As usual, supporting photos can be found here (look for the post with the matching lead photo).
Kandy has the unfortunate reputation for not being worth much attention and we debated skipping it altogether, but as soon as we arrived in Sri Lanka’s second-largest city we felt quite glad to have made the stop. The Central Market looked like a place I could’ve explored happily for quite awhile; they had another Hela Bojun Hala with plenty of food to try; and it was interesting to finally see such a prominent Muslim presence. After spending so much time in quieter locations, it was quite jarring to be confronted with traffic noise, but we still had a lovely afternoon exploring the reservoir, where we found some massive water monitors (one of which was about the same girth as me!), and visiting the famed Temple of the Tooth (literally Buddha’s left canine tooth) – the primary reason that tourists visit this central hub city.
We happened to time our temple visit close to the 6:30pm offering ceremony, so decided to stick around and see what that entailed. Men in white ceremonial attire appeared carrying drums and a gya-ling, which is similar to a double-reeded oboe (and very loud, for what that matters). We felt the energy build in the crowd of locals, all adorned in white clothing as is traditional for temple visits, as the music began and they formed a queue to make their offerings. Sri Dalada Maligawa is the most significant Buddhist site in the country and the mood amongst devotees was peaceful but anticipatory. I noticed multiple tourists in the line, and was puzzled by this. They carried no offerings, so I’m unsure as to the purpose of them taking up space and felt a little conflicted about this sort of involvement in a religion that isn’t one’s own. I’d be really interested to hear a Buddhist’s take on this.
We were only in Kandy for one night before beginning the journey to Haputale – a two-bus hop via Badulla. In a characteristic gesture of Sri Lankan helpfulness, one of the bus food vendors helpfully reconfirmed that we wanted to go to Badulla, not Dambulla, since getting on that bus would’ve led us way off track if we’d been expecting the latter.
On the way, our bus fell victim to the hilly roads in central Sri Lanka; we heard a sudden loud grinding and knew the gearbox was toast. We emptied an entire bus into another passing bus, making it predictably cosy onboard – so much so, that I spent the first half hour hill-surfing in the back stairwell. Once my handholds were secure, the natural AC made it comfortable enough that I could’ve just about fallen asleep (0/10, would not recommend that option). It was an easy connection from Badulla to Haputale, the outside temperatures cooling down as we travelled further into the hills, and then a 30min tuk tuk ride down the hill to our lodge. After a day that definitely won’t go down as one of the most relaxing, we were rewarded with spectacular views out over Sri Lanka’s highlands as we enjoyed our welcome juice.
Haputale will definitely hold a special place for us long after this trip is finished. We had 6 nights in this remote town that doesn’t draw the same tourist hordes as other places in the region (Ella and Nuwara Eliya being the two most well-known), and the people there made us feel so welcome. Our primary reason for choosing it as a base was its proximity to several great waterfalls and the Pekoe Trail, a 300km walking trail that winds through tea country from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya. Hill country is brimming with hidden canyons, dramatic waterfalls and creeks that disappear as mysteriously as they appear, and we were looking forward to seeing a few.
Our first guesthouse was on the way to… nothing. Not ideal – and not an intentional choice; our original, strategically-chosen lodge cancelled on us on short notice – but at least this place had views to make up for it. Wifi was virtually non-existent, so we tried to accept the forced retreat for the break that it could be. We did some strategizing once we had a better understanding of the topography, and I did manage to get enough signal to have a fun call with my 3 year old niece so that I could explain that the creature in the video I’d sent her from our cottage in Sigiriya was not, in fact, an alien but rather a gecko.
We spent our first day mostly reading, writing and soaking in the views before setting off with our lodge host for a fun scramble in a nearby canyon, which involved a lot of hopping from rock to rock, conversations about playing Pooh Sticks, and me quietly holding my breath and hoping I didn’t drop my camera (or myself) in the river. Pooh Sticks went unplayed, but the camera stayed dry, so our little adventure was a winner.
