Have just uploaded all pics into photobucket, so it's time for sharing ! :cheers:

Honestly, Sri Lanka is my most favourite SouthAsian country with vast attractions, colourful culture, beautiful relatively modern suburbs, very welcoming people and great weather. It's my 2nd home now :)

Here is basically where I covered for this short 3-night trip:

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/Lankamap.jpg


And here's my itinerary ( as usual, not planned in advance :lol: )

Day 1
Kuala Lumpur to Colombo, then onwards to Trincomalee

Day 2
Trincomalee tour (including Nilaveli & Pigeon Island), then take the overnight Tangalle bus to Matara

Day 3
Matara--> Mirissa--> Matara--> stop at Panadura --> Colombo

Day 4
Back to Malaysia by morning flight

Day 1

My flight to Colombo departs at 06:15 as usual but I woke up late at 4:00am, and I took taxi straight to the airport, which was booked and paid by my mom.... I insisted on going to airport by myself the night before and sleep at the airport overnight, but my mom offered to pay for my taxi instead .

Scene at Kuala Lumpur's LCCT

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0545.jpg


Inside the plane to Colombo..... the Air Asia flight that morning was pretty empty with only 50 passengers out of 180 seats according to the staff at check-in counter. And it was the most frightening flight ever with severe turbulence mid-air when the plane experienced sharp drop in altitude and some passengers even screaming.

My return CMB-KUL flight was running at 80-90% load though.

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0547.jpg

Filling up the entry form to Srilanka

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0548.jpg

Flying over Ceylon

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0549.jpg


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0550.jpg

approaching Colombo

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0551.jpg


Never seen such densed coconut trees!

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0552.jpg

Arriving at Colombo Bandaranaike

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0553.jpg


Colombo Airport- like it very much. Mid-sized and functioning perfectly.... and Internet is easily accessible at any time, which is a BIG plus ! Putting KLIA to shame with mediocre internet service and need to queue up long to surf net.

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0555.jpg

at Arrival Hall

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0558.jpg


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0559.jpg

Arrival Hall at CMB

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0562.jpg


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0564.jpg

As usual, I boarded this free shuttle bus from main airport terminal to the airport bus station

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0565.jpg


Outside Colombo airport terminal

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0566.jpg

Scene inside the bus

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0567.jpg


Airport bus hub

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0568.jpg

Saw this board when I took the AC bus from Airport to Pettah.... I think it's somewhere in Ja-Ela

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0570.jpg


When I arived in Pettah.. I was delightfully surprised by few changes since I last visited 4 months back, most noticeably the destination boards which did not exist last time.

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0571.jpg


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0572.jpg

Colombo Pettah

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0573.jpg




Bus to Badulla.

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0574.jpg

I was trapped in the busy bus station as I really didn't know where to go from Colombo this time.. But finally I made up my mind to visit Trincomalee, since I found that it would be a great idea to travel long-distance taking advantage of the 3-night ( instead of 2-night ) stay that I had this time.

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0575.jpg

My bus to Trinco

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0577.jpg



Me with the bus

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0578.jpg

My ticket which is dirt cheap ,around $3.5 for 260 km/ 8-hour journey

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0581.jpg


Leaving Colombo

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0582.jpg

Leaving Colombo ... I actually agree with the notion that Colombo is rather a plain city with nothing much to do even as a budget traveller and the most central parts of Colombo ( like Pettah area? ) are extremely chaotic with many basic facilities missing, but as you move out to the suburbs of Colombo, you can clearly realize that you're in the most developed huge country in South Asia. Colombo has beautiful, relatively modern suburbs ( in most parts ) with good living standard, complete with fancy supermarket chains like Food City scattered everywhere while most buildings are colorfully painted and well-maintained ( at least from outside ).

The road from Colombo to Trinco is almost like a straight line, and while the road is in pretty good condition, for a country with such income levels I expected a 4-lane highway and not 2-lane highway for the whole of Colombo-Trinco stretch, well if not, at least for the crowded Colombo-Kurunegala stretch.

