in the National Museum. He also organized numerous temporary exhibitions at the National Museum.

The National Museum is maintained by the Department of National Museums and while Portuguese buildings are perhaps less noticeable in Colombo, there are still plenty of Dutch and British buildings. The National Museum is visited by students, local and foreign tourists, numerous researchers and world media. Sri Lanka has a long history and this museum is a testament to their proud history.

The National Museum is the largest museum in Sri Lanka and contains collections of great cultural significance. These collections are also a good source for detailed research, especially for people studying history because they provide useful information.

The Gangaramaya Temple is one of the most important temples in Colombo because it is a mixture of modern architecture and cultural heritage. Located on Beira Lake, it was built in the late 19th century. The architecture of the temple shows an extraordinary mix of Sri Lankan, Thai, Indian and Chinese architecture.

This Buddhist temple includes several imposing buildings and is located not far from the calm waters of Lake Beira on land that was originally a small hermitage on a piece of wetland. It has the main characteristics of Vihara (temple), Cetiia (Pagada), Bodhitree, Vihara Mandiraia, Seema malaka (monk gathering hall) and Relic. In addition, the premises include a museum, library, residential hall, three-story Pirivena, educational halls and a charity hall.

Today, Gangaramaya serves as a place of Buddhist worship and a center of learning. The temple is involved in Buddhist social assistance, including nursing homes, vocational schools and orphanages. The temple is uniquely attractive and tolerant towards members of many different religions. He was instrumental in establishing the Buddhist Temple on Staten Island (USA), the Buddhist Center in New York, and the Buddhist Center in Tanzania, thus helping to propagate the Dhamma in other countries.

Seema Malaka is a Buddhist temple in Colombo, which is mainly used for meditation and rest, and not for worship. Located in Lake Beira, the temple was originally built in the late 19th century. Seema Malaka is part of the Gangaramaja temple and is located a few hundred meters east of it.

The original structure slowly sank into the water in the 1970s. in 1976, but in 1976, Sri Lankan architect Jeffrey Bawa was invited to redesign and build the temple, which we have the opportunity to see today.

The temple was built on three special platforms that hold the temple above the water and are connected to the mainland and to each other by pontoon bridges. The main roof of the temple is covered with blue tiles, and the temple is made of collected spindles and handrails in wooden finishes. The architecture of the building is reminiscent of the Kandy era.

All three platforms have a large number of seated Buddha statues depicting various sages. On the main (central) platform there is a shelter made of wooden meditation boards. On one of the side platforms is the Bodhi tree which was grown from a branch of the Jaia Sri Maha Bodhi tree in Anuradhapura. The four corners of the side platform have small shrines dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, Kataragama deviyo and Ganesha. At the entrance to the temple there is a sanctuary dedicated to Guanyin, and in the temple complex there is another statue of Guanyin.

Lotus Tower, also known as Colombo Lotus Tower is a tower that is 350 m high. Many consider it a modern symbol of Colombo and the whole of Sri Lanka. The lotus tower is used for communication, observation and other leisure activities. According to media reports, the construction of the tower cost over 100 million dollars.

The design of this building is inspired by the lotus flower. The lotus symbolizes the purity of Sri Lankan culture and is also considered to symbolize the flourishing development of the country. The base of the tower is inspired by the lotus throne and will also be formed by two inverted trapezoids. It is planned that the color of the tower will be alternately pink and light yellow with a smooth transition – an effect that is achieved by special coating of glass.

The view from the top is amazing and as I found out there are plans to open a luxury rotating restaurant that will have the best panorama of the city in the palm of your hand. Who knows, watching this karma of mine, I might find myself in magical Colombo again in 4 years!

Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam Kovil also known as Kapikaawatha Shivan Temple was built in the 17th century by a group of Indian Chetti traders known as “Thiruvilanga Nakarathar” who moved to Sri Lanka for business. Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam Kovil Temple is one of the city’s most visited attractions. No tickets are required to visit this place. It is good to visit this Hindu temple during the morning hours due to less crowds.

This area is a good place for meditation because it is a special oasis filled with peace and tranquility. If you are lucky, you can attend a Hindu Tamil wedding in this temple. Indian Hindu tourists come to this temple to participate in the Poojas Temple and to receive a blessing from the temple priests.

What other interesting sights can you see in Colombo?

The two towers of the World Trade Center were once the city’s most recognizable landmarks. Before they were completed in 1997, the neighboring tower of the Bank of Ceylon was the tallest building and the most prominent city landmark.