We took a tuk tuk the following morning to Lipton’s Seat, Dambetenne Tea Factory, and Diyaluma Falls, which are the second-highest in the country. We’d expected to hike up to Lipton’s Seat, so we were a little surprised when we were unceremoniously delivered to the top, but we enjoyed the views and the 25 cent tea all the same. We were slightly dumbfounded when our driver put 3 heaping teaspoons (verging on tablespoons) of sugar into 100ml of tea and swigged it down like it was water. “It’s like tea syrup!” I whispered after he’d headed back to our hill-climbing chariot. Teeth aching from the dietary choice we’d just witnessed, we headed back downhill – with me barely containing my urge to lift my hands and squeal, “Weeeeeeeee!” – and arrived at the tea factory.
Across the road from the factory, there was a Hindu temple and I was drawn to the sounds of drumming and…trumpets? I fully admit my ignorance about ceremonies in many of the world’s religions, but I really hadn’t been expecting brass instruments to be a part of my morning. I had a little wander over and enjoyed watching some local children watch the musicians as though they were equally surprised by the trumpets.
The tea factory tour was short and sweet (although not in the same way as our driver’s tea) and probably not worth the cost of admission, given that it didn’t end up being much different from the one we’d toured a few years ago in Madagascar. It was, however, interesting to hear that they produce 1million kilos of dried tea that gets bagged in bulk and sent to auction houses in Colombo. Quite the feat, when you consider that the finished product weighs only 10% of the original weight of the freshly picked leaves.
A quick pit stop for lunch meant we discovered Haputale Roti Hut, a roadside architectural masterpiece of corrugated tin run by a local family who make a mean roti and young jackfruit curry (which you’d swear was chicken) and comes spiced the way it should be rather than for bland palates. Fire! They managed to feed both of us and our driver for $3. Twenty mins later, we were back in our three-wheeled hill cruiser, engine screaming as we navigated the hills to the base of Diyaluma Falls.
There’s a bit of a scam in place at the falls, whereby locals offer to take you by tuk tuk and then guide you to the falls for the low low price of 4000 rupees (about $20), which promptly gets lowered the more you reject the assistance. We refused – firmly and repeatedly – before the “guide” (now suggesting a rate of 2500 rupees) finally left us alone and our driver took us to the correct parking lot, which lies about 42 seconds away around the corner and up a hill. A quick 20-min hike got us to the gorgeous pools at the top of the falls, where Rich went for a dip and I got an unexpected fish pedicure. I’ll never understand how anyone finds that service relaxing, and my already-shaky opinion of its relaxation value is only further impacted when the nibbling starts unexpectedly in slightly murky water.
We had lots of fun hopscotching along the rocks between the pools on what was essentially three different tiers. If I’d known we weren’t going to hike Lipton’s Seat, I would’ve chosen to go to Diyaluma first, since it would’ve been a little quieter, but it was far from crowded; we had plenty of space to move around and explore as we chose. The final pool right before the drop was a little busy with a handful of people looking to get a perfect photo out across the highlands, but a little patience works wonders.
If we’d been smart, we would’ve used Google Translate to confirm “the allowable” wait time with our driver before starting our hike to the top. As it was, we felt like we’d snuck away and didn’t know how long we could swim and explore before he worried he’d lost us to the falls. Content that we’d covered plenty of ground around the falls, we hiked back downhill, rejoined our driver and headed back to the lodge, finishing up a 9hr day of sightseeing and feeling like it was well worth the $89 the entire day had cost us.
Overall, our stay at Sara’s Grove featured daily tea and disappointing dinners with spectacular mist-shrouded mountain views that make you question just how many shades of pastel actually exist in this world, along with hosts who were so incredibly eager to please. When the new owner found out during breakfast that rambutans are my favourite fruit, he quickly disappeared to get me a few more to enjoy. While the stay wasn’t awesome because you’re so isolated that you have to eat on-site and they desperately need a new cook, the owner/manager exemplified Sri Lankan hospitality and generosity of spirit.
The mountains had rewarded us thus far for getting there and we were excited to continue exploring from a new home base. Rather than turn this into a mega-post, I’ll continue with Haputale Part II very soon!
Grateful for: Goodwill, even if it comes in place of good cooking