My last few days in Sri Lanka were full of long journeys and spectacular mountains. I ventured inland from the south coast on a five-hour bus from Unawatuna to Ella. The mountainous region of Ella has so many amazing treks. However, I only had time for one.
Working with Shanti Travel, which is a French tour agency, I was lucky enough to enjoy two nights of accommodation and a guided trek along the Royal Tea Trail. Sri Lanka is famous for its tea and this trail was a great way to find out more about the history while enjoying stunning views of the mountains. The trail took us through several famous tea plantations and we even had views of the Lipton Tea Estate.
Along the trek, we came across countless women who were working hard plucking leaves. They were more than happy to be photographed and in fact, many of them insisted upon it.
The next day I jumped aboard a bright blue train on what is touted as one of the most scenic train journeys in the world. For over five hours I hung my legs out the side of the train taking in breath-taking views of tea plantations, vast valleys, and huge drop-offs.
This journey really did live up to its reputation. Being able to hang out the side of the train made the journey that much better.
As the train pulled into Kandy, my next destination I noticed a group of guys playing soccer on a field. I walked back from the station one kilometer with all my gear and asked if I could join. A two-hour match on a muddy field in sneakers had me exhausted by the end of the day. The coach dropped me home in his tuk-tuk.
Another day of transit had me on a bus back to Colombo. I was in a bit of rush with this last section of travel as I had to be in India. This is why I only stayed a few nights inland. Four hours on a cramped bus and I was back in the same hostel I had started in three weeks earlier. I downed a few roti’s and got some work done in the hostel.
The next morning I woke at 3 am to catch a one-hour tuk-tuk to the airport. As I put my bag on the scale to have it weighed I noticed it was 12.5kg, not 13.5kg. I couldn’t remember throwing anything and my mind started to wonder. Unfortunately, I had somehow left my new GoPro 5 and Karma stabilizer at the hostel! Rookie move. They are holding on to it and I have a friend doing me a favor and picking it up.
A one-hour flight transported me from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Kerala, India. I am here for the Kerala Blog Express, which is a two-week press trip exploring the southern state of Kerala. 30 of us bloggers, writers and videographers will journey around the state creating content for the Kerala Tourism Board.
I am on Instastory for live updates about the trip and will start posting about Sri Lanka and India this week on the blog.
Hope you are all having a great start to the week!