Goa – India’s favorite beach destination

It was at the end of monsoon time when we arrived in India and most of the west coast was affected by the rain. We’ve been told that Goa looks more beautiful during the monsoon and while the sun isn’t necessarily the first thing we search for when we travel to a beach area, we got very curious about our second stop in the country.

Goa covers a large area and is one of the favorite destinations for holidayers, which makes it also quite an expensive location. So we decided to stay in the northern part where accommodation was cheaper.

 

When going to Goa you can decide between North and South Goa. It is said that during high season, North Goa is more a Party place instead the South is quieter. But as we have been there during the off-season, we had a really quiet time even in the North.  We chose a guesthouse hidden between green fields in Anjuna, where we stayed for 4 nights.

GOA INDIA

 

We didn’t plan anything extraordinary during our stay and just spent lots of time walking around the area, up the green hills and along the beach.

GOA INDIA

 

As one of Miriam’s previous colleagues was from Goa, we spent a day meeting with him and, as a bonus, he offered us a tour around the area, giving us the chance to discover more of what the place had to offer. We finished the tour with a delicious dinner when, among other dishes, we tasted the local fish curry and tried the traditional drink of Goa, the Fenny.

Moving around

When traveling to Goa, it is important to know a few details about transportation methods. There are no mobile apps that can be used like in other parts of India, no cheap tuk-tuks waiting in front of the airport, but only bus transfers organized by the hotels or expensive taxi rides.

GOA INDIA

 

If you are on a tight budget and don’t mind traveling with the most of the time crowded buses, then you should know that the local buses offer very low prices compared to taxis, although you might have to change a few buses depending on what your destination is.

BUS INDIA

 

Just walk outside the airport area and look or ask for the bus stop. We took the local bus on the way back to the airport and changed three buses in total, with a longer stop in Panaji, where we spent a few hours before our flight. The city has a lot of charm and color, due to its many buildings dating back to the colonial era.

GOA INDIA

We were now ready for a new city experience, in one of the biggest and most crowded cities on the planet, Mumbai.

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Bengaluru (Bangalore) – our first stop in India

Before our arrival in India we were warned by many travelers and, mostly, by the local people in Sri Lanka that India is not a pleasant destination to travel to. We’ve been told about the dirt, the garbage and the animals in the streets. But India has always been a country that we wanted to discover, mostly because of our colleagues and friends that we met onboard cruise ships and who always inspired us with stories from their homeland. And how can someone that enjoys to travel and discover things not be curious about the diversity that characterizes India so well?

Our first steps on Indian ground

There are a few aspects that describe the country very well, one of them being the strong contrast. Contrast between the old and the new, the poor and the rich, the modern and the traditional. And this contrast was the first thing we noticed at the arrival on the airport in Bengaluru  (or Bangalore), one of the most beautiful airports we’ve been in. A modern airport bus took us to the city center, driving through nicely arranged parks and on a well-maintained road. But a few minutes later we started being aware of the traffic around us. The modern airport bus got lost in the infinity of tuk-tuks and scooters that started filling the roads. Vendors showed up at almost every street corner, selling street food. There was traffic, there was dust, smell, noise and, in the middle of all, cows passing undisturbed by cars or by the people that seemed so much involved in their busy lives.

BENGALURU BANGALORE INDIA

 

It was India as we imagined it and it was beautiful. Some people might describe the experience as a cultural shock, other as a fascinating spectacle. But one thing is sure and true about what it is being told about India, it is unique in so many ways.

Bengaluru wasn’t a must-see destination on the route that we planned for India, but the connecting point for the flight to Kochi. Due to the intense rain prior to our arrival and the floods that caused heavy damage to the localities on the coast of the Kerala region, the second leg of our flight got canceled, so we decided to still fly into the country but spend a bit of time in a safer area.

Bengaluru was probably the better place to start in. The city is well balanced in terms of costs and access to facilities. It is actually one of the modern cities of India and one of the most important in the south part of the country.

Moving around in Bengaluru

For transportation, we relied more on walking as we booked our accommodation in the central area and when we wanted to cover longer distances we mainly used metered tuk-tuks. Other times, like the time when we returned to the airport, we booked our transfer via Ola Cabs, a mobile app that makes it easy to understand prices and to find convenient transportation options. Uber, the sometimes more expensive alternative to Ola Cabs, also works just fine in the city.

