Our room last night was beautifully simple, stark white walls and tall gauzy curtains; nothing to distract from the great views from the floor to ceiling windows. Which is how I found out that it starts to get light in Sri Lanka around 4am. And if it wasn’t the brightening sky that wakened me, it was … Continue reading Day 7: Digana – Nuwara Eliya
Author: alliwanders
Day 6: Kandy – Digana
We had nothing scheduled this morning so half the group decided to have an easy, lazy start to the day and stay at the hotel; the rest of us went into town, 2 to wander and 4 of us for a tour and demonstration at a ‘certified’ gem & jewelers. Gemstones are Sri Lanka’s biggest … Continue reading Day 6: Kandy – Digana
Day 5: Sigiriya – Kandy
On the move again, heading back south again to the cultural capital of Kandy. We stopped for a wood carving demonstration / sales pitch which, to be fair, Udi asked us first if we wanted to go to. The demonstration was rather interesting: the man showed us all the different kinds of woods they use … Continue reading Day 5: Sigiriya – Kandy
Day 4: Sigiriya
We woke to birds chirping and the sun rising – once again an early start as we had a 7:15 am departure scheduled in order to get to Sigiriya at opening time. The heavy rain of the night before had stopped and we had partly cloudy skies for which we were actually thankful as we have 1200+steps … Continue reading Day 4: Sigiriya
Day 3: Negombo – Sigiriya
We had some miles to cover today so it was an early 6:30 am breakfast this morning. Onto the bus at 7:30 am and off to visit the morning Fish Market. Several of the girls in the group were a bit skittish about going but it was a quick, chaotic, interesting experience. One side of the road sold fresh … Continue reading Day 3: Negombo – Sigiriya
Day 2: Colombo – Negombo
Our tour group met last night for our orientation and “Hello, I am…” introductions. We have quite a diverse group of 15: 2 older couples of Indian heritage, 2 younger couples, 5 single ladies and 2 single men. Scots, Irish, English, Australia, and Canadian. Our guide is Udi, a middle-aged Sri Lankan gentleman of a … Continue reading Day 2: Colombo – Negombo
Sri Lanka Encompassed
That’s the name of my upcoming tour with G Adventures, Sri Lanka Encompassed, a 14-day itinerary which promises to “discover the vibrant colours, diverse culture, and swaying palm trees of this tropical jewel.” Sounds ideal to me – Sri Lanka has been on my traval radar for a few years as one of those countries … Continue reading Sri Lanka Encompassed
Day 26: Ireland
Blarney Castle, the "stone" is up on ramparts Today is departure day from Ireland so I didn't really have much to do but to ensure that I arrived at Cork Airport by 1:30pm or so so I could return the car and check in for my flight back to England. It's about 2.5 hours driving … Continue reading Day 26: Ireland
Day 25: Ireland – Aran Island
Today's adventure was a boat trip to Inishmore, the largest and furthest out of the Aran Islands. There's a storm coming in tomorrow (the remnants of Tropical Storm Helene) so the forecast is for rolling seas and periods of clouds & rain but it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see where my favourite sweaters come from … Continue reading Day 25: Ireland – Aran Island
Day 24: Ireland – The Burren
Drove the Burren today. It's a rocky geological area full of Neolithic sites and old stone forts. I got a map from the Visitor's Center from a highlighter- happy woman and had a great day exploring. My favorite castle was the medieval Leamaneh Castle, which was home to the infamous Maire Rua (murdering husbands and … Continue reading Day 24: Ireland – The Burren
Allison’s Wanderlust 