And for the first time, I made a good Sri Lankan female friend who was sitting next to me and we chatted all the way till she got down the bus at Kurunegala. She taught me some important Sinhala phrases and we discussed mainly about her college and family lives.



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0583.jpg


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0584.jpg

I was planning on going to trincomlee and the whole jaffana pensulia last holidays, with improvement in the security sitution with the end of the war in may.
but i opted out because i was'nt sure how the hotels were up there. for me a bad hotel can ruin my whole holiday. i thought i might wait a bit longer until some big companines like atiken or john keels starts setting up bussiness there. instead i went to down to matara and almost to yala national park.

skyprince so how were the hotels there? were any being constructed? or was the economy still picking up

hi skyprince......nice work man.....i hope to see more pics and your exiting story...
cheers man

Hi Skyprince, Nice to see you back here in Sri Lanka, You must have liked the country so much, I would not missed to read the whole story of your 3rd Trip. How was the load factor on the AirAsia flight, this time, any improvements.??.. :cheers2:

three years before when last time i was in srilanka the pettah bastian road private bus station like a hell...big earth holes and poor shades but now looks good they upgrade it ...did you see SLTB bus station? how its look?

I was planning on going to trincomlee and the whole jaffana pensulia last holidays, with improvement in the security sitution with the end of the war in may.
but i opted out because i was'nt sure how the hotels were up there. for me a bad hotel can ruin my whole holiday. i thought i might wait a bit longer until some big companines like atiken or john keels starts setting up bussiness there. instead i went to down to matara and almost to yala national park.

skyprince so how were the hotels there? were any being constructed? or was the economy still picking up

Hmm am not sure if I'm the right person to ask since I'm a budget traveller. In Trinco I stayed at Green Park Hotel which is a very well-known hotel in allover Trinco, and considered one of the best in entire town. Since all rooms in the main hotel building had been fully booked, they provided a Non-AC room in a nearby building which is also run by the hotel. I paid LKR 1100 that night, and my first impression of the room was really pleasant....... until night comes. The room was so horribly infested by mosquitoes and I saw a roach . The insect repellent which I carried didn't work at all.

They do offer AC rooms at LKR 2300 per night at that time, but am not sure about their quality.





Hi Skyprince, Nice to see you back here in Sri Lanka, You must have liked the country so much, I would not missed to read the whole story of your 3rd Trip. How was the load factor on the AirAsia flight, this time, any improvements.??.. :cheers2:

Hey banu,

KUL-CMB load was very poor at 20-30%
CMB-KUL was at 80-90%

I hope they won't reduce the frequency.

three years before when last time i was in srilanka the pettah bastian road private bus station like a hell...big earth holes and poor shades but now looks good they upgrade it ...did you see SLTB bus station? how its look?

I think you finally managed to see my pics since photobucket is not banned in China :lol:

Well am not sure about the bastian road ( don't know where it is exactly ) but overall, Pettah area is extremely chaotic and disorganized still.

SLTB station..... do you mean the covered terminal for government buses across the street from Fort train terminal ? That one comes with destination markers, but it looks abit old.

I think you finally managed to see my pics since photobucket is not banned in China :lol:

Well am not sure about the bastian road ( don't know where it is exactly ) but overall, Pettah area is extremely chaotic and disorganized still.

SLTB station..... do you mean the covered terminal for government buses across the street from Fort train terminal ? That one comes with destination markers, but it looks abit old.[/QUOTE]


finally i could see the photobucket pics without any problem....thanks ones again...

the bus station you took is locally known as bastian road bus station

Oh I didn't know how it's called.. Am still a complete stranger to Colombo since I never officially ventured around the city in the daytime

Continue with pics.... Taken during Colombo-Trinco journey, still inside Colombo city

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0587.jpg




http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0588.jpg

Colombo- Trinco bus journey

A man got into the bus and distributed this pamphlet in Sinhala to all of us. Could somebody explain to me what this is about ?

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0589.jpg


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0591.jpg

Colombo- Trinco bus journey

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0592.jpg



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0593.jpg

Colombo- Trinco

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0594.jpg




http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0595.jpg

Colombo- Trinco

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0596.jpg



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0597.jpg

Colombo- Trinco



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0599.jpg


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0600.jpg

Don't know the name of this suburb town on A1. Anyone ?

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0601.jpg



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0602.jpg

Feels almost exactly like a suburb rural town in Malaysia... but Srilankan cities are usually more point-focused and concentrated; things like shops, clinics, schools etc are almost within walking distance for many neighborhoods.

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0603.jpg



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0604.jpg

Colombo-Trinco bus journey

Picking up some passengers

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0605.jpg



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0606.jpg

Colombo- trinco bus journey

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0607.jpg



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0609.jpg

Colombo- Trinco

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0610.jpg


Already passing Kurunegala ?

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0612.jpg

Colombo- Trinco bus journey

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0613.jpg




http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0614.jpg

Colombo- Trinco

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0615.jpg



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0619.jpg

Here we had a lunch break.... but the restaurant seems not serving anything except for drinks and snacks.

Anyway, the bus journey was pretty uncomfortable even though I was seating, because 1) Three people were seated in each side of a row despite allocated for two
2) I was seated in the aisle so was pushed by standing passengers
3) Some standing passengers keep their bags in front of my legs.

I could hardly move my hands, legs and the whole body for hours.



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0620.jpg



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0622.jpg



My bus

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0623.jpg

Colombo- Trinco

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0624.jpg



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0625.jpg

I definitely drew widespread attention since I was snapping pics with my camera all the way... and one bus conductor asked to hold and snap pics using my camera for a while, here are some pics taken by that person

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0626.jpg


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0627.jpg

Approaching Trinco

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0636.jpg



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0637.jpg

Approaching Trinco

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0638.jpg



The bus company's logo ?

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0641.jpg

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0644.jpg



Trinco town

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0650.jpg

Trinco town..... seems dead on that Saturday. I expected a huge bustling city but its far from that !


Trinco bus terminal

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0652.jpg


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0653.jpg

Deers in Trinco bus station!! It was my first encounter with wild deers

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0655.jpg


Trinco bus station

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0658.jpg

I really had no idea about Trinco and the bus conductor on my Colombo-Trinco journey ofered to help to find a cheap hotel for me. We finally reached Green Park Hotel and they have Non AC rooms for that day.

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0661.jpg



This is the building run by Green Park Hotel where I stayed that night

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0662.jpg

The hotel is located right next to the sea , this is the view from the small lobby next to my room

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0663.jpg



This is the small lobby next to my room

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0664.jpg

This is my room.. look pretty pleasant but loads of mosquitoes and I saw a roach that night
Room rate @ LKR1100 that night

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0665.jpg


The okay bathroom

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0666.jpg

Walking along the coast of Trinco I made some close friends in Trinco particularly the staff at Green Park hotel and Uncle Mohan who runs a grocery shop not far from the hotel which I frequented to get my stuff. A peaceful town with very laid-back atmosphere

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0667.jpg


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0668.jpg

I actually went to the superbly beautiful Koneswaram in Trinco but no cameras are allowed, so couldn;t take any pics from there. The view from the temple at high ground towards the Trinco harbour was simply magical !!

Hmm there are very little eateries in Trinco, so I decided to have my dinner in Green Park Hotel

The menu:

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0669.jpg


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0671.jpg

Prices are slighly higher than in Trivandrum for the same stuff

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0672.jpg


Any single visitor must be extremely terrified by the amount of rice that Sri Lankans consume for each meal :eek: This is the "standard" serving of rice for an average Lankan.... and I could only finish 1/3 of this mixed fried rice !

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0673.jpg

My lovely Chicken masala :eat:

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0674.jpg

Me on my 2nd day in Trinco ... in the small lobby in Green Park Hotel

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0675.jpg


The sea in Trinco is pristine and cystal-clear.

