Sri Lanka - 2019 - Colombo and Central Province

 It had been seven years since we traveled with Kurt and Lyn the first time to Egypt. Needless to say, the four of us were very excited to plan this upcoming Sri Lanka trip around Thanksgiving 2018. We were able to book flights with Emirates for the trip. We would leave from Houston on January 19, 2019 with a stop in Dubai for Colombo, our final destination. Kurt and Lyn would leave from Newark the next day with the same stop in Dubai before meeting us in Colombo. 

COLOMBO

Kurt and Lyn did a good job finding the Grand Oriental Hotel for our stay in Colombo. The hotel is located at the end of the busy business street and overlooking the harbor of Sri Lanka Ports Authority. From the hotel dining room, we could see the port with cruise ship often coming in for the day. The hotel is an iconic building in the heart of Colombo, walking distance to the trendy shopping district as well as to the central market, train and bus terminal. 

The Grand Oriental Hotel in Colombo

The Bank Building and Shopping Center around the corner from Grand Oriental Hotel

The Shopping Mall

A Buddhist Temple near the fort

The Clock Tower near the hotel

Colombo International Port Terminal from the hotel dining room

Grand Orient Hotel's dining room

Travel "in style" around Colombo

Ready for a Tuk-Tuk race

The Red Mosque in Colombo

Inside the Red Mosque

A Hindu Temple near the central market

Ministry of Crab Restaurant, Colombo - With Kurt and Lyn 

As previously planned, we had one more full day in Colombo before getting on with our Sri Lanka adventure. Since we had our itinerary and made hotel reservations in advance, all we had left to do is to arrange transportation to get around. Fortunately, we were able to book a private car and driver from a travel desk at the Grand Oriental Hotel in short notice. Parera and his nice and clean van came to pick us up from the hotel the next day. We indeed traveled in style with private car and driver for the next nine days from Colombo to Galle.

Parera and his van

DAMBULLA

From Colombo, we headed northeast toward Central Provice of Sri Lanka. Our first stop was Dambulla to visit the famous Dambulla Cave Temple, the largest and best preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. It's also one of the country's best remarkable UNESCO world heritage sites.

On our climb to the cave - monkeys everwhere! 

The Dambulla Cave Temple Complex

Buddha statues inside the Cave Temple

The Reclining Buddha in the Cave Temple

 These are some of the 153 Buddha Statues in five caves

Sitting Buddha Statues with well renovated and preserved fresco paintings on the ceilings

  

Some paintings on walls are well preserved

The Golden Buddha Statue at the Dambulla Golden Temple, downhill from the Cave Temple

A pagoda at Dambulla Golden Temple

SIGIRIYA  

It was a short drive to our hotel from Dambulla. We spent two nights in Sigiriya to visit the famous Sigiriya Rock. Sigiriya Rock (Lion Rock) is another fantastic UNESCO world heritage site, known as one of the best preserved examples of ancient urban planning. It once was a capital with a royal palace built on top of the rock.

Sigiriya Rock in the background

Lyn and Kurt in front of Sigiriya Rock

Manicured lawn 

Beautiful garden and landscape

Getting closer to the staircase of 1,250 steps to the top

Ready to climb. Total of  1,250 steps to the top.

Kurt and Lyn on narrow steps 

The first 1,000 steps to the Lion Fortress

At the Lion Fortress

Kurt and Lyn

Another 250 more steps from the Lion Fortress to the top

Yeah! So happy to get to the highest point of Sigiriya Rock. We made it! 

Overlooking the entrance from the top

Amazing view, beautiful gardens with man-made ponds on top of the rock

Taking a break before descending

Kurt and Tien checking on a monkey

Goobye to the Lion Rock

Mission accomplished :)- ! A very hard "working" day, totally exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel. But we're so happy to conquer the tough 1,250 steps without any mishaps. We were rewarded with a wonderful visit to this amazing UNESCO world heritage site. 

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   SIGIRIYA LODGE

  Our hotel in Sigiriya was a quainted lodge with rooms in a few separated buildings. The owners live on the premises. The garden and grounds were well maintained and manicured.

The owners/managers of the Sigiriya Lodge - in front of their office

Beautiful flowers in the garden

Tropical flowers in full blooms

And even fruit trees (Jack Fruit) in the garden