Last year, when we were deciding what to do to start off the new year, an acquaintance recommended to us this Ayurvedic Resort on the southern tip of Sri Lanka. The idea of doing a cleanse to kick off the new decade, admittedly so, sounded very appealing. So on January 2nd of 2010, off we went to explore former Ceylon (they should have kept that name … sounds so exotic!) and discover what Ayurvedic treatment is all about.
Prior to departing, our friends kept asking us where we were going … and it was literally that if there was to be no guide with a sign at the airport with our names on it, we would be utterly lost. As we disembarked our SQ flight, we were entirely dependent on this one man. And thankfully, he did show up! So the adventure begins ...
The first two things you notice about Sri Lanka are the people and the stunningly beautiful nature. The people are gentle, warm, peaceful and full of genuine smiles. And the natural surroundings are so lush, so bountiful, so green, it's paradise. And where else can you see elephants roaming around in the wild in such large numbers? Wherever we drove, the people lived hand-in-hand with nature, which was unharmed and respected. The mostly agrarian society is not lacking food, for it grows everywhere, yet this is a very simple society. There is joy to be found in this simplicity as we soon learnt. I've also never seen so many tall trees, dense vegetation and abundance in fruits, vegetables, spices, rice, tea and other natural resources. I had seen James Cameron's movie Avatar a few weeks ago … the landscape reminded me of that.
Now to settle one of the major misconceptions: Sri Lankans must not be confused with Indians. They may look alike, yet there is no chaotic behavior in the locals here, and most importantly, Sri Lankans are in the majority buddhist and not hindu.
The last few decades, though, have not been short of setbacks. Consider that tourism is their number one industry. And then consider that just last year they finished the 30 year civil war where the Tamil Tigers have been fighting for independence and ravaged the north-eastern part of the island. Today the war may be over, but there are still remnants all around. Security is tight … wherever you drive you will always come across military personnel patrolling the roads, and land mines in parts of the country are still a big problem. Now don't freak out … I'm not insinuating that there's a battalion every 100 metres. But you will regularly notice security checks. To add to that, they had the devastating tsunami in 2005 where 75,000 people died. As you drive down the beach road from Colombo south to Galle, the devastation is still very visible. As you get closer to the south, you will see large cemeteries, abandoned houses and empty shops. Nature has regenerated itself in the last five years, however the people and communities have not adapted as quickly. I'm sure financial restrictions are a large reason for that too.
No matter what the history though, the people are happy and optimistic. And that's inspiring to see. They are happy the war is finally over and are hoping that tourists will flock back to their splendid tear-shaped island. After all, Sri Lanka means 'splendid land'.
HOW TO GET THERE:
> Colombo airport is the main (and for now only) entry point into Sri Lanka by air. It is well connected by Asian and Middle Eastern airlines, but there are surprisingly few flights by European airlines, even though the island is flooded with Germans and Russians. As you disembark from your plane and walk past all the duty free shops - pretty standard - you soon realize that not only do they sell the standard fare such as perfumes, alcohol and designer bags but also home appliances. Yes, at the airport you can buy a fridge, a stove and a washer and dryer. Hmmm! A service that I found well thought of at the airport and unique is that as you turned your mobile phone on, the first SMS you received was welcoming you to Sri Lanka, as well as the exchange rates. Very handy, for god knows I've had some major screw-ups at airports relating to exchange rates!
> Visa: most countries do not require a visa for a stay of up to 30 days.
> Roads: driving in Sri Lanka is like a video game … avoiding obstacles that are thrown your way :-) For example, it's around 140 km from Colombo to Weligama, where the Barberyn Beach Resort is located, on the southern tip of the island. However, it can take up to 5 hours by car. Enough said!
BARBERYN BEACH AYURVEDIC RESORT - WELIGAMA
It's the beginning of a new decade and here we are, at the southern tip of Sri Lanka, at an Ayurvedic Resort for a 7 day cleanse. No mobile signal, no internet, regimented lifestyle and controlled nutrition. But surrounded by a beautiful lush green jungle, stunning beach with yellow-orange sand and the clean Sri Lankan sea, and at night … fire flies … that's the first thing I spotted when we arrived to the resort on the evening of January 6.
Ayurveda is the Sanskrit word for the knowledge or science of life. It's the oldest holistic system of medicine in the world, dating back over 7,000 years. At its essences, it comprises a traditional system of healing that uses plants and herbs to help the body regulate and improve its various functions, including respiration, circulation and digestion.
When you first arrive, you go for a consultation with the doctor. They ask you what you want to achieve, what are your ailments, or do you simply want to detox. Then they devise a customized program just for you. The treatment consists of massages with ayurvedic ointments, inhalations, herbal baths, steam baths, herbal pads, acupuncture, etc. In addition to the treatments, you also get daily prescriptions of bottles with funny tasting liquids, powders that you have to mix with honey or water and pills. Your diet is also controlled. At the end of your retreat, they will provide you with your body constitution results … are you a kappa, pith or vatha? Given that I was on a detox program, I was allowed to eat everything provided. And I took advantage of all the delicious yet natural food that could be found at the buffet! An adage given to us by the doctor: eat your breakfast as a king, lunch as a queen and dinner as a beggar.
Besides your treatments, you're also encouraged to join the yoga or tai-chi classes that are offered. We chose to get up every morning at 5:45 and commenced our yoga classes at 6. It actually sounds much more difficult than it was!
What about the resort? Mind you that there are 2 resorts … the Beach Resort in Weligama and the Reef Resort in Beruwala. The Weligama Resort, albeit more expensive, is the one to go to. The best way to describe the Barberyn Beach Resort is as 'appropriate luxury', as our amusing British neighbour called it. The resort is set on a cliff above a beautiful beach, on a very lush large ground. The treatment halls, dining area, reception area and the rooms are very spacious with an open design, suited for the tropics. The decor is appropriate to what it is … an ayruvedic resort. It's sparsely furnished but tastefully done, with some interesting architectural features. The design contributes to a general sense of wellbeing and calmness. Given that you will be in your room a lot, it's worthwhile to book a larger room. Makes your stay more enjoyable. And the rooms furthest from the reception area have a beautiful sea view.
After our 7 days, which is much shorter than most everyone stays there … for great results you should go for at least 2 weeks … you feel light, reenergized, relaxed, healthy, revitalized … and simply full of energy. The key (and challenge) is to maintain these habits when you return to your normal life.
But at least for the time that you stay at the Barberyn Beach Resort … the body feels truly at home.
And please don't forget to bring a pair or two of old underwear with you. Given that you will be treated with all sorts of esoteric oils and ointments, your underwear will soon turn a mixture of orange, yellow and brown. I already now know no amount of bleach and washing powder will restore my 2(x)ist underwear back to pearly white.
His name is Freddy. He's a fisherman living in a village adjacent to the Barberyn Beach Resort in Weligama. He's 27 years old and has been fishing since the age of 13, when he had to quit school since his father could not afford to pay for his books and school supplies. Every morning he shows up at the beach in front of their village at 0545 and fishes till about 0830 and in the evening he does the same, from around 1700 - 1930. That's 5 hours of fishing each day, 7 days a week. His daily catch is sold to a middle-man who buys the fish from him and the throngs of other fishermen like him, that are crouched for hours on sticks drilled into the sea floor some 20 metres from the coast. Half of the money he makes goes to his family for daily expenses, the other half is for himself for clothes, English and German classes, some spare change and that's about it too. He would like to work in a hotel but with no education and with tourism at a low, his chances are slim. This is Freddy's life. And now to the part that just so touched me and brought amazement to me. He is a beautiful guy with a big smile, he's happy, he does his job with pride and enthusiasm and is content. He's outgoing, talkative and a great guide. He took us around Weligama and to Kogalla Lake in his rickshaw, and introduced us to his surroundings, his family and his life. I felt an instantaneous connection with him. His joyful spirit, his calmness and his smile will be remembered. He also reminded me to find joy and love in everything I do, may it be big or small. And do it with pride and with commitment. Of course he sometimes wishes to be doing other things, have a better job, more money, but perhaps it was not to be in this lifetime. And there was peace in that realization. He was an inspiration for me. So if you're staying at the Barberyn Beach Resort, walk down to the beach on the right of the resort, stroll down the coastline and chat with the fishermen. Get to know them. Hear their story. Ask for Freddy and let him take you on a tour of his hometown and his life. You will be impressed.
WHAT TO DO:
Prior to beginning our Ayurvedic spa treatment we did a 2 night/3 day tour of Sri Lanka, which was organized by Barberyn Beach Resort.
> Elephant Ride: you cannot leave Sri Lanka without having ridden an elephant. Not only that, we did it bareback! As we were driving towards the Dambulla Rock Temple, our driver suddenly stopped at the side of the road and asked if we wanted to do an elephant ride. Of course we did! He starts negotiating with a young boy on the side of the street, and the next thing you know we're crammed in a rickshaw going down some rice paddies. We eventually reached a point where the rickshaw couldn't proceed any longer … so off by foot we went. He instructed us to leave our flip-flops behind. We soon realized why … as we were traipsing barefoot through mud in the rice paddies. It was hilarious! All I could think of was leeches! Soon we came to a small creek with a large pond … and there they were. Two massive elephants being bathed by two young boys. They told us that the elephants get bathed for 4 hours a day. My dream! You could see the bliss on their face as they were lying sideways mostly covered by water, with only the trunk sticking out for breathing. The elephants finally got up and were ready to take us for a joy ride. That's when we realized … we're going bareback! Hmmm! The first elephant comes close to where we were standing, and as Robin positions himself to get onto the elephant, he falls chest deep into mud. I was stunned. Ok, what can you do. He got up and climbed onto the elephant … and stampeded into the jungle. Next it was my turn. Sitting on the elephant with no 'saddle' was a wonderful way to bond with this giant. His thick and slightly prickly skin was firm, so you didn't feel like you were going to slide off any minute. Moreover, there you were, high above the ground, roaming through rice paddies and jungle paths. Kodak moment!! After about 45 minutes, when we returned to our driver, we realized what had happened. We got the boys and the elephant in the down time. They were returning back to the road where they were doing tours for tourists, 8 tourists at a time sitting in a carriage, saddled to the elephant's back walking up and down the road. It ended up being a win-win situation for all of us. The boys pocketed extra cash for their trip back to the tour groups, while we got an unforgettable un-tourist like ride, bareback, each with our own elephant. And we've got photos to prove it!
> Dambulla Rock Temple & Golden Temple: A lot of the buddha statues and stupas in Sri Lanka as far as we saw, are newly constructed out of concrete, and are not very ornate, and somewhat simplistic. The Golden Temple is a clear example of that. A large gold painted Buddha sitting in a niche in the rocks, with a slew of orange concrete monks ceremoniously parading towards him. However, don't despair or run away … behind the hill, up a windy road, you will come to the Dambulla Rock Temple which is astounding. Built in the 1st century BC, these 5 caves of various sizes are built into a large rock, and all filled with buddhas of different sizes, some lying, some sitting. What is stupendous is the ceiling decorations. Every inch of the ceiling is painted in patterns and scriptures. The grounds are not very large, but the rock temples spectacular.
> Polonnaruwa: From the 11th to 15th century, this used to be the capitol of Sri Lanka. The complex is large, but very little is left of it, other than the foundations. So a lot of imagination is required when looking at it. What was fascinating is that right next to this old capital there is a very large man-made reservoir which was built to irrigate all the rice paddies in the surrounding area, amongst other things. When you look at it it seems more like a lake than a reservoir. It's massive! In Polonnaruwa you will also find some very large stupas and Buddha images carved out of one monolithic piece of rock. In addition, this is where the Buddha tooth was housed prior to moving to the Temple in Kandy.
> Sigiriya Palace: This citadel is positioned on a spectacular piece of rock in the middle of the jungle. You can notice the pillar like rock from far away, which is also when you realize you have to climb it to see the citadel. There are 1,200 steps to get to the top, but the vista is phenomenal. For as far as you can see around, there is only jungle and nature. The palace must have been spectacular in its hey-day. Today, only a few rocks from the foundation remain. But the vista is still unchanged: undulating hills and an expansive canopy of greenness.
> Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage: little further out of Kandy you will find an opportunity to see 65 elephants parading down the small village road, past the intersection and into the grounds of Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, as the elephants return from their daily bath at the river. They are beautiful, and although large in size, gentle in soul. The orphanage was set up for all the abandoned elephants … little babies sometimes get lost from their families and thus left to survive by themselves; one large male elephant is blind; and there is even one with 3 legs, for he was badly injured in a land mine blast. Very sad. But there he was … in the herd, albeit last in the procession but still hobbling along and surviving and going strong. My heart went to him. And when you leave, don't forget to buy some paper products made out of elephant dung. You will impress your friends.