BENGALURU BANGALORE INDIA

Food in Bengaluru

The best thing to experience in India is probably the food and, with such a variety of delicious dishes, we must say it is one of our favorite food destinations. But, if Indian food is not your thing, don’t worry. Western food is largely available and good coffee shops as well. Prices vary according to the kind of experience every traveler looks for. Restaurants serving local food are widely spread along almost every road, offering good and affordable food. Street food is also available in a diversity of choices, as well as fresh snacks and fruits served directly on the street.

INDIAN FOOD DOSA

 

For a more “western” experience, there are streets filled with shops of modern brands, nicely designed coffee places and shopping malls. For a more traditional taste, we recommend visiting local markets and get lost in the crowds.

BENGALURU BANGALORE INDIA

 

Apart from the authenticity offered by the spectacle of the streets, there are a few touristic attractions that travelers in the city can see. We visited the governmental building Vidhana Soudha, some of the local markets and parks and spent most of our time enjoying the good food and delicious Masala Tea.

BENGALURU BANGALORE INDIA

We spent a full week in Bangalore and after being trapped for so many days in the chaos of a big city, we took our next flight to a more peaceful and greener place, Goa.

For more pictures about Bangalore click here.

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Curious Facts about Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka was the place that conquered my heart. Already before we went to this country I felt a special excitement that I haven’t had before for any other new place. After our 6 weeks in the country I understood what triggered the need to explore this small island.

Sri Lanka offers a bit of everything: crowded cities, delicious food, incredibly nice people, never-ending tea plantations, stunning beaches, misty hills and mountain areas, strong traditions, countless cultural experiences and, on top of all, a welcoming atmosphere.

Our 6 weeks were quite intense. We discovered a lot and still haven’t seen it all. “The Tear of India” (because of its shape and location) as it is sometimes called, is home to more than 21 million people, who are the ones that make their country so amazing.

Fact #1 The People of Sri Lanka

We understood that Sri Lanka faced hard times due to the civil war that lasted until present days (May 2009), as well as the fact that they have strongly been marked in the past by the foreign occupation which turned them in a colony. However, we only met nice, friendly, warm and honest (I guess a little lie for the business is tolerated) people and were touched by each individual story we listened to.

COLOMBO SRI LANKA

 

The state’s biggest ethnic group is the Sinhalese, followed by the Sri Lankan Tamils (around 11%), therefore the country has two official languages: Sinhala and Tamil. You will find most indications and signs written also in English, that is spoken very well among most locals.

Sri Lanka is the country that had the first female prime minister in 1960.

Fact #2 Bread Car

The song „Für Elise“ von Ludwig van Beethoven got a different meaning for us in Sri Lanka. The song was played by the cars that delivered the bread. We used to consider it a nice song, but after hearing the song all day long at high volume we got a bit annoyed by it, mostly after being woken up several times by it.

COLOMBO SRI LANKA

Fact #3 No alcohol during the full moon

This was something we never experienced before in other Buddhist countries. During full moon, you are not allowed to drink alcohol and you can also not buy it, at least in local liquor stores (you can not find alcohol in regular supermarkets).

The Poya Day is the day of the Buddhist full moon, in honor of the moon being at its fullest point. Depending on the moon calendar it occurs once a month and on that day also shops, banks etc. might close.

Fact #4 Food in Sri Lanka

We ate a lot and always good food in Sri Lanka. There are a lot of little street food restaurants that serve rice and curry or other delicious things, mostly quite heavy but always good. We found out that certain things, like string hoppers, are mainly served for breakfast and therefore only available in the morning. Instead, Rotis are usually served during the evening.

COLOMBO SRI LANKA

 

Some things and habits we found very strange while being in Sri Lanka. For example, they do consider Avocado as a sweet dish and serve it with honey or sugar and tea and coffee. It is always served after breakfast, so if you want to have your coffee together with the breakfast you will most probably have to ask for it. It was like this in all the families we stayed with, but we cannot say for sure if the rule applies also for hotels, as we did not stay in any.

Fact #5 Lotteries

What we immediately realized, almost everywhere, at any time, you can find kiosks or locals on the streets selling lottery cards to people to try their luck and win some money.