Before the skyscrapers were built, it was the Old Parliament building that stood magnificently in Fort County with the Old Columbus Lighthouse nearby. Another important landmark is the Independence Hall on Independence Square in the Cinnamon Fields.

Even before the parliament was built, some claim that sailors approaching the port recognized the Colombo Mosque as the Mosque of Ul-Alfar. The mosque is still one of the most visited tourist places in Colombo.

Another landmark is the Church of St. Paul in Milagiriya, one of the oldest churches in Sri Lanka, first built by the Portuguese and rebuilt by the British in 1848. The Cargills & Millers building in Fortu is also a protected building of historical significance.

Galle Face Green is the largest and most elegant city promenade. Surrounded by coconut trees and along the coast, this mile-long part of the heart of the city is a constant hive of activities. The greenery is especially busy on Fridays and Saturdays. In the evening, it hosts families and children who play sports and kite flying, lovers who hug under umbrellas and health lovers on evening walks. There are numerous small food stalls and a small part of the beach. Green often hosts international and local concerts and performances, such as the World Drum Festival.

The cannons that were once placed on the ramparts of the old fortress of Colombo were placed for respect and prestige on Green, giving the city a colonial spirit. The colonial-style Galle Face Hotel, known as the Asian Emerald on the Green since 1864, is located near the Galle Face Green. The hotel has hosted guests such as the British royal family and other royal guests and celebrities from the worlds of politics and film.

My dear travelers, we have come to the end of this special post about the jewel of Sri Lanka – Colombo, which would not have been possible without the selfless help of the Ministry of Tourism of Sri Lanka in cooperation with local partners such as Ebert Silva Holidays and The Kingsbury Hotel. Colombo and Sri Lankan cultures and traditions. Of course, as always, I tried to share my impressions of this unusual city in Sri Lanka.

Time always flies when a person has a good time! A man is rich at heart if he has managed to explore the world and I am glad to always be able to find partners for my projects that help me discover new and unusual destinations in a completely different way during this global health crisis COVID-19.

I am honored to have the opportunity to work with companies that are at the top of the tourism industry and I would like to thank them for this amazing adventure and for allowing me to experience the beauty of this unusual island country in South Asia in a completely different way.

How did you like this story of mine about Colombo? Have you had the opportunity to visit this city in Sri Lanka so far?

If you have a question, comment, suggestion or message for me you can write to me below in the comments. Of course, as always you can contact me via email or social networks, all addresses can be found on the CONTACT page. See you in the same place in a couple of days, with a new story from Sri Lanka!

Warm greetings from Colombo,

Mr.M

In the next post, I will share with you my impressions from the safari!

This post is sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism of Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan Tourism Board, The Kingsbury Hotel, Ebert Silva Holidays and Bric’s brand. This post presents my personal and honest review of the destination experience.

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Sri Lanka: It’s Tea Time

Adventure Travel 4 Comments

Hello everyone! How are you today? I sincerely hope that you are good and that you are ready for another adventure. Today I will continue to write about my impressions from Sri Lanka and this will also be the last post from this series of posts from this trip. If you have not read previous posts or you want to read them again please visit, Sri Lanka: The Island Where Dreams Live – LINK and Postcard from Sri Lanka: Signs are everywhere… – LINK.

I would like to use this opportunity to say thank you to all of you for the unselfish support and wonderful messages you send me on social media and via e-mails. THANK YOU guys!

In my previous posts, you had the opportunity to read a lot of interesting things about this beautiful paradise island. You learned something new and why is Sri Lanka recognisable in the world. Did you know that Sri Lanka is on the list of five largest tea exporters in the world? You did not know that fact? I did not even know it until I heard the story of our guide. We had amazing time on tea fields! 🙂

The weather in this part of Sri Lanka is always misty and the temperature is drastically lower than in other parts of the island. Humidity and colder weather are perfect conditions for the tea leaves, but for me who came from warmer and sunny parts of the Sri Lanka was a little shock, but thanks to God so I listened to my mom and brought a jacket with me on Sri Lanka. I’ll just say, “Thank you, Mom!”, The mothers always know best!

I learned a lot about tea. It was fun, they showed us how to properly harvest tea leaves and put them into the baskets that they gave us to carry on our backs.

