9. Kirinda, Yala and more elephants 🐘

 

More majestic elephants 

After a very relaxing and luxurious break in Tangalle we were ready to move on again - heading further eastwards towards Kirinda. Here we'd be staying for a couple of nights at a little boho style coastal villa and, being so close to Yala National Park, our plan was to go on another safari while we there.

The closer we got to the National Park the greater the chance that we'd encounter wild elephants on the road. I hadn't appreciated just how many National Parks there are in Sri Lanka or indeed how large their elephant population is given the relatively small size of the island.  Nevertheless, despite passing a number of road signs warning us of potential elephant crossings (and several sightings of elephant poo on the road) this was not our day for such an encounter. I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about that - a confused mix of relief and mild disappointment 😂. 

It was a nice ride anyway, lots of pleasant lush scenery and by the time we approached Kirinda the landscape had definitely shifted again. Lots of big boulders had appeared and there was a much more rugged look and feel to this area. We checked into our accommodation early afternoon and although it initially left us feeling a little underwhelmed (it was just a little more rustic and a little less boho than the photos had suggested - good marketing?!) we found a really nice place next door for some late lunch and then headed up the beach to explore. The sea was way too rough to swim but the beach was beautiful - in a totally different way to all the many beaches we've seen so far. The vast sandy beach was interspersed with huge boulders covered in bright green moss. The stunning colours instantly reminded me of our dear friends, Jane and Dave's, wedding day - a sunny day in April 2015 on a remote beach in Scotland 🤩. The waves were crashing against the boulders creating the most mesmerising and dramatic display of sound and colour. I couldn't take my eyes off it and took so many pictures and videos - definitely testing Max's patience to the limit 😬. At the end of the beach and sitting high up on a rocky outcrop was a stunning golden temple🛕. It was a really beautiful sight and barely a soul around on this stretch of the beach. This area is still very undeveloped although there were signs that this is changing which was also confirmed by the conversation we had with our host when he came to bring us the most delicious complimentary breakfast on the morning of our departure. He told us how he'd moved back to the area having lost his job (making him the second Sri Lankan we've met working for US Aid organisation in Colombo until Trump's sweeping cuts changed all that). Sri Lankan people do seem very resilient and adaptable though and he'd decided to come back home and further develop the plot of land which his father had left to him. His intention, he explained, was to create a few small villas with a laid back, coastal vibe. The location - being literally adjacent to the beach - was perfect for this and I really hope he manages to pull it off. They seemed like a really nice, hard working couple but their challenge is getting the finance to pay for the development and then bringing in enough customers so that it pays it's way 🤞🤞. In the meantime they're understandably anxious about big developers coming in and creating huge all inclusive resorts (we saw a couple of sites under construction further along the road) which don't foster the image they want for the area. 

As planned, we booked onto a half day early morning safari in Yala National Park. It was another very early start - this time joining a young couple from the UK and another Italian couple and, as we were the last pick up at 5.30am, we were fortunate to get front seats in the jeep 😉. We'd been warned that the Yala Park gets very crowded and some of the descriptions of jeeps everywhere nearly put us off. We decided to give it a go though and, on balance, I'm glad we did. We had another excellent guide - he managed to get us away from the other jeeps, was really engaged and informative and brilliant at spotting all the different animals. Whilst we weren't lucky enough to see the elusive leopard we did see plenty of other flora and fauna. Again the elephants were the stars of the show (and we saw plenty - including an adorable family of three that walked right across our path before very slowly disappearing into the bush on the other side) but we also saw peacocks, wild buffalo, crocodiles, jungle fowl, a golden jackal, lots of beautiful birds including an owl of some sort. Much as I loved the Udawalawe safari I was struck by the beauty and the sheer scale of Yala - it was quite incredible 🤩. 