COLOMBO SRI LANKA

Fact #6 National Sport of Sri Lanka

What do you think is the national sport in Sri Lanka? Cricket came immediately in my mind when I was asked this question, but I was wrong. Even if cricket is the most played sport in Sri Lanka, volleyball is the official national sport announced by the ministry of sports in the country.

Did you know about all these facts before? There is so much more to say about this little country but I believe that the most incredible thing is its big variety of landscapes. Check out our gallery for more pictures from Sri Lanka.

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Hatton – the green heart of Sri Lanka

At the beginning of our journey through Sri Lanka we agreed on a short list of places to visit, which got longer and longer as our increasing curiosity made us want to see more of the natural wonders of the country. One of the main attraction points, the famous Adam’s Peak, brought us to Hatton, in the green but also rainy and cold mountains at the time of our visit.

We reached Hatton late in the evening, after taking an early bus from Galle to Colombo, from where we continue for another 5 hours in the probably  most crowded bus we ever traveled with. There was also a bus going only once a day from Galle directly to Hutton, early in the morning, which was earlier than the time when we planned to start the day.

Taking local buses is probably one of the most authentic experiences travelers can have in Sri Lanka. There is no limit of colors and motifs in the design of the buses and the journey itself is not the only experience. Any bus we took felt like the scene of a spectacle where tourists and locals come together, where music is played loudly for the entertainment of whoever doesn’t feel disturbed by it, and where vendors of different snacks and drinks board the bus at almost every station, squeezing their baskets filled with fresh pastry, vegetables and junk food through the already crowded corridor, turning the bus into a mobile market. The same experience would repeat itself during our trip in India, only with stronger flavors and smells.

COLOMBO SRI LANKA

 

We were welcomed by a cold and strong rain that continued during the whole night after our arrival, which made us understand already that the climb to Adam’s Peak might feel very unpleasant. Climbing seven km through cold rain and strong winds was not what we imagined, so we gave up on our plans to climb the mountain. But apart from the hike to Adam’s Peak, a trip to Hatton offers also other experiences. We negotiated with our host, which was also a tuk-tuk driver, the price for a tour around the town, which included visiting the waterfalls, the tea plantations and tea tasting at one of the tea factories in the area.

HATTON SRI LANKA

It has been the only three days in which we felt the rainy season which brought less rain in the other places that we visited, but apart from stopping us to venture out to the most spectacular spots in the mountains, it made the surrounding landscapes look even more beautiful than probably in the absence of the grey and rainy sky.

 

Hatton was “flooded” with restaurants and coffee shops, where we could always enjoy a cheap and delicious meal and a hot coffee at the end of our walks through the infinite green tea plantations.

During our return trip to Colombo, we found more comfort in taking a minibus, that arrived in the capital city later in the afternoon, giving us time to catch a bus to Negombo, where we spent our last days in the country.

At every bus station in Sri Lanka, “friendly” people will try to help you find a bus and guide you to private minivans that are more expensive than regular buses (although more comfort is offered in return for the extra money paid). But if the price is the main argument for you when choosing transportation methods, then always look for the big buses that are considerably cheaper.

Our travels continued towards one of the more adventurous of our destinations, India.

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The beautiful fort of Galle

The small city of Galle became for us a point of interest only during our journey to Mirissa. When the train brought us from Colombo to Galle, before continuing our trip with the bus towards Mirissa, we decided to make a quick coffee stop in Galle and that’s when it happened that we fell in love with the city.

We were looking for the nearest coffee shop, which, according to our map, was hiding behind the walls of the Fort. After visiting several forts before in Sri Lanka and being disappointed by the experiences, we did not expect much to happen here. But, when we passed the entrance gate, we realized this time the experience would be different. We found ourselves inside a well maintained and, as we found out later, also a quite touristic fort.

GALLE SRI LANKA

 

We stopped at a small coffee shop that looked good and had fair prices. The owner proudly spoke about the place as being the oldest coffee shop in Galle Fort, opening its doors in 1932. Despite its historic importance, the owner of National Tea Rooms continued offering to its clients an authentic experience at normal prices and preferred to preserve the traditional look instead of turning it into a fancy place, as it happened to many other places inside the Fort. The good breakfast and the refreshing coffee were just some of the ingredients that added to the positive feeling which we had towards the place and the friendliness of the owner convinced us to come back a second time, which we did at the end of our stay in Mirissa.

