Asia

The best elephant safari in Sri Lanka - full guide to Kaudulla and Minneriya

2hw — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 21:14:55 +0000

2hw Sat, 10/03/2020 - 00:14

Located close to some of Sri Lanka's main historic sites are two excellent opportunities to observe the local wildlife and have an amazing experience in nature. Those two national parks are famous for being the best spots to see large herds of elephants, plus countless other animals and birds. Located right next to each other, they do have a lot in common, but there are some differences too. Keep reading on how to choose which one to visit on your safari and why you should definitely do so.

https://youtu.be/Wv10ahc3KZs

How to visit a national park and how to choose a tour?

The parks do not offer any services directly, so you have to hire a private ride. There are plenty of operators in the area, but it is advisable to do your own research as prices vary greatly. Some have better vehicles, but a higher price doesn't guarantee this, if you want to be sure what you get - ask to see a photo of the jeep (that's what the modified off-road vehicles used for safaris are called). Most companies offer safaris in both parks, and some even can take you to both on the same day.

Babies stay close to their moms

Our advice is to choose a safari tour in advance. A simple Google search will give you lots of options - get in touch, check their availability and prices. You can always ask your accommodation to help you organize it, our host, however, was most unhelpful in this matter. Some people recommend to go to the park and find a ride there, I cannot recommend this option unless you are prepared to get whatever vehicle is available at whatever price they ask. Negotiating may be easier if you know what the prices are in advance. It is also possible to spend the time to go there just to find that no jeeps are available.

Usually, the tours include transport from your accommodation. If you have your own transport and want to save some money, the cheapest option should be to drive yourself there and meet at the park entrance.

What is the best starting point?

Anywhere in the Cultural Triangle will do! It doesn't make a big difference if you are staying in Polonnaruwa or Sigirya, even Dambulla is not too far and the centrally located Habarana is closest to both parks. All these cities are good places to add an extra day for a wildlife safari and plan a visit to one of the national parks. Here are the distances and time needed according to GoogleMaps, which is usually very accurate.

Distances between the national parks and nearby cities
From/To	Kaudulla	Minneriya
Sigiriya	48 min / 39 km	26 min / 20 km
Polonnaruwa	46 min / 34 km	47 min / 37 km
Habarana	27 min / 24 km	11 min / 9 km
Dambulla	52 min / 45 km	37 min / 31 km

When to do the safari?

The majority of tours are called "half-day" and start either in the morning or in the afternoon. All people we've talked about this have recommended the afternoon as there is a higher chance to see more animals and especially elephants. They tend to wander for a bath and to drink water before sunset, after spending the day hidden in the shade. Of course this means more people and more jeeps will be hoping for the same, so afternoons also get more crowded.

Just a part of the largest herd we saw

To minimize the crowds of people it is advisable to avoid the weekend and especially public holidays. That is the time when locals swarm from the big cities and the parks can get really busy.

Don't forget that this is not a zoo, so your luck plays a big role in your experience - one day visitors may see hundreds of elephants, the next - just a few.

How much does it cost?

The total cost is comprised of two elements - the national park fee and the safari tour. Both Kaudulla and Minneriya national parks have the same pricing as the majority of wildlife parks in Sri Lanka. For the entrance, you will have to pay the sum of:

$10 per person for foreigners
$8 service charge (per group)
40 LKR entrance fee for your driver, locals pay about 50 times less than us
250 LKR vehicle fee
8% tax on the sum of the above

When we visited Kaudulla, for us two the total entrance fee was about 6000 LKR.

For the tour, it makes a big difference if you do it in a shared jeep or you prefer to hire a private just for you. Most offers we got for a private half-day tour were between 4000 and 6000 rupees, again this depends on many factors like the season, type of the jeep and your haggling skills. A seat in a shared jeep goes around 1000-2000 rupees, but those are not always available.

So, should I visit Kaudulla or Minneriya? Where are the elephants?

It's time for the most important question - which park is better? Which gives you better chances to see more elephants? Honestly, there is no easy answer. All kinds of stories have been shared online regarding what people experienced or were told about the parks. A common opinion is that Minneriya used to be more popular, so it got more crowded. There are stories about drivers getting too close to elephants and even vehicles being attacked. Blessed by ignorance people claim that one park has way more elephants than the other. Some even say that many elephants have left both parks in recent years.

The truth is that the situation changes. The elephants are free to move between the areas and they do so as they please - because the grass is greener, or there are fewer intruders or just because they want to. Instead of reading advice from years ago, just ask the tour operators. People who drive through the parks on a daily basis have the complete, fresh picture. We chose Kaudulla because a helpful driver told us that there are much more elephants there than in the other park and he was right. They have no reason to lie, as the prices are basically the same.

Elephant gathering

The Gathering is an event when an unusually high number of elephants come together in one place. Usually animals migrate according to their mating seasons, but the reason for the largest elephant "convention" is different. In Sri Lanka, July and August are the peak of the dry season. The weather is hot, rain is rare and rivers and lakes dry up, forcing the large animals to move closer to water sources.

The huge mammals need a lot water to survive. The average adult elephant will drink about 100 litres per day, but it is not uncommon to double this amount, especially when it is hot and sunny.

Most of the time males roam alone

The two national parks of Minneriya and Kaudulla are the perfect "summer getaway" for elephants, with dense jungles and large water reservoirs. Most elephants from central Sri Lanka spend several months there resulting in the largest in the world gathering of Asian elephants. The numbers vary, but it is common to reach 300-400 at times.

Your best chance to observe The Gathering is during or right after the peak of the dry season. Reports from previous years stretch the dates from June to September, but it all depends on the weather.

Our visit to Kaudulla National Park

We got picked up from our hotel in Sigirya at 13:30 and were at the parks entrance before 14:30. Ten minutes later we were lucky to see the first small herd of elephants, four females and a couple of babies happily grazing under some trees in the distance. Absolutely lovely picture, but we were not impressed yet, just hoped our luck didn't run out so soon.

Keep your camera ready at all times

Soon after this, on a curve of the road, our driver slowed down, stopped and pulled back a little bit. A group of four grey giants was just coming out of the jungle just a stone throw away from us. A small group with one baby hiding between its moms legs, but this was our closest encounter so far, a truly exciting moment! We watched them for a while and continued our ride, our guide pointing some large storks in the distance.

If we knew what was waiting for us we wouldn't have wasted time with the birds. The first big herd - about 30 elephants were literally on the road ahead of us. Our driver got us as close to the animals as possible without disturbing them. After watching the group and taking lots of photos we eventually had to turn around and go along a side road as they were blocking the main one.

Not many have beautiful tusks like this one

In the next 2-3 hours we encountered several single males roaming the park, other groups of elephants, watched two separate herds merge at a lake where some bathed and others just drank water, even saw some who had tusks. Along the way there were other animals like deer, crocodiles, several species of monkeys and plenty of birds, making the tour more complete. Observing just a single wild elephant in nature is something that can make your day, we were lucky to see about 150 of them in just one afternoon. An absolutely amazing experience!

Date Visited

August 2020

Destinations

Comments

Pidurangala rock temple - all you need to know about the hike, the price and the views

2hw — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 21:08:51 +0000

2hw Sat, 10/03/2020 - 00:08

When visiting the popular Sigiriya Fortress, you will almost definitely hear about the nearby Pidurangala rock, and even if you don't, you can't miss the scenic hill, which is located just 1 km as the crow flies from the main attraction. When reading about this place one can easily get confused by the conflicting opinions about it. Is it very difficult to climb? Is it overpriced? Is it unfairly ignored by many? Here we will tell you the truth about Pidurangala, so you can decide if and how to enjoy this site.

The top (and only) 3 things to do in Sigiriya and where to eat

Going in... is it worth it?

Finding the place is easy enough by following the directions on GoogleMaps. Prepared for a hike with good shoes, hats and water we got to the entrance of the temple, where visitors are required to take off shoes and hats to enter (carry them through the monastery section and put them back on at the start of the trail). There we were met by a grumpy staff member who collected the entrance fee of 500 LKR per person. Of course, this applies to foreigners only, but we also got a leaflet saying "Thank you for your donation" and vaguely hinting our money will be used for good causes. Many tourists claim the fee is too high and I tend to agree. It also feels like Pidurangala is piggybacking on the fame of the nearby top attraction and have embraced the opportunity to fleece even more the tourists who paid the extremely high fee for the fortress. Keep reading, so you can decide for yourself if the 500 rupees is money well spent or you prefer not to visit the site. I am personally on the fence.

Just a portion of the scenic views from the top, Ritigala Mountain in the distance

Should I just climb Pidurangala rock?

Some people say that you can just visit Pidurangala and skip Sigiriya Fortress, which makes sense financially, but I can't agree with the whole idea. Yes, the side attraction is a lot (more than 11 times) cheaper than the main one, but it can only be considered a close match when talking about nature views. Read our post to find out about all the unique things you can see in the admittedly overpriced, but rich in history Sigiriya Fortress.

Lion's Rock Fortress in Sigiriya - a palace, a temple and more

The temple

There have been Buddhist monks living in the area for more than 2000 years, but the same king who built Sigiriya Fortress, Kasyapa (477-495 A.D.), built the Pidurangala Monastery and the place became a religious centre. Today it is a small and not very impressive temple with the usual bodhi tree, a dagoba and some ruins.

The main attraction there is a small image house covering a colourful statue of a reclining Buddha. The interior of the building is also decorated and some paintings look like they are heavily inspired by the Sigiriya Ladies frescoes. The artist tried to outdo the originals but managed to do so only in chest size, failing in the quality department.

