Archive for the 'Traveler’s Reports' Category

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Arugam Bay: Sri Lankaa??s last frontier?

Published on 04/03/2012 in AbTa News, Blogs, From our own Correspondent, front page, Historical sites, people, press coverage, the bay, Traveler's Reports and wild life. 1 Comment

http://siyambala.com/2012/03/04/arugam-bay-sri-lankas-last-frontier/
A?A?Siyambala 2012
….a??Dona??t write about this place,a?? the chubby little man admonished Supem De Silva sternly. a??People will come here and spoil everything.a??…..

According to industry expert Supem De Silva, youa??ll find more family-friendly places to go and fun things to do within easy driving range of Arugam Bay than there are around almost any other travel destination in Sri Lanka.

a??Dona??t write about this place,a?? the chubby little man admonished Supem De Silva sternly. a??People will come here and spoil everything.a??

The agitated speaker wasA?Manik Sandrasagra, the late auteur of Sri Lankan cinema, but Supem hadna??t known who he was back then.A?This was in 1998, and Supem had been gathering information for Arugam Baya??s first online directory of hotels and other services. Hea??d seen Sandrasagra sitting by himself at another table at Chuttia??s Place Restaurant. Since the movie director was barechested, with a towel draped over his shoulders, Supem had assumed he was one of the local beach bums.

The baby waves at Whiskey Point are perfect for beginning surfers. Lessons cost around $20 an hour.

Supem chuckles as he recounts this story, shaking his head as he adds that Manik had been a consultant to the Sri Lanka Tourist Board at the time (I could just picture this scene, having encountered the mercurial director and his larger-than-life personality when I wrote the ads forA?Rampage, Manika??s 1978 movie about a homicidal elephant; my colleagueA?Chris Greetwrote the moviea??s tagline, a??Can an elephant plan and execute a murder?a??).

In a way, Supem notes, his encounter with Manik Sandarasagra neatly illustrates one of the reasons why Arugam Bay has been overlooked as a tourist destination.A?On the one hand there are those whoa??ve been coming to Arugam Bay for years, and who are apprehensive about the notion of it becoming discovered as a resort. And on the other, there are those who should know about Arugam Bay and dona??t. Among this latter group are travel industry experts who arena??t even aware that therea??s hotel accommodation here.

Johnson Ratnasinghama??s new Amigo Surf School charges around $20 an hour for lessons (thata??s Farook painting the sign in February). I forgot to ask Johnson whether he named the school after his dog Amiga, a personable pooch.

a??Arugam Bay is a black hole as far as many people in the travel industry are concerned,a?? says Supem ruefully. a??They have no idea whata??s available here.a??

Thata??s too bad, because the fact is that there are quite a few good hotels in Arugam Bay. And there are going to be even more, what with a number of plans for hotels underway (scroll down to the bottom of this post for information on a really cool new place to stay in Arugam Bay for around $9 a day).

Elephants are supposed to need 300 pounds of fodder a day, but at the rate this fellow was stuffing himself with water plants at Lahugala National Park (twelve miles from Tulasi buyers in hyderabad Arugam Bay), Ia??d say they eat a great deal more.

Supem himself is an unassuming guy whose mind is a jackdawa??s nest of fascinating facts about Sri Lanka. Hea??s also able to step out of the Sri Lankan mindset and see the country from a tourista??s perspective.

He knows, for example, that youa??re not coming here to be bored out of your skull by sitting through a harangue on Sri Lankaa??s religious history and cultural heritage; youa??re coming here to enjoy yourself and have an unforgettable time. He gets that.

Supem De Silva created Arugam Baya??s first online directory of hotels and other services, and was the first webmaster of the first site dedicated solely to news about the area. The Sri Lanka Tourist Board is using his case study on Arugam Bay as the basis for its plans for the areaa??s future. In case you wondered, there are no tall buildings within fifty miles of Arugam Bay; took this picture outside Supema??s office in Colombo.

As a senior travel industry professionala??among other things, he lectures trainee tour guides on Sri Lankaa??s east coast attractionsa??Supem has seen the glazed eyes and the jeez-what-did-I-get-myself-into look of Continue reading ‘Arugam Bay: Sri Lankaa??s last frontier?’

