Most Inspirational Moment
There are so many to choose from, but here are a few that still stand out in my minds eye clearly:* Seeing the famous Sigiriya rock, the hotel we stayed in had stunning views of it and the climb up was fun with breath taking views of the surrounding areas. As it was the school holidays we had families on days out climbing the rock as well which added to the adventure.* Visiting the Pinnawala elephant orphanage, where we watched herds of elephants run down the street at 10am for their daily 2 hour river bath. It was amazing to see so many elephants together and lots of baby elephants too. It really is an extra-ordinary sight to see them playing in the water as normal families would on holiday in the swimming pool!* I did the optional white water rafting, well worth doing as it's so much fun and we laughed so hard during the time spent there as no one escaped out of the waters dry!* Walking to the Worlds End at Horton Plains was really enjoyable and a real treat, as en route you see the beautiful Baker Falls and when you reach the worlds end point - the view below is just absolutely astonishing. I won't say anymore - you'll see for yourself!* The optional whale watching was also very worthwhile and we saw a whale as well as hundreds of dolphins playfully splashing alongside our boat and showing off their talent by spinning out of the water.* Having lunch at the Tsunami house was a real treat and it was the best lunch I had the whole time I was there, even thinking about it now i'm getting hungry.. * Kandy is a very hip and happening place, perhaps the soul of the party for me. We had dinner at this hotel/restaurant called 'Helgas Folly' look it up, it's a very strange and 'barking mad' place due to decor - but worth a visit if only for the experience of feeling like you have crossed over to another dimension!!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Isanka was very cheerful and patient throughout the whole trip. She was always very attentive to everyone's needs and made it a constant priority to ensure we were having fun and understood all that we were doing. She gave us manageable history lessons , and if like me you didn't hear her the first time she was more than happy to repeat herself. Isanka was always very open to all the curious questions the group asked her, and we learnt alot about sri lankan marriage ceremonies and the culture from her! (There were 5 girls on the trip!)
Advice for Potential Travellers
You don't need to take malaria tablets, which I found out after the first day. So even if your nurse insists that you do, like mine did, you don't!What you do need though is plenty of insect (mosquito) repellant (a few people ran out on the trip and you can't get the good stuff there) and also the after bite care. Also I would advise taking a travel sunblock to keep with you at all times as due to humidity you do tend to sweat it off and often need to top up whilst outside.Girls - for the temple days if you have a sarong to cover below your knees is fine, and you can show your arms so short sleeved t-shirts is actually acceptable too- just not low cut though!
