The Kandy Perahera - Asia's Most Spectacular Pageant

The Tooth Relic Casket On The Temple Tusker

History

Kandy is the venue of the Esala Perahera, easily the most colourful pageant of Asia. It is
held for 10 nights and one day at the end of July to early August each year, in honor of
the Buddha’s Tooth Relic. The actual dates are dependent on the period of the Full
Moon, and the temple authorities confirm these dates generally by January or February of
each year.
As the pageantry of the Esala Perahera unfolds through ten nights each year, the city
takes on the air of a torch-lit dreamland, complete with a hundred or more colourfully
caparisoned elephants, drummers, dancers, and chieftains in the rare colourful trappings of
the old kingdom.

Kandyan Fire Dancers

Temple Tusker With Tooth Relic

The Tooth Relic continues to be housed in Kandy, which was the last royal capital of the
Sinhalese Kings. The Dalada Maligawa Perahera harks back to ancient festivals
parading the Tooth Relic over 1700 years ago.
Few spectacles, if any, in the world surpass this annual feast of sight and sound, custom
and ritual. Thousands of foreign visitors from diverse lands come to Sri Lanka each year
for the Kandy Perahera.
There are fire-dances, whip-dances, Kandyan dances and various other cultural dances.
The elephants are usually adorned with lavish illuminated garments. The relic casket, which
is a substitute for the Tooth Relic, is placed on top of the Maligawa Elephant, a tusker.

Temple Tusker And Chieftain

The Kumbal Perahera

The Kumbal Perahera begins and continues on for the first five days. These Peraheras
are associated with the local deities of temples that lie within the Temple Of The Tooth
complex.

The Randoli Perahera

 
The last five nights are the best with many more elephants and temple dancers joining the
procession with each successive nights, and crowds also increasing markedly.

The Final Night of the Randoli Perahera

The 10th Night of the festival is the most magnificent, with up to 100 elephants taking part,
along with hundreds of temple dancers.

The Day Perahera

The 11th Day

 
The pageant ends with the Diya Kepeema, a ‘water cutting’ ceremony at the Mahaweli
River at Getambe, a town a few miles from Kandy. A Day Perahera is held to mark the
ceremony. This perhaps gives the best opportunity for photographers, as it is held during
daylight hours.

 
Grandstand Seats To Watch The Perahera

 
Huge crowds consisting of 100 000 people and more gather at Kandy during the Perahera
Season. Most watch the Perahera from the roadside, with many people choosing to
reserve places at the best vantage points by assembling from the early morning onwards!
Tourists generally prefer to watch from special Grandstand Seating that is put up next to
the Temple Of The Tooth. This is by far the safest and best place to observe the Perahera
– tickets however are priced at about £35-£55 per person by the relevant authorities.

 
Kandy Perahera Dates 2012

 
First Day Of The Kumbal Perahera - 23/07/12
Last Night Of The Randoli Perahera - 01/08/12
Day Perahera - 02/08/12

Visit Sri Lanka With Elephant Island – The Leading Tour Operator To Sri Lanka 

www.elephant-island.com 

Tel: 0044 (0) 207 100 2323 

info@elephant-island.com

Gathering Of Elephants At Minneriya And Kaudula National Parks

Minneriya National Park

During August and September each year in Sri Lanka, one of the most awesome wildlife spectacles in the world, gathers pace. Over three hundred wild Asian Elephants converge for 'The Gathering'. The largest concentration of Asian Elephants on the planet, a seasonal gathering, takes place at Minneriya National Park in the Cultural Triangle of the island.

As the waters of the gigantic, man-made, Minneriya Lake dries out, the receding waters expose square kilometer upon square kilometer of lake bed, which turns into a lush grassland, with a residual lake in the middle. Literally hundreds of elephants from the surrounding jungles are attracted to the food and water and the security of the scrub jungles bordering the lake.

The elephants, sometimes numbering over an awe inspiring three hundred, converge onto the receding shores of Minneriya Lake. Nowhere else in the world will one find such a large number of wild Asian Elephants concentrated into a few square kilometers.