We understood that Galle Fort is a touristic destination for locals and foreigners. However, prices here are quite high compared to other places outside the old walls. Still, we weren’t disappointed with our decision to shorten our stay in Mirissa and spend a night in the hostel in Galle.

So, after our time at the beach in Mirissa, we came back one week later to this cute city. We arrived early to enjoy our time to the maximum. We went for a walk inside the big walls, observing the architecture influenced by the Dutch during colonial times.

GALLE SRI LANKA

 

Later we visited the museum, that was free of charge, followed by a walk to the “Dutch market”, which, honestly, felt more like a souvenir market where people sell overpriced clothes and spices.

GALLE SRI LANKA

 

Many locals recommend the place to tourists and even offer to bring them there, as they will earn a commission if the tourists purchase anything from the vendors. And, if the merchandise at the market does not present any interest, the helpful local will turn into a beggar with an emotional story, asking tourists for money. We’ve been approached by one of these people but kindly declined their offer and went first to the local fish market, right outside the fort, which did not impress us much either.

It is true what people say about Galle: it is very touristic and expensive, but we did not mind it so much. Traveling off-season has its advantages, as the number of tourists is always low. We really enjoyed our short escape into the modern colonial city.

GALLE SRI LANKA

 

The following day would bring us to Colombo and further to Hatton, back in the mountains area. Find here more pictures about Galle.

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A guide to Sri Lanka’s beach experience

Like many other islands in the world, Sri Lanka is well known for its beautiful coastline and access to beautiful beach experiences. And with so many options it is not easy to choose where to go. Deciding which beach is better than others is a matter of personal taste, but we will tell you about the ones we visited during our trip in the country.

 

Negombo Beach

Negombo beach is probably the easiest to access when coming from the Bandaranaike  International Airport of Sri Lanka which is located between Negombo and the capital city Colombo.

We had quite a nice time in Negombo, where we enjoyed the city part, but we cannot say it has a beautiful beach. The road along the beach offers access to several expensive restaurants (more expensive than what we found in other places) and a lot of shops. Hotels in the area look lovely and, of course, you also can find some luxury resorts and fancy restaurants. The city of Negombo does not offer much to see but it is a great place to relax after or before a long flight. It is also considered an all-year destination.

Galle Face Beach (Colombo)

Galle Face Beach is the beach of the capital city Colombo and is located close to an industrial area, which makes it not a beach to enjoy very much (definitely not for swimming), but a walk along the coast can offer a short escape from the busy city.

If you move North from Colombo, you can find some nicer beaches around the area of Jaffna,  but we cannot tell you much about it as we haven’t been there.

Trincomalee

Our favorite beach was in Trincomalee, a beach that we think offers something for everyone. “Trinco” is located on the east coast, its coastal area extending to the south, under the name Uppuveli and a bit to the north, under the name Nilaveli.

TRNCOMALEE SRI LANKA

 

We stayed in the North area of Uppuveli beach, which is a great spot for tourists and backpackers. Restaurants in the area offer mainly overpriced meals, but if you search a bit you will find cheaper options. We enjoyed very much the stay there as it proved to be a great place to relax after the intense travel in Sri Lanka. The beach is very beautiful and perfect for long beach walks, offering access to fancy beach bars, coffee shops and snorkeling and diving experiences. One of the famous spots for diving and snorkeling is Pigeon Island, but we did not go there as the corals are in danger due to the water sports and intense mass tourism. Depending on the season you can do some boat excursions for whale and dolphin watching.

The Uppuveli beach is located around 3-4 km far from the city, while Nilaveli beach is approximately 14 km far. Away from the beach area, you can visit temples or the local markets. The best season to visit is considered from May to September, but the weather in Sri Lanka is always subject to change.

Batticaloa

If you are heading more south towards the center of the east coast of Sri Lanka, you will reach Batticaloa. We stayed in the less touristic area Navaladi, populated by only a few accommodations and even fewer restaurants. It was a nice place as we were the only ones at the beach, but has also limited access to facilities. To reach the city it takes around 15-20 min by tuk-tuk. Pasikudah is considered more touristic with better options.

