Trains link the major cities and have several classes:
» 1st class sleeper. 1st class sleeping-berths are available on a few overnight trains.
» 1st class observation car. Available on the best daytime trains on the scenic route from Colombo to Kandy and Badulla. The observation car is normally at the rear of the train (or sometimes behind the locomotive) and has comfortable (if slightly grubby...) armchairs facing a large window looking back along the track. Seats must be reserved before departure. The 1st class observation car is highly recommended.
» 1st class air-conditioned seats car. Only available on one or two trains.
» 2nd class seats, available on all trains. These come in several versions, depending on the train:
(1) unreserved seats, where you buy a ticket, hop on and sit in any available seat,
(2) reserved seats where you must make a reservation and you get an allocated seat,
(3) reserved 'sleeperette' reclining seats which are available on most overnight trains. 2nd class seats are the recommended option on trains with no 1st class.
» 3rd class seats, available on most trains. These come in several versions, depending on the train: unreserved seats, reserved seats, and reserved 'sleeperette' reclining seats. 3rd class is very basic and gets very crowded, and it is not generally recommended for visitors.
Some people may joke that train travel in Sri Lanka is for people with little money and lots of time, but for tourists it is a wonderfully appealing mode of travel, especially in the island’s highlands where the scenery can be breathtaking at times. The downside is that for some routes the train can be slower than a car and delays are common.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Rivers and Lakes, Sri Lanka.
The rivers of Sri Lanka originate in the central highlands. From there they descend to the plains and empty into the sea. The rivers are typically unnavigable in their higher reaches, where they flow swiftly and turbulently through highly eroded passages to the plains below. Many rivers descend over steep cliffs, forming spectacular waterfalls. In their lower courses, the rivers slowly meander through flood plains and deltas.
The longest river of Sri Lanka, the Mahaweli, traverses a course of about 330 km (about 205 mi). It flows northeastward across the central highlands and empties into the Bay of Bengal near the port of Trincomalee, on the eastern coast. The country’s second longest river is the Aravi Aru, traversing about 220 km (about 135 mi) on a northwestward course, from the central highlands to the Gulf of Mannār.
Sri Lanka has no natural lakes. Dams on the Mahaweli and other rivers have created large reservoirs. In addition, a series of small reservoirs called tanks dot the north central plains, storing water during the dry season. Some of the tanks were constructed as many as 2,000 years ago.
Much of Sri Lanka is arid and has only a few permanent rivers. However, the southwestern region's "wet zone" is characterised by numerous rivers that arise in the high mountains of the central part of the island.
These diverse river basins support endemic populations of aquatic plants, bivalves, and fish.
Sri Lanka's known freshwater species include 90 fish (with twenty-six endemics) and 21 crabs, yet ongoing studies suggest that the number of undescribed species is potentially quite large. Most of these fish are small and highly specialised to their habitat.
Other major rivers include the following...
» Malwathu Oya [165 km]
» Kelaniya River [145 km]
» Yan Oya [142 km]
» Walawe River [137 km]
» Kalu Ganga [129 km]
» Maha Oya [134 km]
The longest river of Sri Lanka, the Mahaweli, traverses a course of about 330 km (about 205 mi). It flows northeastward across the central highlands and empties into the Bay of Bengal near the port of Trincomalee, on the eastern coast. The country’s second longest river is the Aravi Aru, traversing about 220 km (about 135 mi) on a northwestward course, from the central highlands to the Gulf of Mannār.
Sri Lanka has no natural lakes. Dams on the Mahaweli and other rivers have created large reservoirs. In addition, a series of small reservoirs called tanks dot the north central plains, storing water during the dry season. Some of the tanks were constructed as many as 2,000 years ago.
Much of Sri Lanka is arid and has only a few permanent rivers. However, the southwestern region's "wet zone" is characterised by numerous rivers that arise in the high mountains of the central part of the island.
These diverse river basins support endemic populations of aquatic plants, bivalves, and fish.