Left: Pidurangala temple decorations | Right: Sigiriya Fortress

The first stage of the climb

Right after the image house, following the path going up the hill people are allowed to put their shoes and hats on, and so we did this, ready for the climb. Some people claim it took them several hours to climb the rock, the leaflet itself gives an estimate of 2 hours. With that number in mind, we started the path, which is uphill (surprise?) but not unpleasant - wide and clean, with lots of steps. We consider our fitness level to be about average, so we were mentally prepared for several hours of walking.

Empty caves with paint traces on the ceiling

Walking past some drip ledge caves, in less than 15 minutes we got to a larger cave, which marks the end of the "easy" path. Inside the cave is a 12.5 meters long statue of a reclining Buddha made out of bricks. The statue has been destroyed in the past, but restored in recent years and now is a curious sight because some sections of it are bare brick, others are covered in white plaster, one can say that the brick Buddha is wearing only pants and a left sleeve.

Looking at the time, we were a bit confused because we got to this spot so early, but at this point assumed that the more difficult part of the path to the top is longer.

The second stage of the climb

Took a sip of water and we continued uphill, following the now narrow and squeezed between boulders path. Almost immediately we met two local men coming downwards, both were barefooted and carrying their bike helmets in their hands. One had a bag in his other hand. Even more confused, we asked them how far is the top and they said that it was just over there, pointing to the rock behind them. Well, if somebody without shoes and stuff in both hands got to the top, it was fair to assume it wasn't a two-hour climb.

The path is clearly visible...?

We continued going up and yes, we had to climb some big rocks and make several small jumps from one boulder to another, but we got to the top in about 5 minutes from the brick Buddha, 20 from the start of the path. That's right, the total amount of time an average person needs to go up and down the Pidurangala rock is about 40 minutes, not including time for breaks and photos.

Here is the place to say that if you have any limitations regarding mobility, for example, if you can't climb a smooth rock that is about 1 m high or jump the same distance, you probably will not be able to reach the top. This, unfortunately, means you will miss out on the best part - the views from above because almost all the path is through a forest and doesn't offer good vantage points before reaching the end.

At the top

Of course, the first thing one notices up there is the awesome view towards Sigiriya Fortress. The legendary rock stands out, powerfully demanding attention at a perfect distance - both far enough to be admired completely and close enough to see details. Unfortunately, the lion's paws of the main staircase are not visible, hidden by the trees around them, but the higher sections of the staircase can easily be spotted, as well as some of the ruins at the top. We just looked at it and tried to imagine what it was like centuries ago when the gigantic lion was perfectly visible from there and the palace/monastery of Sigiriya stood like a crown on the stone outcrop.

Sigiriya Fortress

When you are ready to take your eyes off the fortress you will discover that climbing Pidurangala was worth it, even just for the sweeping views of the jungles and lakes around. We were lucky to be there on a clear day with good visibility, all the way to Ritigala mountain, which is 20 km away (straight line).

Can you find the stupa?

Exploring the top is also a nice way to relax, the sloped rock was not suitable for large scale construction like its famous neighbour, but the ancient people have left their mark there as well. Two small stupas are now just piles of bricks being taken over by cacti. Looking at the ground we discovered some very symmetrical channels in the rock, probably used to hold wooden foundations of buildings.

When to visit Pidurangala?

The good news is that whatever time you pick to climb the rock, you will have something nice to look forward to.

Sunrise - considered a must-do by many. Watching the sun come up from such a high vantage point is guaranteed to reward you with great memories. Sigiriya Fortress will be bathed in the first rays, a sight surely worth getting up early.
Daytime - most people choose this option because it is easier to plan, so might get crowded. More sunlight means more heat as well as better visibility in all directions.
Sunset - watching the sun set behind the fortress is surely a magical moment. If you are lucky you might get a multicoloured Sri Lankan sunset on top of that - countless hues of yellow, orange and purple sometimes create unbelievable scenes.

Date Visited

August 2020

Destinations

Comments

Lion's Rock Fortress in Sigiriya - a palace, a temple and more

2hw — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 21:08:49 +0000

2hw Sat, 10/03/2020 - 00:08

Also called the Lion's Rock, The Eight Wonder of the world and included nearly in every "Top X places to visit in Sri Lanka" list, Sigiriya Rock Fortress is undoubtedly one of the country's most famous attractions. This UNESCO world heritage site has a lot to offer and here I will walk you up and down the rock and will show you all of the popular and some of the less known sights.

Lion's Rock Fortress is the main attraction in the small town of Sigiriya, for more things you can do there check our article

The top (and only) 3 things to do in Sigiriya and where to eat

Many mysteries surround the history of the famous area. There is evidence that people have lived there since prehistoric times, but many theories exist about the remains of the buildings we see today. The most popular and established theory is that Kasyapa was not the rightful heir, but he took over the throne from his father King Dhatusena by force in 477 AD. As the supporters of the rightful king expected strong support from India, King Kasyapa (477 - 495 AD) moved the capital from Anuradhapura to Sigiriya, a place he turned into an impenetrable fortress-palace and a prosperous city developed around it. The majority of buildings that are visible today have been built during this period.

People rarely talk about Sigiriya without mentioning the high price of the attraction, I have left this discussion as the last point in my article, wanted to focus on the positives first.

An early start is a good idea because the top of the rock has almost no shade at all. I have arranged the points of interest in the same order as one would reach them by going up the main path, but in fact, we rushed to the top first and I recommend you do the same if you prefer to spend less time climbing in the midday heat. After this, the lower levels and gardens offer some shade and exploring them is a pleasure.

Water gardens

Walking from the main entrance of the complex towards the rock the first area visitors enter is the water gardens. The main path is also an axis of symmetry for the pools, just the ones on the right side are restored, but most of the left side is untouched in recent centuries. These gardens are a true technological achievement of the ancient people as the fountains and lakes are fed and drained by a complex system of canals, dams and pumps, both underground and on the surface. Now, as many centuries ago, they are a wonderful opportunity for a relaxing walk.

There are some man-made islands in the gardens, where a secondary palace has been built. The palace is still awaiting to be fully excavated and currently, the islands are off-limits for tourists. We joked that maybe the king didn't like going up and down to the main palace, so he built the "summer" palace to avoid the long climb.

Boulder gardens

One of the most mysterious areas in Sigiriya, the huge boulders here form many passages and caves that have been used for millennia. To what degree their current position can be attributed to the people who build the palace is unknown. Many of the boulders have holes and flat surfaces that were probably used to support the foundations of buildings. Some of the caves hold interesting remainders of the past - altars or stone beds, brick walls and traces of colourful paintings. At least an hour can be spent just exploring this area and wondering what it actually looked like when it was inhabited by the royal court, or later - by monks.

Terraced gardens

The lower section of the hill between the boulders and the Lion's paws has been transformed into flat gardens using brick walls, similar to rice terraces. This gardens must have had a more functional role as they lack the beauty and sophistication of the water gardens and the history of the boulders.

While walking along the main path you will encounter an important intersection, unfortunately without any indication where each direction leads. Straight is the path towards the top of the hill, our advice is to do this first. If you choose the right path, it will take you to the mirror wall and frescoes gallery. There the path is narrow and marked as one-way, which was not enforced when we visited, but maybe during busier times, people will not be allowed to go back. This will mean a very long detour, if you go to the frescoes first and want to climb the rock afterwards.

Lion's paws and staircase

On the highest terrace is the monument most often used to represent Sigiriya - two paws of an enormous lion framing the foot of the staircase leading to the rock summit. Sadly, just the front paws remain of what must have been an amazing statue with the staircase going right into the lion's mouth.

What follows is the main climb, so the lion's paws are not just a photo opportunity you should not miss, but a chance to catch your breath before going up the numerous steps. Older reports mention a dangerous and difficult climb over the original steps carved in the rock, but now there is a metal staircase with rails on each side that feels safe and solid.

The summit

Reaching the highest point was a tiny bit of a letdown. The views are awesome in every direction, closest and easiest to spot of the nearby landmarks is the Pidurangala rock.

Pidurangala rock

What is left from the buildings on top is just restored foundations, which fail to impress, with just a couple of exceptions. A large bathing pool is the centre of attention, looks like nobody leaves without taking some selfies with it. I got the impression, that locals consider it the only note-worthy place at the summit. The central pond is surrounded by brick staircases which indicate the scale of the buildings that once covered the tall rock.

A perfectly smooth throne is carved out of the rock remains in situ, a large rectangular surface with in-built back support which may even be called a "cushion". Strangely, it is not in a central position, but currently sits in what looks like to have been a hallway.

Apart from those, the top doesn't offer much more to see, so the best approach is to head for the higher vantage points and feel free to skip walking around the whole place.

Going down the steps is much easier and soon you will find yourself at the intersection we mentioned earlier in the terraced gardens. Head left and soon you will reach the Mirror Wall, walking past it will take you to a spiral staircase leading to a unique art gallery.

Mirror wall - Sigiriya Graffiti

A long time ago the tall brick wall was covered in white plaster and polished so perfectly that the king could see his reflection when walking past it, hence the name - Mirror Wall. It is still super smooth in some spots, but the no longer reflective surface is even more interesting now. A visitors book of sorts, the wall contains over 1800 writings from ancient tourists scribbled over a period of 800 years and the oldest have been dated as far back as the 8th century.

The texts give a unique insight into the history of Sri Lanka as many people included their names, professions and home towns. Hundreds of different authors have been identified so far, most of which had higher social position - government officials, teachers, priests, high ranking soldiers. It is not clear if travelling used to be a privilege for the rich or simply the lower classes visited the place as well, but did not "sign the guest book" due to being illiterate.

The contents of the writings cover a wide range of emotions from simple "I was here" through expressions of astonishment from the site to truly inspired poetry. The wall holds many poems praising the beauty of the semi-naked ladies from the paintings. A great example of art inspiring art, between the scribbles, there are numerous verses proclaiming love, adoration and worship of the heavenly women.

