“PEARL OF THE ORIENT”
Legend tells us that the island of Seyllan’s original settlers were the Yakkhas, demons, the invading Sinhalese were forced to conquer during the fifth century BC in order to call that splendid isle their home. If Seyllan has an unfamiliar sound to you, that’s because it’s only one of the island’s many names. Arab sailors, fascinated by the pyramid-shaped peak that marks it from the sea, called the place Serendib. The Portuguese decided that Seyllan should be spelled Ceylon, the British that it was not only the Teardrop of India but the Pearl of the Orient as well . . . and today, we simply call the isle the Republic of Sri Lanka.
Who says there’s no more romance left in the world.
Separated from the southern reach of the Indian subcontinent by the thirty-one mile wide Palk Strait, the island of Sri Lanka is around about the same size as Ireland. Rough-hewn hill-tops, orchid-riddled rainforests and spectacular beaches both dominate its landscape and houses a rich diversity of wildlife that includes leopards, elephants, cobras, sloth bears, monkeys and even flamingoes. Time has left its lush countryside literally studded with temples and serene sculptures of the Bodhisattva—and its most noteworthy topographical feature, the scared mountain known as Adam’s Peak, can lay a fair claim to being the most unifying religious site in entire world. Though Sri Lanka’s particular blend of native ethnicities has sometimes produced more strife and civil war than it has extraordinary local color, the worst of its troubles seem to have passed.
You’ll be arriving in country via its capital city of Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport. Colombo is definitely uncharacteristic of the rest of this idyllic nation, it’s so frenetic that it’s almost crazy but there’s still plenty to do and see. In the cities eastern quarter you’ll find the Pettah Bazaar District—an excellent place to do your souvenir shopping and brush up on your e haggling skills. There are a collection of colonial era buildings that’ll take you right back into their long-lost age of empire. The Dehiwala Zoo boasts a particularly entertaining daily elephant show. Those looking for a more structured dose of culture can check out either the Art Gallery or the National Museum or both. Just being able to say you’ve seen the president’s residence the local’s call Queen’s House makes it worth a trip. And, the nearest beach is only about twenty minutes away beneath the shade of Mt Lavinia.
Three hours out from Colomba you’ll find the spectacular sight of Sigiriya, a mighty rock-hewn fortress that has in the past served as a monastic retreat and now houses a rock art gallery. Built in the 5th century AD by the King Kasyapa, to fend off a feared invasion, Sigiriya was a royal citadel for more than 18 years. It sits perched atop a 656-foot high rock-spur and is only reachable via a series of spiraling stone stairs that deposits visitors on the very summit where the remains of the King’s palace still stand on the very brink of the precipice. Even after fifteen centuries, its frescoes, courtyards, and water gardens are glorious to behold.
Surrounded by the range of mountains at the island’s center—1,629 feet above sea level, the city of Kandy stands as the veritable focal point of its culture. Until it fell into the hands of British in 1815, it was the capitol of the last generation of Sinhalese kings and still retains much of the old charm that was traditional Ceylon. To start with, Kandy is the home of the Dalada Maligawa Temple – the resting place of the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha, and visitors will be treated to the drumming and chanting rituals performed several times each day to honor the very presence of the relic. Even beyond Dalada, the city is still the monastic center of Sri Lankan Buddhism—and the island’s two largest temples, Malwatte and Asgiriya, are here to be found. You’ll also want to pay a visit to the Hindu shrine at Embekke and head out to see the beautiful frescoes decorating the walls of the temple at Ranawana.
Every traveler, but especially backpacking enthusiast, will want to make the hundred and thirty-one mile trek out from Colombo to both see and climb the mystical peak jutting sharply skyward out from the verdant jungles of the island’s southwest. Sri Pada, the “Holy Footprint,” the butterfly-covered mountain better known to the west as Adam’s Peak, has the unique distinction of being sacred to the followers of four of world’s five major religions. Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Buddhists have miraculously all agreed to revere the imprint left within a huge sapphire on its summit by Adam—when he stood there after having been expelled from heaven, Saint Thomas—when he came to bring Christianity to island, Lord Shiva—when he danced to create the world or by the Bodhisattva himself—during the last of his legendary visits to Seyllan. Adam’s Peak has maintained, its elsewhere unheard of status, as a multi-denominational mystic pilgrimage destination for well over a thousand years. Alexander the Great is even supposed to have installed the chains there to help climbers up some of its steeper inclines. Even those who don’t subscribe to one of the above mentioned faiths will find the view from the peak at dawn a truly inspirational experience.
To catch the best weather, head out between December and March.