> Galle Fort: Galle is a coastal city on the southern most tip of Sri Lanka. The name, although easily spelled out, is pronounced in too many varying ways! Gail, Ga-le, Goul, etc And although the city is large and seems rather typical, the Galle Fort is something not to be missed. The Fort was built by the Dutch in the 1600's and is an enclosed miniature city. It very much reminded me of another forted city, Aigue Morte in Southern France. As you walk the small streets, you will come across beautiful arts and crafts store. All the more astonishing for the arts and crafts scene in Sri Lanka, till now, was proving rather basic. But not here. You will also come across some colorful restaurants, lovely squares, dilapidated yet character-ful buildings, antique stores, churches and mosques. The whole fort city perhaps still maintaing a sense of the old trading port that it once was. Plus we also came across three beautiful boutique hotels (see below under hotel section). Don't forget to walk around the top of the entire fort wall … and by doing so you will come across young lovers hiding in the dips of the fort wall, hiding from familial prying eyes.
> Kogalla lake (close to Galle): another nice side trip from the Barberyn Resort is to go visit the Kagalla lake nearby. Have Freddy the fisherman show you around (who's Freddy? How to find him? read the paragraph about him under the Barberyn Beach Resort section above). On one side of the lake there is a lovely small Buddhist temple, and on the other there are several Herb and Spice shops that also rent boats to go to one of nine islands on the lake. We rowed to two islands, one a Buddhist monastery and the other a cinnamon farm. I now understand how you get cinnamon sticks … they will show you the whole process. The lake is really easy to find. It's between Galle and Welligama, and the entrance is to the side of the military airport. Can't miss it.
Kandy and surroundings:
Kandy, the second largest city in Sri Lanka, is the hill capital and the most visited tourist destination in this beautiful country. With several attractions.
> The Sacred Temple of Tooth Relic (Kandy): The focal point of Kandy is this temple, which houses the famous Buddha tooth. The temple is located on the banks of the lake and is today heavily guarded, after a bomb exploded on the premises in the late 90's. In order to see the Buddha tooth, make sure you come at the specified times. The window of opportunity is very small: from 0530 - 0630, 0930 - 1100 and 1830 - 2000. And when you finally come to the shrine that houses the Buddha tooth, you will realize that you can't see the tooth at all. It's inside an urn surrounded by jewelry. It is only available for viewing twice a year when they hold big ceremonies to parade the tooth around. But just walking past the shrine is euphoric enough. Besides the tooth, you will also see the very ornate gold plated rooftop, an old library and many serene statues of Lord Buddha.
> Rajanima Craft (#172 Rajapihilla Mawatha, Tel 081 222 9799): on a small windy road that creeps up the hill above the lake in Kandy, you will come to a small wood carving shop. A young boy called Ruwan showed us around and explained all the different types of woods that exist in Sri Lanka, from ebony to teak and more, took us through the workshop where men are carving and sculpting various art pieces … and then took us to their shop. We ended up buying a beautiful, yet quite large, elephant. He was not complete yet, they were still working on his decorated back, but when finished he will be shipped to us in Singapore. Ruwan was so helpful, friendly, not pushy and respectful … thus a perfect salesman. It was a pleasure to spend money in his store.
> Herb & Spice Garden: as you approach Kandy, you see signs left and right for herb and spice gardens. No surprise, given how fertile the land is around here. Everything seems to grow in abundance. We stopped at one of them and had a very charismatic young guy show us around the garden, indicating how pepper, cocoa, cinnamon, cardamon, ginger and other herbs and spices grow. You're so used to seeing spices in bags on a supermarket shelve, that it's fascinating to be reminded once again that they all originate as seeds or fruits on a tree/plant. As is customary in these countries, after the walk around the gardens you are guided to a shop where you can buy any of the countless concoctions that were talked about. And of course we bought something. Among other things, I had to get a natural herbal tooth powder used for teeth whitening that is manufactured using 24 natural plant extracts. Once you see the beautiful white teeth that the locals have, you will want this powder too!
> Culture Show (Kandy): right next to the Buddha Tooth Temple there is a large complex that holds cultural performances for the busloads of tourists that come there. Even though you're with a gaggle of other worldly travelers, it is interesting to see local dances and costumes.
> Mlesna Tea Centre: Sri Lanka of course is also famous for its teas. If, like us, you don't have time to go to the tea plantations, then stop at one of the many Tea demonstration shops like Mlesna Tea Fortress and find out how tea is grown, the multitude of different teas that exist, their healing powers, and so on.
