Visit to 8th Wonder of the world - Sigiriya (Srilanka)

Srilanka - Sri means "Lucky" & Lanka means "Land". Trips which get planned all of a sudden get executed superbly most of the times. One cannot discount the hardwork and efforts which go in the research beforehand. Execution is simple when planning is good and also there is a contingency plan ready. 

I am always in search of offbeat places wherein I wont get crowd which has come because of Social anxiety or Peer pressure most of the times. We Indians gossip a lot and go on hearsay without verifying the facts. There was an issue in Srilanka 5 months back but now things have got to normal. To my surprise, when I went, I didn't found any tourists in Srilanka. Even the flights were not full. A perfect setting for me. I would like to thank my friend Sandeep Prasade for some genuine feedback over here. Elephants, Lush green tea plantations, tropical beaches, Jaw dropping wildlife, historical monuments and temples constituted my bucket list. Srilanka, I felt has been overlooked by Maldives. I will say its one of the best offbeat destinations to explore. Plus, its super affordable for travelers on a shoestring budget. Srilanka is a elephant kingdom & we stayed in slightly remote areas which were closer to the jungle. 

Elephants are excellent swimmers and its an absolute feast to watch them swim and basking in happiness. In a world where wild animals are few and far between, we were glad to see so many of them.

Sigiriya was in the race for the 8th wonder of the world but lost to Sydney's opera house. Everyone knows there are seven wonders in the world, so 8th has hardly any importance. Sigiriya is an important place and part of the cultural triangle in Srilanka. 

The stories about the lion's rock are interesting. The climb too is interesting and it takes an hour to reach the top. When I reached the top, I felt the view as such was ordinary. But the point, I wish to make over here is so many times the journey is more interesting than the actual destination. Sigiriya belongs to that category. Myth says that King Kassapa chose the Lion's rock as his capital, since it rises mysteriously from the jungle. Bring right attitude when you go for this 1 hour climb and you won't be disappointed.

A trip to Srilanka is incomplete without seeing the exotic Buddhist murals covering the Dambulla caves. What we get in Srilanka are stories after stories. In 1st Century, King Valagamba took refuge here after been driven out of Anuradhapura (Another beautiful place).When he regained power, he had these caves converted into temples. 

We took an impromptu break to visit the coastline of Srilanka through train. Having visited 100+ International cities across the world, I personally felt this was a unique experience. Photos can't do justice over here and I have made a reel which will be a lifetime memory. I thank my partner come navigator Purva. We just explored one more country in our long laundry list of 110 countries, this time as family. 

I am big fans of films made by Imtiaz Ali. I recollect a song picturized on Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor sung by Alka Yagnik - "Pal Bhar Thehar Jaao, Dil Ye Sambhal Jaaye, Kaise tumhe roka karu....... Agar Tum Saath Ho, Agar Tum Saath Ho".

Cheers to Lions Lager & Srilanka (Lucky Land)