We learned about all kinds of teas growing on this plantation, we did a little work here on fields (but as you see we were taking the pictures more) and the time flied so fast, so we spent almost 2 hours in the field without feeling it. In the picture above, you see my colleague and friend Rakel, who came from the Philippines to feel these beauties of Sri Lanka.

After a little work in the field, our hosts took us to a factory where they dried and processed tea leaves until the final product which I’m sure most of you love to drink at 5 o’clock. Are you for cup of tea? 🙂

What you see on the tape is my result of 2 hours working in the fields. These are the leaves which I picked up, I’m not bad considering the fact that it was the first time in the field, but this would not be enough to fill a filter bag of tea… (They told me so!)

The tea-making factory at first sight looks pretty old and my first thought was that they all do it manually. I was wrong! The factory is equipped with new technology that helps workers increase their productivity. 

The wages in Sri Lanka are not great, sometimes people are not satisfied. They are happy to have a job because it’s hard to find a job there when you are an elderly person, as well as everywhere in the world. The chances of getting a job are less when you are an elderly person. Employers are fair to older people who have certain benefits in the work of shorter working hours and longer breaks. The elderly prefer to work and in most cases they are better workers and for a short period of time during working hours they perform significantly more work than the younger workers.

The smell that has caught us in the tea factory is amazing, natural fragrance like some of the most beautiful perfumes. The only slightly problems are connected with humidity and additional heating. That is because the factory is almost 40 degrees due to certain processes that need to be done when processing and drying tea leaves. Like every business, this one has some of its advantages and disadvantages.

This lady works in the tea processing sector – fermentation the third and last tea processing process. What is tea fermentation? This is the process of processing tea leaves where the chemical process of converting insoluble molecules from tea leaves into soluble and digestible is carried out. If by any chance we “skip” this process, the tea would be very saturated and not tasty at all.

After we had completed a visit to the plantation and tea factory, the blogging crew continued adventure. The landscape we had occasion to see during the trip was incredible. We just had to stop and capture this amazing moment. The guides understood our fascination so they took us to lunch at a nearby restaurant. They changed the plan for us, and because of that we are very grateful to them.

Since the trip was quite long, we arrived at Kandy late at night. I had a good rest and got up before just to have the opportunity to enjoy the view. Good morning, Kandy!

The hosts at the hotel started preparing a special breakfast as soon as they saw me sneaking around and I was taking some photos, so I used my chance to take a photo of them secretly, and this picture was not bad at all. This is the true picture of Sri Lanka, a true exotic tropical paradise with a incredible spirit.

 

 

Breakfast, part one! This was the first dish of my breakfast, the first thing that caught my eye was an interesting decoration and richness of colours. I would like to thank my hosts from Mahaweli Reach Hotel for wonderful experience and warm welcome. Thank you for having me in your wonderful hotel! 

Nice and warm weather, sun, swimming pool, delicious food, what you can expect more from the life! On this trip I had a feeling like some small child in the candy store. Thank God I didn’t gain some extra weight and again I enjoyed the various exotic salty and sweet dishes in this paradise! Finally, I would like to say big thank you to the Sri Lanka Tourism Board for this wonderful experience. 

My dear ones, we have come to the end of this third and also the last post from this series of posts about my adventures from Sri Lanka. At the end of this post I decided to leave you to admire the beauty of the nature of this beautiful hotel. I sincerely hope you enjoyed and I would love to hear your opinion. Have you been in Sri Lanka? Are you planning to visit this tropical paradise?

If you have any questions, comment, suggestion or message for me you can write me down in the comments. Of course, as of now, you can always contact me via mail or social media, and you can find it on the CONTACT page.

Best,

Mr.M

This post is sponsored by Sri Lanka Tourism Board and Mahaweli Reach Hotel. For all these beautiful photos I used Sony Alpha 7r camera and Sony RX 100 Mark V.
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Postcard from Sri Lanka: Signs are everywhere…

Adventure Travel 5 Comments

Hi everyone, how are you today? I hope you are well and you are spending this sunny Sunday in nature with your family and friends. Sunday is reserved for some good time,  a nice rest with people who you love and for that famous psychic preparation for the next working week. Do you have any special rituals? I’d love to share with me some of your tricks!

Today, I decided to continue with a series of posts from Sri Lanka, so my best therapy right now is the writing of this post. When I’m writing posts I’m so calm down and I feel some peace. Honestly, I’d love to find some new hobby! ?

