South Asia
Democratic Socialist Republic of
Matara
Madiha/Polhena
Beach Inns Holiday Resort +94412226356 indikapg2006@hotmail.com
Very nice double room (no. 6), 10 m from the high-water mark, with private sea-view balcony and internet, for only LKR 1,500.- or US$ 13.70 per night.
Click below for an interactive road map of the Beach Inns Holiday Resort in Madiha, which we would highly recommend, and for directions:
Getting some R&R at the Beach Inns Holiday Resort +94412226356, an excellent family-run hotel and our Sri Lankan home away from home, catching up on over-due admin work (travel blog, photos, financials), relaxing on the resort's two pristine private beaches, having a good time with local and international friends … and, sadly, getting one night our paradise’s phoney peace disturbed when we found an Olive Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) gone astray on her egg-laying mission in the hotel's concreted backyard and had to help her back into the ocean: 150 years of human technology against millions of years of animal instinct - guess which of the two systems will eventually survive.
“What's the use of a fine house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?”
Becoming seasoned connoisseurs of the spicy Sri Lankan staple food Rice‘n Curry (for LKR 80.- to 120.- per generous portion), available (i) at the fixed-price lunch buffets in any hotel (the misleading name for a simple Sri Lankan restaurant) or (ii) from any of the multitude of bake shops, grocers and street vendors throughout the country as pre-packed lunch packet for take-away, and learning about the many different flavours of Rice‘n Curry which is composed of exotic spices like chili pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, pandanus leaves aka rampe leaves, curry leaves, mustard seeds, tamarind, fenugreek, garlic, coconut milk, dried fish and sambol; our favourite neighbourhood suppliers for vegetarian Rice‘n Curry: 1st Walgama Bake House and Bake Shop (for LKR 95.- per portion), 2nd A.B. Chamly's Cathu Madhu Restaurant (for LKR 100.- per portion), 3rd Ambasewana Bakery (for LKR 90.- per portion).
Saying our goodbyes to our wonderful host family from the Beach Inns Holiday Resort and enjoying a very delicious farewell dinner on the house, taking one of the red S.L.T.B. (Sri Lanka Transport Board) rust buckets from the Walgama bus stop to Galle (c. 40 km, 1 1/2 hours, LKR 45.- or US$ -.40 per person) and boarding thereafter a direct S.L.T.B. express bus to Kandy (c. 230 km, 7 hours, LKR 207.- or US$ 1.90 per person) which was driven by a lunatic driver who raced against all other buses and scraped victories on both legs (i) the scenic, but very narrow coastal road to Colombo and (ii) the picturesque mountain road without crash barriers between Colombo and Kandy, one of the marvels of Victorian engineering in Sri Lanka.
Click below for more blog posts about sea turtles
20 Feb 2014 Moalboal
22 Feb - 10 Mar 2013 Pulau Tioman
20 Mar - 07 Apr 2012 Iboih Beach
25 Jul - 29 Jul 2011 Chukai
21 Apr - 25 Apr 2009 Pulau Kapas
Click below for a summary of this year's travels
2011 Map Konni & Matt
Visit the Konni & Matt Online Albums and order high-res travel photos
20 Feb 2014 Moalboal
22 Feb - 10 Mar 2013 Pulau Tioman
20 Mar - 07 Apr 2012 Iboih Beach
25 Jul - 29 Jul 2011 Chukai
21 Apr - 25 Apr 2009 Pulau Kapas
Click below for a summary of this year's travels
2011 Map Konni & Matt
Visit the Konni & Matt Online Albums and order high-res travel photos
Recommended books - click below for your Amazon order from the United States:
