• Latest
  • Trending

Ampara to Siyambalanduwa – A Road Trip

October 1, 2017
Auto Draft

Poson Poya

June 9, 2022
Seasonal Fruities in Our Island Nation

Seasonal Fruities in Our Island Nation

June 9, 2022
Poson and the Mihintale Season

Poson and the Mihintale Season

June 9, 2022
Wine, Hiking & Well-Being

Wine, Hiking & Well-Being

June 8, 2022
Behind the Scenes Green Chefs

Behind the Scenes Green Chefs

June 8, 2022
THE LOOM IS HER GURU

THE LOOM IS HER GURU

May 17, 2022
The Glory of Vesak and The Teaching of Buddha

The Glory of Vesak and The Teaching of Buddha

May 17, 2022
Juicy Tropical Treats: Star Fruits

Juicy Tropical Treats: Star Fruits

May 17, 2022
VISION CARE CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF REVOLUTIONIZING SRI LANKA’S EYE CARE INDUSTRY

VISION CARE CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF REVOLUTIONIZING SRI LANKA’S EYE CARE INDUSTRY

May 13, 2022
Chilling in Arugambay

Chilling in Arugambay

May 13, 2022
MINISTRY OF CRAB RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF ASIA’S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS FOR THE EIGHTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR 

MINISTRY OF CRAB RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF ASIA’S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS FOR THE EIGHTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR 

May 17, 2022
Safilo Group hosts ‘Buying Day’ marking Carrera’s 65 years of Design and Quality

Safilo Group hosts ‘Buying Day’ marking Carrera’s 65 years of Design and Quality

May 14, 2022
Retail
Wednesday, July 6, 2022
Subscription
Advertise
  • Home
  • Issues
    • 2022
      • January 2022
      • February 2022
      • March 2022
      • April 2022
      • May 2022
      • June 2022
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Archive
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result

Ampara to Siyambalanduwa – A Road Trip

by
in Features, Slider
0 0
0
Ampara to Siyambalanduwa route fringed by lush wild greenery

From Ampara town we turned towards Siyambalanduwa, little did we expect the scenic beauty that we encountered as we journeyed through the countryside.

Words Udeshi Amarasinghe
Photographs Menaka Aravinda and Anuradha Perera

Lush greenery of an idyllic terrain met our eyes. The simplicity of life away from the city was mesmerizing. Acres of sugar cane spread out as far as the eye could see. In one plot a farmer was stacking the cut sugar cane on to a cart. Once full, the cart load of sugar cane will be taken to be weighed. With a pleasant smile on his face he worked systematically, cheerful at all times.

We continued on our way passing paddy fields already harvested, glowing in the eastern sun. Cooling lakes completely covered with lotus plants caught our attention, a moments respite and we journeyed on to reach the Ekgal Oya Wewa. Amidst the backdrop of looming hills, the water rippled with the blowing breeze.

Lush green sugar cane

The road stretched ahead of us winding along forested areas. A little wattle and daub hut made us halt for a moment; bags of freshly plucked peanuts had been placed out for sale. With no one in sight, we called out and walked towards the house. After a quick chat we proceeded back on the road.

Once full, the cart load of sugar cane will be taken to be weighed. With a pleasant smile on his face he worked systematically, cheerful at all times.

The rock outcrops rose above the land; the vegetation changed from tall grass to coconut trees and thick jungle. One particular rock intrigued us as it looked very similar to Sigiriya, this was known as the historical Govinda Hela.

Govinda Hela rising above the lush vegetation

Taking a side road, we decided to explore further and reached the Buddhama Raja Maha Viharaya. Believed to have been built by King Valagamba, this beautiful cave temple displayed spiritual art of ancient Sri Lanka. Having undergone many transformations over a period of time, the Buddha statue and murals seen today are of the Kandyan era. Interestingly the longest sand box found in the country can also be seen at this temple. With a length of 18ft, it is made of clay. During the Kandyan Kingdom there was a revival in temple based education and it was for this purpose that the sand box was used.

With this lesson of ancient history in mind we returned to the main road and proceeded towards Siyambalanduwa. It was almost late afternoon and the sun that had been bright and hot, now started to hide behind rain filled clouds. We witnessed an almost postcard setting as we passed a mountain with a gravel road leading towards it.

The vast Ekgal Oya wewa

With the clouds brimming in the sky we reached Siyambanduwa town signifying the end of our road trip.

But there was more, we journeyed a little bit farther to quench our thirst at a quaint fresh juice bar on the Thanamalwila – Lunugamvehera Road. The bright colours of the neatly arranged fruits and vibrant glasses drew our attention. Densely grown passion fruit vines covered the roof of the small structure.

With this boost of energy, we bid adieu and were back on the road heading towards our next exciting adventure…

[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”1392″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”100″ thumbnail_height=”80″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”0″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show as slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

TweetShareShare

Search

No Result
View All Result

Recent News

Auto Draft

Poson Poya

Seasonal Fruities in Our Island Nation

Seasonal Fruities in Our Island Nation

Poson and the Mihintale Season

Poson and the Mihintale Season

Explore Sri Lanka

Explore Sri Lanka Online, the web edition of Sri Lanka’s leading monthly corporate publication. Founded in 1996, the magazine currently has a distribution of over 6,000 copies island-wide.

Recent News

  • Poson Poya
  • Seasonal Fruities in Our Island Nation
  • Poson and the Mihintale Season

Find Us

Address : BT Options 536,
R. A. De Mel Mawatha,
Colombo 03,
Sri Lanka
(+94 11) 259 7991
(+94) 715 134 134
info@btoptions.com
btoptions.com

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 Explore Sri Lanka | Designed by Lithic Labs

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Issues
    • 2022
      • January 2022
      • February 2022
      • March 2022
      • April 2022
      • May 2022
      • June 2022
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Archive

© 2022 Explore Sri Lanka | Designed by Lithic Labs

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In