Sri Lanka's known freshwater species include 90 fish (with twenty-six endemics) and 21 crabs, yet ongoing studies suggest that the number of undescribed species is potentially quite large. Most of these fish are small and highly specialised to their habitat.
Other major rivers include the following...
» Malwathu Oya [165 km]
» Kelaniya River [145 km]
» Yan Oya [142 km]
» Walawe River [137 km]
» Kalu Ganga [129 km]
» Maha Oya [134 km]
Ballooning: Up, Up and Away , Sri Lanka
The idea of being cocooned in a wicker basket, supported by air, and just floating over the earth guided by the patterns of the wind in a carefree manner, has a certain panache to it that most other forms of travel can only aspire to.
Hot air ballooning is the newest thing to hit the aviation scene in Sri Lanka. Having overcome initial hiccups as it was perceived to be a security threat, ballooning has certainly found a foothold in the niche market of up market tourism.
Apart from its central hills, Sri Lanka has very flat terrain which makes it suited for the sport. Add some of the most stunning scenery on offer in the world and you’ve got yourself a recipe for something very special.
At the moment the two most popular ballooning sites are at Sigiriya and Uda Walawe. It is mainly due to logistical reasons that these two sites are preferred. Also ballooning relies heavily on steady weather patterns and since these two spots have been launch sites for more than two years, the operators have a good idea of when and what to expect.
Ballooning in Sri Lanka is carried out by two companies at present, namely Adtech Lanka Ltd and Adventure Centre Asia (ACA). Though the sport is new to the country, the experience behind the operation means that the services offered are of a high standard. The person behind Adtech is a senior pilot with the national carrier, while ACA was previously operated successfully in Nepal by the same management.
The equipment used in Sri Lanka ranges from 80,000 cu. ft. balloons suited for 3 persons to a mammoth 350,000 cu. ft. 16 person balloon owned by ACA.
Due to the need for very steady weather conditions, most flights take place early morning. Thus a typical flight consists of a dawn pickup which is about an hour or so before the scheduled take-off time. Setting up takes about 20 minutes for a small balloon and upto an hour for a big one. This is a very colourful scene as the burners are on full power and the balloon itself is stretched on the grass as it inflates.
The ride lasts for approximately an hour and at Sigiriya skirts the rock and then heads out over forest and village land. Watch mesmerized as the light filters in and life starts up in the land below.
At Uda Walawe, the launch takes place on the eastern boundary and since elevations are kept low, animal sightings are high. You might even surprise a herd of elephant en route for their morning splash.
Balloons have an advantage of being able to fly unobtrusively at low altitude. The silence and calm means that it is totally different to any other form of flight. Since the balloon is pushed along by the wind there are also no air currents pulling at the passengers to have to contend with.
Each balloon flight is unique too as no two flight paths will ever be the same. Revel in the fact that the ride you experience is truly yours and yours alone as it will not be able for anyone else to share the experience afterward.
Due to a rapidly heating up land, ever-present thermals and Indian Ocean-influenced weather, Sri Lanka is a technically challenging flight for the pilot. Hanging above the earth in a wicker basket might not seem like the safest way to spend your Sunday morning, but balloons are said to be the safest flying machines going. Statistics suggest that you run a much higher risk driving to the launch site from Colombo than during the actual flight itself!
The season for flying is October to April of the following year. March and April are the preferable months as they offer the best weather. At other times of the year strong winds blow in from the east and flying is only possible downwind of the mountains on the western side of the island.
An interesting event in the short ballooning history of Sri Lanka was the international balloon festival held in 2003. Apart from the 14 balloons that took part, a notable guest was British balloonist Bryan Jones, one of the first two men to circumnavigate the earth in a balloon. The next festival is planned for March – April 2005.
