Tag: City Walls

A week in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is often described by travellers as “India-light”.  It is far more compact, with many of the highlights possible to cover in a week; it has a similar culture in many ways; similar type of experiences on offer, such as tropical beaches, old forts, tea plantations etc; and it is generally a bit less hectic than the madness of a busy India.  But, if looking at the flip side, it also doesn’t really offer anything that India doesn’t.  So, if you have experience of India, you may find Sri Lanka chilled, pretty, nice to get around, but without necessarily the wow factor.  The exception to this though is the Tea Country and the spectacular train ride through it

I’ve listed below the classic, compact 1 week itinerary for some of the highlights and a few high level tips to help you get the most out of the trip:

  1. Time of year – the experience of Sri Lanka varies dramatically by season.  Basically, December to March / April is the best time for this itinerary as it is dry (and nicely cooler) season in the south coast and Hill Country.  April to September is best for the north of the country and the Ancient Sites, again because it is drier
  2. Prioritise time in the Tea Country – the beaches in the south are lovely, Galle is nice for an afternoon, and its worth dedicating half a day to try and see a Blue Whale in Mirissa, but the highlight is the Tea Country for not just the tea estates, but also the hiking and pretty “Old English” feel towns
  3. Book your trains in advance – you DO NOT want to be standing.  I’ve read in a few guide books that it doesn’t really matter if you stand – I think that’s ok for a hour or so, but for longer it really isn’t fun. It’s Sri Lanka – 2nd and 3rd class unreserved will have people crammed in to the point that you can’t sit on the floor and need to stand.  Tickets become available 30 days in advance and are super cheap (US$7 for first class just about everywhere), so jump on the train website (really not as bad as people whinge about) or, if left it late, buy at the stations (only the large stations such as Colombo, Kandy and Nanuoya sell reserved seating tickets)
  4. You’ll want a driver for parts of the trip – some parts of the journey you cannot take a train, such as from Galle up to the Tea Country, and some parts you’ll want a driver to take you around the immediate sites, such as the tea factories and estates.  Considering you only have a week, and potentially can share the cost among multiple people, it’s just easier to get a driver for the day.  They’re typically US$50 for the day and it also has the benefit of being able to speak in detail with a local as they proudly show you their country.  I rented Siri (+94 77 779 8962) for my drive from Mirissa to Ella, who was very knowledgeable; and Yoga (+94 75 165 0205) for around Nuwara Eliya.  I’d recommend both
  5. I wish I’d . . . visited the Uda Walaw National Park.  Would have been great to see more of the wildlife, and it fits perfectly into the route
  6. For more details on each of the experiences, see the detailed travel entries for:

The Historic Fort of Galle

The atmospheric UNESCO World Heritage site of Galle is on most traveller’s Sri Lankan list.  The place has some wonderful deep history across the colonial times of the Portuguese, Dutch and British that you can soak up while wandering the old streets and the fort walls in an afternoon, or for staying overnight to enjoy one of the beautiful colonial style hotels.  Nice to stop in and you don’t really need much more time than half a day

 

Top tip – no need to really have a set walking route as the fort area (the place you will spend all your time) is super small and easy to navigate.  Just head off in the general direction of the fort walls for the views of the surrounding area and the centre for some of the colonial hotels, where I’d recommend lunch at the Fort Bazaar

 

Travel tip – if travelling from Colombo by train, be sure to 1. Take the train – the views are beautiful as the train hugs the beach for a big chunk of the way. 2. Get first class or at least reserved seating – the train is one of the busiest in Sri Lanka, so you’ll be crammed in standing in the hallway between carriages with very little space. I decided not to wait 4 hours for the next reserved seating train, which was an error

10 day itinerary for Andalucia

Andalucia is the jewel in the crown of Spain.  There are various stella attractions that help this region claim that title – the Alhambra, Seville, Cordoba, the striking pueblos blancos (white towns), the flamenco dancing, the Sherry Triangle.  There are also natural spots that are worth the trip alone, such as the beaches of Tarifa, the mountains of Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema and the coastline of Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata-Nijar.  But it is the unique historical blend of Christian Spain and Moorish Al-Andalus that gives Andalucia the magic touch and makes it the must visit region of Spain

 

The itinerary below will give you the highlights and try to minimise the driving by having Cordoba and Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata-Nijar as optional

 

I’ve listed tips below, but high level – the standout attractions are the drive through the achingly beautiful white towns of Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema, Seville’s Old Town with its Cathedral and Palace, and staying overnight in the sensational Vejer de la Fontera