Frescoes - the Sigiriya Ladies

Ancient texts mention vast areas of the rock covered in paintings depicting over 500 women, which surely has been one of the largest works of art on the island. Today only eighteen of the beautiful damsels remain in a small niche on the western side of the rock, most likely protected from the elements by their location.

The Sigiriya Ladies are a true masterpiece, a celebration of female beauty, there are intricate details in their jewellery and faces. Many carry flowers as part of a religious ritual, most are smiling. The artist put a really strong emphasis on their femininity by portraying them topless and with cup sizes guaranteed to attract attention.

Many questions about those paintings remain unsolved - for example, they are dated back to the Anuradhapura period, but the style of applying paint is different from the rest of the artwork from that age.

The biggest mystery is the identity of the ladies. Some believe they are portraits of King Kasyapa’s wives and concubines, this theory is supported by the fact that every woman has distinct facial features. Others are convinced that the beautiful ladies are in fact priestesses or goddesses because they are represented sitting on clouds, a common attribute of divine creatures.

100 rupees note from 1954, featuring the Sigiriya ladies

During the excavation of the historic site, archeologists have found clay figurines very closely resembling the painted ladies. Considering their mass production, it is assumed they were sold as souvenirs to the visitors in ancient times.

Is Sigiriya Rock Fortress worth its high price?

The entrance ticket for foreigners is $30. It is the most expensive tourist attraction in the country and many people do not think this price is appropriate. It is even higher than the 5-day pass for Bagan in Myanmar, which is $25 and exploring a whole valley with thousands of temples over five days gives you incomparably more in every aspect than climbing the fortress.

After visiting Sigiriya I agree, it is a nice place and worth visiting, but the price is way too high. I think for that price tourists deserve at least some signs pointing to the different spots and information boards that are not faded and almost impossible to read. Accepting credit cards would be nice too, but I guess the owners of the high-fee ATM on site are quite happy with the "cash only" policy.

Also, it might be just me but they could've used some of our money to do something about the huge wasp hives instead of just putting up warning signs.

Pidurangala rock temple - all you need to know about the hike, the price and the views

To make things even worse think about the difference in the ticket cost depending on your nationality. For foreigners, the $30 are converted to rupees based on the daily rate, on our visit we had to pay 5640 LKR per person. Locals pay 50 rupees. Yes, we pay 113 times the local fee. I generally understand and approve double pricing, foreigners being charged two, three, five times more is something I never complain about, but more than a hundred times is just insulting.

The decision is yours - if you are on a tight budget, just skip the famous rock, but if you are set on visiting the top attractions get your wallet ready.

Date Visited

August 2020

Destinations

Gallery

The staircase

Bathing pool

View at the top of the rock

Sigiriya Ladies frescoes

Meditation bed and a platform on a rock

A whole building was perched on this boulder at some point. Now only the holes that supported the foundations remain.

Pool in the garden

The moat around the fortress

Comments

The top (and only) 3 things to do in Sigiriya and where to eat

2hw — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 21:08:48 +0000

2hw Sat, 10/03/2020 - 00:08

Sigiriya is a very small town, about 180 km north-east of Colombo and is part of what is known as the "Cultural Triangle" of Sri Lanka. It is home to one of the top tourist attractions in the country and surprisingly little else, but keep on reading to see what the town has to offer. There are tons of articles listing "Top 10" or "20 amazing" things to do in Sigirya, the truth is they either list areas of Sigirya Rock as separate entries or include other towns and attractions hours away. If you are trying to pick your next stop after Sigirya, the relatively close towns of Polonnaruwa and Dambulla are great choices.

There are three reasons to include Sigiriya in your itinerary in Sri Lanka and it is time to start with the main one.

Sigiriya Rock Fortress

The most highly praised historic site on the island has remarkable things to offer. The large rock, which geologically speaking is a volcano plug, towering over the surrounding jungle used to be home to a king's palace and later a monastery. Nowadays visitors can see restored gardens, foundations of numerous buildings and a very unusual art gallery which has been a tourist attraction for centuries.

Lion's Rock Fortress in Sigiriya - a palace, a temple and more

The Lion Fortress is as controversial as it is popular. Many people claim that the high entrance fee is not justified, but you can read our detailed post about the fortress and you can decide for yourself. Our advice - if you do not intend to enter the main site, you can just ignore the whole town.

Pidurangala Rock Temple

In very close proximity to the top attraction, there is a smaller hill with a monastery complex. If you are more interested in nature and scenic views than history and art, the hike there will be a delight. Pidurangala is cheaper and in no way can compare to the historic monuments of Sigiriya Fortress, but regardless - a nice, short hike and a good way to spend several hours.

Pidurangala rock temple - all you need to know about the hike, the price and the views

BONUS: Small stupas and other archaeological sites

As like any other large central site, Lion Rock has some smaller points of interest scattered around it. It makes total sense that not all ancient buildings were placed in the relatively small area declared as an archeological reservation today. There are many smaller stupas, shrines and other buildings in the area, which have been discovered and at least partially restored. I have to be honest - they will likely fail to impress you after visiting the more popular places, but access to them is free, there are no crowds and the remains still give an indication of the significance this area once had. Majority of those are not even marked on Google Maps, so part of the fun is driving along the roads and looking for the black signs which point to the ancient buildings.

Watch elephants in their natural habitat

The historic sites in the Cultural Triangle are what brings most people there, but that is not all this part of Sri Lanka has to offer. If you have an afternoon to visit one of the national parks, it is very likely that you will see tens or even hundreds of wild elephants. A highly recommended experience, that will not disappoint you. There are other animals, like deer and monkeys to be seen too, plus many types of birds.

The best elephant safari in Sri Lanka - full guide to Kaudulla and Minneriya

Food guide to Sigiriya

For a tourist destination, Sigirya is a huge disappointment when it comes to food. There are no supermarkets nearby, just small shops and stalls selling very limited choice of fruits and vegetables.

Some hotels may be able to arrange meals for you, but if you prefer to sort it out yourself be ready to drive a bit.

There are a couple of restaurants on the main street which offer both local and western cuisine at unreasonably high prices, I can't speak of the quality, but there were no customers when we visited, which is always a bad sign.

For most of our meals, we drove about 2 kilometres to the nearby village of Kimbissa. On the main intersection, there is the best option you have for a diner - a nice, very lively and popular restaurant selling local food like curries, kottu, egg hoppers - tasty and reasonably priced. There are also two bakeries open during the day selling, admittedly, limited choice of goods, but everything is fresh and tasty.

Date Visited

August 2020

Destinations

Comments

Ritigala - simple yet impressive ancient forest monastery

2hw — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 14:14:19 +0000

2hw Wed, 09/02/2020 - 17:14

Ritigala is an ancient monastery hidden in the greenery at the foot of a mountain bearing the same name in the Northern part of Sri Lanka, 30-40 km from both Anuradhapura and Sigiriya. It is the highest mountain in the Northern region and has a peculiar weather pattern, very different from the land surrounding it. While it is dry and hot in this part of Sri Lanka, the summit has a cooler climate with more rainfall. Because of this microclimate, the flora and fauna of Ritigala are rare and unique and the mountain has been declared a strict natural reserve since 1941 in order to preserve it.

The misty mountain holds many legends. The best known is that when Laksmana, brother of Prince Rama, was wounded, the Monkey God Hanuman brought medicinal herbs from the Himalayas to heal him. On the way, he dropped a chunk of the precious plants and it fell where Ritigala is and this is the reason for the abundance of healing herbs that can be found on the summit.

The Ritigala monastic complex is more than 2 thousand years old - dated to 2BC, it was active for over a millennium, abandoned and forgotten with the end of the Anuradhapura kingdom in 10-11 century AD. The architecture of this monastery is different than other sites of the same period. No Buddha statues around, no decorations, only huge stone blocks arranged into platforms, pathways and bridges. The ascetic monks who inhabited this place are said to have rejected all worldly possessions and vanities and lived a simple life, meditating along the wide stone-paved walkways and in the simple, but solid buildings.

The site

Not many people visit Ritigala, it is mentioned in the Lonely Planet book about Sri Lanka, but is still off the beaten track, because of its remote location. No public transport runs here, and Sigiriya is about 2 hours away by car, along some very bumpy roads. If you don't have your own vehicle, getting to the forest monastery is close to impossible.

Rassagala is a another forest monastery, located close to Ampara, it is yet to gain popularity and if you are looking for less visited attractions off the tourist map it is a great place to travel to.

Rassagala (Rajagala) ancient monastery - one of the future top attractions in Sri Lanka

No map is available of the site, but once you get the general direction there is only one main path. It goes from up the ticket office and to the left to the pond Banda Pokuna, then along its left side and upwards again. The pathway from the pond is wide, covered with stone plates and there are quite a bit of stairs to climb. It goes through several cleared and restored buildings and ends in the forest at the border of the Ritigala Strict Natural reserve - a barb wire fence.

But this is not all there is. There are lots of ruins in the forest, hidden between the trees. There are narrow trails going left and right off the main track that can be explored. When at the top, there is a trail that goes on the left in the forest, it makes a circle and before it connects back to the main trail it leads through ruins of buildings, bridges, a big stone pool or well and drip-ledge caves. It takes some time to explore, but is well worth it. There are almost no signs, which makes the walk around a bit of an adventure, but distances are short and there is no real danger of getting lost.

A hike up and down the main path covering all the restored buildings takes about one - one and a half hours. We followed all the paths we found and ventured into the forest along some almost invisible trails and spent more than three hours at the site.

Our visit

We arrived at the small parking lot in the early afternoon. Got our 1000 LKR ticket from the ticket booth there and turned down an offer for a guide. We knew there might be some detours through the forest and were prepared with good shoes (not flip-flops) and enough water for a few hours of climbing in the heat of the day.