Ballooning is pretty much a select pastime all over the world, and it remains so here as well. Flights are priced in the range of 230 US $ per person and does usually include breakfast. Costs for residents are lower. Additional services such as champagne and catering for non-flying companions are also available. Flight costs do not include hotel accommodation so you have to make sure that you are in the vicinity before booking your flight.
Since it is weather dependent, launch time is decided the evening before at your briefing and the final decision is made on the morning of the flight. Special events like weddings and honeymoon cruises are also arranged. When weather patterns are unpredictable, tethered flights are an option.
The price maybe a bit on the steep side, but the experience on offer promises to be one that will grip you for a long time to come. So placing your trust in a wicker basket and bag full of hot air is perhaps something you should seriously consider!
Hot air ballooning is the newest thing to hit the aviation scene in Sri Lanka. Having overcome initial hiccups as it was perceived to be a security threat, ballooning has certainly found a foothold in the niche market of up market tourism.
Apart from its central hills, Sri Lanka has very flat terrain which makes it suited for the sport. Add some of the most stunning scenery on offer in the world and you’ve got yourself a recipe for something very special.
At the moment the two most popular ballooning sites are at Sigiriya and Uda Walawe. It is mainly due to logistical reasons that these two sites are preferred. Also ballooning relies heavily on steady weather patterns and since these two spots have been launch sites for more than two years, the operators have a good idea of when and what to expect.
Ballooning in Sri Lanka is carried out by two companies at present, namely Adtech Lanka Ltd and Adventure Centre Asia (ACA). Though the sport is new to the country, the experience behind the operation means that the services offered are of a high standard. The person behind Adtech is a senior pilot with the national carrier, while ACA was previously operated successfully in Nepal by the same management.
The equipment used in Sri Lanka ranges from 80,000 cu. ft. balloons suited for 3 persons to a mammoth 350,000 cu. ft. 16 person balloon owned by ACA.
Due to the need for very steady weather conditions, most flights take place early morning. Thus a typical flight consists of a dawn pickup which is about an hour or so before the scheduled take-off time. Setting up takes about 20 minutes for a small balloon and upto an hour for a big one. This is a very colourful scene as the burners are on full power and the balloon itself is stretched on the grass as it inflates.
The ride lasts for approximately an hour and at Sigiriya skirts the rock and then heads out over forest and village land. Watch mesmerized as the light filters in and life starts up in the land below.
At Uda Walawe, the launch takes place on the eastern boundary and since elevations are kept low, animal sightings are high. You might even surprise a herd of elephant en route for their morning splash.
Balloons have an advantage of being able to fly unobtrusively at low altitude. The silence and calm means that it is totally different to any other form of flight. Since the balloon is pushed along by the wind there are also no air currents pulling at the passengers to have to contend with.
Each balloon flight is unique too as no two flight paths will ever be the same. Revel in the fact that the ride you experience is truly yours and yours alone as it will not be able for anyone else to share the experience afterward.
Due to a rapidly heating up land, ever-present thermals and Indian Ocean-influenced weather, Sri Lanka is a technically challenging flight for the pilot. Hanging above the earth in a wicker basket might not seem like the safest way to spend your Sunday morning, but balloons are said to be the safest flying machines going. Statistics suggest that you run a much higher risk driving to the launch site from Colombo than during the actual flight itself!
The season for flying is October to April of the following year. March and April are the preferable months as they offer the best weather. At other times of the year strong winds blow in from the east and flying is only possible downwind of the mountains on the western side of the island.
An interesting event in the short ballooning history of Sri Lanka was the international balloon festival held in 2003. Apart from the 14 balloons that took part, a notable guest was British balloonist Bryan Jones, one of the first two men to circumnavigate the earth in a balloon. The next festival is planned for March – April 2005.
Ballooning is pretty much a select pastime all over the world, and it remains so here as well. Flights are priced in the range of 230 US $ per person and does usually include breakfast. Costs for residents are lower. Additional services such as champagne and catering for non-flying companions are also available. Flight costs do not include hotel accommodation so you have to make sure that you are in the vicinity before booking your flight.