A wild afternoon at Kumana

Published on 25/02/2012 in Blogs, From our own Correspondent, front page, people, press coverage, Traveler's Reports and wild life. 0 Comments

A wild afternoon at Kumana

This leoparda??s expression reminded me of that famous line from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: a??Jesus, who are those guys?a?? (Our drivers scared the daylights out of this young male as he was sunning himself on aA?rock).

a??Have you guys ever done this before?a??

Thata??s the first thing I should have asked our drivers before we headed into Kumana National Park, A?about twenty miles south ofA?Arugam Bay on the east coast of SriA?Lanka.

I know how Robert Capa must have felt after seeing prints of the pictures he took on Omaha Beach on D-Day (June 6, 1944) in Normandy. We had happened upon a small herd of elephants when our drivers lost it and started excitedly yelling a??Aliya, aliya, aliyaa?? (the Sinhala word for elephant). The animals bolted, trumpeting indignantly (they were protecting at least two baby elephants). I just had enough time to capture a few blurred images before they disappeared into the jungle.

And yes, we had two drivers: the first guy was the one who drove us fromA?Arugam Bay to Panama in his three-wheeler scooter taxi, and the second guy was the one who drove us from Panama to Okande and Kumana in his jeep.A?They both sat upfront in the cab (Tyrone and I and the guide from the wildlife department were in back) and between them they managed to startle a leopard and spook a small herd of elephants.

The young bucka??s antlers are still in velvet. Kumanaa??s huge deer population keeps the parka??s leopards fat andA?happy.

Not that Ia??m complaining, mind you, because Tyrone and I had the greatest time (you really cana??t have a bad day in Kumana). Besides, the drivers are both good guys, and Ia??ll hire them again without hesitation the next timeA?Ia??m in Arugam Bay. So what if they were just learning the ropes of the safari business? At least they werena??t learning toA?drive.

Sir Samuel Baker hunted sambhur (Cervus unicolor) with hounds in Ceylon in the 1840s. Sambhur, often mistakenly called elk by 19th Century British sportsmen, are not as numerous as the spotted deer in Kumana.

Hey, ita??s Arugam Bay. If you want to be happy here, just let it happen.

Copyright A? David Graham
The person who probably knows this best is Continue reading ‘A wild afternoon at Kumana’

Siyambala

Published on 23/02/2012 in Blogs, books, Culture, From our own Correspondent, front page, Historical sites, people, press coverage, Traveler's Reports and wild life. 1 Comment

“Places to go and things to do”

Where to buy flonase

Kudumbigala cave Monastery & its wild life

Brothers David & Tyrone Graham returned to Arugam Bay after many years.
“Siyambala” is their web site and blog which A?gives unique and detailed insights into our island’s hidden treasures and culture.
We hope to cover more of their amazing observations on this page soon!

Take a look at their work: Order pamelor 25mg

http://siyambala.com/

This weekend’s last supper

Published on 15/01/2012 in From our own Correspondent, front page, people, stop over Ideas, Traveler's Reports and wild life. 0 Comments

Gasex online dating Another beautiful, mild & sunny weekend comes to a close
At Arugam Bay
Below are a few impressions how some enjoyed their last supper.
The Eastern Coastal road still ends at A?Arugam Bay & beyond,.
A real Dead End, at the the wide river at Kumana.
No modern catering A?facilities there. So far.

A rare leopard at Kumana. He had his dinner ...

Waiting. For his second supper....

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Arugam Bay by Duncan MacFarlane

Published on 09/01/2012 in Arugam Bay Surf Club, Arugam Surf Club, Arugambay Surf Club, Blogs, Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, front page, surf, Surf competition and Traveler's Reports. 0 Comments

Arugam Bay. Main Point in front, P'Ville & Whiskey Point shown on top, up North

Arugam Bay by Duncan MacFarlane

Trips abroad are always a tasty side-dish to the long hours on the sand that are most surf photographera??s meat-and-potatoes, but when Duncan Macfarlane got the call from 18seconds Magazine earlier this year to jump on the next plane to Sri Lanka he knew he was in for a particularly spicy assignment. Several weeks later he was back, reeking of curry, with a hard-drive full if images, a beard full roti crumbs and head full of stories about mindless right-handers.

The chefa??s special on Sri Lankaa??s menu-board of uncrowded points is Arugam Bay.

SPOT CHECK a?? Arugam Bay

Arugam Point
Arugam Point is the main wave in the area and generally the most crowded. An average wave breaks for about 100 metres, but if you find a pearler you could ride for 300 metres or more. The wind is always best in the morning before the trades come up around 10-11am. The point can handle plenty of swell up to eight-foot.