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0676.jpg

View from the lobby

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0677.jpg



Trinco cityscapes

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0679.jpg

Trincomalee cityscape

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0680.jpg



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0681.jpg

Trincomalee cityscape

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0682.jpg


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0683.jpg

I got onto the bus to Nilaveli !!

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0684.jpg


The journey from Trinco to Nilaveli

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0685.jpg

:banana::banana:^^^^MORE MORE MORE^^^^:banana::banana:

i love reading your stories and comments on the photos,
you should have asked some local tamils, what they think of the war, and how they feel now. like and interview would love to hear from them.

i might plan on going there and the whole jaffna pensiular this december.

i'm all excited about getting the frist expressway in lanka dec also, if its built might skip the jaffna trip and take another trip or two or three, down matra since it would only take an hour now :p

Sorry for the view..

Trinco-Nilaveli stretch

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0685.jpg


The bus journey from Trinco to Nilaveli took 30 mins. The location where I got down the bus was actually around 1km inland from the main Nilaveli beach , thus had to walk pretty far to the coast. An elderly tourist from Canada was also on the same bus, and we walked together while chatting about our travel stories.

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0689.jpg

Nilaveli

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0690.jpg



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0691.jpg

Nilaveli

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0692.jpg



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0693.jpg

Nilaveli beach :cheers:

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0694.jpg




http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0695.jpg

I was offered by some friendly fishermen a ride to the nearby Pigeon Island at 1500 LKR per boat.... which I found quite cheap but things worked magic when I found a couple ( Australian husband with a Chinese wife ) who agreed to share the same boat.... so it's 500 LKR per person ! :cheers:


Approaching Pigeon Island...

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0698.jpg

Approaching Pigeon Island

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0697.jpg

Pigeon Island

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0699.jpg




http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0700.jpg

Well Pigeon Island despite its crystal-clear water is a.........big disappointment not just for me but also for all visitors there.

Most visitors including me aren't interested with snorkelling but just to spend some good time swimming on the island's beaches. But the island is totally covered by sharp corals so there is no enough space to swim at all.

But I do understand that that region in Sri Lanka has just opened to mass tourism and there will be efforts to remove all those sharp corals off the island. I think I will write to higher officials in Srilankan tourism soon to address this matter.

Well we could do almost nothing in the island ( impossible to swim at anywhere in the island ) and anybody would hurriedly return to the mainland Nilaveli as they can swim there without any coral barriers.

Some images of Pigeon Island.. you can see the corals start right close to the shore.

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0701.jpg



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0702.jpg

Pigeon Island

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0703.jpg


The sharp corals ..... hmm hope they will be removed and what a beach paradise it would be.

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0704.jpg

wow that was some stunning pictures, i cant believe a place like this is underdevelped and lacks funding. i would pay lot of money to get my house built there, or have nice hotel there, so i can go swimming in crystal clear water, and wake up on in sunny morning overlooking the picturesque sandy white beach, with crystal clear water.

hope the post war boom pics up very quickly.

the color of the sand was beatifull i loved, nice picture skyprince.

on ur comment about the average lankans appitite, i guess that explains why most lankans are much larger and more robust than our indian cuzins:banana:^^

btw skyprince u look quiet handsome in that photo inside the hotel and that photo of you overlooking the beach you look cute, not in a faggot way ok? just to let u know:cheers:^^

Dollar man I'll get back to you after I've completed posting all photos :P

Here is the small market outside Nilaveli beach

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0706.jpg



And am back in Trinco bus station, searching for bus to get me to the south and apparently there's 6pm bus to Tangalle and I secured my seat by buying the pre-assigned seat for the long journey


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0708.jpg

Here is my ticket from Trincomalee to Matara - 535 LKR which is damn cheap !

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0709.jpg


Looking at Srilankan map in the bus ticketing office

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0710.jpg

Had 2-3 hours until bus departure... I returned to Green Park Hotel to have lunch .