The gathering at Minneriya is a wonderful opportunity for wildlife enthusiasts and casual travellers to observe the social dynamics of elephants. Watching baby elephants playing with each other, bull elephants tussling for dominance and the great matriarchs surveying the scene is not a sight you are likely to forget in a hurry!

Minneriya National Park

Minneriya is an ancient man made lake constructed in the 3rd century AD by a king of Sri Lanka. Many centuries ago, these lowlands were farmed for agriculture by an ancient civilization whose mastery of hydraulics was remarkably sophisticated. Today, the ancient reservoir fills during the north-east monsoon and gradually shrinks as the dry season sets in. As the waters recede, lush grassland sprouts attracting elephants in search of food from far away jungles. The lake always retains some water and is surrounded by scrub jungle, which provides shade during the heat of the day.

As evening falls, the elephants emerge from the scrub, in small herds of tens, coalescing into larger herds, sometimes numbering over a hundred. The gathering is one of the most unforgettable and fantastic events in the international wildlife calendar.

Kaudulla National Park

The local wildlife rangers and jeep operators will know whether the herds are gathered at Minneriya National Park or whether the nearby Kaudulla Lake National Park offers better viewing at a particular time. Kaudulla is a less visited park with beautiful landscapes, and a lovely road that takes you there along an irrigation channel.

When Should I Visit?

The gathering starts in mid-July and peaks during the months of August and September.

Why Is It Called 'The Gathering'?

Because it is a seasonal movement of elephants and not quite a migration in the sense of what biologists mean by a migration.

How Should I Visit?

Exclusive, Private Jeep Safaris with a driver and Wildlife Department tracker are organised by Elephant Island from all hotels at Dambulla.

 

Visit Sri Lanka With Elephant Island – The Leading Tour Operator To Sri Lanka
www.elephant-island.com

Tel: 0044 (0) 207 100 2323
info@elephant-island.com

Trains Through The Hill Country Of Sri Lanka

The Hill Country Express

 By travelling by train through the Hill Country of Sri Lanka you truly experience one of The Great Railway Journeys Of The World.

Most visitors will start their journey from Peradeniya Junction, a railway station near Kandy and travel to either Nanu Oya, Haputale, Bandarawela or Ella, journeys that lasts between 4 and 7 hours depending on where you get off. Nanu Oya is the railway station that serves the Hill Station of Nuwara Eliya, which is about 6 km away.

There are two express trains that ply this route on a daily basis. Both have Observation Cars attached to the rear of the train. The Podi Menike has the luxury Expo Carriage in addition.

Podi Menike (translated as - The Little Maiden)

Udarata Menike (translated as – The Hill Country Maiden)

The Podi Menike is the morning train, and leaves Kandy (Peradeniya) at 8:40 AM, so is clearly the best option if seats are available on either the Expo Carriage or the Observation Car. Getting on board this train means you get to spend some time to relax at your end destination in the hills – assuming the train is on time.

The Udarata Menike is the afternoon train, with the Observation Car only, and leaves Kandy (Peradeniya) at 1:15 PM so will take up most of your day.

The Expo Rail Carriage

The Expo Carriage is a privately operated luxury carriage operated on most express trains in Sri Lanka. It is located immediately behind the locomotive at the front of the train. The carriage features comfortable airline style seats, a flatscreen TV with the latest feature films and most important of all – great bathrooms that are kept spotlessly clean. A free meal and unlimited tea / coffee are also served during your journey.

First preference is given to booking this carriage for our clients. The carriage tends to be very popular and reservation is on first come first served basis. Therefore seats cannot always be guaranteed.

*The Expo Carriage may also only be available on certain days of the week depending on availability.

 

The Observation Car

Interior Of The Observation Car

 

The second option is the Observation Car, which is located at the end of the train (last carriage). The seats at the end give great views down the track. This carriage is operated by the Sri Lanka Railways.

This is the second option we look at for our clients if the Expo Carriage is fully booked or unavailable. There are however some important points to remember if you are booked onto the Observation Car:

▪ Take a pack lunch, and plenty of refreshments especially if you are travelling between Kandy and Haputale, Bandarawela or Ella – as this journey lasts up to 6 hours. There are no proper dining cars on the Hill Country trains.

