Author: Sulan De Silva
Every great holiday destination has its unique share of excursions and activities. Sri Lanka just has an abundance of them! Seriously, if you pick any top location in the island, chances are high that you’ll find a number of exciting things you can do there.
The intermingling of cultures, traditions, and natural diversity is a constant driver for the creation of experiences, while changing social scenes and global trends contribute to their evolution. The one thing that remains unchanged is Sri Lanka’s ability to totally elevate your sense of being, by delivering unexpected turns of excitement in the most unconventional ways.
If it’s not routine, then it’s an excursion
There is always a danger of a much looked-forward to holiday turning into an unexciting and drab experience that becomes more and more predictable and monotonous with each passing day. You’re counting the days till you can get back home to take a holiday from your holiday!
Thankfully, Sri Lanka has too much variety on offer for this to happen. The cultures and the settings are so vibrant and layered that even the most subtle events can yield life-changing experiences. Take street food as an example. Like in any country, street food plays a major part in everyday life. What’s different here is that there is no defined form or function in how it is sold. Step out of a grand star-class hotel, and there might be an ‘isso wadé’ (bet you’ve never heard of those) seller pushing his cart across the entrance. Walk out and try one, you’ll walk back in a different person.
Life here is so informal, and full of intrigue, that it prompts you to step out of your comfort zone and go look for adventure. And adventure can come in varied forms; as subtle as a culinary experience of local seafood, or more pronounced like ziplining over a tea plantation.
There is always the chance of a secret quest
Sri Lanka is was named ‘Serendib’ by the ancients, as there was always a chance of a serendipitous encounter. And one pleasant surprise can often lead to another adventure. But to benefit from such occurrences, you need to keep your eyes and ears open.
Say you’ve planned out a nice beach vacation on the Southern coast of Sri Lanka. You’ve come mainly to work on your tan and catch a few waves on your surfboard if possible. But you’re also an avid nature-lover and find out that there is a turtle hatchery close to where you’re staying. You go to check the place out one evening and what do you know? It’s hatching season! Stick around to see the little fellows off to face life in the big blue, and you’ve got yourself an experience you never bargained for!
The island is densely packed with all sorts of experiences and adventures, and it doesn’t take much to figure out where you can find them. However, curating your trip to Sri Lanka with the help of a local party will always ensure that you never miss out on the best stuff!
The multiplier effect of journeying in Sri Lanka
Let us be upfront. If you ever plan on holidaying here, it’s best you know that every place you visit will have a number of other experiences you’d want to immerse yourself in, in addition to what you have already planned for. There may also be instances in which a single experience has many embedded moments of awesomeness in it. “Oh, so unpredictable, oh, so rewarding”—such is the nature of Sri Lanka’s exciting island vibe.
We just can’t emphasize enough the diversity and variety of experiences available to you. Wherever you travel within Sri Lanka, you’ll always end up doing and seeing more, or marking a few additional things for the next visit. A trip to the Central hill country will become a more enriched experience if you decide to take the train; which is an adventure in itself considering the amazing vistas and natural scenes you go past during the journey.. Go whale-watching in Mirissa and also have a school of dolphins riding in the wake of your boat. Climb Adam’s Peak, which is both a workout and a pilgrimage. On the way up, take in the stunning scenery and the captivating animal life around you. Get to the top and stay for what is probably the most glorious sunrise in Sri Lanka—the rising sun casting the shadow of the conical mountain on the cloud cover below. Need we say more?
Well, now are you convinced?
Going beyond the norms of holidaymaking, Sri Lanka pushes you to break routine (if you’re inclined to) and experience adventure with every deviation you take. And wherever you go, there is always a positive chance of your discovering something new, something exciting that you’d just love to try—if not this time around, then the next. Unbelievably, writing this blog has caused even us to see our beautiful island in a whole new light–a tiny landmass; vibrantly alive in every sense;, showcasing to the world just why everyone should visit to take in a bit of its essence, and taste a bit of its adventure.