Yummy sweet & sour chicken with egg fried rice + lime juice :eat:

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0711.jpg



Here's my bus from Trinco to Matara

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0712.jpg

I actually supposed to get down at Mirissa but when I woke up at 5am the bus was already right in front of Matara bus terminal. So I had to take a 25-min journey backwards to Mirissa

As I got down at Mirissa it was still dark and it took about an hour or so until I found the beach

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0715.jpg


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0714.jpg

Beautiful Mirissa beach..... I found a lazy chair and spent hours sleeping there that morning

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0716.jpg


Paradise Beach Club in Mirissa

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0717.jpg

Mirissa beach....... I LOVE Mirissa alot, the beach is wide-open sandy and pure clean and I saw loads of European tourists many of whom are on family vacation.

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0718.jpg



My club sandwich breakfast in Mirissa's Paradise beach club

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0719.jpg

Scenes of Mirissa beach

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0720.jpg



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0721.jpg

The busy road in between Colombo and Matara

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0722.jpg


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0723.jpg

Coconut stall

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0724.jpg


Scene of Mirissa

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0725.jpg

Look at how transparent it is

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0726.jpg



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0727.jpg

Mirissa

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0728.jpg




http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0729.jpg

A local Mirissa family asking the photos to be snapped

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0730.jpg




http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0731.jpg

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0732.jpg



With me inside :D

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0733.jpg

Mirissa

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0734.jpg



There's this small hill in Mirissa

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0735.jpg

Mirissa

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0736.jpg



And here's the view from top:

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0737.jpg

Mirissa

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0738.jpg




http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0739.jpg

Mirissa

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0740.jpg



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0741.jpg

Wow!!! from North East to South now. I hardly see any people in these beaches.

http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/ae42/FazilLanka/IMG_1963.jpg

This was in 2009, Pigeon Island ,Nilaveli.

IMG]http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/ae42/FazilLanka/NilaveliFishingBoatsSriLanka.jpg[/IMG]
http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/ae42/FazilLanka/NilaveliFishingBoatsSriLanka.jpg

Nilaveli Beach, Fishing Boats

Matara

Beautiful large city of Srilanka.

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0744.jpg


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0745.jpg

Matara

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0746.jpg



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0747.jpg

Matara

Just behind the crowded Matara bus station

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0746.jpg


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0747.jpg

Matara

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0747.jpg

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0748.jpg

Thanks for the pics Fazil, but may I know if you were able to swim comfortably in Pigeon Island at that time ? And how about the quality of snorkelling there ?

Continue with pics

beautiful Mirissa :cheers:

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0742.jpg


I had great time in Mirissa and had to return back to Colombo on the same day. Some guys in Paradise Beach Club suggested me not to take the straight bus from Mirissa to Colombo since they are all coming from Matara with no more seats left ( That's so typrical of Srilankan buses!! :laugh: ) . So they suggested to return to Matara and board the bus from Matara to Colombo instead.

Colombo-Matara road.... Buses are so frequent ( coming almost every 5 to 10 mins ) mostly coming from Colombo and Galle

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0743.jpg

Thanks for the pics Fazil, but may I know if you were able to swim comfortably in Pigeon Island at that time ? And how about the quality of snorkelling there ?



Hello Skyprince,The Pigeon Island was my the highlight of Nilaveli for me, because of the coral reef. I enjoy snorkeling very much, amazing to see so many variety of coral fish out there. Only thing that I have to mention here is that one should bring their own snorkeling gears. I had to rent them, but they are overly used and it did not fit very well.. Other than that it was a wonderful experience.

Hello Skyprince,The Pigeon Island was my the highlight of Nilaveli for me, because of the coral reef. I enjoy snorkeling very much, amazing to see so many variety of coral fish out there. Only thing that I have to mention here is that one should bring their own snorkeling gears. I had to rent them, but they are overly used and it did not fit very well.. Other than that it was a wonderful experience.

I was seriously not on the mood to snorkel that day but just to swim .However, I could not swim at all because of the sharp corals. Probably I should had forced myself to snorkel and enjoy the coral life underneath on the the shores of Pigeon Island that day....

