Keep Calm and Travelanka – 10 reasons why Sri Lanka should be your next travel destination!

Picture taken in the streets of Galle

I am a picky traveler and take my trips very seriously. For years I ignored Sri Lanka, although my husband makes frequent trips to the country for work. However, in the past 7 months, I ended up travelling to Sri Lanka twice, by CHOICE, and have fallen in love with SO many things about the little island-nation. Now, I want to be a walking-talking-advert for Sri Lanka and encourage everyone to go, explore, fall in love and come back as a satisfied tourist. I am not surprised to learn that the English word ‘Serendipity’ - meaning 'a happy accident' takes its roots in Sri Lanka. Your visit to the country will surely be a journey of happy accidents and stumbling upon pleasant surprises!

Sri Lanka has a lot a to offer and I simply love the maps you get at the airport and hotels showing in pictures and icons what Sri Lanka is all about. 

It is a small country and till now I have seen just a little bit of it but a lot needs to be covered in the future (hopefully). Below I am going to talk about what I loved about this country and why I think you should go too. Go to Sri Lanka because:

1. Of the People

Sri Lanka happens to have the sweetest people I have seen and been around in all the countries I have visited to date. They are genuine, helpful and all-smiles, giving the most warm vibes to tourists. The hospitality you receive at hotels is unparalleled. There are no tourist scams – of course you have to be careful wherever you go, but there is a general feeling of safety (the opposite of what you feel in Thailand because of the many tourist scams). The best thing is that they love Pakistanis! When you tell someone that you are from Pakistan, you receive a thumbs up with the statements ‘Good Country!’ or ‘Afridi!’. That is definitely heartwarming (and rare these days if I must add). If they request you to stop for a photo, don't be surprised! In fact, that can be quite an ego-booster.

2. It’s Cheap.

By cheap I mean relatively. You can stay at a five star resort for $200, which is cheaper than Thailand. The food, when converted to Pakistani Rupees is as expensive (or cheap) as you would get in Pakistan. The shopping too is very affordable, so are the water sports, renting a car or entry tickets for sightseeing. So you should definitely go there if you are looking for a budget-holiday.

3. The sunset at the Galle Rock is one of the most beautiful you’ll ever see.

I read about watching the sun set at Galle Rock is one of the things-to-do in Sri Lanka. But mind you, only seeing is believing. I love sun sets. I love watching the sky change its colours from blue to orange to red to black. I love how the sun does its job and then gives way to the moon to come and take over the sky. And if you love this magic show too, Galle is the place to be. As the sun sets, the calm, playful sea waves turn into raging monsters, splashing against the huge rocks, making so much noise, yet being so soothing for the nerves.

Galle however is not just a must-go to see the setting sun; Exploring its streets with little shops and restaurants and quaint little houses is a lot of fun. Walking along the fort walls and imagining where the colonizers' ships would dock and what all they would loot from Ceylon, how they would protect their walls makes you feel like a part of a story. If you’re lucky enough to be in Galle on a rainy day, I am sure you will not be able to forget the visual delight you will experience. It is one of the most photogenic cities I have been to and some of our best pictures are from there.

Rocket Burger

Galle Cricket Stadium, visible from the Galle Fort walls

4. It’s the best place for home shopping

I went to Sri Lanka with a no-shopping slogan but came back with a lot. And since my shopping experience was beyond amazing, I dedicated a separate blog to show the world what I bought. You can see my shopping here.

The stuff that I regretted not buying includes the wonderful paintings I saw at Bentota and the leather chairs and footrests which I saw, again, in Bentota. The price of the paintings ranged between PKR 600 – 4000 depending on the size of the canvas. The price quoted for this original leather chair was about PKR 8,000 but I am sure I would have gotten a better price had I bargained. I should have. Also, there is a HUGE variety of wall masks. If you're a fan of those, Sri Lanka is the place to be.

5. The beaches are lovely

Sri Lanka, being an island, is the land of endless gorgeous beaches. Whichever time of the year you go, you will get the opportunity to put on your beach hats, rub on some sun block and lie on a beach bed, reading a book while sipping a mocktail, do some people watching or just doze off. And of course swim in the crystal clear Lankan waters. The Unawatuna beach has some sort of nightlife and a party vibe (though not like it is in Thailand, much slower) and restaurants line the stretch of the beach. Bentota is where you need to head to if you want total relaxation. There are various sea-related activities you can do – snorkeling, scuba diving, jet skiing, whale watching, boat tours around mangroves and surfing. I am not a fan of water sports (sorry I have a weak heart) but I was persuaded by my friends to do this mad inflated sofa ride- where the sofa is attached to a jet ski and the jet ski wala gives you the scare of your life while performing his antics. You jump wildly on the inflated sofa, get sore hands while trying to hold on as tightly as possible, get a kilo of salt in your system as you swallow a lot of sea water, you may even fall into the water (my friend did) – it’s a crazy experience. Try karna banta hai.

TIP: Do go for the river safari in Bentota. Those 3 minutes you spend riding through the mangroves is probably the most quaint situation you’ll ever be in life.

 

6. Where else would you see fishermen looking for fish sitting on a stick?!

We went to photograph the stilt fishermen in Weligama, which is a short drive away from Unawatuna. It was a lot of fun watching the fishermen pose on sticks. Taking pictures of them meant jumping into the water and having a hard time protecting our camera from the crazy waves. It was however, a fun experience and the pictures came out great!

7. The food at ‘Chutney’ is amazing

If you spend time in Colombo, you MUST go the Cinnamon Grand Hotel and have lunch at their restaurant Chutney where they serve great South Indian food. I don’t really know much about South Indian food except for dosas so we requested our waiter to suggest what to order. I assure you, at the end of your meal there, you will be in a food coma.

8. The view from the infinity pool at Thawtisa resort is jaw dropping

It is an EXPERIENCE to swim in this pool overlooking the Indian Ocean – peaceful and quiet, just the sound of ripples in the pool and all your eyes can see is blue and green. BLISS. The pool is open till late at night so it is a great way to relax further after relaxing at the beach all day!

We stayed at Villa Thawtisa in Unawatuna and had a great experience. The hotel is located atop a hill so the beach and the market are a short walk away. The walk is not too taxing and you get plenty of tuk tuks in case you feel you can’t walk on your way back. The ride from the beach to the hotel costs PKR 150 -200. You can get details about the hotel here.

9. It feels like heaven at Spa Sanctuary

My husband and I love massages. Europe ho ya Asia, har holiday pe aik massage to banta hai. Spa Sanctuary is THE most amazing place to enjoy a Sri Lankan massage. The spa is quiet and the customer service is super. The massage rooms have a natural setting – they are built in a thatch-like style with breezy white curtains covering the windows. The windows are open, so that the sounds of the ruffling leaves and chirping birds can be clearly heard by the client. There is no AC, just a ceiling fan and the cool sea breeze that ventilate the room. The products used are traditional and ayurvedic. All you can see is green trees IF you manage to open your eyes during the massage. My therapist’s name was Prashanti – if you ever go, do yourself a favour and request for her. As she enchanted me with her moves, I felt myself slowly melting into the massage table, constantly dozing off and waking, in an indescribable state of bliss. It was heavenly. I have acute back pain so I requested her to give more time to my back. I went there thrice (yes that’s how amazing it was) and got the ayurvedic body massage each time. It costs PKR 2400 per visit. After the massage you are also treated with fresh coconut water – and like a zombie, sadly, you have to leave their premises after that. I suggest that you walk straight to 'Koko's on the Beach' to enjoy a good burger.

TIP: Get a booking for yourself a day in advance to avoid not getting a slot when you go. Spa Santuary is very popular and during the peak season (dec- feb), they are very busy! Not being able to get a massage from there would be a major loss for you, trust me.

10. Everyone needs a tech-detox at Sinharaja Rainforest

My one day and one night in Sinharaja rainforest will surely be unforgettable. I had never seen a rainforest before. Because of time limitations, we had to choose between Nuwara Eliya and Sinharaja – so shelving Nuwara Eliya for next time, we picked the forest. We stayed at Sinharaja Forest Edge Hotel which is a small boutique hotel run by Mr. and Mrs. Prasad.  They are extremely warm and helpful people. You get a room with an amazing view of the forest. At sun rise when you peek out of the window, the forest is misty, looking so enchanting.

We reached around lunchtime, had a home-cooked meal and left for a trek inside the forest. We were lucky to get an amazing guide, Hemal, who was truly one with nature. He understood each sound of the forest and by looking at the kind of vegetation and amount of sunlight in an area, was able to find species for us to see from the most unthinkable places – under a leaf, beneath a rock, behind a tree. He was a real life Mowgli. What I loved about the trek was that all I could see was green. All I could hear was silence, interrupted with the coo-coo of birds, the chirr of crickets or the ripples of the water flowing in the river. And of course, I disturbed the silence of the surroundings by my occasional screams when I saw jumping lizards – I think with jumping lizards screaming is not too uncalled for. Agreed? We stopped to rest at a waterfall – what a surreal experience that was. You can take a swim in the water or just lie down on the rocks. It was just amazing.

Here I would like to add that a little puppy made my trek extremely uncomfortable. As soon as he set his eyes upon me, it was love at first sight and  he decided to follow me, putting his life in danger, following me across the river but not losing his love and determination at any point. I was scared the whole time that I might crush it under my feet – it was minute – but who can help love. When we stopped at the waterfall, he waited for a long time to make sure I am not going anywhere. And then he slept – giving me the golden chance of covering him with a leaf and then abandoning – or escaping – him. It was a close call. My husband was made to keep as quiet as he must when my daughter falls asleep after a LONG attempt.

There are no phone or internet signals in the forest. That was nice. It made me appreciate nature, take a pause, think about life and have long discussions with my husband about the purpose of the universe. The stars were clear and bright, the fire (that Mr.Prasad set for us at night) nice and warm. ANOTHER dog slept next to me in peace at this point, this one I didn’t mind, we had a cup of tea and enjoyed a downloaded album of Bollywood instrumental from gaana.com. It was a good night. Lots of fireflies lit up the tall grass fields and the blackness of the night that surrounded us.

On our way out of the forest the next morning, we stopped at one of the tea plantations in the area. I learnt how my most favorite drink in the world is made, I got to try silver and golden tea and enjoyed the breathtaking views of the plantation. It was my consolation prize for not being able to go to Nuwara Eliya. 

Ready to book your tickets? Hope you are!

Until next time, too roo loo!

Keep Calm and Eat Karachi – Burns Road Food Tour

You can’t really say you like being Christopher Columbus if you don’t venture out into exploring and discovering your own city. So I decided to get acquainted with my love, Karachi, a little more.  This city, known as the ‘most dangerous city’ and one of the ‘deadliest megacities’ by the rest of the world, is also the city of lights, the city of many languages, the city of many ethnicities, the city of vibrant people, the city of apartment buildings, the city of a colonial past, the city by the Arabian Sea and the city of AMAZING food. Though Lahore is more famous for its food and Punjabis for their appetite, Karachi is arguably the best city in Pakistan if you want to indulge in great desi as well as international food. Karachiites, I tell you, have a more diverse food palette than anywhere else in Pakistan and they, too, love to eat!

So, to bite into Karachi a little more, me, my husband and another couple, with our respective kids, headed out to Burns (locally called Buns) Road last a few days ago – and – were mind blown. The Mr. in this couple, who happens to be one of the co-founders of The East End, helped us navigate and the Mrs. suggested what to eat from where. My husband and I grew up in Lahore so we would have been lost at Burns Road without these two. We food-hopped from one restaurant to another, trying to maximize the trip in terms of taste and variety, yet coming back with an intact stomach, which, by the end, was ready to explode. Get ready for some food porn, ‘coz this kind, yo mama will endorse.

Nice ring, no?

We took along just one car because this place can be a challenge in terms of finding a parking. Better would be to take a rickshaw or your driver so you don’t tragically spend the first hour finding a parking spot. We were, however, lucky enough to find a great parking spot right in front of Malik Nihari. Also, if you go a little later, around 10:30 PM, you are more likely to find a good, convenient parking space. Nevertheless, be ready for some walking and please, don’t wear heels.

TIP # 1: Take along a dupatta (if you’re a female of course) to blend in a little more.

We started with ordering a plate of haleem from Karachi Haleem and 2 naans. The waiter brought us our hot plate of haleem, sprinkled some chaat masala, some fried and dried onions and then squeezed a lemon on top. It was fun watching him do his Master Chef moves. And then, we digged in – and ufff – kya baat thi haleem ki. It makes my mouth water while I write this. The mirchi made us buy two 7Ups too. The cost of this haleem plate was Rs.80.

