Sri Lanka: More than a weekend getaway

Natalya BUGAYOVA

An exotic and inexpensive tropical island awaits Eastern and Central Europeans who are tired of standing in visa lines or simply bored by the usual foreign destinations of Turkey, Egypt and Cyprus.

The Resplendent Land. Ceylon. Teardrop of India. Pearl of the Orient. These are all monikers for Sri Lanka, an enchanting Indian Ocean island with a 2,500 year old history that hasn’t always been enchanting.

Without a doubt, several hurdles have to be overcome for those thinking about taking this adventure. First of all, it’s no weekend getaway. The traveller will have to invest at least a week to make the trip worthwhile.

Another more serious hurdle is accepting a calculated risk. Anyone who Googles “Travel Sri Lanka” is bound to run into these unsettling words: “Civil War in Sri Lanka: Travel Warning.” Yet, during the spring week I spent on the island, I felt myself less in danger than I do on some streets in Kyiv.

It is true that Sri Lanka is enduring an exhausting civil war, driven by ethnic tensions. The fighting has claimed thousands of lives. The bloodshed continues today.

The devastating conflict is yet another setback for a poor country that survived British colonialism to emerge as an independent nation in 1948, and that lost 30,000 lives in the 2004 tsunami. Paradoxically, however, the Sri Lankan civil war is a boon for tourists who study the situation and seize the advantages.

The ongoing conflict is taking place mainly on the Northern and Eastern coasts, while the major resorts are located in the Southern and Southwestern parts, in such cities as Hikkaduwa, only a two hour drive from the capital of Colombo.

Foreign tourists are not the targets of the combatants, and it is hard to imagine feeling safer than I did while staying at one of the resorts. The nation, meanwhile, is suffering with many travellers bypassing Sri Lanka for calmer waters.

This unfortunate circumstance has led to a tremendous drop in prices and a tremendous thirst among Sri Lankans to please those tourists who are willing to venture onto the island’s shores.

An all-expenses-paid, five-day stay for two people in the luxurious Amaya Reef Hotel in Hikkaduwa will set you back only US$ 600. This is for a hotel, with all modern conveniences, situated on the Indian Ocean. This price also includes three meals daily at an oceanside restaurant and countless drinks at the poolside bar.

The most expensive part of the trip will be the flight, roughly US$ 750, depending on the season. The treatment of guests is welcoming, if not worshipping. No rude or slow Crimean waitresses here.

The Sri Lankans I met would rather guard you than harm you. The inhabitants of the island, predominately Buddhists, are laid back, yet restrained and conservative. This hospitality helps eliminate any tension felt by a foreigner experiencing a strange culture.

Heavily influenced by the Hinduism that dominates neighbouring India, Sri Lankans seem to adopt the Hindu tradition of equating a guest with God: “Athidi devobhava,” or “A guest is verily God himself.”

Also, no visa is required for most Europeans visiting Sri Lanka, a strong attraction for those who have suffered the indignities of denied visas, humiliating consulate interviews and endless lines outside foreign embassies.

With the stalemated war, the beaches and bargains of Sri Lanka are likely to be good bets for years to come.

Do you enjoy serene beaches, or seeing the changing shades of an ocean, vivid rivers and calm lakes? Do you like ancient civilizations? Do you like uncrowded places that are not overrun by tourists?

Is it relaxing to explore a nation through visits of its religious sites, such as hundreds of Buddhist temples and numerous Hindu and Muslim sacred places? Would you enjoy diving, canoeing, mountain biking, bungee jumping, skydiving, hang gliding, surfing, rock climbing, kayaking and scuba diving?

Or would you prefer to hang out in a hotel, alternating between swimming in a pool and an ocean, while working on a sun tan? Does an abundance of tropical fruits, seafood and spicy Sri Lankan specialties whet the appetite?

How about mouthwatering tropical cocktails? Or maybe a cup of native Ceylon Tea while listening to Calypso singers ? Or watching a sunset from a fishing boat on the deep sea? A “yes” to any of these questions could indicate a keen enjoyment of what Sri Lanka has to offer.

There is more - herbal treatments and full body massages for a few dollars, unbelievably cheap jewellery crafted from locally mined gems and stones and stylish clothing sold at bargain-basement prices.

Drivers of three wheeler “tuktuks” can be hired for US$ 30 a day and they will take the traveller to a nearby village to experience traditional life outside of the hotels, beaches and shopping centres. The island is certainly not all magical. Inhabitants are mired in poverty and eager to milk foreigners for as much cash as possible.

But for me and many others, Sri Lanka is simply an affordable, paradise.

Nataliya Bugayova can be reached at [email protected]

(Kyiv Post)