▪ Take a pack of wet-wipes and a personal stack of toilet paper in a small ziplock bag. The toilets on this carriage are reasonable, but not up to foreign standards.

Important Issues To Remember About The Hill Country Train

▪ Trains on the Up-Country line are highly unreliable, so do not expect your train to arrive on time. Delays of a few hours are quite common – which makes it important that you take refreshments on board. Trains are also liable to be cancelled at short notice – so be mentally prepared for this!

▪ Seats on both the Expo Carriage and The Observation Car tend to be very popular and reservation is on first come first served basis. It is also not possible for anyone to book seats on the Observation Car more than 10 days ahead of departure, so on occasions, obtaining seats may not be possible. In this instance, you will be notified upon arrival in Sri Lanka of alternatives, which may include the option of travelling by 2^nd Class, if the carriages do not look too crowded. Given the choice, many may actually prefer to travel in the 2^nd Class carriages with open windows that give better views than the Observation Car itself!

▪ If you only wish do part of this journey by train, it is possible for your vehicle to pick you up at Nanu Oya Station and to continue by road to Haputale, Bandarawela or Ella. This may be a good idea for families with small children as the journey time is about 4 hours to Nanu Oya. However remember that the most scenic and breathtaking part of the journey is actually the high altitude section that lies beyond Nanu Oya!

The Podi Menike Emerging From A Tunnel

 

Description Of The Journey

Peradeniya Junction is situated at about 1500 ft in altitude. From here the train runs on a single track at a reasonable speed (30mph) to Nawalapitiya - a railway town where it starts to get noticeably cooler.

The climb then begins in earnest over 1 in 44 gradients through Watawela, Rozella and Hatton to Talawakele. This takes a long time as the train travels at 10 miles per hour. Tea plantations can be seen for miles around which has a very soothing effect on the senses and groups of Tamil plantation women can be seen picking the leaves.

Soon after leaving Talawakele two spectacular waterfalls come into view. The high and narrow Devon Falls and the short and wide St Clair Falls. An almost complete spiral follows as the train struggles to ascend to Nanu-Oya. This is the stop to get off for those travelling to Nuwara Eliya.

Past Nanu Oya, the countryside is now rugged and the train is at over 5000 ft. Elgin Falls appears on the right side in a near inaccessible gorge. By the time the train arrives at Pattipola the highest railway station in Sri Lanka, it is over 6000ft and the station is usually surrounded in mist (low clouds actually). By Sri Lankan standards it is quite cold. Platform staff and locals wear coats and turbans. It usually rains. The vegetation turns Alpine with extensive forests of Cypress and Eucalyptus.

A short distance from Pattipola station the train enters the Summit Tunnel at 6226ft the highest point on the railway. In passing through the tunnel the train has passed from the "Wet Zone" of the country into the "Dry Zone". This is quite obvious when you emerge from the tunnel. No rain!

The brakes come into action for the steep descent which follows. The train now descends with a spectacular view of The Uva Basin. The train emerges from one tunnel to another with clouds floating below. The main peak of the 6600ft high Namunukula range is visible in the far distance. You are in God's own country! Ohiya is the starting point for treks to Horton Plains and World's End. The train passes stunning views at Idalgashinna and then on to the amazing Haputale Gap.

From Haputale, on a clear day you would be able to see as far as the Indian Ocean at Dondra Head - the southernmost point of Sri Lanka!

The final descent begins through the grassy plains of Diyatalawa, Bandarawela to reach the pretty village of Ella.