On returning from the safari we made an interesting choice for lunch opting for a small home restaurant single handedly run by a really lovely lady who had simply put a couple of tables under a pagoda in her garden. There was no menu as such and I'd gleaned from google reviews that there weren't any prices either - at the end of the meal you're simply asked to pay what you think the meal was worth - quite a canny approach really 😉. Whilst it wasn't the tastiest meal we've eaten it was nice enough and it was certainly a very memorable and authentic experience. While she was busy cooking we were entertained by her very charming little son (who spoke only a little English but was nonetheless very good at making himself understood 😂) and it was inspiring to see how ingenious people can be,  making the most of whatever small resources are at their disposal 🤩. 

So, despite being slightly disappointed with our accommodation, we really enjoyed our brief stay in Kirinda. Our hosts were very warm and hospitable and we really enjoyed chatting with them and learning more about the local area. We set off again with renewed enthusiasm and some slight trepidation because we'd been warned that, based on our route for the next couple of days, it was distinctly possible that we'd encounter wild elephants at some point. We were heading to a town called Kataragama - being forced inland because the next stretch of coastline sits within Yala National Park rendering it inaccessible. Our hosts in Kirinda had emphatically cautioned us against taking the road from Kataragama to Buttala (our proposed route for the following day) but were fairly confident we wouldn't encounter any elephants on our journey into Kataragama.  

It was another very pleasant cycle anyway. The weather had shifted a little since leaving Tangalle. Though it was still very warm, it had become more overcast, and there was a fairly strong headwind too. We cycled on a mix of main road and smaller side lanes, and there wasn't a great deal of traffic on either.  We noticed yet another change of scenery - it was very green and lush and, particularly as we approached Kataragama, the roads became tree lined (with beautiful Tamarind trees that I didn't even know existed until I googled what they were!). 

As this was only a short ride we made a pitstop at the Wild Edge Cafe just before checking in to our accommodation. It's very aptly named as it turns out - I read a google review from someone who'd seen a wild elephant at the back of the cafe just the day before! The owner showed us where the elephants usually appear - the cafe backs onto what is effectively jungle land! Sadly there was no such sighting for us that day though 😕.  

From here, we took a short detour just to take in a couple of local sights - the Kataragama Golden Gate (a sacred entrance to the Menik Ganga River where people bathe as part of their pilgrimage ritual) and the Ancient Tamarind tree. After that, it was just a short hop to our digs for the night - the Mailagama Cinammon Residence. Again we'd struck gold with our choice of accommodation - a beautiful and charming old colonial style building with the most glorious of settings amidst beautifully maintained gardens surrounded by lush rice paddies and it's own small organic plantation. We were instantly wowed - a very warm welcome and a lovely room (with the most stunning view from the first floor balcony) complete with magnetic mosquito nets on the doors which we've not seen before but which proved very effective indeed 👍. 

The manager, Mr Raj, offered us a guided tour of the plantation which we happily accepted and were so glad we did. He was so engaging and not only was it fascinating to learn about all the different spices and fruits they were growing organically (pepper, cinnamon, chillies, cardomom, mangos, lemons, limes and many more) but also to chat to him about life in Sri Lanka more generally. He was very open and such an interesting and intelligent character who has clearly led a very interesting life - having led a number of health initiatives while working for the government health organisation.  After the tour we met the lady owner of the property, Indira, who was equally charming and warm hearted. 

Dinner that evening was served on the terrace so we enjoyed the fabulous views across the gardens and paddy fields. Another very tasty curry - using the organic vegetables grown on site. We chatted to an English couple who now live near Malaga in Spain - living the dream by the sound of it although they were also telling us how dreadful (unseasonably wet and cold) it's been this winter - more evidence of the impacts of climate change being felt 🥲. Anyway it transpired that they'd driven our proposed route earlier that day and passed several elephants in road - so it was becoming increasingly likely we'd encounter them too 🫣. 