 

 

In the previous post, you read how I arrived in Sri Lanka and how our first blogging days looked like there. Sri Lanka is an exceptional island. I felt the freedom to give it the nickname – The Island of Dreams, this epithet simply best describes an island like Sri Lanka. On Sri Lanka everything is possible! ?

 

 

These days I got a lot of questions about how I manage to travel and spend time on nice and exotic destinations? I decided, as always, to sincerely discuss with you about this. I’m sure that you have ever heard of Press Trips – Media Trips so far. What are those trips? Traveling for the media is a special type of travel where representatives of various media outlets (printed media or online media) are invited to visit the particular destination.

 

 

This time I received a kind invitation from the Tourism Board of Sri Lanka to visit their country. This was an exceptional honor for me, because since now I only had only the opportunity to hear the wonderful experiences of my friends and acquaintances about this  wonderful island. Without thinking, I accepted the invitation and I started to pack my bags for this journey.

 

 

Press trips are very interesting and educational, when you have chance to meet with some new religion and to learn something new about culture and their customs. On the other hand, press trips can be very hard and literally to kick you off your feet. I admit, I am a person who is not perfect shape, but adrenaline and the desire to discover new things are stronger and I’m just push myself to go further.

 

 

At the end, everything comes around to you again! Just imagine the fact that you are traveling a long distance and that you have to change the hotel almost every day, maybe it’s fun to do it, but think again… 11 days, 10 nights, 8 different hotels. Little Marko needs to unpack, iron the nice things you will wear that day, pack them again. Do not think about those lizards on the wall that you first thought were those are nice toys on the wall.

 

 

My first contact with the Resort type of hotel in Sri Lanka was fun, crazy and unforgettable. At a first sight, I was surprised and delighted by the details, real lizards on the wall, I thought that they are a nice decoration on the wall until they started to move their tails and they were making some strange robotic sounds, which made me really think their batteries were out and my first thought was: “Oh, my God is how I will sleep tonight!”. Believe me sometimes I have a problem when I’m traveling, maybe first two or three days I sometimes don’t sleep at all and you can guess that feeling of tiredness is always uninvited guest on the trip…

 

 

With smile on my face, I get out of my hotel room and I went to see what is waiting for me for the dinner. There was live music, instruments that I haven’t had the opportunity to see before. Instruments that attract attention with their interesting shape, but believe me with the magical sound that I you imagine that you are in heaven… Good mood, nice food and hanging out a little with my colleagues. We had some conversation about some of our experiences from previous press trips.

Everything was just perfect until I just heard a sentence that I did not want to admit that it was true: “Marko, those are geckos, they are not toys, they are real lizards! “. I am a huge animal lover, there is no animal that I didn’t have as a pet, the list is long… I’ll just say that I had a wonderful pair of Canadian squirrels, then you can understand how much I really love animals … It’s all nice, but reptiles and insects are not exactly my favorite animals, I really love when I meet them for a few minutes outdoors and everyone after goes their own way.

 

 

The time has come to go back to the room… Now I knew that my childish statement that in my room are the simple lizard’s toy wasn’t true, so I could only pray to God that they went outside somewhere, it’s night for God sake, they also have some interesting night life. I entered the room and I felt so happy because there were not lizards in the room, you do not know what relief was in that moment. Don’t worry it was not the end, I had a crazy night with lizards, I didn’t sleep that night at all, but I realized the next evening that he was just a passing guest, just like me!

I would like to share today with you the photos that I have made in the hotels. Very interesting landscapes, who would say that a man can do so well photos in a hotel, I learned a lot of wise advices in one of the hotels… Because of that, this post was given the title: Signs are everywhere. So let’s start!

 

 

The first hotel that I’m about to write today is a true paradise for all our senses. Beach, melody of waves, a coconut… I walked almost a mile by the beach and I didn’t have the chance to meet anyone. You can just sit on that perfect beige sand and watch how the Indian Ocean waves showing you their beauty. Hotel Jetwing Surf is the first surf luxury resort hotel of this type in Sri Lanka. It was opened in December 2017, it’s still a pretty new, but because of the staff you would never notice it, you would think that this hotel has been there for a long time.

Why is this hotel special? It is special because of its position and in less than 2 minutes you have the opportunity to enjoy the charms of the Indian Ocean. The hotel consists of 20 charming villas, very interesting design. I saw the first time a squirrel on the coconut tree. It was so funny!