> Leopard Safaris: we met two Dutch girls that had just come back from a leopard safari and were thrilled. They had never seen so many leopards in one place. We didn't go there, but it sounded remarkable enough.
HOTELS:
Hotels in Sri Lanka, in general, tend to be more on the simple side. In general, don't expect luxury, especially if traveling outside of Colombo! However, there are some gems that we came across, especially in Galle.
> Tamarind Tree Hotel (Colombo): given that we landed at midnight and our tour was starting the next morning, we spent the night at a hotel 'close' to the airport. Didn't seem so close to me after quite the long drive there. Anyhow, the hotel was very basic, even though it had the largest standard room I'd ever seen. It was basically the size of a large one-bedroom apartment! But very, very, very basic. The funniest part was when the bellboy dropped of our luggage and we asked him where the towels were, since we couldn't find them. He looked at us all confused and asked 'do you need towels?' And after we nodded, indicating that that would be a great idea, he said 'how many towels?' I just started laughing! I laughed even more when I saw the size of the towels that he had brought. They were tiny and very thin! And in the morning, during breakfast by the pool, we suddenly saw a beautiful horse running around the grounds. As we walked around we saw that they had several horses, including a baby horse, roaming freely. Perhaps the most beautiful feature of the hotel.
> Royal Lotus Hotel (Giritale): this hotel overlooks the beautiful large man-made lake in Girritale, close to the Polonnaruwa palace site and was completely deserted. We were the only ones there. This is when you realize how devastating the 30 year war, and the tsunami to some extent, has been on tourism in Sri Lanka. Very sad. The staff were so nice and eager to talk to you, understandably so, given that they spend most of their days just standing around. Has the potential of being a lovely hotel with a few more refurbishments and of course, lively guests.
> Topaz Hotel (Kandy): located right on top of a hill you have a stupendous view of the city of Kandy below. This is the first hotel that we had seen that actually had a number of guests. Phew, we wouldn't be having dinner in a large dining hall all by ourselves again! I had been to Sri Lanka as a little boy (with my parents of course) and one of my most vivid memories is waking up in our hotel in Kandy and going to the balcony to notice that we'd landed in heaven! Being that our hotel was on top of a hill, on that morning all you could see below our room were clouds. And above us the glorious big blue sky. It felt like our hotel was floating on a sea of clouds. It was magical. I don't know if this was the same hotel or not, have to ask my mum. Perhaps she remembers. But when we woke up here I of course quickly ran to the balcony. To check. The mist was there, but not as thick as in my memory. And although there was a white covering over Kandy, it was not thick enough for you to not see the city below. But it was beautiful nevertheless.
> other hotels in Kandy: if you want to stay right in the city, there are three lovely hotels by the lake: Kings Hotel, Queens Hotel and the Swiss Residence Hotel. Something to consider.
> Amangalla Hotel (Galle): This beautiful and luxurious hotel right in the forted city of Galle has 29 rooms plus a couple of suites and a two-storey garden house. Walking of the streets, into the hotel, you enter a zone of seclusion and repose. Beautifully appointed, plenty of character and a fantastic pool area. A couple of hours east of Galle, Aman Resorts have a beachfront property called Amanwella. Given the property in Galle, I'm sure the beachfront hotel is impressive as well.
> Galle Fort Hotel: what used to be a private villa belonging to a Moorish family of gem dealers has been tastefully converted to a 12-bedroom boutique hotel. Each of the rooms, all facing the inner-courtyard pool, are of different sizes and designs. From the outside, the entrance to the hotel is very modest, yet when you walk in, you enter a realm of luxury and seclusion.
> The Fort Printers: yet an even smaller hotel than the two mentioned above, this hotel has a very contemporary design housed in an old building. The pool is small, yet given that there are only 7 rooms, ample enough.
FOOD:
The food in Sri Lanka is very good. It's very flavorful, can be spicy, with lots of curries, vegetables, dhaal, etc. Yet is very different to Indian food. Don't ask me in what way!
Drinks … never miss an opportunity to have a fresh fruit juice. It's simply delicious.
But do skip the coffee! The few times we tried coffee it was terrible. Muddy, mirky water with very little taste. We heard several tourists complain about the coffee. So you know what … switch to tea. Ceylon is renowned for its teas, and I have to say the taste of their teas, such as Teramusu herbal tea, is smooth and remarkable.
Bojan Tercon
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