Sri Lanka: The emerald nation that is just 27 kilometres away from India’s Dhanushkodi

When the aeroplane that took off from Chennai landed at the Bandaranayake International Airport 1 hour and 20 minutes later, I couldn’t help but wonder whether I had arrived in Kerala. I felt nostalgic seeing the serene blue sea, the rows of coconut trees and the busy city streets. Meanwhile, the Indian Ocean gleamed under the bright orange sun. ‘Ninte Ormakku’, the short story written by legendary writer MT Vasudevan Nair, came to my mind as I deboarded the UL 122 Sri Lankan Airways aircraft. The story I had read in school had brought tears to my eyes. Ceylon, which is mentioned in the story, has now become Sri Lanka, a country as beautiful and green as Kerala. Moreover, Sri Lanka, just one and a half hours away from Kerala, boasts similar geography and flavours. Before migrating to the Arab nations, Keralites crossed the Palk Strait to Ceylon to earn a living.

Sri Lanka, which had reeled under the civil war for centuries and the recent financial crisis, is on the path to resurrection. The island nation relies heavily on tourism to recover from the severe financial crunch. Most tourists visiting Sri Lanka are from India, mainly due to its proximity. Thalaimannar in Sri Lanka is just 27 kilometres from Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu. Interestingly, Vaikom is located by boat in the Kottayam district, 26 kilometres from Alappuzha. So, Sri Lanka is a great option for Malayali travellers who wish to visit a foreign country without breaking the bank.

This island nation is the fourth largest producer of coconuts in the world. So, most of its dishes are coconut-based, just like Kerala's cuisine. Although Sri Lanka is twice the size of Kerala, it is not as populated. The five-day trip began from Colombo and ended at Hambantota, the port city on Sri Lanka's southern coast. In the 700-kilometre ride on Sri Lanka's southern expressway, we covered iconic places like Columbo, Negombo, Bentota, Gella Kota, Udawalawe, and Hambantota.

Into the heart of the emerald island
The one-hour and twenty-minute flight on Sri Lankan Airways was a pleasant experience that gave us a fair idea of the warmth and hospitality that awaited us in the island nation. The aerial views of the country just before the aircraft landed at Bandaranayake International Airport were uncannily similar to the aerial views of Kochi. Although the airport is also known as the Colombo International Airport, it is situated in Negombo. Colombo, meanwhile, is 31 kilometres away from the airport. This airport, which was opened as an airfield by the British Royal Airforce during the Second World War, is named after SWRD Bandaranayake, the fourth prime minister of Sri Lanka.

Indians do not require a visa to enter Sri Lanka; you only need to get your passport stamped. The airport, which isn’t too crowded, made us feel like we had landed in a quaint Indian city. Meanwhile, our guide, Arunachalam Manoharan and the Sri Lankan Conventional Bureau officials were already waiting outside the airport for the journalists from India. We headed straight to the Sentido Heritance in Negombo, a beautiful beachfront hotel. Our vehicle passed the famous Negombo Lagoon. Negombo was once ruled by the Sinhala dynasty, whose capital was Sri Jayawardanepure Kotte. This city, under the Portuguese, Dutch and then the British, rose to prominence as a major centre of cinnamon trade during its colonial era.

From Negombo to Bentota
Our day began by enjoying the spectacular Sri Lankan morning as our hotel faced the serene beach. The breakfast consisted of idiyappam, egg palappam and chutney, which is quite similar to the dishes in Kerala. Besides, you would also get dishes like rice porridge, rice cake, puttu and idli. The country's cleanliness is noteworthy as you wouldn’t find any heaps of waste or messy dumpsters. Guide Arunachalam said that they train their children, from a young age, to keep their surroundings clean. Interestingly, you wouldn’t find signs of the civil war in Sri Lanka now. Our first trip was from Negombo to the southern coastal city of Bentota, around 111 kilometres away.

The people of Negombo were traditional fishermen. Fish is a staple here, just as in Kerala. The fish market is quite big, with live fish heaped on one side and rows of fish drying under the sun on the other side. The market is swarmed by both Tamils and Sinhala people. When a fish seller on the roadside learned that we were from Kerala, he recalled the days when he worked as an expatriate in the Gulf and made many Malayali friends.

The fish available on the Kerala coast are abundant here, too. From the famous fish market of Negombo, we headed to Bentota via the Southern Express Way. The ride was smooth and enjoyable, as the places on the way weren’t crowded, and the road wasn’t packed with vehicles.

The Bentota River safari, exploring the mesmerizing beauty of the dense mangrove forests, grants a unique experience. We began the river safari after enjoying thrilling rides on the speed boat, banana raft and water scooter. The river safari takes you into the enchanting charm of the mangrove forests, where the intertwined vines and thick roots line the borders of narrow rivulets and water paths. These mangrove forests are home to the halcyon birds, rare species of white cranes and many other flora and fauna. Hundreds of tourists visit these protected areas to enjoy nature's purest form. If lucky, you could even spot alligators and tortoises in the river.

Meanwhile, the iconic Kalutara Buddha temple is on the banks of the Bentota River. The giant Buddha statue in pristine white hue looks glorious and instantly captures your attention. Our accommodation here was arranged at the Riu Sri Lanka in Ahungalla Beach. This beautiful hotel with fabulous beach views has been constructed as a horseshoe. The white sandy shores that sprawl over two kilometres are the highlight of Ahungalla beach. We spent the night there, dreaming about Hambantota, the land of fragrant cinnamon trees, shiny pearls, and emeralds.
... (To be continued)