I found that the water on Mainland Nilaveli not as clear as in Mirissa, which contradicts the popular notion that Nilaveli is the best beach in entire Srilanka island. Mirissa and Unawatuna are far more attractive to me :)

Matara

Beautiful large city of Srilanka.

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0744.jpg


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0745.jpg

Lets continue with the pics, as I just returned from Jakarta to meet SSC forumer there and have been loaded with lots of task in office recently.

Matara town

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0750.jpg


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0751.jpg

Matara

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0752.jpg


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0754.jpg

The bustling Matara bus terminal

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0759.jpg


http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0760-1.jpg

Matara bus station

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0755.jpg



http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0758.jpg

I cannot find this one in Malaysia

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0763-1.jpg



This choco brand is never heard of.

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0764-1.jpg

This is the bus that took me to Colombo

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0761.jpg



And my ticket

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0766-1.jpg

I cannot find this one in Malaysia

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0763-1.jpg



This choco brand is never heard of.

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Srilanka%20trip%20Feb%2020%20to%2023/100_0764-1.jpg

the choco brand is belong to local company..(CBL) ceylon biscuits ltd.but nestle, nespray.nespray localy available from years...but no idea about international level....

the choco brand is belong to local company..(CBL) ceylon biscuits ltd.but nestle, nespray.nespray localy available from years...but no idea about international level....

Oh, actually Nespray is a global brand for sure but never seen the shake product before.. that choco brand is available all over Srilanka, and its logo ( font ) looks exactly like Cadbury :cheers:

Actually there is no more pictures for this journey..... My trip report is now complete :cheers:

Am still not sure if i can make another Lanka trip this April ... lets see !!

We should have a bigger luxury buses like in Malaysia for a long distance journey. Mini buses are good for a short distance, and they are extremely uncomfortable for long distance journey, mainly the leg room and space between seats. This is a Korean bus made by Hyundai and India is using these buses.

Skyprince please let us know how was the minibus ride?

http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/ae42/FazilLanka/Aero_Bus_Aero_Express1.jpg

We should have a bigger luxury buses like in Malaysia for a long distance journey. Mini buses are good for a short distance, and they are extremely uncomfortable for long distance journey, mainly the leg room and space between seats. This is a Korean bus made by Hyundai and India is using these buses.

Skyprince please let us know how was the minibus ride?

http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/ae42/FazilLanka/Aero_Bus_Aero_Express1.jpg

Minibuses in Srilanka are okay though not neccessarily comfortable..... but what is extremely uncomfortable is the normal state-run huge buses, even for a backpacker like me. It is really fun actually for a backpacker but I don;t think familes and luxury travellers could bear that .

well yes the minibuses atleast have seatings, so its not too bad. But the normal busses are so crowded and there is serious violation of people space :(

Ideally I wish they had better low floor buses with doors plying in all routes.

Something like the Tata marcopolo ( cheap in the market ) would do.

http://www.busworld.org/_cms/news/pics/foto_sys_Afbeeldingen_Afbeelding_117.jpg

also can be xconverted to a/c if necessary.

well yes the minibuses atleast have seatings, so its not too bad. But the normal busses are so crowded and there is serious violation of people space :(

Ideally I wish they had better low floor buses with doors plying in all routes.

Something like the Tata marcopolo ( cheap in the market ) would do.

http://www.busworld.org/_cms/news/pics/foto_sys_Afbeeldingen_Afbeelding_117.jpg

also can be xconverted to a/c if necessary.

what about the micro double decker bus? alot better than the indian products as it has been manfucatured in lanka, and we'r known for our quality. Also it will save us forigen exchange. and it comes standard with air condition. Also looks better.

please no more tata. the ones we bought in 1975 are enough. SLTB should fund micro to manufacture more of thier buses. beucase curruntly we just repairing and fixing chasis we bough from tata way way back. we not introducing any new buses.

what about the micro double decker bus? alot better than the indian products as it has been manfucatured in lanka, and we'r known for our quality. Also it will save us forigen exchange. and it comes standard with air condition. Also looks better.

please no more tata. the ones we bought in 1975 are enough. SLTB should fund micro to manufacture more of thier buses. beucase curruntly we just repairing and fixing chasis we bough from tata way way back. we not introducing any new buses.

oh yes the Micro buses are great, but I would have thought they were suitablr only for long disrtant travel. I haven't seen their version for city buses yet.