It was not as hot as the rest of the region around the mountain. The forest is thick and the shade of the trees was so deep that even the midday sun could not penetrate. But while admittedly cooler, it was very humid and we sweat quite a bit.

The first stop after the ticket booth was the man-made water reservoir Banda Pokuna. Bigger than most ponds we have seen in similar forest monasteries in Sri Lanka, it has an imposing stepped wall built of long stone blocks. There were workers restoring the wall, half of it already done, the rest still in disarray, but no less impressive. The purpose of this water tank is not clear today, some theories suggest it was a bathing pool for the monks and anyone who ventured into the monastery, while others believe it was for storing water to be used in the whole complex.

The stepped wall of Banda Pokuna

The main path itself is worth some attention - it is the actual ancient walkway and stairway of the monastery and is wide, covered with stones with interlocking plates and edged with curbstones. It leads up through the forest and past several cleared and restored foundations of buildings.

The main walkway leading up into the monastery

The big stone slabs still holding strong

A bit to the side, on the right of the first group of restored buildings, is an ancient hospital. Scattered around you can see the grinding stones, that were used to process medicinal herbs. There is a rectangular stone bath that was filled with oils and herbs and then patient soaked in it to alleviate their illnesses.

Ancient hospital

Grinding stone, the surface is very smooth

There is a detour on a trail on the left a bit further up - it is the only marked trail (the sign was in Sinhalese only). It goes to what was signed as a Library when we visited, but the Lonely Planet book described as a fort, most probably the general consensus on what the building had been changed in the few years between our visit and the publishing of the book. A solid stone bridge over a stream still stands in its original place.

Stone bridge over a stream

Library. Maybe. The huge stone blocks are typical for Ritigala

After the Library, it seemed that there was nothing more in this direction, so we went back on the main path. A couple of hours later we would come to realize that there was a path from the Library and into the forest when we reached it from the other side following a narrow trail in that branched off the main one a bit further up.

Back on the main path, we went through several clearings with foundations of structures, and the furthest up were a couple of double-platform buildings. Characteristic of the architecture of Ritigala, those structures consist of two raised stone platforms connected with a stone bridge. It is thought that there were small buildings on top of them and were used for meditation. Similar double-platform patterns can be seen in other ancient monasteries in the country of the Anuradhapura period.

Double-platform building

The stones fit perfectly

The main footpath ends abruptly, a dirt path continues for a short distance and disappears after the fence of the strict natural reserve. When we reached the top, I have to admit, we were a bit disappointed. "Was that it?" we thought. It took us about 40 minutes to get there and while it was interesting, it felt like it did not live up to our expectations.

The only broken part of the whole building

We stood there, trying to get some mobile network coverage on our phone to make sure we were not missing anything, but so far up the mountain, we had no luck. From our research of the place previous, there was information about ruins in the forest, but we had explored the only side trail we found, it led to the Library and there were no more. We were sure that was not all, we must have missed something, but short of going straight into the forest, we could not figure out another way. Maybe it was time to just call it a day and go back.

There was a big tree near the end of the path and while walking around to take photos of all angles we noticed there was a very narrow path into the forest. It seemed more like an animal trail, but we followed it anyway and got to an ancient toilet - surprisingly similar to the squatting toilets used today.

Ancient toilet

So, that was our mistake - we expected the side trails to be marked, or at least easy to spot, but they weren't. We started to look more closely and going back down we found a trail on the right. We decided to give it a go. It went into the forest and at places it was barely distinguishable. We had doubts whether it would lead us anywhere meaningful, but pushed on despite that. We tried to memorize markers along it, in case we had to backtrack. The shoes really came through here - it would have been very unpleasant to trek through the jungle in flip-flops.

The stairs have sunken a bit, but are still recognizable

The forest is full of ruined buildings, the straight edges of the stone blocks easy to spot

As it turned out, this was the right trail. The overgrown narrow path meandered around ruins buried in the jungle - mounds of earth and bricks with granite columns that once supported roofs sticking out, trees growing out of remains of double-platform structures, the huge rock blocks covered in dry leaves, water pipes carved of stone scattered on the ground.

Stone pipes

A small mound that once supported a building had many pipes coming out in different directions, some kind of water distribution or a fountain

How buildings were constructed - rocks were arranged on a solid stone base, then plated with stone slabs, the building went on top of those

In a small clearing, we found a big stone bathing pond, or possibly a well. There was no signage around it and the hardly noticeable trail was the only way to it.

A well

The narrow trail then led us to several drip-ledge caves. Remains of brick walls suggested the caves had been closed off and used as buildings. Then the path circled back to the Library and the main walkway.

Drip-ledge cave with a wall

A stone seat in front of the cave, many people have left graffiti all over

There are similar trails on the other side of the main one, going to other yet unexplored structures covered by the jungle - wide stone paths used as meditation walks and more double-platform buildings.

We spent about 3 hours walking around the complex, first along the main pathway, and then following side trails to ruins buried by layers of dry leaves, earth and trees. While the restored structures along the main track were very interesting, we enjoyed discovering the buildings and stone structures swallowed by the jungle and exploring the long lost world even more than that.

Date Visited

August 2020

Destinations

Comments

Rassagala (Rajagala) ancient monastery - one of the future top attractions in Sri Lanka

2hw — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 14:29:55 +0000

2hw Fri, 08/28/2020 - 17:29

Located 15 km north of Ampara, Rajagala, or Rassagala, is nothing but a blip on the tourist map of Sri Lanka. The ruins of a 3 BC monastery complex are still being reclaimed from the thick jungle by archaeologists, bits of buildings and stupas meticulously excavated and puzzled together to reveal what was once a huge site with hundreds of buildings and stupas atop a hill, second only to Mihintale in Anuradhapura.

The legend goes that people of the Raksha tribe, worshipping the Rakshasas - mythological demons, lived there. Over time the word "Raksha" became "Rassa", hence the name Rassagala - Demon's mountain. Later, as the monastery complex was developed under the rule of the Anuradhapura kings, starting in 2 BC, the name changed to Rajagala - The King's Rock.

The history of the place is not clear, there are a big number of drip-ledge caves that were probably used as early as 3 BC by Buddhist monks. Rajagala is only one of two places in Sri Lanka that has an inscription mentioning Arahath Mahinda Thero - the monk who brought Buddhism to the country, some even think this was his burial spot, which would confirm that there was a working monastery or hermitage here at that time. But even further than that, there are caves with Vedda writings or petroglyphs, which would indicate that people were present at this hill even in pre-Buddhist times.

Mihintale - the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka

We found very little information about Rajagala online - in several places it was mentioned that it is a huge site, but we were not sure whether it was possible to visit at all or what exactly we would be able to see there.

There are two reasons for the lack of information and conflicting reports. First, it is very much off the tourist track, both for local travellers and even more for international visitors, and second, archaeologists are currently digging up the place and had started with it just few years back in 2015. There were reports online about jungle treks, very few excavated buildings and need for guides, but when we visited (August 2020) things had apparently developed quite a bit, and there were restored, well-established paths, a lot of buildings on top are unearthed, and the whole site can easily be walked on your own in about 4-5 hours.

If you want to visit the site, a trek of the whole place is around 10 km, which took us 5 hours with all the stops for taking pictures, exploring, resting and taking in the atmosphere. It can be cut short by just visiting the main zone, but still, you will need 2-3 hours. There is a steep hike up at the start, that took us around 40 minutes.

Make sure you take enough water with you, there are no vendors and no drinkable water on site. At least 1l - 1.5l per person.

At the guard booth at the car parking, we were shown a map and we could take a picture to use. The original map is Sinhalese, here is a copy of it, I have marked it in English - download high-resolution version from here.

Our day at Rassagala

We arrived at the car park around 9, and as is the way with everything in Sri Lanka - better to start early to take advantage of the morning fresh air.

The turn off to Rassagala from the main road from Ampara is clearly marked

At the moment, there are 3 points in Google maps - "Rajagalathanna Car Park - Section A", "Rajagalathanna Car Park - Section B" and "Rajagalathanna Car Park - Section C" and the path starts at parking A. If coming from Ampara there is a sign pointing to Rassagala Archaeological site a short distance after passing through the town centre, Google tried to navigate us through some inner streets before that - they are in awful condition, best is to look for the sign and follow that road.

The car park was brand new, just a couple of other cars there except us. The path started on one side and there was a guard booth, that would probably turn into a ticket booth at some point, but when we visited we only signed the guest book.

They had a map we could take a picture of - everything was in Sinhalese only, but still, it was great to have a map and this made it so much easier to go around the whole site. As it is an active archaeological dig, the map was not 100% up to date, there were some more buildings already cleared up. Get our translation of the map here.

The people at the booth tried to help us with the map, pointing some of the places, but their English was not great. It turned out one of them was a guide and he very reluctantly offered his services, probably worried he wouldn't be able to communicate well with us. We declined the offer and he seemed relieved. Opting to do it on our own was definitely the right choice, exploring the place at our own pace was a nice experience and in combination with the Sinhalese map there were enough signs in English to help us around.

The guard and the guide made sure to warn us that it is a 10 km trek to go around the whole site and it takes 4-5 hours, but we had the whole day planned for this visit and were prepared with enough water and comfortable shoes, so that was not an issue.

Scan the QR code to get more information about the sights

A lot of the sights had signed with names or building types, both in English and Sinhalese. In addition, there were stickers with QR codes that said "Scan me", which at first we discarded as some kind of spam. But the further up we went, the QR codes were still on most signs and we started wondering how dedicated this spammer would have been to climb the steep hill barely visited by anyone just to advertise something? So, sweaty and out of breath, we scanned one to see what the deal was. It turned out they were actually part of the signs - the QR code scans to a text in both English and Sinhalese with more detailed explanations of what you are seeing. Very handy!