Inside point
Some 300 metres in from the Point is Inside Point. It doesna??t connect with the outside section, so dona??t get too exited. On an average day this wave is a fun, gentle break for beginners learning to surf, but ita??s wedgy and out of the wind.

Potuvill Point
Several hundred metre right point on sand bottom. The wave is generally about half the size of Arugam Point and is more protected from the trade winds than other places. Ita??s only a few kilometres away and faces roughly the same direction. Continue reading ‘Arugam Bay by Duncan MacFarlane’

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The Basses. Just South of AbaY

Published on 14/12/2011 in Blogs, From our own Correspondent, front page, people and Traveler's Reports. 1 Comment

Sunken Treasure, Golden Pearl Island

Sri Lanka Holidays: Sunken Treasure, Golden Pearl Island and Ravanaa??s Swaymbhu lingum by bunpeiris

If a sheer single word could bring about the most divine joy, the word a??treasurea?? would take the pole position to race against the most precious of all words: father, mother, son, daughter and lover. Of course, you may re-order the words, for your lover would hardly approve the sequence. Of course, you may hold the sequence at your peril but nobody would twitch a muscle nor bat an eye. Keep your eyes peeled and ears open for therea??s more to swing low and final thrust of the argument is still ahead. If such is the magic of the single word, the ultimate magic could perhaps be encapsulated in a pair of words: sunken treasure.

The Great Basses Lighthouse off KirindaThe Great Basses Lighthouse off Kirinda

In the year1958, Mike Wilson discovered a hitherto unknown spectacular underwater territory that sparked interest in snorkling, scuba diving (skin diving), wreck diving and submarine photography (underwater photography) in the southern coast ofA?Sri Lanka Holidays. The location was the Great Basses Reef, 6 miles away (as the crow flies) from Kirinda in the mainland (island of Sri Lanka). Great Basses Ridge and Little Basses Ridge run almost parallel to the southern coast of Sri Lanka. The wave-swept line of submerged rocks of Great Basses is home to Great Basses Light house while the Little Bases Ridge houses Little Basses Light house. Both light houses were then run by Imperial Light House Service of Great Britain. Close to the location of Little Basses light house is Daedalus Rock the site where Her Majestya??s ship Daedalus had been wrecked upon.

In the year 1959,A? Charboleps how much Arthur C. Clarke and Rodney Johnklass joined Mike Wilson on an expedition. Arthur narrates: around the lighthouse was a fantastic submarine fairyland of caves, grottoes, coral-encrusted valleys-and fish in numbers such as I have never seen anywhere else in the world. Sometimes they crowded round us so closely that we could see nothing but a solid wall of scales and had literarily to push our way through. They were inquisitive and completely unafraid. During our visit we met eagle rays, turtles, angelfish, jacks, tuna (up to three hundred pounds!), groupers, and sharks, especially the latter. Arthur C. Clarke: The Indian Ocean Treasure (1972)

The Great Basses Reef and The Little Basses ReefThe Great Basses Reef and The Little Basses Reef

In the year 1961 Mike Wilson was once again at the Great Basses Reef. Arthur C, Clarke and Rodney Johnklass missed him. But then Mike managed pretty well without them, for he was accompanied by a couple of first class divers, members of the official U.S. community. They were young fellows. Arthur C. Clarke had no idea how his buddy Mike had managed to persuade the parents of Boby Kriegal and Mark Smith. They were only fourteen and thirteen years of age respectively.

Travel to Kirinda from Colombo (175 miles)

Quote Arthur C. Clarke: Mark Smitha??s (14) diary, March 12, 1961 a??Arrived.a?? That one word covers a 175-mile drive down the beautiful, palm-fringed, southwest coast of Ceylon-surely one of the loveliest in the world-past dozens of fishing villages with their picturesque outrigger boats drawn up on the beaches. The journey goes through the ancient port of Galle-which, say some historians, may be the Tarshish of the Biblea??and beyond that into a lonely landscape of still lagoons and patches of jungle. You may meet wild elephants here, but they seldom bother motorists. Unquote

The tricky rope trip from boat to the LighthouseThe tricky rope trip from boat to the Lighthouse

The seaport of Galle is home to VOC Galle Dutch Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Galle is a conveniently located to make visits toA?Sri Lanka Holidays Wild life sanctuaries Udawalave, Ruhuna Yala as well as toA?Sri Lanka Holidaysancient cities of Kataragama andTissmaharama of Ruhuna, the cradle of the heroes of then Lanka and now Sri Lanka.