Since it is weather dependent, launch time is decided the evening before at your briefing and the final decision is made on the morning of the flight. Special events like weddings and honeymoon cruises are also arranged. When weather patterns are unpredictable, tethered flights are an option.
The price maybe a bit on the steep side, but the experience on offer promises to be one that will grip you for a long time to come. So placing your trust in a wicker basket and bag full of hot air is perhaps something you should seriously consider!
Ayurveda, Sri Lanka.
“Ayurveda” is not only a form of medication – it is a total way of life know to generations of Sri Lankan for over 3000 years. It is a gentle method of treating the root causes of illness in both mind and body.
The health conscious today are searching for effective alternatives to the spiraling costs and side effects that at times result from the use of modern medicine.
In Sri Lanka, we have had for the last couple of millennia a “user-friendly “ traditional medicine – Ayurveda” which over 75% of the island’s population depend on because of its reliance on natural plants, herbs and oils. Nature’s way to good health, the efficacy of “Ayurveda” has been proved by 3,000 years of successful caring and curing…
What is Ayurveda? It is an ancient system of medicine developed in our part of the world, long before the “father of medicine”, Hippocrates, was even born. The name comes from two conjoined Sanskrit words “Ayuh” (life) and “Veda” (science or knowledge). Basically a science of healthy living, Ayurveda has two aims – to preserve health and to cure a body afflicted by disease.
One of the fundamentals beliefs of Ayurveda is the doctrine of “Tri Dosha” or the Three Vital Forces – Vayu, Pita and Kapha. Generally translated into Wind, Bile and Phlegm, a more accurate interpretation of Vayu is the transmission of energy within the body; in modern medical terms, nerve impulses, muscle contraction and hormonal activity. Pita may not be confined to bile but signifies the whole scope of metabolism and internal heat production while Kapha means mucus, often described as “The Protective Fluid”. The modern concept of mucus as an antibody containing liquid which coats and protects internal linings of the body, seems to fit in with Ayurvedic thinking.
When the three, “Doshas” are balanced, the body is in good health. When this equilibrium is disturbed and the balance of these complementary forces become unbalanced and upset, then illness results.
Ayurvedic practitioners study the patient as a whole with the object of restoring balance, getting to the root of the problem and treating it. Local folk have been known to say that while western medicine classifieds germs and attempts to destroy them, Ayurveda classifies human beings and attempts to save them.
The dive-pronged evacuative therapy – “Pancha Karma” is designed to rid the body of toxins and is achieved by special diets and herbal decoctions. The five elements of medical herbs: leaves, flowers, barks, roots and berries are used to cleanse the blood and the body of impurities.
The preparation of Ayurvedic medications is usually a long process with ingredients being ground in a pestle for a prescribed period of time. Juices and extracts of plants are simmered until they are reduced to a fraction of their original volume. Besides decoctions, wines, pills and powders for internal use, Ayurveda also uses poultices, pastes, ointments and oils for external application.
Massage with herbal oils, steam baths and bathing in herbal waters are said to be particularly beneficial to patients with migraine, insomnia and arthritis.
Methods of treatment vary – while one might have herbal oil dripping from a suspended clay pot onto a patient’s head, another would place the patient in a steam bath like an ancient wooden chest with perforations, in which he or she lies relaxed, benefiting from the vapours of various steamed herbs wafting up from underneath.
Herbal teas are now available and gaining in popularity worldwide. Their ingredients vary. While some might invigorate and energize, others would relax and calm both mind and body.
The preventative aspects of Ayurveda recommend codes for healthy living which include dietary and social-cultural norms. Certain foods are considered good while partaking of others such as red meat is discouraged. Vegetarianism and the consumption of dairy products such as milk and curd are smiled upon while drinking alcohol and smoking are frowned on.
