Our journey continued south along the coast from Bentota to the highly touristed but fun town of Unawtuna for some more beach time as well as a cooking course, yoga, and whale watching.
We then came inland to watch large animals of a different kind at the beautiful Udawalawe National Park, before doing a bit of walking around the lovely hillside town of Ella…
The few restaurants lining our stretch of beach in Bentota had quite a unique atmosphere with trains frequently passing just metres away.
Liam made some friends at one of the restaurants
Waiting for the train down the coast to our next destination, Unawatuna
The atmosphere at Unawatuna was very contrasting to Bentota, with many more people, restaurants and bars
Iris and mum enjoyed a cooking course…
…and cooked a meal typical of what we have been eating; three or four different vegetable curries, and a fish curry. The food here has been one of the highlights so far and well suits our recently adopted semi-vegetarian diets!
Liam is the undisputed king of ‘Solo’ (Uno), one of our favourite games for the road
We went on a trip to spot some whales. Unfortunately, the sea sickness tablets weren’t that effective for several of us.
A local fishing boat, which apparently can be at sea for weeks at a time. We’re not quite sure how the fish would stay fresh over that length of time…
We spotted a majestic blue whale and followed it for about an hour or so. It was amazing to see.
Within 15 minutes, eight other boats had joined us and were jockying for position. Raja, our captain, was very frustrated at the complete lack of regulation which meant many of the other outfits approached the whales too fast and too close. Sadly, he thinks that the whales will stop coming here shortly in favour of places where they won’t be harassed.
Equally sad was the amount of trash around the waters, meaning this kind of thing happens…
Fishing vessels in Marissa
Some time ago, some of the famed ‘stilt fishermen’ worked out that they could earn much more money posing for tourists than actually fishing. This guy had a fish permanently on the end of the line and came running to show it to the kids.
Bringing in the fishing nets on a beach between Unawatuna and Galle
On the fort walls during a day trip to Galle
Liam inspects the handywork of a local jeweller with his trusty magnifying glass
Sofia made friends with Michael the monkey
And Iris made friends with his slithery friend
Iris and I took some excellent yoga classes with Asiri during our stay
Then it was off inland – first stop was a safari at Udawalawe National Park.
Unfortunately, Sri Lanka has suffered severe deforestation over the last century with only about a quarter of the original cover remaining. This has destroyed the natural habitat for many elephants, leopards, sambar deer and other native animals. Fences used to keep animals out. Now they’re used to keep them in for their own protection.
The park was excellent with many elephants, water buffalo, crocodiles, and dozens of different types of birds.
The Asian elephants have fared a little better than their African cousins. Since very few of them have tusks, they are not hunted for ivory. Habitat destruction remains their biggest threat and their saving grace are the handful of protected national parks around the country like this one.
A bird show over the reservoir amazed the kids
Next stop was the beautifully set hillside town of Ella
Our ‘Brilliant View’ guesthouse was aptly named
The quickest way into town from our guesthouse was a short stroll along the train lines. It definitely paid to know the train schedule before venturing off!
We went on an outing up ‘Little Adams Peak’, stopping off at the stunning 98 acres cafe along the way
The view from Little Adam’s Peak
Cows are everywhere in Sri Lanka – strolling through the towns, roads, beaches and countryside.
Liam was a little anxious that this one might buck when Iris passed it.
The kids miss their guinea pigs, Flower and Bubbles, but these ones kept them happy for a bit.
