Leaving the ancient cities Having had a few days exploring the ancient and ruined sites of Polonnarawa, Sigiriya, Dambulla and Anuradhapura, I’ll be heading east again. This time though it’ll be further north up the …
Continue readingSpotlight on Polonnaruwa: the city gobbled up by the jungle and other ancient sites
Save a Prayer If you’re getting on a bit, like me, you may remember Duran Duran’s video of their hit song ‘Save a Prayer’ (1982). It was filmed on location in Sri Lanka and notably …
Continue readingLeg 4 – Kandy to Polonnaruwa – 200km
Heading out of Kandy I’ll be heading east out of Kandy towards the ancient city of Polonnaruwa via Mahiyangana and Wasgamuwa National Park. Hoping a friend or two will be free to join me for …
Continue readingAll about Kandy – the last capital of the ancient kings
Kandy Town Overcrowded, humid, bustling, colourful and loud, with lots of tuk tuks beeping, is how I’d describe a first impression of Kandy town. It has a fabulously faded grandeur with its centre piece: a …
Continue readingLeg 3 – Ella to Kandy via Nuwara Eliya (Little England)
Ella I think we’ll have rested in Ella, or at least stopped, for a couple of days to take in the vastness and beauty of the tiers and acres of tea plantations. I can say …
Continue readingLeg 2 – Up and over Adam’s Peak via Ratnapura (approx 100km)
So, having completed Leg 1, (in my head, and now electronically), it may be time for a little rest! Leg 1 in real life will be a challenge with lots of jungle trekking. It will …
Continue readingLeg 1 – Setting off – Galle to Ratnapura – Sri Lanka’s gem capital
I’ll start my trek from the historic Galle Fort in the south of Sri Lanka and travel north-east towards the Hiyare Rainforest. I’ll stop off at Akuressa, Deniyaya, Sinharaja Forest Reserve (a UNESCO World Heritage …
Continue readingA memorable trip to a gem mine in Sri Lanka – from grotty rock to sparkling gem!
Ratnapura, locally known as the city of gems, is based at the foot of Adam’s Peak, a conical mountain located in central Sri Lanka. It was nearing the end of our 10 day tour of …
Continue readingLooms project update
I was delighted to hear this week that the heddle looms we sent to Sri Lanka just before lockdown in March have been safely received (delayed due to Colombo airport total lockdown). They’ve now been …
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