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" My 6 days solo visit to Sri Lanka (Colombo, Kandy, Sigiriya, Galle & Negombo) from 4-9 Jan 2013 - captivated by a small country which houses 8 UNESCO world heritage sites & inherited a similar colonial history with that of my home country, Malaysia "
Total expenses incurred (6 days) : Rm900 (US$295)
Air Asia Ticket: Rm$365.80
KL>Colombo : 11.00>12.00
Colombo>KL : 12.55>19.10
Visa fee (online) : US$20 (Rm60)
Airport shuttle bus: Rm16
Hostel (5 nights): SLR5,900 (RM171)
Hostel booking fee: US$6 (Rm18)
Entrance fee: US$30 + SLR1,000 (Rm120)
Transport: SLR1,513 (Rm44)
Food: SLR2,417 (Rm70)
Sundries: SLR1,520 (Rm44)
Exchange Rate: SLR100=Rm2.90; US$1=SLR125; US$1=Rm3.05
Travel Itinerary : Kuala Lumpur (KL) > Colombo > Kandy > Sigiriya > Dambulla > Colombo > Galle > Negombo > KL
The Great Book of World Heritage Sites has a write up on Sigiriya, The Lion's Rock & the ancient paintings dated 1,500 years ago - this has driven me to pay a visit to Sri Lanka, only 3.5 hrs by air from Malaysia. Besides Sigiriya, I also had the opportunity to visit two other UNESCO sites ie the Temple of Tooth Relic, Kandy & Galle. So you won't be let down if you are an UNESCO world heritage sites admirer !!! Rain or shine, a fascinating Sri Lanka awaits you upon your arrival !
Sri Lanka & Malaysia are like a Siamese twins - both have quite a similar colonial history. Sri Lanka was under Portuguese influence in 1505, followed by Dutch in 1638 and then British in 1796. The country was declared independence in 1948. Whereas Malacca (a state of Malaya) was under Portuguese rule in 1511 & the Dutch in 1641 ; Malaya was under British administration in 1786. Malaya (now Malaysia) achieved her independence in 1957.
Sri Lanka currently has 8 UNESCO world heritage sites. The 5 that I have kept in view (KIV) and yet to visit are:
1) Anuradhapura
2) Polonnaruwa
3) Cave Temple Dambulla
4) Sinharaja Forest Reserve
5) Central Highlands of Sri Lanka (Adam's Peak)
Due to a lack of expressways, public transport like buses may take a longer time to reach the destinations due to narrow congested roads eg Colombo > Kandy (96km - 3.5 hrs); Colombo > Galle (130km - 4hrs). Taking train is another option for inter-city travels and could save time. The bus and train tickets were dirt cheap (approx US$1.50 for a 3.5 hr bus ride) for most of my countryside travels !
Most hostels in Sri Lanka are of the home stay type, reasonably cheap (US$10-15 single or double room); clean, well maintained & lived in by the owners. I chose to stay in Negombo in my final day due to it's close proximity to the airport.
Sri Lanka is famous for her spices and if you enjoy spicy food, this will spice up every moment of your traveling day in this country !
3) Cave Temple Dambulla
4) Sinharaja Forest Reserve
5) Central Highlands of Sri Lanka (Adam's Peak)
Due to a lack of expressways, public transport like buses may take a longer time to reach the destinations due to narrow congested roads eg Colombo > Kandy (96km - 3.5 hrs); Colombo > Galle (130km - 4hrs). Taking train is another option for inter-city travels and could save time. The bus and train tickets were dirt cheap (approx US$1.50 for a 3.5 hr bus ride) for most of my countryside travels !
Most hostels in Sri Lanka are of the home stay type, reasonably cheap (US$10-15 single or double room); clean, well maintained & lived in by the owners. I chose to stay in Negombo in my final day due to it's close proximity to the airport.
Sri Lanka is famous for her spices and if you enjoy spicy food, this will spice up every moment of your traveling day in this country !
1) Colombo city
2) Kandy (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
3) Sigiriya (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
4) Galle (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
" Take only memories, leave only footprints "
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