Sri Lanka was not particularly on my list of countries to visit and yet, the opportunity presented itself, I was able to stay there. Overall, I do not regret the trip and I came back conquered by the kindness and smiles of the people.
The sense of hospitality
The civil war had just ended a few years ago (Tamil vs Sinhalese) but the country seems to be moving forward and moving beyond this long conflict (1983-2009), life is getting back to normal.
And the least we can say is that they have a sense of hospitality, like this tuk tuk driver who insisted on taking us to eat at his place in Anuradhapura. Sri Lankans tend to smile easily, and there is no age limit. Whether it is mischievous, shy, outbursts or other, we are often rewarded with a smile if not a curious look.
Smiling is contagious
Sri Lanka is not yet too visited (it was not in the top 50 most visited countries in 2012) and people seemed quite happy to see heads from elsewhere visiting their beautiful country. This was especially the case when I was walking around the villages around the site of the Lion Rock in Sirigiya. When it wasn't the children who were following me laughing, it was people who invited me to come and sit near them and offered me a glass of water, which I couldn't drink, because unfortunately, running water here is a rare commodity and I preferred to avoid water from the well... I also felt embarrassed by the situation...
We had a good time with Tamil families, those whose women are generally the tea leaf pickers, there again, the smile was omnipresent, many looked with a curious air at my wife drawing their portrait in order to give them. The children are particularly generous in smiles, not to mention their general amusement in front of these people who have come from far away to visit them.
This state of mind makes the trip enjoyable in that a smile is universal and contagious, so we generally return from Sri Lanka feeling boosted and happy ourselves in return.
Finally, I can't resist posting this photo, certainly without a smile, but with this look full of wonder and filled with innocence.
Have you ever been to Sri Lanka? If not, is the country on your “list” of visits? If so, how did you perceive the Sri Lankans?
13 Comments
Hello, I just returned from Sri Lanka where several members of my family live. This was my fourth trip, and I was very interested in your experiences in the country. I've already seen a lot and still want to discover more. Thank you for sharing your discoveries with me.
With pleasure, thank you!
Hello Romain,
Great article on Sri Lanka, I'm going for 15 days in February with a friend. What do you advise me to start with Colombo for 2 days, then Kandy for 5 days, Nuwara Ella for 2 days and finish with Galle and the beaches? I would like to have your opinion.
Kind regards, Roselyne
Hello,
Personally I find it a shame to go to Sri Lanka without pushing the visit to the cultural triangle further north, at least Sigiriya or Polonnaruwa. Kandy in 2, 3 days is enough I think. In my case I only had 12 days, so it was a bit rushed, but here is what my itinerary was: http://www.thailande-et-asie.com/circuit-essentiel-sri-lanka/
Great article and very interesting and original approach 🙂
Sri Lanka is one of my top 5 places I want to see during our world tour planned for next year with Bolivia, Chile, Indonesia and New Zealand!
There are also more “classic” articles on the different destinations visited in Sri Lanka on the blog ????
Where will you go in Indonesia? Great memory for me! Thanks for the compliment!
What beautiful photos! The last one just makes me smile, really too cute! Thank you for sharing these few moments of happiness with us.
What praise, coming from you it touches me! Thank you!
Hi Romain,
I haven't been to Sri Lanka yet but it's definitely on my bucket list. Your photos are amazing. Beautiful portraits and contagious smiles.
Thank you! If I had more time I would have liked to go a little further north because it is an even less visited region (because it was the most affected by the civil war).
For me, it's a sure thing! If my professional activity required me to work in Thailand in the coming years, I would gladly visit the rest of Asia during my holidays (I didn't say during the long weekends that I would book in the PdS, my host country).
Thank you for this beautiful article, Sri Lanka seems to be a magnificent place and the way you highlight the friendliness of the people makes you want to go there even more 🙂
Thank you, it is true that in terms of meeting people we were rather well served, this is therefore reflected in the writing, I am glad that it makes you want to discover this relatively unknown country.