Sri Lanka

After a week in the Maldives, Alicia and I set our sights on Sri Lanka. We had heard so many great things from our colleagues about the lush vegetation, the unlimited hiking opportunities, the kind people and the amazing food. We wanted to see the hill country, tea plantations, take a safari and experience local life. That is pretty much what we did. Upon arriving in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, we were greeted by our driver, who had come highly recommended to us and rightfully so. He not only drove us to all the places we wanted to go, he was our photographer, tour guide, translator and body guard. Our first stop was Kandy where we toured a temple and spent most of the day exploring, walking, shopping and spotting wildlife. We tried our first "short eat" which are baked and deep fried goods you can pick-up along the streets for a quick snack. Later in the day we headed Nuwara Eliya. NE is the highhest town in Sri Lanka and surrounded by tea plantations. Sri Lanka is the biggest exporter of tea and so it was only fit that we visit a tea plantation. Mackwoods is the biggest tea plantation in Sri Lanka. It was interesting insight to find out what goes into my daily cup of tea, from picking the fresh tips to packaging it off to the tea auctions in Colombo. The following morning we woke up early to enjoy the sunrise at Horton Plains. The drive before sunrise offered many mystic views of foggy plains with deer appearing from the mist. It was a ten km hike that took us from the plains and forest to World's End. The scenery was breathtaking, well worth the trek. Later that afternoon we took the train from NE to Ella. This train goes up through Sri Lanka's southern hill country, through the tea plantations, into the clouds and then weaves in and out of the many mountain tunnels as it descends to reach Ella. In Ella, we had a Ayurvedic massage , a cooking class and we climbed Little Adam's Peak. The 360 degree views from the top were spectacular, ones I will never forget. After two days in Ella we headed to Uda Walawe National Park. The park is 30,000 acres devoted to elephants and the wildlife that co-exist with them. It was amazing to see so many elephants roaming free and crossing our path just meters from us. After our wildlife experience our driver took us to visit his family. They live in a small town close to Colombo, our final destination. When we arrived, his family greeted us at the door with cheek to cheek smiles. They quickly invited us in and brought us homemade sweets and a freshly cooked meal. They did not speak any English other than the younger brother, who is in his last year of high school. It was a lovely meal accompanied by much laughter. Finally, we headed back to Colombo where we stayed overnight to catch our flight the following morning. Sri Lanka was never a place I had considered visiting and am very glad I did. The beauty, nature, landscape, food and people have made it one of the top destinations I would recommend to all.

Maldives

- Nat, do you want to go cruising in the Maldives over our spring break?

 - Sure! I don't quite know where that is, but why not. 

Four days later it was booked. Nine of us were going to this magical destination, some only dream of. We were doing it on a budget though as many of the island resort prices are exorbitant. Voyages Maldives is a company that offers cruising, surfing and diving safaris all at an affordable price. If sea sickness is not an issue for you, I would highly recommend this method of travel, at least once in your lifetime. 

There are close to 1,200 tiny islands around the Maldives and Malé is no different, itself being one of the smallest capitals in the world. Every resort has its own private island surrounded by coral reefs and the clearest of turquoise waters. Everywhere you turn a picture perfect sight greets you. It feels like you have been consumed by a postcard. 

Upon arrival in Malé, we were greeted by our boat crew who had prepared snacks and fresh coconut water. Not long after we left the port and traveled the Indian ocean. The main draw of any Maldives experience lies beneath the crystal clear ocean. Everyday our captain would cruise us through the atolls and guide us on an underwater snorkelling experience. We were able to spot manta rays, sea turtles, white fin sharks, starfish, nemos, dorys and pods of dolphins. Back on the boat our cook would satisfy our hunger with his culinary expertise. One night, our crew set up a buffet on one of the uninhabited islands, with tiki torches and sand carvings. We were also able to take part in some cultural activities on a couple of the inhabited islands, which take ten minutes to walk around, no joke. On our last day, Alicia and toured Malé, the tiny capital city before boarding our plane for our next adventure; Sri Lanka. In all, the Maldives experience is on a completely different level and well deserving of the acclaim it gets.