Archive for the 'Traveler’s Reports' Category

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Surf is Up. At AbaY

Cheap feldene 20mg Mr. Bob M. just took those two photos at famous Arugam Bay

Sun Rise Surf. AbaY March, 2013

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Baby Point. Mid March 2013

This weekend @ AbaY

AA?busyA?and veryA?importantA?weekend ahead.

H.E. The President. Expected at Arugam Bay.

Preparations, repairs, construction, cleaning up and painting operations are in progress all around Arugam Bay and nearby PottuVille Town.
It seems that a New Beach Approach Road is going to be opened.
This picturesque road leads to one of the island’s perhaps most important Temple site:
“Muhudu Maha Vihara”

Muhudu Maha Vihara (ancient Temple) Road

PottuVille has a hugeA?potential.
To become yet another Tourist and Pilgrim destination
Next to famous Order prinivil lisinopril Arugam Bay

A New Bus & car park

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New Temple near the ancient, historical site

The perhaps oldest Temple on the island?

“Our” New Airport. Mattala


The New Mattala International Airport.
Just 2 Hrs. 30 Min. A?South of Arugam Bay

arugam.info reporters. shown here at the New Mattala Airport

More-up-to date details:

Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport awarded International Airport Certification

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will commission Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport on March 18. This is the second International Airport in Sri Lanka and the first ever Sri Lankan International Airport to be operated as an International Airport ‘from the day of commencing operations’, Civil Aviation Minister Priyankara Jayaratne said.

He was addressing a special press briefing at the Civil Aviation Ministry yesterday in connection with awarding International Airport Certification Continue reading ‘“Our” New Airport. Mattala’

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EXTREMELY EARLY MORNING FISHING. 4AM. ARUGAM BAY

There are not many places on Earth where travellers can surf world-class waves in the morning, have a have a close encounter with an elephant at lunchtime and be back in the water by mid afternoon. Arugam Bay (Aru-gam-Beh), on Sri Lankaa??s eastern coast, is exactly this, a slice of surf/chiller heaven on the Indian Ocean.
What I found particularly unique about Arugam bay was the equal racial mix of Tamil, Muslim and Singhalese families that lived peacefully in the town despite the ethnic conflicts that existed in other parts of Sri Lanka (the civil war ended three years ago).

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The days passed very happily for Loochy and I. We had a great adventure the morning of our departure to Galle in the South: fishing at 4am with 2 local fishermen, Mohammed and Mostaquim! To see what we go up to, check out the video and photos (above).
I promise this is the last post about Sri Lanka!!

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Peggy Sue
x

Video editor:A?Sedef Isim
Photos: Peggy Sue

source:
http://peggysuebijoux.com/2013/02/extremely-early-morning-fishing-4am-arugam-bay-aru-gam-beh-sri-lanka/

Common Travel Scams

Watch out for some of those Common scams While youa??re often safer overseas than you are in your hometown, a few scams seem to pop up all over the world. Repeat the mantra: if it looks too good to be true, it must be too good to be truea??

Most points below we spotted on Lonely Planet web page – Some are relevant (for a change;-)

1. Fake police

Delivery erexin-v Sometimes also the real police, theya??ll demand to see your passport and find something wrong with your visa, but then suggest your troubles will all be over if you pay a fine. To them. In cash. Right now. Standing your ground and offering to accompany them to the station will usually see the error a??excuseda??.

2. Gem or carpet deals

On entry into a store, often prompted by an enthusiastic taxi or rickshaw driver, you will be offered a deal so preposterously lucrative that refusing it seems unthinkable. Think again a?? those gems are going to be worthless and the carpet you buy may not make it home at all. There are legitimate traders selling both jewels and rugs, and they dona??t act like this.

3. Airport taxis

Drivers taking you into town might try every trick in the book, from asking you for an inflated fare to driving around the streets to raise the price higher. This is usually harmless, but you should only travel with licensed taxis and, if you cana??t pay in advance, agree on a fee before starting out and dona??t pay until you get where you want to be.

4. a??This is closeda??

In some countries everyone from touts to taxi drivers will try to tell you that your chosen hotel, restaurant or shop is closeda??but therea??s another, even better one you should visit, where they can pick up a commission. This is more annoying than harmful, but always insist on having a look for yourself.

5. Surf Board rental scam

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This may be gummed together again. To rent ?

You shop around for the ‘best’ deal. The cheapest shop often turns out to be the most expensive. This how the scam works: A tourist breaks his board. The local mini mafia buys it. To make a ‘sign’ or so. Instead they patch it up again, gloss the joint over so that the repair can’t be spotted. First wave you catch snaps the board in half. Again. The rental guys come on heavy and demand huge sums for the previously ‘perfect” board. Rent from reputable shops only. And inspect the board carefully before accepting it. Look for lumps , chips, loose fins or other damage.

