Sri Lanka- Land of Buddhas, Tooth Tombs, and Eleph

If traveling to Sri Lanka on business, you'll most likely be in Colombo. If at all possible, stay the weekend and explore the countryside. Drivers can be hired for the weekend through the hotels at surprisingly affordable rates. The hotel concierge will also help you develop a weekend itinerary. Things to see:
- The Elephant Orphanage
- The Tooth Temple in Kandy- home of the sacred tooth of Buddha (note that you can't actually VIEW the tooth)
- Sigiriya- an ancient rock fortress with some really cool rock paintings of concubines (or so our guide told us)

Quick Tips:

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Nothing beats really getting to know a place than taking the time to travel through it. Hiring a driver to take you through the Sri Lankan countryside offers a wonderful opportunity to delve into the sights and sounds of Sri Lanka outside of Colombo. One caveat- if you're at all prone to car sickness this may not be the best way to immerse yourself in Sri Lankan culture. Driving, or even riding in a car, in Sri Lanka requires a strong stomach and blind faith in your driver. Drivers are prone to hit the horn the minute their foot touches the gas and continue honking for the duration of the trip. If traffic laws exist, they are rarely followed. Car lanes form where none existed, lights and signs are disregarded, and the general consensus seems to be "get there as quickly as humanly possible".

This is a really unique hotel and an interesting change from the typical western chains. The entire hotel is built into a mountain so that many of the walls along the corridors are actual rock. The rooms continue with the natural theme and have big sliding glass windows that look out onto the scenery.

Note that the price included both my dinner (all you can eat international buffet) and breakfast.

As with many hotel chains in Asian cities, the Colombo Hilton was beautiful. The rooms were large and luxurious, the staff was very accomodating, and the grounds surrounding the hotel were lush and vibrant. I especially liked the outside walkway connecting the hotel with the gym- it was very tropical and seemed to be home to a variety of birds and other wildlife.

The hotel tries very hard to cater to its western customers. I was there during December and during my stay the lobby was transferred into a Sri Lankan version of a winter wonderland. Even though the majority of Sri Lankan citizens are Buddhist, there was no end of Christmas carols on the radio and the hotel had Christmas trees as far as the eye can see (even in the gym!). But because they really have no actual Christmas experience, one morning I was greeted in the hotel lobby by a large commotion. It turns out the Christmas tree had fallen over- apparantly they tried to hang too many ornaments!

Sigiriya is an ancient rock fortress, built in the 5th century AD. You can climb to the top and be rewarded with spectacular views of the countryside. At the top of the fortress remains can be seen of different rooms, and with a local guide's help its easy to imagine the fortress in its former spendor.

When you arrive you will find many locals willing to "guide" you through the fortress. Accept their help- whether the information they provide is factual or strictly fantasy, their stories and tidbits of information really make the place come alive. Just remember to give them a good tip, as it will most likely take you a couple hours to explore the entire fort. Also remember that as you're climbing, guardrails and danger signs may not be as apparant as similar places in the States. Be careful- the top is over 600ft high!

Don't worry that this is a big tourist trap- it is, but it's definitely worth a stop. Here you can seen dozens of elephants, all ages and sizes, that have been saved and are now in a conservatory, of sorts. Unlike a zoo, they are free to roam and you can get surprisingly close to them. The babies will pull at your hearstrings with their playful antics.

For a little extra money, you can also ride an elephant. Unfortunately, this experience does mirror that from a zoo or a circus- you ride an elephant around a circle in a small pen. It's hardly exciting- but hey, you can leave now saying you've ridden an elephant!

The Temple of the Tooth supposedly holds the tooth of Buddha. I say supposedly since you don't actually get to see the tooth. What you will see are hundreds of Buddhist worshippers, many carrying lotus blossoms as an offering. Inside the temple you will also see several different incarnations of Buddha in the form of statues.

A couple things to be aware of: both men and women may only enter the temple if their legs are covered. As I was wearing shorts, I was forced to "rent" a sarong to cover my legs. Additionally, you may only enter the temple without shoes and when you return to reclaim your shoes you will be asked for a donation. In fact, my visit to the Temple was inundated with requests for "100 rupees please".