After a fab breakfast and armed with plenty of good advice from our wonderful hosts on how to stay safe if/when we did encounter a wild elephant, we set off. I still wasn't entirely sure how I felt about the prospect - certainly more than a little nervous but with Max at the helm (being brave enough for the both of us) and a sensible strategy for getting past safely, it was too good an opportunity to miss. 

About five miles into the ride, we almost couldn't believe it when we saw two travelling cyclists coming down the road towards us. We stopped to chat to them - a french couple travelling around Sri Lanka for four months with a lot more luggage than us 😉. They'd just seen three elephants on the road ahead of us and were so thrilled to show us their photos 🤩.  

It was a really nice road to ride - fairly quiet but just enough traffic for us not to feel alone. We were flanked on either side by bushland and there was plenty of evidence of the elephants' presence along the way - lots of poo, bushes that had been trampled, branches ripped off and strewn across the road; broken glass presumably from angry elephant encounters with cars 🫣. We'd been warned about this, and we were on the lookout - this was certainly not the day for a puncture! 

I was the first to spot an elephant ahead of us - standing on a verge on the right handside of the road. There wasn't anyone else around, so we pulled up some distance away to wait for a large vehicle so that we could pass by with some protection. Neither of us can actually remember who helped us get past the first elephant, but it was definitely a safari jeep driver who helped us with the next two. They were all enormous - most likely males who tend to live alone. Needless to say, I couldn't get a close-up shot as good as I would have liked, but I did my best under the circumstances! The adrenaline was still pumping for quite sometime afterwards - it was just so incredible! About an hour later, we reached the police checkpoint at the far end, which signalled we'd reached safety but what an absolutely awesome experience it was 🤩. 

Soon after, we stopped for a cold drink at a little roadside cafe and chatted to a lovely lady called Santhia, and she also introduced us to her husband and son. Then about an hour later, just as we'd stopped for a photo, two young guys on a moped stopped to speak to us. They invited us to their family house (just round the corner) for a cold drink, which entailed him shimmying up one of their coconut trees and cutting some down for us all to drink - and then cut them open for us to eat the fresh coconut inside. We met his sister, her husband, and their daughter, who was celebrating her third birthday 🤩 .We eventually pulled ourselves away, feeling completely rejuvenated by the kindness and hospitality of strangers 🥰. 

It was quite a tough ride overall, but all the many highlights and the beautiful scenery made it doable. We arrived at our accommodation for the evening - a lovely little guest house in the foothills of Monaragala. I say foothills but there was a fair bit of climbing involved to get there including a killer final steep stretch as we turned off the "main" road onto the drive up 😬. After a lovely traditional Sri Lankan curry cooked by our host it wasn't long before we were in bed and fast asleep that night - probably dreaming about elephants 😴 😀.  

A change of scenery in Kirinda 

View of the beach from our lunch stop

Exploring the beach later that afternoon 

Loved the green moss and crashing waves

Mesmerising and dramatic 🤩

The golden temple in the distance 

Our first encounter in Yala 😮

Mr Peacock doing his booty call 

Disappearing back into the bush 

A happy family 🥰

The same family a few minutes earlier 

A yellow beaked stork

It's the only way to stay cool! 

Lunch without a menu!

With our hosts at the beach house in Kirinda 

Ruhunu Kataragama Golden Gate

Tamarind trees lining the road 

The path leading to Mailagama Cinammon Residence

The beautifully maintained gardens 

Penny for Max's thoughts 🤔 

Mr Raj gives us a tour of the plantation 

It was such a beautiful place 

The view from our first floor terrace 

Afternoon tea was served here 🤩

Saying goodbye to Mr Raj 

The two french cyclists we met 

Our first wild elephant encounter 🤩. Trust me he was huge!!!

The second one - also huge!! 

And the third!

Our pitstop and chat with the locals 

Shimmying up the coconut tree - he made it look so easy!! 

And cutting it open for us too.....

Red chillies drying out in the sun 

They were such a lovely family 😍

Our stay in Monaragala 

I was so tempted to take this cute (and very feisty) little kitten with me 😍