Mana Lo Haleem ka Love with 7Up

The next thing we tried was a plate of kata kat from Agha Sajji House. Initially, I felt kind of averse to tasting the kata kat as I am not a fan of eating ‘various parts’ of animals but when the sizzling hot plate came in front of me, I just had to give it a try. It turned out to be better tasting than MANY of the Pakistani dishes I have had over my 32-year lifespan. The fragrant steam hissing off the hot plate perfumed the air. The green chilies cut into small pieces and mixed with the kata kat were conspicuously standing out and giving an extra kick of spice, which I love in desi food. The whole ambiance was amazing – the sound of kata kat being cooked in the background, the cook throwing in ingredients like a boss, the smoke of the food being cooked live, the chickens partying around a bonfire, the ghubaaray waley ke naarey, the paan walay ki peek, the bachon ka shor – it was all so typical Karachi – I love the halla gulla of the busy city and if you want to experience the real Karachi food scene, believe you me, you don’t get that at Zamazama or Shahbaz Commercial.

Chicken Party

And Karachi lives...

  

The plate of Kata Kat cost us Rs.560, a bit more expensive because we also added chaanpein.

Kata Kat Plate

Garam garam naan

TIP # 2: If you take your kids along and as a rule don’t give them fizzy drinks like me, then do take their water bottle from home – the glasses given at the dhabas/restaurants aren’t the most clean-looking. They probably just get a dip in the water and never get soaped.

Although we were already in the initial stages of food coma, we headed to Malik Nihari, where we again shared one plate of nihari with one naan and one sheermaal. Of course, the consumption of more drinks was made necessary by the super spicy, super oily but super yummy nihari. The family section is on the first floor, which gives you a bird’s eye view of what stages the nihari goes through before coming to serve your taste buds in a plate. I don’t know if watching the whole process from the top was good or bad – but looking at the deychka of oil that was being used as garnish sure did give my eyes a cardiac arrest. But once the nihari landed in my mouth, my brain selectively chose to delete the unpleasant memories. That was one amazing plate of nihari. Who wants those bland old pastas and pizzas when one can be on a pure-nihari diet? The bill was Rs. 250, including two drinks. Oh Em Gee. Yes.

TIP # 3: Keep hand sanitizer with you – the tissues they serve are kind of like butter paper and don’t really do a good job with wiping off all that oil from your fingers.

We had resolved to taste many more famous items of Burns road, but by the end of the nihari episode, we were close to death-by-food. So, being good kids, we promised to stop AFTER having the Babu Bhai ke Bun Kabab. And what a good decision that was. Now I know why they are so famous. We ordered just two and decided to share. The mirchi level was pretty high so now it was time to bring our sweet taste buds into action. We dived into a plate of rabri from Delhi Rabri House. Each bun kabab cost us Rs.30 (yeah, that’s crazy) and the plate of rabri was for Rs.35 (also crazy). The rabri plate can easily be shared by 4 people because it’s a sugary shock that can cause diabetes but it’s really, really good.

Construction of a bun kabab

Babu Bhai

 TIP # 4: Take lots of khulla with you. You might be refused service if you don't have change.

I found so many other intriguing theylas that we didn’t do business with but are worth mentioning – the mitti ke bartan wala, the rangeen soda wala, the gol gappaey and chaat wala, the kulfi wala – They were all contributing to give ‘Buns Road’ its character, colour and identity.

Meethi Tikya

Rangeen Soda

It was time to head back because our stomachs were desperately begging for a (long) break laikin, jab zaalim nazar gulaab jaman ko dekh le, to kahan maanti hai. SO, I shared a single gulaab jaman with my husband and daughter. One sheeray wala gulaab jaaman was for Rs. 20.

TIP # 5: When you order each time, order just a single plate of the dish you're eating so there’s space in your stomach to  try out more types of items.

Was that the end of our food tour? Of course not! What kind of a desi food saga ends without a meetha paan? So, after one meetha paan each which aided our digestion, we came back home for a piping hot cup of tea, totally regretting not having the dhabay wali chai from Burns road.

Chalo, Agli baar.

Choona Kattha

Rangon ka shor aur pachaas ka note

Paan khao gay paan?

Tip # 6: Bribe your kids with the prospects of getting a ghubaara before going home to make them act like sane human beings during your food tour.

Total Cost of the food: Rs.1300 approx including naans, drinks and paans

Number of Stomachs entertained: 4 adults and 2 kids

No. of drinks gulped down in total : 6 + 1 litre of water + 4 cups of tea

No. of kgs put on in weight: a million and a half

Overall experience: 10/10

Would I do this again? Yes, totally, I shall be a regular feature of Burns Road

Moral of the Story: Next weekend, when you want to chow down some real food like a champ, go to Burns Road, eat what Karachi is really made of and fall in love with your city all over again. Wo Karachiite hi kya, jo Burns Road ka Food Connoisseur na ho!

Hajmola, sir?