113km North East in a tuk tuk

This was the destination. But I'll start at the beginning...

We planned to get a public bus to Trincomalee, a city on the North East coast, and then change for another bus to Nilaveli, described by some as the most beautiful beach in Sri Lanka. At the bus stop in Anuradhapura we were informed that the bus had broken down and wasn't coming. We linked with an Italian couple and French lady heading in the same direction. Unsure of how true the information we had been given was, we got bored of waiting, succumbed to the unrelenting tuk tuk drivers surrounding us, and went in convoy across a mix of tarmac and bumpy dirt roads toward Nilaveli.

As much as this was not the most comfortable or cheapest option (not that you can really complain about being driven that distance for 25 quid), it was fun, and gave the opportunity to see the changing countryside closer than we otherwise would have.

 

The North and East of Sri Lanka were the most affected by the civil war which continued for a quarter of a decade, claiming over 100,000 lives and ending only 4 years ago. Peace was almost achieved through the 2002 ceasefire but then the tsunami came along in 2004 and caused a chaos that led the war to erupt again. The history of the conflict is complicated and brutal and I won't begin to explain, or pretend to fully understand its causes or details. However, what's incredibly interesting is the rate and force of determined recovery in an area where over 1 million land mines were laid during the 90's. This recent BBC Q&A gives a good brief summary. This rebuilding of infrastructure, and new development, was visible all along the way. As were the scars in the number of temples and statues covered in scaffolding.

Elephant Ginger Beer' 'EGB' is made from fresh ginger grown here in SL, one of the few countries to have their own brand as market leader outselling that other well-known soft drinks manufacturer.

Nilaveli was very quiet. The animals were the only ones partying.

Sunrise over Nilaveli beach

Can you spot the hermit crab?

This palm squirrel couldn't find his hostel after hitting the bottle the night before

There's a military base in the middle of the otherwise immaculate stretch of coastline, which means that a beach walk is interrupted by a 8km detour inland. The most beautiful place here is Pigeon Island National Park, accessible by boat 1km offshore. The island is protected and named after the native endangered Blue Rock Pigeon. There is also loads of amazing shallow coral reef, great for snorkelling - we saw some beautiful fish and corals and had the pleasure of swimming with some full size and baby blacktip reef sharks. As incredible as this experience was, it's easy to see how with increased tourism the coral could easily be damaged and the island probably needs a bit more protection. It being off-season in Sri Lanka at the moment, we got it almost all to ourselves!

Snorkeling has also lead to the inevitable first sunburn, but I'll spare you the photos of my tan lines!