The way up

Five-headed naga stone

Shortly after starting along the trail, in a small flat area, we reached an open-air museum of sorts. Several carved rocks found in the forest were arranged for viewing. There was a grinding stone, half of a very detailed big guard stone, five-headed naga and some others, worth spending several minutes to have a look.

Ancient staircase

The path uphill was along the Southern ancient stairway, the stairs scattered in the earth, but the rectangular-shaped rocks still unmistakably recognizable. It was around 40 minutes hike up through the forest, a bit of an effort, but the shade of the trees the whole way made it easier.

Mahinda's stupa and the pond

Once at the top, the forest clears and the ancient site spreads ahead, a man-made pond with stepped stone walls and remnants of buildings. There are two designated major zones - zone 1 being the first dig, and main one, zone 2, on top of the hill where works were still done. Then further than that is the zone with the drip-ledge caves, which is completely covered by the forest.

View on the top - Mahinda's stupa (right) and the pond in the distance (left)

The path goes left of the Mahinda's stupa first - there is not much left of it now - a bunch of brick-shaped stones sit in a mound-like pile. At the moment there haven't been any excavations done to confirm that the legendary monk is indeed buried here. A bit after that there is an ancient inscription in the rock face.

A short detour on the right after the inscription lead to a curiously shaped drip-ledge cave - the huge stone protrudes in the centre, a pillar-like portion supporting its weight and forming an umbrella-shaped shelter, giving it the name Umbrella cave. There are a few drip-ledge caves around this one and several more across the pond from it, but the major group of caves, numbering 130, is located a bit further up the way.

Maybe natural, maybe man-made - the Umbrella cave

The drip-ledge caves are characteristic of the Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka during the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa periods, and even until today. Niches in the stones and between huge boulders are cleared and an edge is carved along the front of the cave - it prevents the water from sliding along the rock, instead it drips to the ground from the edge, providing dry shelter inside of the cave. Sometimes walls of stone, bricks or mud were erected to form a full building under the rock. Those caves were used, and some still are, by Buddhist monks as living quarters or meditation spaces.

After the Umbrella cave, the path goes around the pond and to a small shaded rest area, the main path continues straight, but we veered to the left and up the stairs at this junction to have a look at the group of buildings a bit higher on the hill - zone 2 of the archaeological site.

Zone 2

When we visited in August 2020, some of the buildings were still half-way excavated, and some were being restored. The map we were given at the foot of the hill was missing some of the newly excavated plots. The progress of the work is quite impressive, especially taking into consideration the exploration started just few years back - in 2015.

On top on the hill, the foundations of 5 buildings and 1 stupa were visible. The balustrades and stairs are very well preserved, as well as the stone floors, columns, moonstones and guard stones. Bigger and smaller pieces of roof tiles are sprinkled on the ground, a reminder that the bare skeletons of the buildings in front of us now, were once covered with solid roofs.

Not yet restored ancient building

Immediately after climbing the steps, on the right, were a couple of buildings, their stairs and the moonstones in disarray, the floors inside - an uneven mess, and balustrades laying flat. Those buildings had been recently uncovered and not yet properly puzzled together to restore and preserve them better. A very interesting sight, showing how the archaeological process works.

Round image house - the two guard stones in front are very well preserved

On the left of the path were two image houses. One round, positioned on a square platform, with beautifully carved guard stones beside the entrance. The other one was a bit smaller, the stone where the central statue had been still standing in place, empty, the statue itself no longer there.

Stupa with a round altar

Further, a small stupa, with an altar was half-way restored. The centuries underground had warped the shape of the brick structure a little, but it was very much recognizable. No trace was left of the plaster that probably covered it at some point, but the bricks were still keeping strong.

Faded painting, some geometrical forms are still distinguishable

To get to the main site we went back to the pond and headed to the next clearing in the forest. Along the way was the Cave with Paintings - this drip-ledge cave was probably fully covered in plaster and painted with beautiful figures. Now, there was a small portion left, but nothing was recognizable in the faded colours of the drawing. Still, an interesting spot, and gives a glimpse, be it a very blurred one, into what those caves and buildings looked like a millennia ago.

Zone 1

The main zone holds the largest sights and was clearly the center of the monastery complex. A long straight wide path, covered in huge stone plates rolls between the newly unearthed chapter house, refractory, water distribution place and several other buildings.

The pool in the chapter house

What is thought to be the Chapter house has a small pool in the middle surrounded by columns that used to support a roof.

The refractory

Next, the Refractory, with its vast hall, says a lot about the size of the monastery that was active for centuries here. It has an unexpected oval form, uncommon for the Sri Lankan architecture of the time.

The House of the stone bowls for water distribution

Stone pipe carved as a dragon head

The House of the stone bowls must have been some kind of water distribution place. A stone pipe is coming from the hill above, its end a carved dragon head. The water running through it pours over another stone pipe perpendicular to the first one and then splits the liquid between two huge stone bowls - over a meter in height and around 1.5 m diameter. There are drainage pipes for the excess running out of the building and distributing water around the complex. There are several places where underground canals are visible under the stone paths.

Unfinished Buddha statue - the finer details are missing, no face, no fingers

After the Refractory a short stroll on the left leads to an unfinished Buddha statue laying on the ground. For some unknown reason, this tall statue of a standing Buddha was left there, with just a few details missing. It was probably an imperfection in the stone that stopped the craftsmen of the time from completing their task, or it witnessed the end of the monastery itself, abandoned with the rest of the complex.

The stone parasol on the top is very distinctive

At the end of the main path, there are two big stupas numbered Stupas N1 and N2. The thing to note here is that stupa number 2 has a small stone umbrella on top - an element characteristic of the time, but rarely seen nowadays. The detail is fragile and quickly crumbles down with time, we have seen such stones laying around stupas in other archaeological sites and have read about it in the National Museum in Colombo, but this is the only ancient place we have seen it actually positioned on top of a stupa.

The drip-ledge caves

From this point, a path goes to the right and in the forest and leads to several of the 130 drip-ledge caves sprinkled hidden in the thick jungle.

More than 2 thousand years old Vedda paintings

The first one was just at the start of the path and has Vedda paintings - Veddas are the indigenous people of the island and pre-date Buddhism. The petroglyphs are barely visible on the walls, a reminder of forgotten times.

The path goes up and through the forest, a bit narrow in places and not as wide as the previous sections, but still easily followed.

Shamikha cave had several rooms

After 10-15 minutes we reached is Shamikha cave - a wide cave with a high drip-ledge. There are stone columns and parts of stone walls still in place, showing that there was a house built-in the niche under the boulders. Here the path forks - right side leading down to the main site and left side leading to several more caves.

The stone doorway of this cave-building is still holding its shape after a millennia

The next cave was the Stone door cave, the name comes from the stone frame of the entrance still standing strong on top of the solid stairs leading up to it. This "cave" must have been a spectacular sight in its time - with tall solid walls and several rooms, including an indoor toilet. The rectangular stones that were once part of the building leaning on huge boulders were scattered around in disarray now.

The path after that cave becomes a little bit harder to follow, we had to carefully look to make sure we are on an actual path and not a random trail in the forest. This might have been because there had been fewer people after the COVID 19 lockdown in the country, or just this part of the route was not visited that often.

Ancient squatting toilet

A not so easy to spot trail to the left leads to an ancient toilet stone, the shape surprisingly similar to modern-day squatting toilets.

The two dark door openings of the Cool cave, it is almost as if someone is still living there

At what seemed the end of the path we found the Cool cave, the name is the original since ancient times, according to an inscription found nearby. The walls of it are still standing and it has two dusty rooms, the air inside not as hot as the outside. The position under the boulders and in the shade of the other rocks around is the reason for the temperature difference.

And here we lost the path. There should be a way to make a full circle, but we just could not find it. Instead of continuing to the other caves nearby - Mahalena and Shiwa Thero caves, plus a handful of unnamed ones, we went back to Shamikha cave and then back down to the House with stone bowls in the main archaeological zone.

Back to the car

There were two possible ways down to the parking lot - the one we came up on along the Southern staircase or a slightly longer one, over the Northern staircase, that goes a bit further to the east. The junction is nearby Mihinda's stupa and having enough time, we chose the long way.

The longer way down is again in the forest, from the fork it goes a little up the hill, then the descent starts. This path seemed newly built, probably with what was left of the original stones, reinforced with concrete. There wasn't much to see on the way down, except for a small pond, probably man-made, considering its proximity to the monastery complex. Near the pond, the path almost disappeared over some exposed rocks, but following the same general direction, soon we were again on the stairs.

The Northern staircase has been restored

A bit hard on the knees, the path winds down to a second parking lot, smaller than the main one, but all ready for the crowds of tourists visiting Rassagala in the future. Another 5-10 minutes and we were at the main parking and got to our car.

All in all, this was an amazing adventure. Started completely unsure of what to expect, Rassagala turned out to be one of the best attractions we visited in Sri Lanka, on par with Mihintale. Very interesting to see the archaeological digs in progress and the many ancient buildings and structures reclaimed from the thick jungle. The lack of crowds, with just a few other enthusiasts except us, made it a very special experience.

Date Visited

August 2020

Destinations

Gallery

The wall of the pond still has the original stones

Building with well preserved guardstones, numbers on the bricks were used by archaeologist when restoring it

Workers restoring a staircase of a building

Small stone element

Staircase with balustrades and large stones still in the position they were found

Long wide staircase in the middle of the site, starts at the pond and goes up to Zone 2

Huge stone altar

Huge stone parasol, fallen from one of the stupas

The path around the drip-ledge caves zone is narrow at places

Comments

Mihintale - the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka

2hw — Sat, 15 Aug 2020 12:47:19 +0000

2hw Sat, 08/15/2020 - 15:47

The story of Buddhism in Sri Lanka begins on the day when King Devanampiya Tissa (307-266 BC) was deer hunting and while chasing a stag he got to the top of a hill. There he met Mahinda, a Buddhist monk from India, who impressed the king so much, that the king himself, his family and court were converted to Buddhism on the spot. Mihintale means "Mahinda's plateau" and the name applies to both the hills and the small town around them, which is situated only 15 km east of Anuradhapura.

