Something a little bit different

Hi Saphira,
My favorite place for getting away from everything is the Hill country. Just about anywhere you go, it's easy to get away from people, buildings, etc and find amazing places. In doing this, you'll be amazed at how many little , ancient temples, etc you'll find , tucked away in the country side.
I particularly like the Badula area for trekking. Right to the end of the mountain railway. It's a mountain town surrounded by jungle covered hills and mountains. Very few other travellers around and I actually found, not once in Badulla, were any prices racked up because I was a white stranger. They just accepted me as another customer.
On the way to Badulla, you might wanna check out the Ella advenutre Lodge,
http://www.srilanka.com/travel/traveldetail/TL00291<BR> Rod.

Rod, thanks for that tip - I'll do just as you suggested. Any thoughts on beach escapes? Sapphira

Hello again Saphira,
( wasn't that the name of a dragon ? )
Depends on what you want of your beach.
If you want lots of other tourists around, then places such as Hikkaduwa or Unawatuna. Less tourists , then maybe Mirissa.
If , like me, you like the beach all to yourself, quiet, except for a few local kids, backed up by coconut groves and with crystal clear water, then you'd like my favorite guest house in Sri Lanka.,
The Kadolana beach resort, Bandara Watta, Kemagoda, Nilwella, Thats about halfway between Dikwella and Tangalle on the south coast.
To get there, bus or train to Matara, .. Matara is a small city , plenty of shops, banks, etc but all local flavour. It's the end of the coastal railway line. From Matara , the first time you do it, it's easiest to take a tuk tuk from there. There are local buses but until you know which bus and where to get off, etc then a tuk tuk... Or you could easily take a bus from Matara to Dikwella and a tuk tuk from there.
The guest house has great rooms, all with good en-suite and each has an individual balcony or verandah over looking the beach and the sea. The restaurant is an open sided wooden structure in the garden and the food is fantastic. Especially the sea food. ( Hmm, the devilled prawns, I can almost taste them now ).
Rod.

Hey Rod, that sounds pretty good to me too. - Thanks again Sapphira

I did some hiking in the knuckles range around kandy. Very beautiful, and not touristy at all... We arrived at a small hindufestival in one of the villages in the knuckles where they have some men hanging at carriages with hooks in their back. Very impressive and suck a coincidence that we just arrived at the festival which is only once a year. Great experiance..; It was around the 29th of september, I don't remember the name of the village...

Sil, that sounds good too, I'll go for a wander.