Boat ride from Kirinda to Light house of Imperial Light house Service at Great Basses Ridge (10 miles, as you sail)

Kirinda, a small fishing village is home to the boat house built by the imperial Light house Service of the colonial ruler, Great Britain. The boat a??Pharosa?? leaves for the Light house Continue reading ‘The Basses. Just South of AbaY’

Arugam’s Sun “Set”

Published on 12/11/2011 in the bay and Traveler's Reports. 2 Comments

Sun "Set" at Arugam BayFound on WorldNormads.com.

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Description:
” sunset in How much does sarafem cost Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka; the Sun is setting while it is still giving a d…?”
Arugam Bay only sees the Sun Rise. Being located on the East Coast of Sri Lanka.
But is this actually AbaY in the first place?
source:
http://journals.worldnomads.com/traveladdict/photo/31471/824864/Cambodia/sunset-in-Arugam-Bay-Sri-Lanka;-the-Sun-is-setting-while-it-is-still-giving-a-d

Oz to AbaY overland: drivingoz2uk2.com

Published on 30/10/2011 in accomodation, Blogs, cabanas, From our own Correspondent, front page, people, the bay and Traveler's Reports. 0 Comments

….it’s been an exception here (at Arugam Bay) and we’ve been a bit more sociable and met loads of nice people from all over – Poland, Germany, Israel, UK et alA?Weirdly enough we…….

It was sad to leave Ella again but Andrew was chomping at the bit to get to Arugam Bay before the (surf) season was well and truly over. So after a last curd and honey we drove out past the Rawana Ella falls and eastwards towards the coast – the temperature climbing as we drove

After we hit Pottuvil Get abilify without a prescription a little Muslim town on the coast we drove on through the edge of the Lahugala National Park where we were really lucky to have our own ad hoc safari! First we saw a cobra -when we almost hit it when it reared up at us from the middle of the road, then we saw elephants in the wild – Continue reading ‘Oz to AbaY overland: drivingoz2uk2.com’

Arugam Bay should retain its charm and character

Published on 08/09/2011 in From our own Correspondent, front page, people, press coverage, Surf competition, Surf Federation News, the bay and Traveler's Reports. 0 Comments

Arugam Bay. a??The Health Resorta??

Published on 08/09/2011 in front page, Historical sites, stop over Ideas and Traveler's Reports. 0 Comments

The Automobile Association Handbook (1935 !) advises:


AAC's Travelers guide to Ceylon. 76 Years ago.


“Arugam Bay: EP (=’Eastern Province’) . 68 miles from Batticaloa on the east coast road. This is a health resort for residents in the malarious inland areas, (such as the Moneragala planting district), with its fine sea front and facilities for sea-bathing; while there is good sport to be had in the vicinity.”

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. I dedicate this article to the memory of my maternal grandfather Arumugam Thiyagarajah (1910-1982)

Rest Houses and Shooting Tips (circa 1935)

Continue reading ‘Arugam Bay. a??The Health Resorta??’

Arugam Airport News

Published on 17/08/2011 in Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, From our own Correspondent, front page, Share Transfer, taxis, the bay and Traveler's Reports. 3 Comments

The first Commercial Flight took off from the Glycomet 1gm price Arugam Bay lagoon this lunchtime

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Arugam Bay and the Arugam Bay Surf Club

Published on 31/07/2011 in Arugam Bay Surf Club, Arugam Surf Club, Arugambay Surf Club, Blogs, Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, front page, guesthouse, people, restaurants, surf, Surf Federation News and Traveler's Reports. 2 Comments

…..” Then he told me about a strange building above the bay called a??the castlea??:
‘Ita??s thirty years old a?? very old.
It was made by an English guy called Richard” …..

Arugam Bay and the surf point

Arugam Bay has been known as a top surfing area for many years now. During the season, from about May to November, it is easily the most popular destination for foreign visitors to the east coast. Ita??s a working fishing beach and there is quite a lot of rubbish on the sands, compared with the southern beaches, and is perhaps not the best place to come just for a beach holiday: most foreigners I met were there for the surfing. Many locals want to clean up the beach, however a?? see below a?? so this may change. For now ita??s still very pretty, and quiet, if you want a place to gather your thoughts, and you can visit nearby mangroves on Pottuvil lagoon, or go to Kudimbigala Forest Hermitage to see Buddhist shrines. The Lahugala-Kitulana National Park is 16km inland from Pottuvil and large herds of elephants move there during the dry season (July and August).