Considered the birthplace of Buddhism in the country, the area has always been deeply respected, many pagodas, other religious buildings and a monastic complex were built here. Now it is a place of both religious and historical importance, one can spend a long, full day or even better - visit on separate days to have time to explore the many ruins, ancient carvings and still functioning temples, all set amidst beautiful, lush hills.

Here we will show you the sights in the order we visited them, but the site is huge and gives plenty of options for exploring.

At the foot of the hill

Approaching the main cluster of structures to see, this is a stop that can give you a chance to relax and start with a less impressive, but still nice group of buildings.

Indikatu Seya

This is a whole monastic complex with several stupas, smaller buildings and a well-restored pool. It is more popular among the locals than tourists, so it is a very nice place to observe the worshipers in a less formal setting. One of the stupas is carrying the same name, which can be translated as "needle" and according to legend, the dagoba enshrines the needles used to sew monks robes.

From an architectural point of view, the complex will not make you gasp in astonishment, but the notable features are the excellent water carrying systems and the five small shrines in a specific layout. Four mark the corners of a square and the fifth is in the centre, same as the 5 on a die. This pattern was popular in ancient times, but many old complexes got extended or partially damaged, destroying the original plan. Nearby, another example of this architectural layout can be found - the Mani Naga Mandira, a little down the road from the museum.

Vejja Sala - The Ancient Hospital

Before going up the mountain one can see the remains of a hospital, built in the 8th century which is a fine example of the well-developed health care from those times. The large size and complicated layout of the structure imply that separate departments existed, specializing in different types of illnesses. A curious object attracts the visitors' attention - a granite bath, shaped as a human body, used for soaking sick people in herb-infused oils and remedial juices. Surgical tools dated to the 12th century have also been found there. This hospital shows just one aspect of the efforts towards general well being in this prosperous area - historic documents mention specialized homes for blind and crippled people, even sick animals were taken care of by specialists.

Take the steps (or don't...)

There are two options for heading up the hill, the first one is the more popular but may exhaust some of your energy too early. The huge staircase begins a bit after the museum and will get you to the first plateau. The seemingly endless steps are a must for the pilgrims but can be avoided by driving south on Kandy Rd and then east on Old Rd to the car park near the ticket counters.

That's what we did and were met by several surprised guards and staff members - we were the first tourists to visit the site in months due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Since March they hadn't seen any foreigners and in mid-June, with airports closed, they were not expecting any. After buying tickets and getting a quick overview of the path in front of us by the helpful staff, we continued to the next place of interest.

First plateau and up the hill

On your way to the top of the hill, where the most sacred buildings are located, you walk up a wide path with numerous stops and detours along.

Kantaka Chetiya

The best thing about this well preserved old stupa is its decorative elements. Partially collapsed, robbed by treasure hunters and buried for ages, now the stupa is revealed to the world. The dome has four rectangular extensions adorned with frizes and pillars that will keep you looking at them for a while. All kinds of mythical creatures, people, dwarfs, animals and flowers remain there - crafted more than 2000 years ago, some are still in excellent form.

Several drip-ledge caves can be found next to the stupa, some of them have Brahmi inscriptions indicating that the caves were used by monks as living quarters and meditation spots.

Sinha Pokuna - Lion Fountain

Amidst the ruins of some smaller buildings, the remains of what is believed to have been an open-air bath for the monks can be found. The small water tank on top of the structure was filled with water and using a spout the water was released on the side through the mouth of a life-sized, stone-carved lion. Today the lion remains as mostly a silhouette but considering some details remaining, it was probably a very intricate statue.

The frieze is better preserved and bas-reliefs depicting lions, elephants and gnomes can still be seen. Many of those elements are typical for Indian temples, reminding us of the cultural connections between the nations.

Alms hall

The physical remains of the monastery's dining hall are impressive - part of the area was once covered, while the main section was open air. There is a very well preserved large stone trough, also called "rice boat" - a canoe-shaped container used for storing rice that is about 10 meters long. A second, smaller trough, a "gruel boat" was used for keeping the rice porridge.

The attached kitchen had running water provided by pipes from Naga Pokuna pond uphill as well as a drainage system. To make the place even more interesting, the stone inscriptions (next point) tell us that there were 12 cooks, a warden and several people responsible just for the firewood working at the kitchen.

Slab inscriptions of Mahinda IV

Following the path, we got to the two engraved stones that are guaranteed to capture any visitor's attention. Erected in the 10th century by King Mahinda IV (956-972), a successful ruler, they contain information highly valued by scholars today. The carved symbols give rich details about the administration of the monastery, rules and regulations for the monks, salaries for the employees and historical information regarding the buildings. Here are some of the translated writings:

The monks shall rise early morning, meditate, cleanse the teeth, and shall put on robes as described in the 'Sikha Karani'

It is believed that this is the oldest evidence of requiring businesses to keep records of their financial transactions. The detailed king's orders include specifics like keeping monthly expenditure records and preparing annual profit and loss balance sheets.

Every month accounts shall be prepared and made public.

Naga Pokuna - Snake Pond

Going up the hill and following a short path to the right you will get to a small water reservoir, adorned with a single rock carving. This was once a small natural pond, which was extended as the main water source for the monastic complex. Extensive pipe system started here and provided clean water to many buildings and pools. The carving that gave the name of the pool can still be seen - a naga, mythical creature with multiple snake heads, it is said the body reaches the bottom of the pond.

Following the path from the pond, one can reach a boulder formation called "Mahinda's Cave", which is believed to have been the monk's place to meditate and sleep.

Mango-tree plateau - the hearth of Mihintale

The word "Ambasthala" can be translated as "mango-tree place" or "mango-tree plateau" which is the name of the plateau as well as the central stupa. Several stupas and other Buddhist sites with huge religious significance are located there. There are beautiful views in all directions and yes, there are mango trees as well and you can see plenty of monkeys enjoying the fruits.

Ambasthala Dagoba

It is the holiest structure in the whole place for many reasons. First, it is believed that Buddha himself visited the spot, one of only ten on the island. Second, it is the burial place of the monk Mahinda, who brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka. Third, this is where a very important conversation happened. Mahinda wanted to test the king's wits and he did so by having a conversation with him at this spot. He actually gave the king a test, based on a what is now a high-school math topic - operations on sets. If you want to test yourself, here is the ancient text translated by Wilhelm Geiger and published in "Canadian Journal of Buddhist Studies", Number Five, 2009:

- What name does this tree bear, O king?
- This tree is called a mango tree.
- Is there yet another mango tree beside this?
- There are many mango trees.
- Are there yet other trees beside this mango and the other mangoes?
- There are many trees, sir; but those are trees that are not mango.
- And are there, beside these mangoes and those trees that are not mangoes, yet other trees?
- There is this mango tree, sir.

Impressed by the king's wisdom, the Indian monk decided he is worthy and began preaching Buddhism to him and his kingdom.

Aradhana Gala - Invitation Rock

The most distinctive place is hands down the giant boulder towering over everything else for miles in every direction. According to the legend, the monk Mahinda was standing at the top of the rock when he introduced himself to the king and called him by name. King Tissa accepted the invitation for conversation and thus the name was given to the rock.

Climbing to the top is easier than expected and the views from the windswept platform are amazing. Usually, the place is crowded by worshipers, but we got a solid 10 minutes alone time there to enjoy it and take photos in every direction. In addition to the nearby hills, lakes and large patches of jungle, the high rock is the best place to observe the next three major spots nearby.

Large sitting Buddha statue

The bright white statue is a modern addition to the sacred hill.

Maha Seya (Mahaseya)

This 2000-year-old stupa was in very bad shape and had to be completely restored in the late 19th century. The white dome is larger than the original and it is said that inside the monument is stored a hair of Buddha.

Mihindu Seya

This ancient stupa remains in a state close to it's original, showing us what the dagobas looked like centuries ago. The name translates as "Mahinda's stupa" and is considered to be the burial place for the monk's ashes and some of his belongings. This theory is strongly supported by the fact that archeologists examined the relic chamber and found containers with ashes and bone fragments, as well as some beads.

Outside of the main complex

If the journey up and down the hill has left you with enough energy and time there is more to explore nearby. If you have more time in the area we recommend doing what we did - come back another day to enjoy the side attractions in Mihintale.

Kaludiya Pokuna - Dark Water Pond

Just a kilometer from the car park near the Lion Fountain lies the largest pond in Mihintale. It is suspected that the ancient water reservoir had both decorative and practical functions, providing a beautiful setting for the monastery around it and also supplying water to a number of buildings. The former monastic complex now offers a beautiful, quiet place for a walk among some ruins.

When exploring the park one can find a bathing house, cleverly built under a boulder, utilizing the space underneath it and extending it with rock walls.

Rajagiri Lena - Rajagiri Cave

Taking a 5-minute walk from Kaludiya Pokuna's car park will take you to one of the least visited places in Mihintale. The complex of drip-ledge caves has been used by Buddhist monks for a very long time, indicated by the ancient versions of some of the discovered Brahmi inscriptions. Remains considered to be of an old image house have been discovered, as well as a developed water carrying system (canals).

Plenty of boulders with carved steps, gutters, round and rectangular holes are scattered in the area. The purpose of most has not yet been precisely identified, but regardless they are a serious proof of the size and complexity of the cave group.

