This trip report does not cover any really new sites…thought of writing it up to share some pictures and also as a thank you for all the information provided for this trip by Lakdasun. I am combining two trips which had just a few hours in Colombo in between so felt like a single trip!
| Year and Month | December 2009 |
| Number of Days | 3 Day Trip + 4 day trip |
| Crew |
1. Friends: 5 adults between 30 and 42 years of age and 1 kid 8
2. Family: Loads of adults, youth and kids between the age of 6 and 75
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| Accommodation | 1. Home that gives out rooms in Kataragama – Lovely experience. Situated in a peaceful village lane
2. Little Rose Inn, 101, Tissa Road, Wallewaya – Rs. 950 a triple Rs. 850 a double – very clean. Highly recommend as decent place to shower, eat and sleep. 3. Tissawawe Rest House – least recommended out of the 4 places we stayed, bad service, insufficient facilities for high price. 4. Gurugedera – Bake House Bungalow close to Governors Camp just outside Yala. Book from Colombo. Excellent for groups. Very close to beach and sand dunes. Can get safari Jeeps. |
| Transport | 1. Land Rover
2. Hired bus |
| Activities | Too varied to list!!! |
| Weather | Very hot and humid, it had rained very hard the weeks before but was dry the week we were there. |
| Route | 1. Colombo -> Embilipitiya -> Suriyawawe -> Hambantota New Road -> Kataragama -> Weheragala -> Buttala –> Wallewaya -> Elle -> Colombo.
2. Colombo -> Palmadulla -> Tissa -> Yala, Return same |
| Tips, Notes and Special remark |
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| Related Resources | |
| Author | NG |
| Comments | Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread |
Kataragama – Buttla Road: Having seen a lot of ‘activity’ during the time that few of us could safely travel on this road, it now has an incredible look – the two sides of the road are completely cleared and after the heavy rains look like a lovely grass lawn with thick jungle at the boundary. The road is very straight and you can see for miles ahead. Highly recommend this route. Lots of people were stopping in the previous security buffer to picnic. Hope they will not leave any litter around but simply enjoy what we have been given after so long.
Kataragama – Buttla Road look like a lovely grass lawn with thick jungle at the boundary
Galge and Veheragala:
After that long discussion on Lakdasun forum what we found in Galage junction was a memorial: Built around 1923, in memory of JP Ireson, who the engraving says was ‘The founder of Galge Country, and a true British sportsman’. I assume ‘ a true British Sportsman’ meant that he shot at any innocent wild animal he could chase. But what is really intriguing is how he could have ‘founded Glage Country’ …maybe he was King Kavantissa’s engineer many life times before!
But the view is quite nice, Yala is at you feet. I would say however, that the view from the Galpoththa (the big rock out crop) in Veheragala was much better. You could see towards the Haputale hills over the forest.
 what we found in Galage junction was a memorial |
 Elephant foot prints at Galge just by the small kovil. |
Entrance to Veheragala National Park is just beyond Glalge. A big thank you to Lakdasun members for alerting me to the fact that it was now open.
 Weheragala wawe |
 We saw this lovely site of small butterflies in the mud by the wawe |
We saw this lovely site of small butterflies in the mud by the wawe. I’ve seen it in other places as well. Is it correct that they are eating/licking the salt? Some information would be great!
 Wallewaya: Endless kumburu….in front of Little Rose Inn, Wallewaya. |
 ‘little waterfalls’ along the Elle route |
Elle and beyond: It had been raining for a while and the ‘little waterfalls’ along the Elle route were bouncing off the rocks turning them all into major attractions!
Tissa: I would not recommend the Tissawawe Rest House unless there is absolutely no place to stay, but the nice part was that we had this lovely visitor in our bedroom…any idea what it is? The glow of the transparent wings was a reflection of the sunlight.
 lovely visitor in our bedroom |
 The glow of the transparent wings was a reflection of the sunlight |
Another nice stop in Tissa was Yatala Dagaba. Wish we had more time, and any case you need to go in the evening. No idea why we have never stopped despite passing it every single time you entre Tissa. Highly recommend the museum there.
 nice stop in Tissa was Yatala Dagaba |
 nice stop in Tissa was Yatala Dagaba |
Yala: We stayed by the beach just outside Yala, so a lot of time and digital chip space was spent there!
It’s a really intersting beach. None of us really had enogh knowledge to answer all the questions that popped into our heads. Why is the beach red? Why are there SO MANY shells and so many different types? The sea weed is also of various types and colours…
 The sea weed is also of various types and colours |
 The grains of sand are like little transparent gems… |
 Why is the beach red? |
 The grain of the rock and the designs made by the waves and sand… |
Sand dunes at night – note this is NOT inside Yala.
The little ‘Hermit crab’ led us into a nice dance tracking him across a huge dune…
 …it was not only him out that night… |
 …it was not only him out that night… |
Inspired by photos and discussions on Lakdasun and my cousin’s enthusiasm I tried for the first time to photograph some butterflies…great fun, but no idea what these are..any information?
 tried for the first time to photograph some butterflie |
 no idea what these are..any information? |
And finally, two of the ‘big guy’! You may have to look carefully to see the real aliya at the bottom of the rock. No photos of the leopard we saw.
You may have to look carefully to see the real aliya at the bottom of the rock
two of the ‘big guy’!
and some very uncertain ducks…!! “Has he had dinner? Can we go for a swim?’