Affordable, Accessible, and Beautiful: How to Discover Sri Lanka from Bahrain
Gulf Insider's Charlie Cooksey Relives his Visit to the "Pearl of the Indian Ocean"
With a tropical climate, stunning beaches, fascinating historic sites, and delicious food, it’s little surprise that Sri Lanka is called the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean.” And coincidently, we all know Bahrain is known as the “Pearl of the Gulf”. From our home in Bahrain, it’s incredibly easy to escape to, much more affordably than you’d think!
I recently visited Sri Lanka for 3 nights and 4 days, keen on having a quick yet unforgettable trip. It did not disappoint, proving that this little-yet-large island nation had something for everyone to enjoy without costing a fortune.
About Sri Lanka
One thing you really need to know about Sri Lanka is that it is truly one of the most beautiful parts of Asia. And in my opinion, it’s an underrated destination. Being so close to the Middle East, it’s an easily accessible and wonderful place to escape for an adventure.
Aside from its astounding natural beauty, what struck me most was how friendly, warm, and welcoming Sri Lankans are. The culture is an inviting one that makes me want to turn right back around with my bags and go stay there a little longer.
My Sri Lankan Adventure: 3 Nights and 4 Days
I started my trip by landing in Colombo. This airport is clean and efficient, plus the friendly team from the Sri Lanka Tourism Board was there to greet us and introduce us to our tour guide, Malan. Hats off to him for making my trip such a pleasure, offering recommendations and detailed knowledge of Sri Lanka and its history.
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
One of the first things we did was visit Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. It’s a captive breeding and conservation spot for wild Asian elephants. Spotting the elephants lumbering along was quite a sight, and we can thank the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) for establishing this protective place for elephants back in 1975 and keeping it going for all this time.
The Beautiful City of Kandy
We stayed one night in the city of Kandy. It’s a beautiful place, but one of the biggest reasons people come here is to see the Temple of the Tooth, considered by and large one of the most sacred places of worship for the Buddhist world. In 1988, it made the UNESCO World Heritage site list.
The tooth in question is a tooth of the Buddha. You can go into the room that houses the tooth but don’t expect to actually see it. What you will see is the golden casket in which it is kept and plenty of guards ensuring the protection of the tooth as well as the peace of this revered temple.
A Chance Encounter at the Temple of Tooth
Purely by chance, I had the opportunity of meeting and talking with the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka: Dinesh Gunawardena. He happened to be at the Temple of Tooth surrounded by cameras, journalists and TV reporters along with his security entourage. Following a few questions from his press officers, they allowed me to speak directly with him.
He welcomed me to Sri Lanka, told me there is a lot to see in his country and hoped this won’t be my last visit and that I return again soon! The Prime Minister also said Kandy is one of the most important cities in the country. I asked Mr Gunawardena if he has any plans on visiting Bahrain or the Gulf States, to which he replied Bahrain is not far away and perhaps he will be making a visit in the near future.
The Royal Botanical Gardens
Another place to explore while in Kandy are the Royal Botanical Gardens, offering a resplendent place to walk about for hours amid nature. Beyond beautiful plants and flowers, you’ll have the chance to spot monkeys and other wildlife.
We additionally ate an abundance of local cuisine that featured plenty of deliciously spicy curry dishes. It was purely sublime!
Off to Bentota
From Kandy, we went to Bentoto and into a new hotel right on the water with an immaculate view of the Indian Ocean. Being by the water, I took full advantage of water sports, hopping right on a jet ski for an exhilarating ride.
While my long weekend flew by in the blink of an eye, my favourite time was in Bentoto to be by the beach, stroll the shore, and recover my zest for life.
Make your next trip to Sri Lanka and you’ll find tropical nature, adventure, history, and incredible cuisine to be affordable and within reach.
I was invited to visit Sri Lanka by the office of HMGRRK Wijeratne Mendis, Sri Lankan Ambassador to Bahrain as part of the Embassy’s media and outreach activities to highlight Sri Lanka’s tourism offerings for travellers from Bahrain. The trip was organised by Mr Chalaka D. Gajabahu (Chairman) along with Dushan Wickramasuriya (Director, Marketing) and Madusha Perera (Assistant Director, Marketing) of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.
Find out more about Sri Lankan tourism here or visit the website here.