Fishermen on Arugam Bay

The road from Arugam Bay is now completely open so you can travel south to Okanda and visit Yala East National Park. This park was Continue reading ‘Arugam Bay and the Arugam Bay Surf Club’

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Badulla-Arugam Bay

Published on 28/07/2011 in accomodation, Blogs, front page, guesthouse and Traveler's Reports. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .
The range of Adidas clothing goes from T-shirts and sweats for men, to children’s and even baby sports clothing. Football Baby Clothes at great prices from baby Sports Shop.

…..Finally we reached Arugam Bay, a beachfront collections of shacks and hotels, stretching around the bay…… ….Apparently, after dusk the road to Arugam bay becomes chock-a-block with insomniac elephants who decide to wander the roads. Hence, travelling there is dangerous…..

"Watermusic" @ Arugam Bay

Part 1: They Mostly Come Out At Night, Mostly Coumadin od treatment We strode out of Badulla station, and I was still for pushing on right through to Arugam Bay. There was a solitary minibus tout and he offered to drive us for $50. Each. Llyw quickly shot this down, at which point the fella, who exuded dodginess from every pore, explained why a night time voyage was so expensive- Nocturnal elephants. Apparently, after dusk the road to Arugam bay becomes chock-a-block with insomniac elephants who decide to wander the roads. Hence, travelling there is dangerous. Continue reading ‘Badulla-Arugam Bay’

Living Dreams

Published on 08/07/2011 in accomodation, Blogs, front page, guesthouse, hotels, people, restaurants, Traveler's Reports and wild life. 0 Comments

Arugam Bay, thata??s where to catch the wave

Published on 30/06/2011 in Arugam Bay Surf Club, Arugam Surf Club, Arugambay Surf Club, Blogs, Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, From our own Correspondent, front page and Traveler's Reports. 0 Comments

The place just blows me away every time I visit.

If there was heaven on earth, Arugam Bay would be it.
It has everything that I love about Sri Lanka; wonderful weather, surfing, jungle beaches, history, nature and a lively culture complete with people from all over the globe!

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Full text of this small image printed below.

The surf season begins in May and runs to October. The journey to Abay itself has seen tremendous changes with a a??carpeta?? road built right from Colombo to Arugam Bay. You will see the best of Sri Lanka while you travel, A?rivers, lots of greenery, Elephants in Udawalawe National Park (No you dona??t even need to go inside the park to see them!) and Lahugala, the Hill Country in the distance and historical monuments scatttered along the road.

Once you get to Abay you can chill at a number of restaurents and little shops dotted along the road. Being the avid explorer, I would venture to Pottuville Town and try the local Prawn and Crab Curry! You can get back into having some a??normala?? food, pizzaa??s at Sun N Surf, Thai Food at Siam View followed by home made desserts at the Gecko.

My favourite breakfast is always at Hakeems, Banana Pancakes and Rottis at his little shop by the side of the street. Enough energy to get me on the board and last through the day! Continue reading ‘Arugam Bay, thata??s where to catch the wave’

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Jaffna-Arugam-Kataragama

Published on 19/06/2011 in Blogs, front page, Historical sites, people, press coverage, Religious and Traveler's Reports. 0 Comments

The first pilgrims of the traditional, annual “Walk on Foot” (‘Pada Yatra’)A? from Jaffna in the very North all the way to Kataragama in the deep South of our island have reached Arugam Bay today. As always, this colorful, happy, cheerful and peaceful event is mentioned on arugam.info.

2011 walk / photo by padayata.org

Here are a few impressions fromA? Arugam Bay:

Buy grifulvin Information taken from the web site of the organizers:
The traditional two month long Pada Yatra or foot pilgrimage from Jaffna to Kataragama annually in May-June-July is neither a peace march nor a political rally, but a traditional procession of village devotees who represent the rural voice of Sri Lanka.

Images of generic coreg The Pada Yatra tradition is an essential part of Lanka’s multi-cultural ethos. The Yatra begins with pilgrims moving from one sacred site to another, with their numbers growing as the Yatra progresses.

more details:

http://padayatra.org/