I miss the taste of tea. To celebrate the Lent* season, I decided to give up my favourite drink for 40 days. It was tough for the first few days but now I’m used to it. Luckily, I have this blog as a medium to recall and share my experience when visitting the Damro Tea Centre in Sri Lanka. I will also share some photos of the Sri Lankan traditional dance that I saw the day before. Ceylon tea tastes good, especially when you pair it with Sri Lankan dishes. The dishes here are similar to Indian cuisine — it’s delicious, flavourful, spicy but sometimes oily. Therefore, having a cup…
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Galentine’s Day at Sea Rock Villa, Bentota, Sri Lanka
It’s the lovey-dovey month again (yes, FEBRUARY) and the sky has been gloomy these days. Come on, we need sunshine to welcome Valentine’s day! In February 2019, I went to Sri Lanka for a 6 days solo trip and enjoyed it to the max. The travel agent arranged a one-night stay at Sea Rock Villa, Bentota before my last day and I found myself thinking, “Yes! I deserved this!”. Bentota is a resort town with clean, private beaches, comfortable resorts and is less packed. It’s a contrast to Hikkaduwa, which is as busy as Kuta (Bali). If you’re thinking to have Valentine’s Day trip to Sri Lanka with your bae,…
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9 Fun Facts About Sri Lanka That You Should Know
In the previous post about me feeling regret visiting Sri Lanka, I haven’t shared with you some fun facts about the country. If you have no idea about Sri Lanka, here are 9 fun facts that you should know: Bring USD If you can’t find money changers that sell Sri Lankan Rupee in your country, get USD. Remember, bring USD – NOT Pound sterling or Euro because they’ll charge travelers for commission rate. In general, the country accepts USD and Sri Lankan Rupee as payment. Therefore, even if you don’t have time to change your money into Sri Lankan Rupee, you can still pay with USD in most places. Sri…
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Breakfast and Birdwatching at M.P.S. Village, Sri Lanka
In the previous blog post, I shared that to travel is also to enjoy food. In addition, I feel that your travel experience is also affected by your choice of accommodation. This isn’t a paid post. I just want to share my experience staying at M.P.S. Village, a budget hotel in Sri Lanka with a wonderful view and yummy breakfast. Imagine hearing the sound of peacocks and other kinds of birds while enjoying your breakfast! Peacocks? Where do they come from? I’ll tell you later 😉 M.P.S. Village, a Budget Hotel Surrounded by Greens and Birds First of all, this beautiful budget hotel isn’t located in Dambulla city center. You…
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How “Begpackers” Make Me Feel Grateful for My Powerless Passport
I used to feel bitter towards “begpackers” because of my powerless passport, but not anymore. First of all, according to Global Passport Power Rank, my Indonesian passport is ranked 58th out of 93. While doing this research, I get to know that my passport is ranked lower than the passport of the countries I never heard of like Nauru, Kiribati, and Vanuatu. More surprisingly, the passport of Timor-Leste, which was part of Indonesia until 1999, is doing better – sitting at the 45th position! The Roots of My Bitterness Towards “Begpackers” For someone who loves travelling, the roots of my bitterness towards “begpackers” are obvious. I have to work hard…
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Nuwara Eliya: An English Tale in Sri Lanka
Being a tropical country located near South India, I used to think that when visiting Sri Lanka, all I needed to pack was summer clothes. Wrong. Especially if you’re planning to stay in Nuwara Eliya, a beautiful English town on top of a hill. Dubbed Little England, the town is a contrast to other cities in Sri Lanka not only because of the English history, but also the climate and architecture. Founded by Samuel Baker in 1846, Nuwara Eliya’s cool climate (daily average of 16°C) made the town a favourite place to stay for British civil servants and colonialists. I’m so happy to include Nuwara Eliya in my Sri Lanka…
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I Visit Lonely Planet’s Hottest Destination 2019 and Regret
Like most of my friends, or should I say, most Asians, Sri Lanka, Lonely Planet’s hottest destination in 2019, is a country that we never dream of visiting. It doesn’t even cross my mind. However, my crush tells me that he’s been to Sri Lanka four times and the country is one of travel’s best-kept secrets. Really? What are the good things in Sri Lanka? Soon after, Lonely Planet named Sri Lanka the best country in the world to visit in 2019! I feel so curious. I know that I need to see and experience the country myself. “You better hurry or it’ll soon become packed with travellers, just like…