Srilankan cities are heavily connected by bus or trains, so I think the best solution is the combination of huge air-conditioned buses with pre-booked tickets. No standing should be allowed for journey more than 50 km.

I think there's no need to provide hyper-cheap transportation like what we have in Srilanka now. Inter-city travel is not a basic daily neccessity after all ! So why subsidising inter-city travel so heavily ? Something I can hardly understand .

^^ I think affordable inter-city transportation facility is good. The last think Sri Lanka needs is people again getting isolated in thier own towns and villages.

^^ Hmm well but subsidies can be better spent for other things like providing R&R facilities on major roads or building highways, isnt it ?

Anyway, I forgot to post this last photo of the CD that I bought.... they call it " Sri Lankan bus songs" ? :lol: I play it in my car everyday and turn the volume to the max to get the exactly same feeling as travelling by public bus in Sri Lanka :lol:

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Jakarta%20trip2/100_0781.jpg

A great trip, awesome pics and beautiful description. You are great.:banana:

A great trip, awesome pics and beautiful description. You are great.:banana:

sorry i replied on the wrong thread by accident. see the ship building thred

Great pics mate - always a treat! :)

That Mirissa beach looks really lovely!

Hey SkyPrince

[QUOTE=Skyprince;52536281]

The road from Colombo to Trinco is almost like a straight line, and while the road is in pretty good condition, for a country with such income levels I expected a 4-lane highway and not 2-lane highway for the whole of Colombo-Trinco stretch, well if not, at least for the crowded Colombo-Kurunegala stretch.


Can you please comment on the road condition from Colombo all the way to Trinco? Is it carpeted? Can small cars travel comfortably that long stretch?

Thank you!

Hey SkyPrince


Can you please comment on the road condition from Colombo all the way to Trinco? Is it carpeted? Can small cars travel comfortably that long stretch?

Thank you!

Hi SLtraveller, as far as I could remember Colombo to Kurunegala was smooth but many sections in between Kurunegala and Trinco were quite bumpy, but then the last 40-50 km to Trinco was smooth since the road had just been upgraded.

I don't think it'll be a problem to travel by small cars. I was shocked to find Trinco quite a dead town but it's beautiful, don't forget to visit the temple on top of the hill, it's extremely stunning . I expected huge presence of Tamil-speaking people, but the vast majority of people whom I came accross/ had conversation with were Sinhala-speaking.

I'm going to lanka again next month :cheers:

Heh Heh Heh, is there now a genre called Bus Music is Sri Lanka? I know exactly what that is and for me it was the worst part of travelling in private buses in Sri Lanka. But I am glad it did not bother you SP!! :lol:
And BTW when is the next trip?


Anyway, I forgot to post this last photo of the CD that I bought.... they call it " Sri Lankan bus songs" ? :lol: I play it in my car everyday and turn the volume to the max to get the exactly same feeling as travelling by public bus in Sri Lanka :lol:

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo360/malaysianboy2/Jakarta%20trip2/100_0781.jpg

^^ Actually that's what my Mawanella friends told me... about the " Sri Lankan Bus Songs" . Worst part to you ? To me it's the opposite, those songs are extremely relieving when you travel by road.

My 7th trip to Lanka is on September 17th. :)

I like your trips Skyprince. I will visit India and Sri Lanka in February. So it's very helpful. ;)
Greetings from Croatia.

:applause::cheers::tiasd::
Dear friend , All the pictures are very nice to see and enjoy SriLanka.

thanks for the wonderful blogging