Check out Tangalle beach (if it has recovered after the tsunami). Amazing beach shacks which will cook you whatever fish they have caught that day. (Caveat: after the destruction, a bunch of German property developers were buying up cheap land so it may have become peppered with resorts.) Kandy and all the hill stations and tea plantations are amazing too, for a complete change of scenery. Will probably be colder and more misty this time of year though. And the North has opened up now, after the protracted political upheavals and security situations, but it's an adventure getting there. And the Sinharaja primary rain forest is a trip. Beware of leeches.
I sent this to Kosala, my old programmer and current tour guide. I still don't know what he has planned but I'm okay with whatever. I think the tentative plan is go down south today - see some beaches, enjoy the views. Then come back to the Colombo area, do some work, and then go all around up north. Its beautiful here. I got into the hotel around 1am. Him and his family are from here and I'm expected to be a conservative traditional girl. That means NO cigarettes, NO alcohol, NO knees showing, NO sleeveless shirts. I guess I'll actually fulfill my New Years Resolution to quit smoking. If I have to go 9 days here without cigarettes, it's not like I'm going to start again when I get back. So worth it though to get a real look at Sri Lanka and live like they live. I loved Bangkok and some of the areas that we wandered into, but the one tour we did was so white and English speaking and cameras clicking that it made me cringe. The election was yesterday. Lot's of noise, fireworks, cheering, people running around the streets right now. The area we are in is for the opposition party so its more joyous than murderous. We'll see how it goes as we get up north. All of our plans are super tentative based on whatever political situations may arise. So far it seems to be going okay. Cheers!
All of you are talking about Asia, but not a single mention of Malaysia. I'm sad. Insom, even though saying "go there!" is a difficult thing to do, especially when that "there" is another country, if you have any means, check out Malaysia. One of the best months of my short life was spent there. I have pictures. Pm me if you want places to check out.
Malaysia is on the list for next trip. It was on this list but my mother decided she wanted to go to Costa Rica for her birthday so I only had time for Hong Kong and Bangkok and Sri Lanka. The original plan was to go Sri Lanka to Malaysia to Sydney and then home.