After having successfully extended our visas in Colombo we boarded the train to Kandy the following morning. Our main goal for the next 10 days in the Sri Lankan hill country was to go and find the beautiful tea plantation scenery. What we got mostly, was rain. Heavy rain with strong winds. In fact we were feeling the force of cyclone Ockhi! Power was down and the train couldn’t run. Add to that some disappointing accommodation and a bout of car sickness. Yes, we have to admit, we lived through some “downs”. But they just made the “ups” even better. Continue reading →

Back home, when we put our travel itinerary on paper, of course we had visas in mind, but obviously not enough. For Sri Lanka, you get a 30 day tourist visa, when entering the country with an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation). But somehow, we ignored that fact and planned to stay for FIVE weeks. Accordingly, we booked the flights. Later realising what we had done, we were faced with two options: Change our flights or apply for a visa extension when in Sri Lanka. Seeing that a change of flights would have resulted in a higher cost than the visa extension and latter meant an extra unique experience, we went for it and booked two nights in Colombo, in a homestay close to the immigration office. Continue reading →

Imagine this: Getting up in the morning to the sound of the waves. Sipping on a tropical fruit juice while watching the surfers waiting for their moment to shine. Being served a delicious breakfast. Jumping into the refreshing pool and sunbathing for a bit before lunch awaits you. Having a walk on the sandy beach then going for an excursion in the tuk-tuk… That’s what we call “spoilt rotten” – that’s how we felt living in Matara. Continue reading →

Friday, 3rd of November 2017 Continue reading →