Sri Lanka

March 2023, thirteen days in Sri Lanka with Francesco Lietti. We left Malpensa with drinks in the lounge, changed planes in Muscat, and the next day we were in Negombo in an orange tuk-tuk. Over there you book tuk-tuks on Uber: our first ride cost 250 rupees, about 75 cents. That’s how we got around for the rest of the trip, plus trains and local buses with their doors always open.

Monkeys and steps

For me, the Cultural Triangle was mostly monkeys. At Dambulla there were macaques everywhere, decidedly not docile, and yes, there was also a cave temple full of golden Buddhas. At Sigiriya we watched the sunset from Pidurangala rock, with the weather on our side for once. The next day we climbed Lion’s Rock: 1,200 steps up and another 1,200 down, with a mother macaque eyeing Francesco as if deciding whether to attack him.

Not everything went smoothly. We both spent one night coming to terms with something we’d eaten, and in Kandy Francesco gave up on dinner because it was too spicy.

Kandy, tea and the train to Ella

Kandy meant a park with giant bamboo and trees full of bats, a dance show with fire-eaters, and the Temple of the Tooth, with its fully painted corridors. Then the tea hills, with a visit to a factory, and Nanu Oya station.

The train from Nanu Oya to Ella is the one you see in every photo, and for good reason: the blue train curving through the hills, people leaning out of windows and doors, and me hanging out to take photos while Francesco held on to me. It was lovely, but what stayed with me most was all the nature around it, not just the bit you see from the train. In Ella, a guesthouse looking out on terraced fields, and the red train crossing the Nine Arches Bridge.

Yala and the south coast

The safari at Yala wasn’t up to much. We did see a wild elephant, but the whole thing felt very staged. The south coast was better: Mirissa, two-week-old baby sea turtles, the lighthouse at Galle Fort, sunset and snorkelling at Hikkaduwa, and local buses tearing along with the door open (looks comfy, right?).

Colombo

The ending didn’t go to plan. In Colombo, Francesco’s backpack was stolen, and his passport was inside. We ended up at the Tourist Police in Kollupitiya filing a report, with a minute’s silence for the backpack, which was never found. I flew home as planned; because of the passport, Francesco had to leave a day later.

Practical notes

• For short trips you can book tuk-tuks on Uber, and they cost next to nothing.
• The train between Nanu Oya and Ella is worth it, but it’s only one part: the best thing about Sri Lanka is the nature everywhere.
• As far as we’re concerned, you can skip the safari at Yala.
• In Colombo, keep an eye on your bags and documents.