Activities in Sri Lanka
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Sri Lanka Trekking
Based at Expeditor guest house, Sumone Bandara and Ravi Kandy at Sri Lanka Trekkingcan arrange trekking around Kandy and camping and trekking expeditions to the rugged Knuckles Range. Sumone and Ravi can also arrange mountain biking and rafting trips in other parts of the Hill Country.
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Victoria Golf & Country Resort
The Victoria Golf & Country Resort is 20km east of Kandy. Surrounded on three sides by the Victoria Reservoir and with the Knuckles Range as a backdrop, it’s worth coming for lunch at the clubhouse and to savour the views. Claimed to be the best golf course in the subcontinent, it’s a fairly challenging 18 holes.
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Nuwara Eliya Golf Club
Nuwara Eliya Golf Club, spreading north from Grand Hotel Rd, is beautifully kept and has a retinue of languid sleeping dogs guarding more than a few of the greens.
It didn’t take the tea planters long to lay out land for drives and putts in their holiday town, and the club was founded in 1889. The club has been through tough times but survives to this day. Water hazards – in the form of rivers and streams – come into play on six holes. Temporary members pay Rs 100 per day. Hire golf clubs for Rs 1080 per day and golf shoes for Rs 168 per day. The club expects a certain dress code: for men, shirt with collar and pants or shorts (of a decent length), socks and shoes; and…
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Dambatenne Tea Factory
A few tea factories in this area are happy to have visitors. The most popular, Dambatenne, was built by Sir Thomas Lipton in 1890, one of the most famous figures in tea history. A tour through the works is an education on the processes involved in the fermentation, rolling, drying, cutting, sieving and grading of tea.
Although it’s 11km from Haputale, the popular factory is easily accessible. A bus for the estate workers goes from the bus station for Bandarawela to the factory and back again about every 25 minutes (Rs 15). A three-wheeler there and back costs about Rs 500.
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Pedro Tea Estate
To see where your morning cuppa originates, head to the Pedro Tea Estate, about 3.5km east of Nuwara Eliya on the way to Kandapola. Guided tours of the factory, originally built in 1885 and still packed with 19th-century engineering, run for a half-hour. Overlooking the plantations there’s a pleasant tea house. A three-wheeler from Nuwara Eliya should cost Rs 700 to 800 return, including waiting time. The Single Tree Hotel runs trips for Rs 500 per person. Alternatively you could hop on a Ragalla-bound bus (bus 743) from the main bus station in Nuwara Eliya.
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Water's Edge Golf & Country Club
In Kotte on the eastern edge of Colombo, the Water's Edge Golf & Country Club has a modern 18-hole golf course. The lovely large pool here is open to the public and the relatively new 450-sq-m Aryana Spa offers a menu of Sri Lankan, Thai and Balinese treatments at very reasonable rates.
Visitors can use the pools at several top-end Colombo hotels for a fee. One of the nicest spots is the outdoor saltwater pool right by the seafront at Galle Face Hotel.
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Ratna Gem Halt
Ratna Gem Halt offers a five-day basic gemology course that teaches students skills, including how to cut and polish gemstones. Excursions to the gem mines and markets are included.
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Queens Hotel
This central hotel conceals a quiet pool behind its stately facade. The pool is open to nonguests and charges around Rs 300 per person.
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Quickshaws Tours
Organises standard tours but specialises in personalised tours with a car and driver.
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School of Dance
School of Dance teaches the southern forms of dance such as kolam (masked dance-drama), Kandyan and Sabaragamu. It’s located across the intersection from the Ariyapala Mask Museum, with which it’s affiliated. The school is run by Bandu Wijesuriya, a descendant of a long line of famous mask carvers. Anyone can join the classes; there’s a fee of Rs 500 per hour for foreigners who are normally given one-to-one tuition. Wijesuriya also teaches mask carving and painting, as well as traditional drumming and singing. Students can stay in hostel-style rooms for Rs 750 per night. There is talk of a theatre with regular dance shows being opened, but for the moment Rs 10,000 and two…
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Mangrove Sanctuary
A different kind of walk (Rs 250) can be found at the Mangrove Sanctuary; a disorganised work in progress, it one day might be a highly commendable local conservation effort protecting a swampy slab of snail, crab, bird and even monkey-filled mangrove forest a few minutes inland. Even though there is little infrastructure at the moment, it’s well worth taking time out from the beach to pace the raised walkways through the tangled roots and trees. To get there look for the yellowing signs along the Galle–Matara road and then ask and ask.
