hirohito888

Great read and amazing pictures. Having only been to Colombo, it looks like the rest of Sri Lanka is also relatively calm and organized, regionally speaking (compared to India/Bangladesh and piles of garbage and people).

djjaguar64

I have been all over the world except Sri Lanka(Ceylon). Nice pictures thanks for sharing.

spark787

Fantastic trip report. Wonder why Emirates hasn't contracted you yet for their magazine

Sri Lanka looks a lot cleaner than India, I guess you didn't have to be careful with the food?

glennaa11

Amazing as always! Sri Lanka has been on my list for a while. I expect to go at the end of next year as long as I can score a decent AA award before they make their miles valueless.

Good thing you like chicken curry.

DanielW

Thank you, roadwarrier. It was an incredible trip too, especially all the tasty food.

Cheers, zeltergiset. Yes, Sri Lanka is definitely worth a visit, very interesting, relaxed and well setup to trip around.

Many thanks, JohnRain. Yes, I would love to make a travel photo book soon sometime, even to just self-publish for friends and family.

Thanks, Bretteee. Yes, a bit easier to promote Sri Lanka as a tourist destination than Turkmenistan. Definitely the countryside outside of the cities & towns was very beautiful. There were a few fellow tourists about, but not overwhelmingly so.

Thank you, grandgourmand. Yes, Sri Lanka should be on everyone's travel list, a unique slice of Asia.

The elephants have 100+ square miles of lush vegetation to munch on so they're definitely not starving!

The UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) doesn't agree with your observation about Sri Lanka and comparison with India. Their Human Development Index (HDI) ranks India as 135th on the list, whereas Sri Lanka is ranked quite alot higher at 73rd in the world and the top country in South Asia.

Many thanks, mike&co. Despite my 'private charter' in the Cessna, I'm not sure if I can compete with the private jet and F flights of SFO777 !

Wow, thanks for the great compliment, Fleck!

Thank you, FTN1898, hope you have a great time in Sri Lanka like I did.

Cheers, Air Rarotonga, yes, so much beauty and fascinating things to enjoy, experience and point my camera at.

Thanks, CosmosHuman. Yes, I've got a Walter White t-shirt too.

My first real overseas trip was to India in 2003, and when I arrived off the plane in Delhi from little ole New Zealand I definitely got a huge dose of culture shock. I found Sri Lanka definitely has the culture part down, but much less of the shock too.

Thank you, hirohito888. Yes, I was really surprised how 'normal' Sri Lanka was, a very pleasant and easy place to visit, both in the cities and in the countryside.

Cheers, djjaguar64. Definitely recommend a visit to the island of Sri Lanka. A very beautiful and welcoming country.

Thanks, spark787. I've done a couple of articles for MH, but still waiting for the call of EK. I ate everything from street food, to fresh coconut and fiery hot curries and had no problems whatsoever with my stomach.

Thank you, glennaa11. Yes, you'd better book that AA award to CMB soon. They definitely serve a mean chicken curry in Sri Lanka too.

EAR111pt2

An excellent trip report. I never realized how scenic Sri Lanka truly is!

lb8001

Awwww, DanielW, another awesome TR! The photos of the people were just wonderful, but then came the elephants - the best.

nemme99

Thanks for the report! I went to several of the same places and really loved my 10 days there in 2013. I cannot wait to go again.

halfcape

Another amazing TR. Thank you for sharing your journey.

yhm71

Great report! Thanks for posting.

mad_atta

As always, great report DanielW - thanks.

I loved Sri Lanka when we visited over last Christmas/New Year. We were doing it on the cheap, though, and couldn't afford the floatplane. Out of interest, how much did that Kandy to Colombo segment cost?

If you find yourself back in the area, I'd heartily recommend heading up into the so-called 'Cultural Triangle' from Kandy: Sigiriya fortress is one of the coolest places I've ever seen (despite the unseasonable torrential rain we experienced there). The beach towns along the south coast are rather lovely too.

DanielW

Thanks, EAR111pt2, yes a very beautiful country and a great place to escape from the desert in Dubai!

Cheers, lb8001. Yes, the elephants were really amazing to see. Seeing them on a chain at a circus or zoo is one thing, but seeing them roaming around in the national park was such a magical and moving experience.

Thank you, nemme99. I can't wait to go back and explore the rest of the country as well.

Thanks, halfcape, great to share my experiences and travels with everyone here too.

Thank you, yhm71.

Many thanks, mad_atta. Christmas would have been a good time to go. The floatplane was $170. It was my birthday though so didn't mind the extra cost.

Yes, will definitely have to head back there and see Sigiriya etc. Would love to do some diving and see the north of the country too.

Calchas

Great TR as usual Where next?

theshaun

Another great report!

rjtraveler

Great TR, love, love, love your photos! Last month I was in India, and as much as I loved India, Sri Lanka seems so calm and organized in comparison. Sri Lanka is now on my bucket list Thanks for sharing!