“Blow, blow, ye spicy breezes — O’er Ceylon blow your breath, Where every prospect pleases, Save only that of death.”

— Ambrose Bierce

Welcome to Nepal border crossing

It was the kind of place that has two names—Sonali, India, or Belahiya, Nepal—depending on which side of the border you happened to be standing.

At the end of September, I found myself on Nepali ground, and with little idea of what I was doing there. The crossing itself reminded me vaguely of what it must feel like to jump out of a plane. Suddenly the door to my taxi from Gorakhpur, India, was thrown open, my backpack hoisted out of the trunk, and my arm yanked by a man as he led me into a badly-lit back room.

“Must have US dollars for visa,” he kept repeating, demanding a fistful of Indian rupees. Bewildered and entirely ignorant of the rupee-dollar exchange rate, I handed it over, having little doubt he was ripping me off. As it turns out, he was.

Across the border, I queued up with British backpackers and dread-locked Chileans in the Nepali Immigration Office, handed over my newly exchanged $25 dollars, and the only thing I could tell them with assurance was that I was leaving the country in ten days. My destination(s) in Nepal, along with any clue of what I would do when I got there, were entirely unknown.

Nepal Immigration Office from India

Although my time in Nepal eventually sorted itself—mostly due to a jolly-souled travel agent named Ramchandra whom I happily let determine my itinerary—I want to take a somewhat more informed approach to the ten days I’m about to spend in Sri Lanka.

Located just twenty miles south of India, Sri Lanka has had a host of names throughout the ages: from Ceylon to Singhala to–my favorite–the Arabs’ Serendib, the origin of my equally favorite word, serendipity. From everything I’ve heard, a country of tremendous natural beauty and centuries of culture await me and I can’t wait to explore it–but I also hope to learn a bit more about the relationship between Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu, where I’ve just spent the last month, and the 26-year civil war that ravaged the tear-shaped island from 1983 to 2009.

There’s something else, too—as though India and I have been a new couple entirely wrapped up in each other’s company, I think maybe a little space to make the heart grow fonder will do us good. And of course, I’m also excited to have you along my journey!

Big thanks to Natalie of Girl and the World who put together an epic travel guide on Sri Lanka. Using some of her ideas and my own Berlitz pocket guidebook, I’m thankfully feeling way more ready for this trip than I did for Nepal.

Here’s a small taste of what’s in store:

  • A ferry journey from Tuticorin, India, to Sri Lanka’s capital of Colombo
  • White-water rafting in Kitulgala
  • Visiting the hill station of Kandy and the Cultural Triangle’s ancient temples
  • Touring the famed spice plantations and an elephant orphanage
  • Exploring the east coast and top surfspot of Arugam Bay

And hopefully much more…see you in Ceylon!

Indian Border Crossing into Nepal

Have you ever been to Sri Lanka? What were some of your favorite spots or places I shouldn’t miss?

12 Comments

  • Don’t miss the elephants! There’s a place you can go swim with them, I think, or at least watch a herd of them bathe. Near Kandy… I think. Or Colombo. Have fun!

    • I won’t!! I’m definitely planning to visit the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, and hopefully another place nearby where you can interact with the pachyderms 🙂 (and you were right, it’s up near Kandy…) Will be sure to let you know how it goes!

    • Hey Abhijit! I imagine the mines would definitely make for an interesting visit–I’m already starting to regret only having ten days in the country, so maybe I can add the mines to the list for my second trip 🙂 And it’s great to hear you enjoyed Gamla Stan–that was my favorite part of Stockholm as well!

  • Oh wow you are getting a boat from India to Sri Lanka! That’s so exciting! The ferry between the two countries was cut off during the war. I didn’t even know it had started again. I’m very excited to hear all about your trip because I’m doing the same thing but backwards in Feb – going from Sri Lanka to India to Nepal.

    Hope you have a fantastic time in Sri Lanka, and thanks for the pingback to my post 🙂

    Natalie.

    • Hey Natalie! Yes, I saw a piece on Gadling in June about the ferry re-opening, and ever since then I knew I wanted to try it out. Although it takes 14 hours, it’s cheaper than a flight and hopefully a bit more interesting 🙂 Maybe you could take the ferry from Colombo to Tuticorin in Feb! And have you been to Nepal before? How long will you be there for? Thanks so much again for the great post–I’ll be sure to let you know where I end up visiting and how it all goes!

    • Ah, you definitely should!! It’s an easy visit from India, and especially good as it’ll get you down to southern India–a little bit more off-the-beaten-path than many of the spots up north 🙂

    • Hi there! Ah, don’t be too envious…you’ll soon be living it up in Zurich and loving Europe 🙂 Study hard…and play later! PS – There was an Indian family of three on the ferry…parents and their son who’s getting ready to take his 10th standard exams. The dad said they were taking this short three-day trip to Sri Lanka as a way to help him relax and have some “leisure time” away from all his books…made me think of you and your statistics textbook 🙂

      • Hehe! Well, I wish this was the case with me, as I hardly pick up my books for the coursework before it gets too late for the exams! 😛 😛 And yeah, I look up to enjoy in Europe! 🙂 🙂

  • I’ve been working on a case of a child (seeking asylum) from Sri Lanka. After hearing his story I can’t imagine it as a wonderful place, so I am interested to read about your experience.

    Funnily enough, your last adventure in Nepal reminded me of another family I had met with throughout the summer.

    When you get back, we we go find some food in London from these countries?

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