 

Visit Sri Lanka With Elephant Island – The Leading Tour Operator To Sri Lanka
www.elephant-island.com

Tel: 0044 (0) 207 100 2323
info@elephant-island.com

Coping With Sri Lanka's Massive Tourism Boom

The good news is that Sri Lanka is now one of the fastest growing holiday destinations in the
entire world. That’s where the good news ends, because Sri Lanka is now facing a huge
under-supply of hotel rooms, which means that rates for all grades of properties are currently
well above international levels.
Amazingly, and despite these rates, Sri Lanka’s hotels are full to the brim. Unless you book
early it is difficult to get rooms in the better hotels during the peak holiday periods. Rates are
expected to go up even further for the next few years at least until the big hotel chains develop
resorts and other major hotel projects come on stream.
Obviously people still want to come to Sri Lanka despite these rates because it is becoming
one of the top tourist destinations in the world. It is truly a country of immense natural beauty
with a very ancient and interesting culture. The people are also pretty friendly too, which is
another major asset that the island has.
Its difficult to get a bargain holiday to Sri Lanka anymore, but there are some smart ways to
save on cost, and these are elaborated by me in detail below:

Issues To Bear In Mind When Visiting Sri Lanka

With an enormous, sudden influx of tourists to the island, tourism resources are being
stretched and prices of everything from hotel rooms to vehicles to meals are rising rapidly. As
a result, there is a huge shortage of hotel rooms, good quality vehicles, experienced tour
guides and the country is still saddled with below-par tourist facilities.
Also, the country’s infrastructure such as roads and railways are far below what many clients
expect having paid a premium price for their tropical holiday. There is only one expressway in
Sri Lanka from Colombo to Galle (though more are in the pipeline). It therefore takes a whole
lot longer than you may think to travel between locations. Thankfully the countryside is so
beautiful, it is usually a highly enjoyable experience to actually travel around the island.

Do You Want Affordable Hotels?

Its hard, but they are still out there, especially if you are prepared to compromise a bit in
certain areas and are ok with using smaller hotels with less facilities. We have a database of
all the hotels in Sri Lanka, and we have negotiated some great deals with properties in most
tourist locations throughout the island. We offer these as a ‘Special Choice’ option in most of
our featured quotes. If you want to know more about these, simply ask your Tour Consultant,
as they have all visited them personally.
Using these properties usually saves a few hundred pounds per person on any quote we can
provide for a tour of Sri Lanka!

Do You Want Cheap Flights?

If you are really looking for a cheap flight to Sri Lanka and don’t mind a few hours in transit,
there are options with Jet Airways via Mumbai / Delhi and Gulf Air via Bahrain at highly
discounted fares. Talk to us about these options if you are interested as the fare saving can be
around GBP 100 – 150 per ticket, and often much more!
The vast majority of our clients prefer to pay a lot more for faster direct flights with Sri Lankan
Airlines, but we have no problem in quoting for Jet Airways or Gulf Air if requested.


Should I Believe Trip Advisor Reviews Of Hotels?


This is a tough question. We actually go ourselves and take a detailed look at every single
hotel we feature in Sri Lanka each year. This is because all of our sales staff are actually
based in Sri Lanka, so its no issue for them to regularly visit hotels constantly and stay in them
too if necessary to experience their facilities in full.
To be completely honest, we look at Trip Advisor reviews too as well as getting impressions
by visiting these hotels personally. More importantly, we also look at our own client feedback
about each hotel before deciding which ones to feature in a tour itinerary. We make changes
constantly taking into account all 3 factors.
There are a few hotels, especially the budget ones that strongly manipulate reviews. These
are places that themselves post bogus favourable reviews on Trip Advisor just to get
business. We know them but for legal reasons obviously cannot name them. Suffice to say
that if our staff are strongly insisting that a hotel is no good, then you probably know why.


Trip Advisor Reviews Of Tour Companies


We get around 30% of our business via referrals from highly satisfied clients, a large selection
of regular clients and from recommendations on Trip Advisor. This is a really huge percentage
for any company in the travel business. We are extremely proud of this statistic. This is one of
the main reasons why Elephant Island is one of the leading independent tour operators to Sri
Lanka. We cant win them all though, and there are a few unsatisfied client posts where people
have either been totally unreasonable in their expectations or where we must put our hands
up and say we got it wrong that time and we need to take a share of the blame.
On the whole though, I must say that most tour companies operating to Sri Lanka, including
our competitors are actually quite good. It’s a country where things usually go smoothly. In Sri
Lanka we don’t get the complex itineraries that are required for tours of India for instance. The
hotels are of a good standard (if overpriced) and health and hygiene are certainly a notch
above any other South Asian destination. The driver-guides in Sri Lanka are on the whole
excellent, which is the really vital thing that can ensure you have an enjoyable tour of Sri
Lanka. The quality of your driver-guide can basically make or break a holiday experience.
Fortunately our driver-guides are among the best in Sri Lanka, as any review search on Trip
Advisor will confirm. They have contributed enormously to the success of our company
through the years.


