“What made you want to go to Sri Lanka?!” I can hear you asking.

I’ve been asked this question dozens of times since we booked our tickets a couple of weeks ago.  People are puzzled at the choice.  Most people don’t even know where it is on a map.  The truth is that Sri Lanka offers many attractive activities for backpackers (which I will get into).  But first, I’d like to educate you on the basics of the country:

 

• Sri Lanka (formerly called “Ceylon”) is located just South of India.  It is an island the size of Ireland located in the Indian Ocean.

 

• It is a former British colony – meaning that English is widely spoken.

 

• Sri Lanka went through a 20+ year civil war that ended in 2009.  Estimations are that 80-100,000 people perished in the war.  The war ended in 2009 and since that time there have been no acts of terrorism.

 

• Sri Lankans are friendly people.  They love tea, cricket, and spicy food.  The vast majority of the population is Buddhist.

 

 

So this is all great but why would we want to travel there?

• Hiking

Since our trip to Nepal in 2014 we have rekindled our love of hiking.  It just so happens that Sri Lanka offers many amazing hiking opportunities.

From the hike to the ancient palace on top of Sigirya rock……….

 

to the tea plantations of Central Sri Lanka.

 

• Whale Watching

Sri Lanka is one of the premier places in the world to watch Blue Whales and Sperm Whales.  Best times to watch are from November to April so we should have very good chances of spotting a Blue Whale.

 

• Beaches

Being an island, Sri Lanka has a plethora of beaches to choose from.  Although we aren’t huge beach fans, a couple days to unwind on a beach never hurt anyone.

And last but not least………

 

• The Food

 

 

 

As another blogger wrote: “Sri Lanka is worth the trip for the food alone”.

The variety of food in Sri Lanka is stunning.  Being an island, seafood is fresh and readily available and because of the diverse climate within the country, the variety and fruits and vegetables is endless.  If your diving into the culture of a country you can’t miss the food.  Food is a large part of what gives a country its cultural identity.  I’ll do a blog or two on just the food!

 

 

But the most important aspect of visiting any country is 

THE PEOPLE

 

Seriously.  The people have the ability to make or break your experience in any country you visit.  When people ask me “why did you come to our country?”, I respond with the same answer: “I came here to meet you”.  Because as funny as it sounds, it’s the truth.

 

We leave on Monday, Feb 15th, 2016.

Looking forward to making more blog posts once we arrive. We are very excited to see what this new adventure will bring us!