“Ayurveda” is a cure for a lifetime and a way of life; after all, generations of Sri Lankan have been using these age-old remedies, and obtaining relief from their illness, living to a ripe old age in excellent physical condition.
It is a gentle and relaxed treatment for both mind and body, one that leaves you feeling light, tranquil, yet filled with the zest and energy that our ancestors experienced and benefited from.
“Ayurveda” is nature’s way of caring and curing for a lifetime…
The health conscious today are searching for effective alternatives to the spiraling costs and side effects that at times result from the use of modern medicine.
In Sri Lanka, we have had for the last couple of millennia a “user-friendly “ traditional medicine – Ayurveda” which over 75% of the island’s population depend on because of its reliance on natural plants, herbs and oils. Nature’s way to good health, the efficacy of “Ayurveda” has been proved by 3,000 years of successful caring and curing…
What is Ayurveda? It is an ancient system of medicine developed in our part of the world, long before the “father of medicine”, Hippocrates, was even born. The name comes from two conjoined Sanskrit words “Ayuh” (life) and “Veda” (science or knowledge). Basically a science of healthy living, Ayurveda has two aims – to preserve health and to cure a body afflicted by disease.
One of the fundamentals beliefs of Ayurveda is the doctrine of “Tri Dosha” or the Three Vital Forces – Vayu, Pita and Kapha. Generally translated into Wind, Bile and Phlegm, a more accurate interpretation of Vayu is the transmission of energy within the body; in modern medical terms, nerve impulses, muscle contraction and hormonal activity. Pita may not be confined to bile but signifies the whole scope of metabolism and internal heat production while Kapha means mucus, often described as “The Protective Fluid”. The modern concept of mucus as an antibody containing liquid which coats and protects internal linings of the body, seems to fit in with Ayurvedic thinking.
When the three, “Doshas” are balanced, the body is in good health. When this equilibrium is disturbed and the balance of these complementary forces become unbalanced and upset, then illness results.
Ayurvedic practitioners study the patient as a whole with the object of restoring balance, getting to the root of the problem and treating it. Local folk have been known to say that while western medicine classifieds germs and attempts to destroy them, Ayurveda classifies human beings and attempts to save them.
The dive-pronged evacuative therapy – “Pancha Karma” is designed to rid the body of toxins and is achieved by special diets and herbal decoctions. The five elements of medical herbs: leaves, flowers, barks, roots and berries are used to cleanse the blood and the body of impurities.
The preparation of Ayurvedic medications is usually a long process with ingredients being ground in a pestle for a prescribed period of time. Juices and extracts of plants are simmered until they are reduced to a fraction of their original volume. Besides decoctions, wines, pills and powders for internal use, Ayurveda also uses poultices, pastes, ointments and oils for external application.
Massage with herbal oils, steam baths and bathing in herbal waters are said to be particularly beneficial to patients with migraine, insomnia and arthritis.
Methods of treatment vary – while one might have herbal oil dripping from a suspended clay pot onto a patient’s head, another would place the patient in a steam bath like an ancient wooden chest with perforations, in which he or she lies relaxed, benefiting from the vapours of various steamed herbs wafting up from underneath.
Herbal teas are now available and gaining in popularity worldwide. Their ingredients vary. While some might invigorate and energize, others would relax and calm both mind and body.
The preventative aspects of Ayurveda recommend codes for healthy living which include dietary and social-cultural norms. Certain foods are considered good while partaking of others such as red meat is discouraged. Vegetarianism and the consumption of dairy products such as milk and curd are smiled upon while drinking alcohol and smoking are frowned on.
“Ayurveda” is a cure for a lifetime and a way of life; after all, generations of Sri Lankan have been using these age-old remedies, and obtaining relief from their illness, living to a ripe old age in excellent physical condition.
It is a gentle and relaxed treatment for both mind and body, one that leaves you feeling light, tranquil, yet filled with the zest and energy that our ancestors experienced and benefited from.
“Ayurveda” is nature’s way of caring and curing for a lifetime…
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