Tag: Gardens

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:

Staying in Nuwara Eliya’s “Little England”

Nestled up in the middle of Sri Lanka’s Tea Country, Nuwara Eliya was one of the old colonial centres for the tea industry and, with the combo of old quaint buildings, race course, golf courses and, well bloody drizzly bleak weather, is affectionally known as “Little England”.  As an Englishman I can confirm I felt right at home!

 

The wandering around the town is nice, as you get to places like the old post office, police station and hotels straight out of a Charles Dickens novel, but it is the surrounding Tea Estates that are the highlight

 

Top Tips:

1. The drive from Nuwara Eliya to Talawakelle / St Claire Tea Centre is the prettiest for views – its hard to go wrong with the surrounding countryside as it’s all gorgeous, but this is the pick of the bunch.  Also, the drive from St Talawakelle to  Tawalantenne is dramatic, but super windy and a bit nauseating.  For a driver, I went with Yoga (+94 75 165 0205) who was great and charged around US$50 a day

 

2. Stay in one of the colonial hotels – it will give you the full “Little England” / Old Colonial feel.  The Grand Hotel is best for this in the centre; Ferncliff Bungalow for something in the centre that is far quieter but still quintessentially English; and the Amaya Langdale / Oliphant Villa for luxury 20mins or so from the centre

 

3. Visit one of the Tea Factories – the Damro Labookellie Tea Factory is good for learning about the tea.  The Heritance Tea Factory for more style

 

4. Have High Tea in the Heritance Tea Factory – beautifully restored old Tea Factory that is now a hotel providing luxurious afternoon tea from 3pm onwards

 

5. The parks are ok for an hour or so – Victoria Park is nice enough to walk through for 30mins, and so is the nearby Galway Land National Park, but have low expectations (highlights are the colonial buildings and tea estates)

 

6. Wrap up – it gets cold!  The don’t call it Little England for nothing – expect drizzle and cold evenings in the winter!

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

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)

Valladolid

It has some nice spots like the Plaza de San Pablo, the Cathedral and the Campo Grande Park, but overall Valladolid is a far less impressive version of the nearby pretty towns of Burgos and Zamora, the wonderfully atmospheric Salamanca (see travel entry – Salamanca’s Old Town) with its Old Town and, of course, Madrid

 

I’d put it far down the list of towns to visit in Spain

A day in Bucharest

The first time I visited Bucharest I think I left with the views of it being one of the worst capital cities I’ve been to and “never going back!”.  Perhaps that is a little harsh as, on second time visiting, and wandering through the Historic Centre I saw there are actually some impressive historic buildings and taking a tour to understand the history of Romania post WW2 is quite interesting.  I think it also comes down to if you go mid-week or at the weekends – the Historic Centre seemed to come to life at the weekends as they pedestrianised nearly the entire area and had more of a party atmosphere

 

That being said, I think you only really need a day in Bucharest and I’ve listed some top tips below for how to make sure your experience is like my second visit rather than my first!

2 days by the beautiful Lake Como

It’s a big shout when people say somewhere is the most beautiful place in the world . . . but, yep . . . Lake Como takes it.  Picture perfect Italian villages punctuating luscious forests as they meet the lake’s crystal clear waters, and all against the stunning dramatic backdrop of the Alps.  It’s hard not to just stop and gorp at it over, and over again

Naturally in such a beautiful place, it comes with a huge demand from others wanting to visit and, especially in summer, the costs go through the roof.  The cost is something hard to avoid, but it’s actually relatively easy to avoid the crowds with a few simple tips and enjoy what makes this place such a world famous destination

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

A long weekend for Lisbon and the surrounding gems of Sintra and Cascais

Lisbon is a supremely elegant city stepped in history and with atmospheric neighbourhoods to head off and explore, but I actually found the two surrounding places of Sintra and Cascais to be the real gems of the visit

I would suggest staying in Sintra or Cascais rather than Lisbon. Staying in Lisbon you are always going to be surrounded by fellow tourists, day or night.  Whereas places like Sintra and Cascais offer a very different experience when the crowds have left for the day (or before they arrive if you’re an early bird). And the trains / Ubers make it so simple to pop between the 3 of them. I had some magical times in the likes of Sintra wandering around in the early morning having the place to myself, and enjoying the quieter evenings in Cascais.  Be bold and stay outside of Lisbon for the better experience