Date Visited

June 2020

Destinations

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8 best snorkeling spots on Banda Islands

2hw — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 06:22:33 +0000

2hw Sun, 07/19/2020 - 09:22

Clear blue water, colourful corals and abundance of sea life - Banda Islands in Indonesia offer amazing snorkelling spots. During our 3 weeks in the area, we visited many different places and enjoyed beautiful underwater trips. Here, we have collected the best ones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urfu6wwvfg8

Lava Flow

During the 1989 eruption of the Api volcano there were three lava flows that reached the ocean. Over the next years corals grew actively over those spots, giving home to various sea life and creating beautiful underwater gardens. Today, they are considered to be one of the best snorkeling and diving spots in the world.

Climbing the Banda Api volcano

Two of the spots are on the north side of the island - one a little bit bigger than the other. The smaller spot often sees stronger currents and your boat driver would most probably lead you to the bigger. The colours underwater contrast greatly with the shore and the side of the mountain, covered in black sharp lava rock. The sea floor drops sharply at the lava flow on the south-west side of the island, and corals there are not that impressive.

During our 3 weeks on Banda we went several times to the Lava flow, spending hours each time snorkelling up and down the coast. The site is not huge, but, like all of Banda, it is not visited by many tourists and the water is clear, with colourful, healthy coral reef, full of all kinds of sea life. There were even black tip reef sharks patrolling the water, turning away shyly when they noticed us in the distance.

The lava flow is 10-15 minutes away from the main town Bandneira on Banda Naira island and is best visited on a boat ride from there.

Hatta Island

Not many places in the world can offer the amazing opportunity to sit on the beach, put your head in the water and see so many corals and sea life. The shore drop-off is less than a meter away from the beach, you don't even have to swim to look at the sea wall. Water is crystal clear, with slow currents. In addition to the corals, there are sea turtles living in this part of the sea, and seeing one would usually be a matter of minutes.

There is only basic accommodation on Hatta, electricity is available for a few hours a day and running water is not an option, but if you are looking for a place where you can snorkel and sunbathe literally on the steps of your room - this is it.

Hatta is less than an hour away from the main island of Naira. The public boats leave a few times a week - they make a loop from Hatta to Naira in the morning and then back to Hatta in the afternoon and cannot be used for a day trip from Bandaneira. If you want to visit Hatta, a private boat can be arranged for the day.

Ai Island

The drop-off on Ai is not as close as Hatta, but it is still a mere 50-100 meters away. The corals are amazing, with schools of fish turning in the water and a special treat for the snorkelers are the big Napoleon fish. The water was clear and very calm on the surface when we visited, but with a little bit of a current underneath - keeping an eye on the shore is always a good idea.

Banda Ai - how to get there and things to do

Similar to Hatta, accommodation options are limited on Ai, with no running water and a few hours of electricity in the evenings, but staying on it will give you a chance for some amazing off the shore snorkelling.

The public boats run a loop Ai-Naira-Ai every day and for a day trip from Naira you will have to organize your own transport.

Nailaka Island

Nailaka is a very small sandy island, there is nothing to see on it, but the coral reef and the sea wall are just 10-20 meters out and are in great condition.

Nailaka is usually visited on a day drip from Ai, or on a longer day trip from one of the other islands when it is combined with Ai and Rhun.

Keraka Island

Keraka is the jungle covered rock rising from the water between the northern edges of Naira and Api islands. A thick and shallow coral reef encompasses its northern side. If you are there during low tide you are so close to the corals that you can touch them with your hands (But don't! It is very bad for them!). The water was clear when we visited during low tide and just a little bit muddy during high tide, but the reef is in great condition, very good for snorkelling.

Keraka is very close to the Lava flow, just 10-15 minutes away from Naira.

Banana/Pisang Island

About a kilometer away from the largest island in the group - Besar, Pisang island has one small beach on its east side that is very popular with the locals. The real interest for snorkelers lays on the quieter eastern side, where a beautiful coral reef and abundance of sea life awaits. When we visited there was some current along the coast, our boatman dropped us off near the southern edge and picked us up on the north side.

Pisang island is uninhabited and can only be visited by hiring a private boat.

Banda Besar

The largest island of the group, Besar has several good snorkelling spots around its northern shore. The corals are not as dense as other places around Banda, but the water is clear, with a lot of fish. At some places, there are huge trees fallen in the water from the rough edges of the shore, and snorkelling over the blurry shapes of their sunken trunks down on the sea floor gives an eerie feeling.

The Nutmeg Tree (TNT) offers a diving tour in this part and they take snorkelers along. Very well organized, with lunch included.

We snorkelled in the west-south-west edge of the island, and while it was nice, clear water, there wasn't too much coral or fish (although we did see a reef shark!). The current was quite strong too, tossing us along, and it was a good thing our boat followed us closely.

Malole beach

This is the only off the beach snorkelling spot on the list, it can be reached within 30-40 minutes on foot from Bandaneira or even quicker on a motorbike.

It was obvious the locals feel it is inferior to other spots around the islands, but we liked it a lot. There are some very nice corals, plenty of fish and some shy eels hiding in their holes. The fun starts mere 50 metres away from the shore, easy to swim there and almost no current.

Things to do on Banda Naira

The beach has a natural rock wall 30-40 m out with a narrow opening, used by the occasional boat. During lowtide you may have to suck your stomach in to go over it. It is a good idea to make a mental note of a fixed object (like a tree or a bench) on the beach, on the same line as the opening when facing it from the water, so it is easy to find it when going back and you don't have to swim up and down looking for the way out.

The beach is not sand, but pebbles, and small rocks, best is to have wet shoes or you can hurt your feet.

Date Visited

December 2019

Destinations

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Climbing the Banda Api volcano

2hw — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 06:20:59 +0000

2hw Sun, 07/19/2020 - 09:20

The Api volcano rises 640 m above the ocean, its green summit visible from all the Banda islands. It is located just a few hundred meters from the main town of Bandaneira on Naira island in Indonesia, providing beautiful views for its visitors.

Things to do on Banda Naira

The volcano is still very much active, with the last major eruption in 1988, which prompted the evacuation of residents in some parts of the neighbouring islands. Several lava flows went into the sea during that time and today corals and sea life are growing into beautiful underwater gardens over those spots, popular for snorkelling and diving trips.

8 best snorkeling spots on Banda Islands

We count ourselves as moderately fit and hiking is not new to us, so the decision to go up Api was not a hard one. We spent three weeks on Banda and made sure to choose a day with a good weather forecast for our ascent, so as not to miss the beautiful views from the top.

The evening before, we arranged for a boat to take us the 100 meters from Naira to Api island and back. We talked with our host Bahri, the owner of Delfika guesthouse and he gave us a quick safety instruction - as it is an active volcano you should be careful at the top, don't go too close to cracks or near the edge of the caldera. Better to have a look around and go back, not to linger for too long at the top.

https://youtu.be/O75V4eWgjP8

In the morning, we left our room around 6 am, and 20 minutes later we were at the start of the path to the top of the volcano. Starting early is important for two reasons - first, avoiding the heat of the day makes for an easier hike, and second, clouds tend to gather over Api around midday, obscuring the view, and it is better to arrive before that. We were told that some people start even earlier, so as to be able to watch the sunrise from above, but we didn't want to trek the unknown path in the dark.

Banda Naira viewed from Api

There was only one way going up, very easy to follow, and without any danger of getting lost. It went almost straight up and the first 15-20 minutes were in the jungle, shaded from the sun. Some of the reviews we had previously read spoke about spider webs directly on the path, and the spiders on Banda are huge! But luckily for us, the only spiders lurking around were on the sides.

After the initially pleasant ascent in the jungle, the path quickly became rough, covered in loose rocks and gravel, and the further up we went, the worse it became. It was two steps up, one step sliding down in the gravel, at places your foot would sink up to the ankle in the mix of ash and stones that was the path.

It was good we had plenty of water and some salty snacks, the sun was hard, even in the early morning, and the air was humid, one can easily get dehydrated. We left one water bottle halfway to the top, to lighten the load, and then collected it on the way down.

Steam smelling like rotten eggs reminds you that this is a live volcano

It took us about 3 hours of very unpleasant hike to reach the top.

It was like a different world on the edge of the caldera - cracks in the ground, hot steam coming out, and the smell of rotten eggs in the air. The view was simply amazing - the little islands in the near distance, some, with tiny puffy clouds above and beyond - the nothingness of the ocean, clear and calm, the blue of the sky dissolving into the water.

Ai and Rhun islands

We took some photos, of course, and sat there, inhaling the view and the atmosphere for a short while before beginning our way down.

Now, if the struggle uphill was unpleasant, with the gravel and the sun, the descent was a whole new level of bad. With every step, the tiny rocks would slide under your feet, making you lose balance and look for something to grab onto, and the loose rocks would hit your ankles. It felt like going down on an endless path covered in marbles mixed with sand. It took us longer to go down than to reach the top.

When at water level we called our boat driver to come to get us and had a deserved rest after the exhausting day.

While it was an amazing experience to see the volcano up close and the view from the top was second to none, we vowed to never climb any volcanoes in the future. The gravel and rocks left some bruises and the hike was mighty unpleasant, not worth even the prize at the top.

Date Visited

December 2019

Destinations

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Banda Islands food guide - local cuisine, restaurants, snacks and street food

2hw — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 06:12:56 +0000

2hw Sun, 07/19/2020 - 09:12

Culinary adventures may not be in the top reasons to visit the remote group of tiny Indonesian islands, but don't worry - there are plenty of tasty, healthy options to keep you fueled up for all-day snorkelling. Here I will present some of the local dishes you should try, the limited and aimed at locals, but active street food scene, restaurants we recommend and the curious local snacks available with hints what you should bring home. If you read until the end you will even learn what a "lobster dealer" is!