All The Benefits Of A UK – Sri Lanka Company


Finally, Elephant Island are a UK registered tour operator. We are members of ABTA, so you
can be 100% sure that your holiday is fully financially protected. If you book direct with any
company that is based in Sri Lanka only, there is no financial protection or any avenues for
redress should things go wrong.
As a company with offices in Sri Lanka, you however have all the benefits of dealing with tour
consultants who know Sri Lanka intimately. By living and working in Sri Lanka, all of our staff
are able to tell you first hand about every single place of interest, tour program or hotel we
recommend to a client as part of a holiday proposal. They have all personally visited just about
every single hotel and attraction in the island!
Whats more, we are also rapidly bringing our ground handling arrangements in-house. This
means that there will be no third parties involved in co-ordinating your holiday arrangements,
which is extremely rare in Sri Lanka. You will be taken care by Elephant Island staff all the
way through from start to finish!
Hope the above helps, and as a totally hands-on person, I can assure you that anyone is free
to contact me in person about any issue related to our company or travel to Sri Lanka

Your Tour Consultants To Sri Lanka

ronnie@elephant-island.com
Ronnie Johnson
Managing Director

Team Elephant Island visit To Kalpitiya – Sethawadiya Eco Lodge

   The moment I hear the name Kalpitiya nothing comes to my mind,but the images of gigantic blue whales rising up to the sky from sea create wonders in front of my eyes. Therefore, the journey we made to Kalpitiya was a dream come true.

Kalpitiya is an amazing destination located approximately 150 kms north of capital city - Colombo and if you are taking a relaxed drive from the Bandaranaike International Airport-the only international airport in Sri Lanka the journey will take about 3.5 hours.  

I found Kalpitiya to be a truly unique destination due to many reasons. Firstly, it’s a peninsular which separates Puttalam lagoon from the Indian Ocean thus it inherits a rich bio diversity ranging from coastal reefs, flat coastal plains, saltpans, mangroves swamps, salt marshes and vast golden sandy beaches. Secondly, it was a locale that was affected by the 30 years of Civil War (1983- 2009) in the island, hence it is still a little visited location in the north west of Sri Lanka.

Taking a less traveled route is interesting and adventurous so the Elephant Island team went with the intension of promoting it to any clients who are interested in going somewhere ‘off the beaten track’. 

 (Notes On Map: A = Colombo / B = Anamaduwa / C = Puttalam /  D = Kalpitiya )

Puttalam:

A relatively large town that is indeed the main town en route to Kalpitiya with all the facilities such as banks, ATM machines, fuel filling stations. The huge Puttalam Lagoon  lies immediately to the west. To the north is thwe wonderful Wilpattu National Park – the largest in Sri Lanka.

Kalpitiya:

The journey to Kalpitiya thereafter was absolutely beautiful. The road was straight and smooth like a ribbon and it created a beautiful platform for dancing and singing that took place in our vehicle. Wow! The setting was so magical and completely different from the other parts of Sri Lanka. The difference could be seen in every way starting from the natural environment, the man made environment to the people who live there and the combination of all this has made the place very unique.

The dry weather, endless rows of palm trees covered with thick layers of dust, small and tired looking shops, less populated towns, people paddling bicycles tell the stories of their difficult lives yet, the roads being built, gradually rising buildings, play grounds and tourist spots show the growing seeds of a promising future.

Accommodation In Kapitiya:

As I have mentioned earlier, compared to tourist friendly Negombo and beach resorts down south, Kalpitiya has only a limited number of hotels hence finding comfortable accommodation to suit one’s budget is indeed a challenge. However if you choose Sethawadiya Dolphin View Echo Lodge for your stay you will feel that it’s a self sufficient Robbinson Crusoe island or the island that Danny Boyle creates in his work The Beach.

