This is the third post in the series on our trip to Sri Lanka. It gives a glimpse of the third day of our trip. After a hectic second day, we were fully packed for the third day as well. We had our breakfast and started early. Our first stop was at the famous Tooth relic temple.
Tooth relic temple:
Sri Dalada Maligawa or the Temple of the sacred tooth relic is a Buddhist temple. It is so called because it houses the relic of Buddha’s tooth. The relic, which is considered as the most sacred by Buddhists is preserved in a golden stupa inside the shrine. The temple is a world heritage site and holds a lot of significance in the history of Kandy. The temple opens at 5:30 AM with an early morning ritual. Devotees usually come dressed in white. They bring flowers as offerings. The temple is beautiful and depicts the distinctive Kandian architectural style. Surrounded by a water body, the temple offers a peaceful and a divine experience to the devotee.
After visiting the tooth relic temple, we continued with our journey to Nuwara Eliya. Having heard about the Ambuluwawa tower, we asked our driver about it and decided to visit the tower en-route.
Ambuluwawa tower:
It is located at around 24 kms away from Kandy. Named after a mountain, the Ambuluwawa tower offers breath taking views of its surroundings. The tower is situated at around 1085 meters above sea level. The tower has a staircase, which leads one to the top of it. The stairs at the bottom are wider. However, as one progresses to the top, the stairs become narrower, making the climb difficult. There are stoppage points in between, where people can rest a little. On weekends, there is a huge influx of tourists to this tower, making the climb all the more difficult. There is only one spiral staircase for both going up and for coming down the tower. It has a railing which is only waist high. For the ones with fear of heights, the climb can be scary and claustrophobic. But the views from the top are worth the thrill.
The tower is located uphill, and our car was parked at the downhill. The climb to the top has steep roads. Autos are available to carry the tourists up to the entry of the tower. There are other attractions like a giant swing (in the Bali style) located at the uphill. We took an auto and reached till the foot of the tower. Our climb to the top of the tower was relatively easy and the weather was good too. We clicked a few photos, took an auto and came down. There is a coffee shop near the parking area. The coffee there was so good. It can’t be missed. After having a strong coffee, we proceeded with our long day ahead.
Our next stop was at the Hanuman temple in Ramboda.
Bhakta Hanuman Temple:
Bhakta Hanuman temple in Ramboda is built by Chinmaya mission of Sri Lanka. It is an important site of the Ramayana tour. It is said that this was the place where Lord Hanuman rested, while searching for goddess Sita. It is also believed that this was the place where Lord Rama gathered his troops. The majestic 16-foot-tall idol of Lord Hanuman is the highlight of this temple. Situated in the middle of the hills, the temple offers a calming experience.
The temple closes at 13:30 in the afternoon (for an hour). We reached there just in time to witness the lord. We were fortunate enough to get his blessings. There is also a restaurant, nearby the temple which serves delicious food.
Our next stop was at the Ramboda hotel.
Ramboda hotel and waterfall:
The Ramboda falls hotel is famous for its delicious food, which is served with the backdrop of the Ramboda waterfalls. It offers a beautiful dining experience to the visitors. There is a way through the hotel which takes one to the proximity of Ramboda falls. We went to the hotel, visited the falls and had our lunch at this unique spot. It was a great experience.
After having the lunch, we proceeded to our next stop which was the tea factory.
Damro Tea factory:
We went to the famous Damro Tea factory. On arrival, the visitors were divided into groups, and a guide accompanied each group. That person explained the tea-making process in detail to us. We were also showed the various equipment used for making the best quality tea. Later all the visitors were taken to a lounge where they were offered a complimentary tea. Based on the preferences, one can choose and buy from a wide variety of tea powders available there. For the tea connoisseurs, it is a great experience.
We had the complimentary tea, which tasted good. From there, we went directly to our hotel room and checked into it.
We still had some time left for the day. Hence, we decided to explore the city in the evening. Our guide tagged along with us, and we first went to the Nuwara Eliya post office.
Nuwara Eliya post office:
This is one of the oldest post offices of Sri Lanka. It was open when we went there in the evening. It is a functioning post office and provides an opportunity to keep a record of one’s travel. Thus, we decided to send a post card back home in India. They have a wide range of post cards to choose from. The person at the post office helped us with filling in the details on the post card. We sent the post card in our names to our home back in India.
We then walked along the roads and had some local snacks. We observed a similarity in the snacks made in India and Sri Lanka. Then, our guide took us to a local exhibition. We did not enter the exhibition area. Nevertheless, we saw a few buses in the nearby ground. We got curious about it.
Our guide explained that those buses acted as moving discos in Sri Lanka. People book them for nearby sightseeing. At night, they park these buses at some spot and play songs and dance along. These are customized buses with lights and sound system. They looked very lively. We spent some time there with the locals and went back to our hotel.
We had our dinner and called off our day.
Points to note:
- Place of stay: Hotel Mist hill Rest
- Photography is strictly prohibited inside Bhakta Hanuman temple
- Timings of Tooth Relic temple: 5:30 am to 08:00 pm
- Tooth Relic temple entrance ticket: 1500 LKR
- Ambuluwawa tower ticket: 2000 LKR
Travel Diary 