Ronda

Ronda is all about the dramatic gorge and how the pretty white old town, complete with one of Spain’s oldest bull rings and sensational bridge, is built impossibly around it.  Certainly worth the day trip from the likes of Seville and Malaga as the surrounding scenery is just gorgeous and, despite it being really busy with fellow day tourists, has enough to see to not make it feel overly crowded

 

Top tip #1 – if have a car, focus instead on the drive through nearby Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema.  Ronda is beautiful, for sure, but it is just one of many stunning white hilltop towns in this part of Andalucia.  Instead of spending 1-2 days in Ronda, enjoy it as part of a driving route from Ronda to Arcos de la Fontera.  The most beautiful part of Spain, one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen in all of Europe  and with far less tourists than in Ronda.  See the full travel entry here –Driving through the White Towns of Parque Natural Sierra Grazalema

Tip #2 – walk through the valley to the west of Ronda as part of a circular route that gives you great views of the Bridge.   Its a fairly simple route that you can start from anywhere, is around 6km / 3.75miles so takes only about 1.5 hours with only one moderately steep part, gives the best views of the gorge and allows you to wander through the vineyards for a very different feel.  Use google maps – start at the bridge- then walk through the pretty Old Town to Mirador del Viento for amazing views – then to Mirador La Hoya del Tajo for further great views – then walk through the vineyards to Mirador de los Pinos – then all the way along the ridge to the views from Hotel Catalonia Reina – and then back to the central area with the bridge

Tip #3 – or something more unusual, try the Bodega Garcia Hidalgo vineyard.  Only 5km from town, run by a local family and about as genuine a vineyard tour you can get

Tip #4 – where to stay.  We stayed at the Hotel Catalonia Reina which has sensational views of the nearby mountains and valleys from its wide garden balcony, but is a bit overpriced for the rooms you get.  I don’t think it really matters where you stay as everything is so close in Ronda

Tip #5 – where to eat.  La Abaceria Ronda did great tapas.  For drinks, give the Hotel Catalonia Reina’s outside area a go for great views and not rammed

Staying over night in Vejer de la Fontera

Vejer de la Fontera, with its bright white houses perched on its hill-top with views looking all across the surrounding mountains and beaches of Adalucia, is the most beautiful town in the most beautiful part of Spain.  To quote the Lonely Planet, “the jaw drops, the eyes blink, the eloquent adjectives dry up . . . this serene, compact white town is something very special”.  As you wander through the narrow, winding streets, occasionally stopping for a look out across the views or finding a hidden church or restaurant, its hard not to be left with a bit of a magical feeling

 

Top tip #1 – stay overnight and / or stay for dinner in the evening – the vast majority of tourists visit on day trips from the likes of Seville, Malaga, Cadiz etc. which can make it a little busy through the day.  Instead, give yourself the early evening to stroll through the streets when the vast majority of fellow tourists have left and have dinner in restaurants only half full, but not lacking any of that oh-so-wonderful charming experience you’re looking for

Tip #2 – stay at La Casa Califa / Hotel Plaza 18 – all the same place.  Its hard to describe this hotel as it seems to be reside on something like 10 different levels dug into the hillside and going all the way back to the 10th century.  The effect though is magnificent, with a feeling of mystique as you meander your way through the corridors and emerge to one of the levels for sensational views.  Be sure as well to try the El Jardin del Califa restaurant for superb Moroccan food

Top Tip #3 – Restaurant tips.  In addition to El Jardin, Corredera 55 was wonderful and with great views out towards the mountains.  Also worth trying is the San Francisco Gastronomic Market – 10 or so small restaurants in an arcade serving gorgeous food to be eaten in the small hall

Top Tip #4 – use Vejer de la Fontera as a base for exploring southern Andalucia.  It’s within an hours drive from the likes of Cadiz (see extra tips here – Cadiz), Jerez de la Fontera and Tarifa (The beaches of Tarifa), and only 2 hours from Seville (Historic Seville), the Malaga area (Malaga) and the sensational drive through the white towns of the mountains (Driving through the White Towns of Parque Natural Sierra Grazalema).  Far nicer option

The beaches of Tarifa

Tarifa’s beaches are some of Spain’s finest.  Stretching all the way from Tarifa town, the most southern point of Continental Europe, westwards to Cadiz are long, wide, fine-sand beaches that are enhanced with the dramatic backdrops of mountains behind.  Whilst they can get crowded in the weekends, the sheer number and size of the beaches means that there will always be room to find a spot away from the crowds

 

Three top tips:

