Srilanka - Day 5

Time to venture off again on our mini-trek across the country. On this day, we just traveled from Bentota to Kandy. The road network in Srilanka is not that special but its decent enough. They have an expressway that we used for a portion of the journey, it is like the motorway (motorway is probably a slightly better road), except more scenic perhaps because of all the forests that are well-protected by the government. Encourage people to take the regular roads so they can indulge in meeting with the local people and enjoy roadside food etc.

Fresh drink on a scenic route

It really is a beautiful countryside, lots of forest and greenery, variety of trees and plants which makes you feel one with nature. Went on a short detour to Pinnewala, a superb drive through the forests. There is a very popular elephant orphanage there, but you only get to see elephants not ride them, fortunately our car driver took us to a lesser know, more boot-strapped place which allowed us to ride the elephants and interact more closely. A major piece of advice, always ride an elephant sitting sideways,method used made legs very sore :o

Elephant ride

After a decent break, went forth towards our hotel for the evening, 'the elegant hotel' which offers the cheapest rates imaginable and has a breathtakingly good view of the mountains. The last few kilometers are potholed due to the heavy amount of rain and can frustrate travellers quite a bit but the serenity and the beauty of the place is well worth the effort.

Views from their terrace

Went for some jewellery shopping which is a major export of the country. Seems like a regular trade for many Pakistanis, the emeralds, rubies and other semi-precious stones are available in bulk quantities. Had to bargain a bit and look around before finding the stuff we could purchase.

Visited the slightly chilled lounge bar, an awesome diner/pub focused on sports which has a great atmosphere and even better views. Its slightly elevated and allows you to view Kandy and also enjoy some special views of the sunset. It was so good, did not feel like leaving the place at all.