The very narrow road to Sethawadiya Dolphin View Echo Lodge – our night’s stand was amazing. The drive to the hotel on a narrow sand strip through salt pans is a beautiful experience. My effort at finding words to express the feelings I had at that very moment became a futile act. 

The setting full of water was serene, charming and picture perfect.

It’s WATER …. WATER…. and  WATER  

Entrance To Sethawadiya Dolphin View Eco Lodge And Sea Food In Restaurant & Sethawadiya Dolphin View Eco Lodge – View From Outside

Puttalam Lagoon & a Bed Room In Sethawadiaya Eco Lodge

I am still hypnotized by the natural beauty of the setting. Shades of blue the shallow sea painted in front of your eyes were simply wonderful. The skin drying weather, hot sun blinding eyes, strong wind that vigorously shook the walls and roofs of the cabanas desperately trying to enter the ladies’ room added beautiful and unforgettable experience to the stay in Kalpitiya.

Since the time I got down in Sethawadiya Dolphin View Eco Lodge I could not stop my mind switching between the real life and art as I realized the way these two were connected in an inseparable way. Most images I started seeing were the images I saw in the award winning Sri Lankan film Ira Madiyama ( August Sun) directed by Prasanna Vithanage. Lazing on the pearl white sand I started replaying the highlights of the movie in my mind once again.

Sethawadiya Dolphin View Echo Lodge is a place with simple architecture. The thatched roofs, cottages and restaurants are very simply designed, yet the setting of the hotel, sea food restaurant and sea food barbeque that takes place everyday with the daily catch with bon fires add unforgettable memories to anyone’s stay.

There is a plethora of activities one can do from this place like walking through villages, experiencing the day to day life of villagers, island hopping, fishing, diving, canoeing, or taking a boat ride to observe the passage of dolphins and whales. A sea safari to the South Asia’s biggest reef ‘ Bar Reef’ marine sanctuary to view the underwater wonderland can also be easily arranged from this point.

The flat sea in the region and the sports facilities at Sethawadiya not only attract well known kite surfers from all over the world to Kalpitiya but beginners too. The best time to do kite surfing is the Off Season from April to October. The best time for diving and dolphin/ whale watching is from November – April as the sea is extremely calm during this time of the year. Alankuda is the best beach if you are interested in watching whales and dolphins. 

  Kite Surfing In Kalpitiya Sea

Boat Riding & Crab Hide-outs

St.Anne’s Lagoon House is another attractive property located in Thalawila en route to Kalpitiya. It’s an old boat yard which has been turned into an elegant bungalow with all the modern facilities. This is an ideal place for those who seek first class comfort, style and elegance. The fully furnished bungalow spreads out in an ace of land with an extensive garden and a small swimming pool overlooking the lagoon. However, we found the rooms are a little less spacious than expected level but I am certain it will not create any inconvenience to any guest as the environment is so charming and serene.

Swimming Pool Facing The Lagoon In St. Anne’s Lagoon House

Thalawila is renowned for the St. Anne’s Catholic Church which attracts thousands of pilgrims for its main festivals in March and July.

Getting To Kalpitiya

We advice guests to pre arrange transportation in order to ensure a hassle free holiday in Kalpitiya. Transportation within Kalpitiya can be easily done by three wheelers (tuk- tuks) as they are readily available. However, it’s a must to agree on a fair before getting in.

I believe this account of our visit to Kalpitiya will undoubtedly provide useful information for those who are fascinated in traveling to the north western region of Sri Lanka and we must mention that we at Elephant Island will be delighted to assist you in finding the best place to stay and arrange excursions to make your stay in Sri Lanka more meaningful.

We Wish You A Happy Holiday In Sri Lanka !!!!!

Images courtesy of:

Pradeep Gunasekera
Dakshina Udayanga
Asanka Fernando

Written by:

Inoka Karunanada

Travel Consultant

Elephant Island Europe Limited 

Visit Sri Lanka With Elephant Island – The Leading Tour Operator To Sri Lanka

Tel: 0044 (0) 207 100 2323
info@elephant-island.com

Sri Lanka at it's best!!!

Check out some great photographs of some brilliant hotels in Sri Lanka.

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