Touring Sri Lanka and The Maldives

by Beata Nahaie on 04/12/08 at 10:18 am

Sri Lanka and The Maldives, what a great combination of countries! I departed in mid September as this was the only time available to me and although I expected a bit of rain, there was only sunshine with no cloud in sight for the full 10 days I was on holiday.

The 11 hours in the air with Sri Lankan Airways was a treat – hospitable flight attendants in beautiful national costumes, a choice of delicious flight meals and plenty of drinks and entertainment.

On approach to Male Airport I was able to watch the landing on my personal screen from captain’s perspective and a view of whole myriad of little islands dotted in turquoise waters uncovered itself almost immediately. The view was to die for – it was like heaven came down to earth! And this was just getting better upon reaching my first destination – the island of Bandos after 30 minutes of exhilarating speedboat ride. A touch of Maldivian hospitality was felt from the moment I stepped barefoot onto the island’s silk-like sand – a warm welcome from the staff included a cold towel and a refreshing cocktail.

The scenery on each island is simply breathtaking – lush exotic greenery and elegant tall palms gently swaying over the pearl – white beaches to the warm breeze of Indian Ocean. Crystal clear waters of the lagoon gently slapping onto the shore, amazing sunsets and stunning sunrises. This picture pretty much repeated itself on Kurumba and Bodu Hithi, the other islands I visited. The great thing about the Maldives is that each island is a resort on its own and each of them offers something different – you can party till dawn on Kurumba and find escapology with a big ‘E’ at the elegant Coco Palm Bodu Hithi.

The food was 1st class and I would only opt for an all-inclusive as the drinks can sometimes be prohibitively expensive. A bottle of water on Bodu Hithi will cost you 9 USD (mind you, this is a very posh-looking glass bottle I am talking about!), just like everything else on this island – from the décor of the rooms to the pampering sessions in the spa – you will feel the sense of exclusivity everywhere.

The onwards journey to Sri Lanka uncovered a completely different world – busy streets, world-famous tuk-tuks, women in saris carrying colourful umbrellas to protect their faces from the excessive sunrays and the shop owners trying to sell you just about anything. Then the legendary and mystical Sigiriya Rock – the unforgettable symbol of Sri Lanka which I could only climb to its first half as the humidity was so oppressive.

Then the wonderful Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawela where the scenery vividly reminds you of the pictures you have once seen on Discovery Channel or in the National Geographics Magazine. Kandy is a must as the serene Temple of the Tooth brings you back to the history of Sri Lanka. On the way there stop in one of the spice gardens and get a free Ayurvedic massage, Ayurveda being such inseparable way of the Sri Lankan lifestyle. I was lucky to meet some nice people too and returning back to the cosmopolitan Colombo I suddenly missed the green hills and diversity of the Sri Lankan countryside…. Generally, the quality of hotels in Sri Lanka is superb as long as you chose 4* and above.

My recommendations:

Anyone wishing to go to that part of the world, be bold and visit both Maldives and Sri Lanka .They are so different and yet so close to each other and with the short direct flight from Male to Colombo, this would be an opportunity too good to miss. Although next time I would perhaps do it in reverse order – do the busy tour of Sri Lanka first and then rest my bones in the calm oasis of the Maldives afterwards…. I recommend the Robinson Crusoe-style holidays in the Maldives to anyone who wants to get away from the city-induced stress, and especially to keen divers and honeymoon couples. Although, next time I return there, I will definitely book a romantic over-water villa (preferably with a jacuzzi and open-air bathroom) and a seaplane transfer which complete the ultimate Maldivian experience.