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Millennium Elephant Foundation
Two kilometres from Pennewala, on the Karandupona–Kandy road, the Millennium Elephant Foundationhas 11 elephants rescued from situations as diverse as aggressive mahouts and retirement from working in temples. Volunteers are welcome at the Foundation – get ready to bathe the elephants in the river – and the facility also supports a mobile veterinary service. Volunteers are expected to stay at least three months (US$2525), but one-month assignments (US$1100) are also considered. Costs include all accommodation and food.
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Sri Jemieson International Meditation Centre
Near Ampitiya, 4km southeast of Kandy, the Sri Jemieson International Meditation Centre runs free five- and 10-day courses. Phone to find out when the next course starts. There are eight rooms for male students only; this is a monastery and temple. Women must stay off-campus but are welcome to meditate here during the day from 8am to 4.30pm. Catch a Talatu Oya bus from Kandy’s clock tower bus stop. Look for the sign on the right-hand side about 3km along the Ampitiya–Talatu Oya road. It’s a 1.2km walk to the centre.
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Kanduboda Meditation Centre
Kanduboda Meditation Centre is a major centre for meditation instruction in the style of the late Mahasi Sayadaw. Accommodation and meals are offered free of charge, though donations are expected. Most meditators stay for an initial three-week training period, after which they can meditate on their own for as long as they like. White clothing (available on loan at no charge) must be worn. The Colombo-Pugoda bus 224 passes the centre.
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Sri Lanka Cricket Office
The modest Asgiriya Stadium, north of the town centre, hosts crowds of up to 10,000 cheering fans at international one-day and test matches. Ticket prices depend on the popularity of the two teams. India versus Sri Lanka matches are the most value. Tickets are also sold on the day, or you can book grandstand seats up to a month in advance through the Sri Lanka Cricket office at the stadium or online.
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Peacock Rock
A demanding hike is the six-hour round trip to the summit of the densely forested Peacock Rock (to make it appear more peacock-like, drink a couple of bottles of arrack before viewing…). There is no set trail up the mountain and you’ll need a guide, which can be organised through most guest houses for around Rs 800 to 1000. From the summit you can check the surf at Arugam Bay on a clear day.
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4WD Tours
Most hotels and guesthouses in town can arrange day trips by car or 4WD to Horton Plains National Park and World's End. The standard price for up to five passengers is Rs 1700. One of the better-run 4WD tours is based at Single Tree Hotel. The road is better than it used to be and the trip takes about 1½ hours one way. It costs about the same from Haputale.
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Royal Colombo Golf Club
Royal Colombo Golf has an 18-hole golf course at the Ridgeway Golf Links dating from 1879 – it was the third club in the British Empire to earn the ‘royal’ appellation. The links are in good condition. Call to reserve a tee time. Caddies are compulsory. Men must wear collars and decent shorts or trousers; for women, there’s a one-word dress code: decency.
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Suwamadura
Spotless facility with trained staff offering a full range of treatment options, including massage, steam baths, herbal saunas, and the warm, soothing bliss of shiro dhara. The herbal sauna uses 50 different herbs, a few more than KFC’s Colonel Sanders, and probably a whole lot better for you. Treat yourself after a long day’s walking.
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Adventure Asia
A Western-run outfit specialising in white-water rafting, kayaking, hot-air ballooning and bicycling tours. Its office is about 9km east of the city. The company also has an adventure base, 34km east of the city, where an all-inclusive package (accommodation, meals, rock climbing and kayaking) costs US$50 per day.
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Poseidon Diving Station
The diving season runs from November to April. Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) courses (open water from €165, advanced for €185), plus a selection of dives such as wreck dives, night dives and trips for those who just want to try out diving, are available from Poseidon Diving Station.
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Royal Palace Park
There are many walks around Kandy like the Royal Palace Park constructed by Sri Wickrama Rajasinha. Further up on Rajapihilla Mawatha are even better views over the lake, the town and the surrounding hills. For longer walks, there are paths branching out from Rajapihilla Mawatha. Ask at your guest house.
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Sonjas Health Food Restaurant
Sonjas Health Food Restaurant runs highly recommended day-long cookery courses (Rs 3000) that tutor you in the finer points of Sri Lankan cuisine. The course is led by the lovely Karuna and a trip to Galle market is included in the price. Try to book at least a day in advance.
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Single Tree Hill
A good place for walking is up Single Tree Hill (2100m), which takes about 90 minutes. Walk south on Queen Elizabeth Rd, go up Haddon Hill Rd as far as the communications tower and then take the left-hand path. Guest houses can supply you with a rudimentary map.
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Sun River Paradise Watersports
Sun River Paradise Watersports is a local operator that is right on the riverfront. Besides renting out a wide range of equipment, it also runs courses, which includes windsurfing (Rs 10,000), waterskiing (Rs 2500) and surf/bodyboard hire (Rs 700/200 per hour).
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