Shapshots of Sri Lanka - Tangalle

This year has so far been one of those years when public holidays work in our favour - we owe the Easter bunny a very big thank you! I heard from a friend that Cathay Pacific experienced one of their busiest days of the year on Friday March 30th, when many packed their bags, hopped on a jet plane and disappeared for 9-10 days.

Photo courtesy of http://srilankadeals.com

We wanted a holiday with equal parts adventure and relaxation, and Sri Lanka was our destination of choice. From the white, sandy beaches in the south, through the Hill Country where magical morning mists float between mountains, to the Cultural Triangle steeped in history, we have collected memories (and 908 photographs!) that will last a lifetime.
Our first destination was Tangalle in the south for some beaches, pampering and relaxation. We found throughout the trip that most often, tourists choose to start from the Central Province and move downwards to end their trip on the beaches. We decided to do the opposite, without detriment to our enjoyment of the holiday.

Sri Lankan cuisine is a flavour party where curries, accompaniments, sauces and sambols all hit the dance floor together. It is a food culture that has it's own distinct identity, and yet the influences from other countries are present in the flavour and ingredients. The most obvious influences are of course from Indian cuisine, but there were some dishes that reminded me of my Oma's homestyle Indonesian cooking as well.

Our Twin Otter sea plane arrives at the 'landing strip' in Peliyagoda (the sea plane doesn't depart from Colombo airport) to Dickwella. The Amanwella Resort provides a complimentary pick-up service from there to the resort. Check here for information on the service to the Aman resorts. Air Lanka also operates seaplane service to several other destinations, but the Air Lanka website is pretty sh*te. Here is a great link for more information.

Our Canadian captain from Vancouver flies with a cuppa - love it! "You can't find a decent coffee in this country", he says, "unless you make it yourself!"
 

Flying over the stunning turquoise coastline, shortly before arriving in Dickwella after our one hour journey

Our Pool Villa at Amanwella

View of the Amanwella resort from the Tangalle beach, white sands and massive shore breaks (great fun for body boarding!)

Poolside at Amanwella ... heaven!

Coconut trees at dusk

Chilling out on the beach, watching sand crabs dig holes...

Nero, the friendly resident black lab, who followed us everywhere we went :-)

The Amanwella Beef burger with onion relish, fries and a super yummy coleslaw. Needless to say, I got flack from PB making my first meal in Sri Lanka a cheeseburger! The meat patty was rather tasteless, but I felt comforted and satiated, so I didn't mind  :-)

PB thought himself quite a bit more adventurous and healthy for ordering a tuna burger :-) It was quite an original taste though, with the more flavourful tuna patty, teriyaki sauce, pickled tomato and lemongrass mayonnaise, yum!