Things to do on Banda Naira

Some great news for the organic food fans and people on a budget - most of the ingredients come from the islands themselves, where food is grown in a traditional way, keeping the prices low even in the best restaurants.

Local specialties

Ulang Ulang

This was our favorite dish - a rich salad with mixed vegetables and kenari sauce, served slightly warm. The vegetable mix can change depending on what is in season.

Gado Gado

Another salad-like dish, mixed vegetables with kenari and peanut sauce, it is so filling that can be the main dish on its own.

Terong goreng

Eggplants, halved and fried, served with kenari sauce, similar to the sauce used in Ulang Ulang.

Interestingly, every restaurant we tried had their own, slightly different kenari sauce. They were all delicious, but by the end of our stay, we would choose where to dine based on which sauce was best.

Soup pala

Prepared with the nutmeg fruit, and a mix of locally grown spices, like cinnamon and cloves, this soup is full of balanced flavors and very delicious.

Aru-Aru - Bandanese yellow curry

Tasty and filling this traditional local curry is perfect for dinner after a long day of snorkeling or diving. It is served over roti - the flat bread pieces soaked in the rich sauce.

Rendang ayam

Rich stew with an intense exotic aroma - the pieces of tender, slow cooked, meat are tender are covered in rendang sauce with coconut milk and spices. Very flavorful and very tasty.

Grilled fish

Not a specialty per se, but the fish is fresh, caught not more than a few hours before being cooked, healthy and delicious. During the day you see so many fish in the water, why not have a grilled one for dinner? It's best to order it the day before or at least 3-4 hours in advance - fish is fresh, the restaurant will have to make sure to buy some during the day, then prepare it. It may be a simple dish, but you will not get the same one at every restaurant, depends on the catch of the day. We had a whole grilled fish at Delfika, a real treat, very nice presentation - the same as in the picture in their menu, while in Spice Cafe we had tuna with rich smoky flavour from the grill, both came with fresh spicy tomato sauce.

Nutmeg jam

If you will try only one local food, this must be it. The dark brown jam can be used to sweeten your tea and is even better on pancakes. It was our first time to try it and it has an unusual flavour, something slightly familiar, yet not easy to pinpoint at the first moment. I'll spoil the surprise for you - it tastes like Coke. Not just similar, it has the exact same flavour, just more concentrated, they can call it Coca Cola Jam. The reason is one of the flavouring agents in the popular carbonated drink is precisely nutmeg. Having a cup of tea and pancakes with nutmeg jam for breakfast, looking at the serene islands, anticipating a day of snorkelling and relaxing - that's a truly unique Bandanese experience.

Cinnamon tea

Local cinnamon is available at many shops around the islands

So simple, it actually has only one ingredient (and water) - cinnamon sticks. The journey of this refreshing drink begins mere kilometres from you - the cinnamon comes from plantations right there, on the Banda Islands. When dried, the aromatic "bark" just needs to be boiled in water to make this sweet, flavourful drink that can be enjoyed hot or cold. No need to add sugar! We loved it so much, that we bought a whole bag of cinnamon sticks to take back with us and enjoy this tea outside of Indonesia.

Restaurants

There is a very limited number of restaurants on Banda Naira, most of them are located on the two main streets. We noticed some were closed, maybe during high season, there will be more choices. Another observation - locals don't eat in restaurants, most likely due to the higher prices. This means the tried-and-tested strategy for finding a good place to eat by following the locals doesn't help here. Don't worry, here we share our experiences to help you find a nice place for dinner.

Spice Island Cafe

Let's start with the best! If you are lucky to get one of the tables on the small terrace you can do some people watching as an added bonus/entertainment to your dinner. Definitely our favourite dinner spot on the island (inside is nice too). All the food they serve is good, prices are average and the service did not disappoint us in more than 10 visits. It's best to ask for an ice cinnamon tea immediately, as choosing a meal, waiting for it to get ready at your table takes time.

Delfika 1

Centrally located, this is another great choice we recommend 100%. One of the oldest guesthouses on Neira has a lovely garden yard in which the restaurant tables are spread throughout the quiet oasis. If you are a guest in one of the back rooms the table actually is on your porch, in front of the room. For visitors, we recommend the tables around the small waterfall and the fish pond. Richly decorated, the whole yard feels a bit like a museum - spend some time to look at the tiny figurines, souvenirs and photos on display. All dishes we tried were very good, including the one thing that really stands out in the menu and is not available anywhere else on Banda - fish and chips!

Rumah Makan Nusantara

On our first visit we had to wait about one hour for the food to arrive, so we didn't go back, considering the better options available. Also, the atmosphere is not as pleasant as at Spice Island Cafe or Delfika.

Cilu Bintang

Far from both the lively part of town and the top of our list this was hands down the most disappointing dining experience on Banda. Misled by reviews praising Cilu as a fancier place with great food we decided to give it a go. The estate is a preserved colonial mansion right next to Nassau fort and the atmosphere is really nice and classy, with comfortable sitting and dim lights. Unfortunately, we were disappointed with the food, the portions were small and the dishes were more expensive than other places, which probably was to be expected but we loved Bandanese food and there it was just not that good. We did not go back for a second try.

Street food

In the evenings around 6 pm, some food stalls pop up at one of the central corners. Be sure to get there quickly because by 8 pm most of the food is sold out. The place is easy to find, just follow the dim lights and the locals. Usually, there are two or three tables with food and the menu doesn't really change.

Yellow rice

Very cheap at 10 000 IDR per portion, comes with a choice of salad, fish, some sauces and noodles. Surprisingly tasteless for a good looking mix of different foods. A great choice if you are after a whole meal for under $1.

Fish on a stick

10 000 IDR per stick. I really liked this one, it is not just grilled fish, but the meat has been dried and possibly smoked beforehand. Very rich taste, a bit dry but full of flavour and smokiness. Fills you up pretty quick, goes well with sauce or some side dish.

Meat skewers grilled over coconut charcoal

Just five steps up the street you will find a unique BBQ at the green stand. A very narrow grill is fueled by coconut shells and tiny skewers are cooked over this special fire. The choice is limited - ayam (chicken) or ikan (fish), both come generously soaked in peanut sauce (sata). The price of 10 000 IDR for 5 skewers makes the tiny meat bites the most expensive street food on the island, but it is totally worth it. The meat and sauce are good, but the coconut charcoal gives it a distinct and wonderful aroma. Even if you are not hungry just watching (and smelling) those while cooking will awaken your appetite!

Food cart / the tiny restaurant

A little bit further up the street on the right side, you will find Ale Rasa Fishball - a small, hole-in-the-wall (literally!) restaurant. Very cheap and popular with locals. The menu includes soups and 2-3 other traditional dishes, we chose nasi goreng with an omelette - 20 000 IDR for a big serving. The young chef is passionate and prepares the food with such care, it is a pleasure to watch him work. Sadly, the food was bland and we didn't come back to try other meals this time.

Snacks

If you are after a bag of chips or chocolate biscuits just head over to the nearest shop for local and global brands.

Surprisingly, fresh fruit and vegetables are very poor quality and variety is very limited - the best you can hope for is average bananas. I assume this depends on the season, but don't get your hopes up.

Nuts

Local nuts are sold everywhere and taste really great. Roasted peanuts for some unknown reason are sold in bottles and kenari (a type of almond) is something you must try, we recommend the skinless.

Almond dessert

Want something sweeter? Go for the halua kenari - the local version of the popular middle eastern desert halva, of course, made with bandanese almonds.

Dried fish

Bananas, dried fish, kenari nuts and local dessert

Walking in the village you can see many racks with fish drying in the sun - a very popular local snack food. It is not cheap - 100 000 IDR for 1kg, but that's a lot of fish jerky! Salty and fishy (surprised?) not easy to eat a lot of it at once, but a great snack to take to the beach or on a snorkelling trip. Just try to remove the skin, it doesn't taste good.

Dessert in a cup

There are many small stalls selling cups of colourful juice/cream concoctions. I'm not sure what exactly goes in all of those, but some are a green banana pancake cut into pieces and dunked in pink juice. Others have different types of jelly and juice or milk. At only 5000 IDR per cup, it's worth trying some, they all have ice, so it is a refreshing drink-dessert mixture.

Dried nutmeg

Dried nutmeg and halua kenari for sale

The world-famous nutmeg comes from the seed of the nutmeg fruit, but what about the juicy flesh around it? Indonesians dry it out in the hot air and it quickly turns into a candied dessert. Light orange in colour, it keeps most of its volume and shape, so even when dried it is easily recognisable. For me, the flavour is a bit weird combination of spicy, tangy and sweet. Like it or not - it is a very unique present to bring back home from the Banda islands.

Lobster dealers

This is worth mentioning but it doesn't really fit in any of the above categories. On several occasions, while walking around Neira we were approached by local men, speaking good English, offering lobsters. The offer didn't come right off, they first asked general questions like "Where do you come from?", "How was your day?" and eventually it led to "Would you like to have lobster for dinner?".

Let me explain the whole situation. Lobster fishing is not popular on Banda as transporting to more central parts of Indonesia is difficult and the local market is almost non-existent. When a local fisherman catches an unlucky crustacean he has two options - make it a family diner or try to sell it to a tourist and make some money. Most fishermen don't have the language skills and time to chat with tourists, so that's where the "lobster dealers" come in. They have other jobs around the busier streets, but enough skills to persuade tourists to buy the delicacy and make some profit from the deal.

You may ask to see the merchandise first and if you agree on a price can pick it up or have it delivered to your hotel or a restaurant so they will cook it for you. It's a win-win, as the price is lower than anywhere and the local people are happy to get some money. To be on the safe side, if you are up for some lobster, it might be best to organize this with your host or through one of the restaurants - they can make sure that you get what you are paying for and will probably negotiate a fair price for you.

Date Visited

December 2019