  1. Top beach to visit is Playa de Bolonia.  The beach itself is super pretty, with its huge Bolonia Sand Dune to the west and various water inlets all along the beach that give that exotic feel.  But it also has the added benefit of having the dramatic views of the mountains nearby, and, for those ancient history fans, the has the former Roman town of Baelo Claudia right on the beach, complete with its surprisingly well maintained old forum and amphitheater, plus a visitor centre that does a good job of setting the context.  Extra tip – if eating in Playa de Bolonia, there are some great restaurants right on the beach, but be sure to book ahead at the weekends
  2. Visit Zahara de los Atunes beach for the drive through the wind farm.  I know it sounds a bit dull, but the huge wind farms in this part of Andalucia have been designed to fit in superbly well to the local geography and offer a really dramatic drive as you make your way from the highway to Zahara.  Zahara also offers a lot more food options than some of the other beaches and, of course, has the huge beach
  3. Tarifa town itself is worth a visit. It’s nowhere near as pretty or dramatic as the likes of Vejer de la Fontera or the various towns dotted throughout Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema, but it does have a nice narrow-street old town centre to walk through, with the castle to explore and surprisingly close views of Morocco across the Straight.  It also has its own long beach stretching from the town to around 5km / 3miles to the west, which is a good option is you don’t have your own car to make it to the other beaches

Historic Seville

When you think of the major historic cities of the world, you naturally think of the likes of Rome, Paris, Barcelona, Istanbul, Jerusalem, Delhi, Beijing etc., but not necessarily Seville in that top bracket.  Yet it really should be – consider a few factors:

1. Huge variety of history – whilst many of the major European cities have ebbed and flowed in influence, Seville, from the time of the Romans, Goths, Muslim-rule, Catillian conquest, and through to its position as the commercial capital of the Spanish Empire in the Age of Discovery, has remained a key city – that is a serious variety of history in one place!

2. Major attractions – Seville Cathedral, The Royal Palace Alcazar and the General Archives of the Indies are all UNESCO World Heritage Sites. And then you have the likes of the Plaza de Toros (Spain’s oldest and premier bullring), magnificent Plaza de Espana and the other myriad of chrurchs, palaces and museums

3. Compact – unlike some of other major Historical Cities, the historic sites are all super close together, with most sites within 500m

4. The Old Town is magical – the old medieval lanes of the Historic area offer an Old Town that is not only pretty, but also has that wonderful combination of having a buzz, but being easily able to escape the crowds and find small deserted laned all to yourself

 

From an experience point of view, it’s acually the Old Town that makes Seville feel special . . . and very real in many ways.  As long as you can manage your expectations for fellow tourist numbers at the key attractions and avoid the intense heat of the summer, Seville is a “must visit” in what is the must visit region of Spain (Andalucia)

6 day itinerary for Romania and the Transylvanian region

Romania, and in particular Transylvania, conjures up images and feelings of some far off place . . . in the mountains . . . in the forests . . . with castles . . . kind of like Lord of the Rings, but with a spooky vibe . . . and indeed it is all of this.  And while there are not as much of a concentration of stellar attractions as you would get in Western Europe, that is kind of Romania’s charm and it makes for a great roadtrip for a week or so, with the itinerary below

Driving through Transylvania’s Fortified Saxon villages and exploring Bran Castle

Once you creep over the Transylvanian Alps, you’re into a wide lowland area of rolling hills that is dotted with picturesque Fortified Saxon Villages, well preserved Old Towns and, of course, the famous Dracula castle of Bran Castle.  Whilst some parts of more worth visiting than others, the whole area easily allows you to dream back to what it must have been like in a bygone age untouched by the modern world
The Citadel of Sighisoara, Bran Castle and the fortified church of Viscri are must sees.  The rest is more about the slow paced vibe of the Transylvanian lowlands.  Total of 2-3 days is probably enough, and I’ve listed some tips below

Portugal highlights on a 2 week roadtrip

Portugal is a great country for visiting for 10/14 days as it has a heap of varied things to experience and not vast distances to cover.  By basing yourself in the 3 major areas of Porto / The Douro Valley, Lisbon, and the Algarve, you can use each as a hub for adventures nearby and also be able to stop off on a few places directly in between that are great for a couple of hours or so

 

Big highlights for me were actually some of the smaller places that I’d never heard of before I arrived in Portugal.  In particular the gorgeous Duoro Valley wine region, the hilltop town of Sintra and the beautifully charming streets of Cascais.  Plus, the more famous highlights of port tasting in Porto and various neighbourhoods of Lisbon

 

Each piece that makes up this itinerary has its own travel post, but I’ve also condensed the key points and listed some more general tips below