 

Similar to Trincomalee, the travel time to the east coast is considered best during the month of the European summer.

Arugam Bay

Arugam Bay was on our list of places that we planned to visit, but we found it difficult to reach from Ella due to the poor transportation options, so in the end, we skipped it. Arugam Bay is well known for its surfing activities.

Mirissa

We planned our stay in Mirissa after deciding to spend some time in the south part of the country. Even if the best time to travel to the south is considered from December to March, we were really lucky with the weather in August and profited from low prices and the low number of people during the offseason.

MIRISSA SRI LANKA

 

In Mirissa, you will find plenty of affordable restaurants and bars and a beautiful viewpoint close to the harbor. But we also understood that prices here can vary extremely accordingly to the season. The main beach area is very well organized and clean. Instead, the beachfront at Mihiriwella Road, where the fishing boats are, is covered by nets, garbage and death fish.

MIRISSA SRI LANKA

 

Mirissa is a great starting point for day trips to other beaches or to Matara city (including the Ahangama Beach), where you can find the famous stilt fishermen (good to know: it is not a common practice anymore nowadays, they just do it to get some money from the tourists). Click here for more photos from Mirissa.

MIRISSA SRI LANKA

 

You can also travel to Galle, which has a small, nice and very touristy city inside its Fort. The whole south coast offers great opportunities and beautiful beaches. From November to April whales can be spotted in the area.

GALLE SRI LANKA

 

One of the most famous beaches is probably Unawatuna, which we’ve seen only when we passed with the bus from Mirissa to Galle, but it looked very promising. For more pictures from Galle click here.

MIRISSA SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka offers great beaches for every kind of traveler and during any season. Most areas are easily accessible by bus and train. For those who enjoy train rides, I recommend the coastal train ride from Colombo to Galle, which I found more entertaining than the famous one from Kandy to Ella.

TRAIN SRI LANKA

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Our second time in Colombo

We didn’t plan a return to Colombo very soon, but our travel plans during the journey through Sri Lanka changed already so many times and, since traveling in this country is made so easy by the cheap and convenient transportation options, we’ve been more spontaneous with our decisions.

We spent a full week traveling as a small group, after meeting with Miriam’s cousin and her fiancé in Batticaloa and, due to their limited time in the country, we joined them on the trip back to Colombo, from where they flew back home. We opted for a faster and more comfortable transportation method this time and hired a private driver, that drove us to Colombo straight from the east coast, on a journey which lasted around 10 hours.

The short time that we spent in Colombo was sufficient to explore the city. We started our sightseeing early in the following morning, after breakfast at the accommodation. The first stop on our list was the Gangaramaya Temple, one of the best known in the city and quite different from the many others we’ve seen in the country. It felt more like visiting a museum of antiquities, where thousands of Buddha statues and other artifacts of all sizes populate the temple. Hindu elements were also present, all giving the impression of a collection of cultural and religious essence. It serves as a worship place for Buddhists but also welcomes people of all religions.

COLOMBO SRI LANKA

 

Paying the fee of 300 Srilankan rupees gives visitors access also to the smaller Seema Malakaya temple, placed on the side of the Gangaramaya Park’s lake, featuring several statues of Buddha and shrines.

COLOMBO SRI LANKA

 

Our walked continued along the seaside, where we visited the old fortification walls of the city and later got lost on the streets of the most popular area in Colombo, the Colombo Fort, which marks also the center of the city and its main connection point for transportation methods.

COLOMBO SRI LANKA

The easy way to explore Colombo is by booking a tuk-tuk tour, which can be organized and negotiated with most drivers. 10 USD per person is more than enough for a half-day tour, but the same price can be also negotiated for a small group of 2 to 3 people together. Know the prices by checking them with mobile apps like PickMe or Uber, which work very well in Colombo.

On the following day, we returned to Colombo Fort to board the train to a new destination, Galle, on the southern coast, from where we continued the journey by bus, till Mirissa. The train ride along the coast was almost as impressive as the one from Kandy to Ella. Although we managed to buy only standard 2nd class tickets, what we enjoyed the most about the trip was the low number of people traveling in the early morning, which made the experience better than previous rides.

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