 

 

I was impressed because of special faucets whose was made of special shells, very unusual and original! The bathroom of every villa is located outside and is a very unusual concept, showering under the coconut tree is an unforgettable experience… Don’t worry until then I got used to the lizards and other animals. The hotel is very interesting and anyone who is planning to visit Sri Lanka and you want to explore to the east  coast should visit this amazing hotel.

 

 

 

New morning, new challenges! It was time for little Marko to pack up again, to check all his stuff and just try hard not to forget the chargers for his “toys” (cameras)! We said bye to the wonderful staff from the hotel and continue our journey in our famous white blogger van.

The trip to the next hotel was very long almost 7 hours drive, and if we count on a break for lunch, then it’s a trip of some 8 to 8 and half hours…

 

 

For the first 2 to 3 hours I have to admit that I was a hero, but the tiredness finally defeated me. My colleagues somehow successfully tried to wake me up when we reached this beautiful waterfall. The smell of water, the sound of the water that cross the rocks, and you make sure you do not splash your camera… It was a real adventure! As soon as I returned to the van, I decided to continue with my beauty sleep for the rest of the trip. 😀

 

 

Destiny wanted from me to wake up a few minutes before coming to the next hotel. It was so quiet in the van because youtubers have slept… I managed somehow to catch the Internet because it was possible only in the cities because of the provider network. The phone started to act so crazy, I thought it would explode of vibrations because my mom’s 275 messages: “Where are you ?, Markooo where are you?” And other famous messages that you all know well when your mother is looking for you. I just started to eat that cold lunch because I slept that most important part – LUNCH!

Thanks to my colleagues and drivers who were wonderful so they knew about what I was eating, they ordered for me and saved my lunch, but my mother, as always, knows to catch the right moment, she called me againg… Thanks God I managed through a whisper to explain to my mother that I was not kidnapped, I just slept a little and I’m just trying to eat something right now and just to explain to her that she was interrupting me while I was trying to eat something and I didn’t want to wake someone from the group they slept so tight.

 

On this trip the Sri Lanka Tourism Board managed to fulfill all my expectations, each hotel was better than the previous one. I will not even mention the food, I always had the feeling that I am in paradise when I see all those wonderful cakes! Thank you for this wonderful experience!

 

 

When we arrived at another hotel, we didn’t have the feeling that we are in Sri Lanka. This hotel with it’s elegance and formal looking at first glance there is no exotic note that is expected to be when you are in a place like Sri Lanka. Welcome to Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya!

This building was originally a  holiday residence of the famous governor Edward Barnes. Today, this beautiful huge villa, called by some in the joke, has nearly 160 rooms. Impressive, isn’t it?! Interestingly, the construction of this residence cost less than 10,000 British pounds. Of course, you must have in mind that the money at that time had a completely different value. ?

 

 

Hotel Nuwara Eliya is well known for its gardens. To remind you, in this post, I wrote about a hotel in which I learned some very wise things which changed my view of life. In gardens of these wonderful hotel you have wooden boards that show a certain periods in the life of one man with a little help of wise sentences. It depends on us which way we will choose in life, but signs along the way can be of great help in life.

 

 

Beautiful flowers, roses, magnolia trees… A true paradise for all our senses! If you are a huge fan of bright colors, this place is perfect for you! If you like nature, this is the right place for you! I had the opportunity to rest a little and enjoy in the beautiful sun rays in this charming garden.

 

The feeling is gorgeous, you just need to close your eyes and to listen the sounds of the birds and you will have some new moment to remember for the rest of your life.

 

 

Sometimes photos are very powerful, the real power of photography is incredible. A month ago, I was in this beautiful place today as I write this post for you, when I’m looking at these photos they reminds on that incredible journey, I even feel the scent of flowers in that garden. These are not hallucinations, they are just nice memories.

 

 

Guys, we have come to the end of this second post from this series of posts about my adventures from Sri Lanka. I sincerely hope that you enjoyed and I would love to hear your opinion. Have you been in Sri Lanka? Are you planning to visit this tropical paradise? We’ll see next week what Sri Lanka has to offer us and we continue this amazing adventure! ?

If you have any questions, comments, suggestion or message for me you can write me down in the comments. Of course, as you know, you can always contact me via mail or social media, and you can find it on the CONTACT page.

Best,

Mr.M

 

 

The post is sponsored by the Tourism Board of Sri Lanka, the hotel chain Jetwing and the Hotel Nuwara Eliya. For all those beautiful photos I used the Sony Alpha 7r camera.
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