Travels

[magicmarzipantravels]

Raja and the Whales - Whale Watching Tour Company

I definitely recommend these guys. They aren’t cheap (9,400 rupees) but they know what they are doing. They are respectful to the whales and treat you really well. They will organise a tuk tuk to pick you up if you are staying in Mirissa at around 06:00. The boat leaves at about 06:30. It’s a long tour because they will go out of the way of the other tours to find the whales. We came back at about 12:30. They don’t use sonar and they take photos for you and will later email them around. All you have to do is sit back and spot the whales.

We were blessed with incredibly calm seas but I would recommend taking a travel sickness tablet and assume choppy conditions. The ocean is unforgiving!

On our trip, we saw a sea turtle, some long snouted spinner dolphins (they also spun out of the water!) and three blue whales. What actually happens is that they find some whales and you wait and watch the same ones come up for air and dive for krill. It’s incredible. Well worth the time and money. These guys keep a truly respectful distance from the whales while helping you spot them and see these majestic creatures.

[magicmarzipantravels]

Maggie’s Roti Skip

Mirissa

The chicken and cheese roti here was good. As was the chocolate and banana one. Together they came to about 600 rupees.

[magicmarzipantravels]

Mandala Cafe and Bar

18 Ella Station Road, Ella 90090

Apparently the owner here is the brother of the owner of Cafe One Love. The decor is pretty special with lots of lights. It’s got nice chill out space including a pallet swing. It’s cozy. Check out the blinging Buddha outside Ella station.

[magicmarzipantravels]

Cafe One Love

Ella Station Road

This cafe/bar is open 24 hours. You can choose your own music (ie. plug in your phone and go) - this is both a blessing and a curse. You will encounter drunk 20-somethings who think this is a club. The owners/staff here adopt stray dogs so there are lots of dogs hanging around. They’re all incredibly friendly. The drinks were about 600-700 rupees. The decor is pretty psychedelic and the staff are friendly! And generous...

[magicmarzipantravels]

Jade Green

Wellawaya-Ella-Kumbalwela Highway, Ella

Portions are on the smaller size (especially if you want to share) but it’s good food. We had two devilled dishes and both were great. The wattapalam isn’t the true wattapalam (low on the spices but delicious nonetheless) but I would definitely recommend this place as a spot for dinner.

[magicmarzipantravels]

Nisee Juice Bar

The Nine Arches Bridge view point

Perfect place to watch the train go over the Nine Arches Bridge. It’s got cushioned benches and fresh fruit juice.

[magicmarzipantravels]

Idyll Homestay

Waterfall Road, Ella

I don’t usually review the places I stay in but I will make an exception. Anil was the most welcoming, helpful host. He really wants you to have a good time in Ella. We followed his itinerary for our 1.5 days there and it was great. The day we arrived, we set off for Little Adam’s Peak at about 4pm in time for the sunset. The following day, we got a tuk tuk to Demodara Railway Station for the loop (train is at 11:30-ish NOT at 11:45 or 11:50). We had a wander there then got the same tuk tuk back to town. We then got the bus from Ella town down to Ravana Waterfall where my friend had a paddle in the water. We then got another tuk tuk from the waterfall to the Nine Arches Bridge viewpoint (recommend Nisee Juice Bar - they have the timetable too) then walked down the “shortcut” (pretty precarious, my friend was unhappy as it was the kind of place where venomous snakes might get stepped on... I wasn’t too worried but the steps weren’t very sturdy, best avoided if wet!). After the trains which were late (what a surprise..) we walked back to Ella down the tracks. These were perfect. We ate dinner at the guesthouse (800 rupees each). Over dinner, we chatted to another couple who advised us on a whale watching tour in Mirissa and we advised them on our guesthouse in Kimbissa. 

Anil helped us organise a driver to get us from Ella to Mirissa via Udawalawe National Park for a good price (12k rupees). He organised our tuk tuks too when we needed them. I overheard him helping that couple we dined with since his guesthouse was full but they wanted to stay an additional night in Ella. 

The guesthouse itself has an amazing view and a great communal space to chill out in (bean bags, chairs, a nice table for eating). Ella is cool so our room didn’t need aircon. One thing is that it is a bit of a walk from the “centre” of Ella, uphill. We got a tuk tuk most of the time. It is incredibly quiet though and it’s a good place to properly chill out. Ask Anil for recommendations for restaurants and spas - he says that Ella is changing fast with the increasing tourists (and with it, increasing businesses that doesn’t really know what they’re doing). 

[magicmarzipantravels]

Cafe 1886 by Sagado Bakers

68 Kotugodella Veediya, Kandy 20000

We all had various forms of kotthu rotti. Definitely avoid the + cheese (100 rupees extra). Imagine having the kotthu rotti mixed with dairylee triangle... One of my friends liked it, said it made hers risotto like (she had seafood). The other did not (she had chicken). I didn’t add cheese and thought I made a good choice. The portions were fairly large, not helped by the fact that we had two hoppers prior to this meal. 

They looked like they had a good lunch time deal. I’m sorry to have missed the crab curry!

[magicmarzipantravels]

Hotel Siri Ramya

138 Colombo St, Kandy 20000

They had egg hoppers here - the sheer fact they had them trumped any other thought. In hindsight, the hoppers weren’t the best we had during this trip but they were still tasty. Do not ask for pepper...

[magicmarzipantravels]

Mihiri Foods

100 Colombo St, Kandy 20000

Great stop for fresh juice - clearly really popular!

[magicmarzipantravels]

Gimanhala

Jaffna - Kandy Highway

754 Anuradhapura Road

Dambulla

We opted for non-buffet. The prices were higher than usual due to the fact that it was a hotel. No aircon but there are fans and it’s shaded. Recommend the rice and curry. Kotthu wasn’t that great. Popular with tourists, not a local in sight!

[magicmarzipantravels]

Royal Retreat Hotel

500 rupees to use the swimming pool. It’s free if you commit to eating at its restaurant after.

Definitely noticeably more expensive than eateries in the area. For dinner, we opted for Sri Lankan curry and rice, and not one from the buffet. Definitely the best choice, a very generous portion. They weren’t serving alcohol as it was a Buddhist holiday. Avoid the omelette if you’re after a snack. When we went, they didn’t have half the things we wanted as a snack on the menu (brownie, lots of the fresh juices...)

The pool was refreshing after a hot day. It’s definitely not the fanciest hotel but the staff are friendly.

[magicmarzipantravels]

Wijesiri Family Restaurant

Sigiriya

Very popular with tourists, the curry and rice is definitely the best deal. We went later in the evening so it wasn’t quite so busy.

Watch out for the tuk tuk drivers after the meal. A ride back to Kimbissa should cost around 200 rupees. We were quoted 600 (we found a decent guy after much searching)!

[magicmarzipantravels]

Poppella

Uno ficchio di neve - creamy bready goodness for €1. 

[magicmarzipantravels]

Il Vero Bar del Professore

Il Caffè Nocciolato - hazelnut espresso. Yes I can knock back a few of those!

[magicmarzipantravels]

Sfogliatelle Mary, Galleria Umberto I

I had the babà al rum - €1.80

So delicious. So boozy and sweet. A good sized portion too!

[magicmarzipantravels]

Pintauro

For your sfoglia needs!

Riccia - €2