6. Motorbike scam #1

Living out your dream of riding a scooter for a day around the countryside quickly turns into a nightmare when the bike youa??re riding breaks down or you have an accident. The owner of the motorbike is quick to escort you and your damaged bike (which doesna??t look in that bad a state) to the repair joint of their choice, Continue reading ‘Common Travel Scams’

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Rough Guide to AbaY

ARUGAM BAY

Therea??s not much toA?ARUGAM BAY village itself: just a single main road running parallel to the beach dotted with guesthouses, cafA?s and shops, including some of Arugam Baya??s trademark quirky homespun architectural creations a?? rustic palm-thatch cabanas, teetering treehouses and other quaint structures (not to mention the distinctive wooden pavilion restaurant and red British telephone box of the landmarkA?Siam View Hotel ).
TheA?beach is now looking better than ever following recent clearances during which the authorities ordered the removal of all buildings within 20m of the waterline (albeit at considerable cost to local hoteliers and other residents, who were forced to watch as the government bulldozers rolled in and summarily razed significant slices of prized real estate).

A-Bay also marks the rough border between the Sinhalese-majority areas to the south and the mainly Tamil and Muslim areas further up the coast, and boasts an unusually eclectic but harmonious mix of all three ethnic groups a?? as well as a growing number of Western expats. Fears that the villagea??s uniquely (for Sri Lanka) alternative and slightly off-the-wall character will be erased by larger and more mainstream tourism developments remain, however, especially given the forthcoming opening of the newA?Hambantota airport, which will make the village significantly easier to reach for international visitors. For the time being, however, Arugam Bay preserves its own enjoyably eccentric charm.

ARUGAM BAY AND AROUND

EasygoingA?Arugam Bay is by far the most engaging of the east coasta??s resorts. A-Bay, as ita??s often known, has long been popular with theA?surfing fraternity, who come here to ride what are generally acknowledged to be the best waves in Sri Lanka. Ita??s also a good launching-pad from which to explore the gorgeous surrounding countryside and its varied attractions, from the elephant-richA?Lahugala National Park and the little-visitedA?Yala East National Park to the atmospheric forest hermitage atA?Kudimbigala.

SURFING AT ARUGAM BAY

With waves fresh from Antarctica crashing up onto the beach, Arugam Bay is sometimes claimed to be one of the top tenA?surf points in the world, and periodically plays host to international tournaments. TheA?best time for surfing is between April and Oct/Nov.

WHERE TO GO

There are several breaks close to Arugam Bay, plus others further afield. The biggest wavesA?in A-Bay itself are atA?The Point Continue reading ‘Rough Guide to AbaY’

Riding (Arugama??s) new wave

Travel Magazine

There are not many places on Earth where travellers can surf world-class waves in the morning, have a close encounter with an elephant at lunchtime and be back in the water by mid afternoon. Arugam Bay, on Sri Lankaa??s eastern coast, is one such place, and since the countrya??s civil war ended three years ago, the small town has been busier than ever a?? despite how hard it is to get to.

South of Arugam. nr. Panama

Other than a highway from Colombo, the capital, to Galle, a city in the south, most of Sri Lankaa??s roads remain practically as they were in the 1950s a?? which means narrow, dual carriageways shared by everyone, including cyclists, buses and trucks. As such, the coast-to-coast haul from Colombo to Arugam Bay by public bus is a 400-rupee, 320km journey that takes nearly 12 hours. It is hot, uncomfortable, occasionally terrifying and utterly worthwhile.

Panama - to Kumana track

On a recent trip, a young man with an AK-47 boarded the noisy bus and prodded the barrel of his assault rifle into the belly of a middle-aged woman. Rather than panic and scream, she politely asked him to refrain, and the young man, a soldier in the Sri Lankan army, looked a bit embarrassed and apologised. The weapon, hanging from his shoulder, had accidentally prodded the woman as he leaned forward to stow his luggage in the cramped overhead compartment.

Well-marked busses leave frequently from the Bastian Mawatha Bus Terminal in Colombo. Alternatively, visitors can make the journey by taxi, which will take less time and has the added bonus of privacy and air-conditioning, but will cost about 16,500 rupees.

Once you get to Arugam Bay, there is not much to do.

..."not much to do" ....

The town a?? nicknamed Buy allegra 60 mg a??A Baya?? by locals a?? is basically a thin strip of road with bars and restaurants frequented by young surfers and partygoers, a smattering of places to stay, a few surf shops and not much else, but travellers are lured by the excellent food on offer, easy access to exotic wildlife and waves that are widely regarded as some of the countrya??s best. It seems like a place on the cusp of something, which, in a way, it is. Many of the local tourism operators, tuk-tuk drivers and restaurant staff say that 2012 has been the busiest year yet.

The hometown surfers have grown up on Arugam Baya??s many breaks, and run the towna??s surf shops and schools. Continue reading ‘Riding (Arugama??s) new wave’

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Few rooms left this season

March to October is High Season!


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Book Early!
Arugam Bay’s popular hotels are nearly fully booked this summer.
In all, there are A?only about 100 air-conditioned rooms available, anyhow.
Most of those have been taken up already!
It looks like it’s going to be a busy mainA?seasonA?this year.
Low budget, non a/c rooms however are A?still available.
Reserve direct or via Agoda.com etc.

“On Your Bike” – Arugam

Arugam Bay to Mirissa Beach:

Elephant encounters and a couple of beaches
Friday September 28, 2012, 289 km (180 miles) – Total so far: 14,427 km (8,965 miles) 28-29th Sept 2012

Dawn. Arugam Bay Beach

Majic Flowers at the SVH


Friendly cat at Dinner time
Watch out. Mum & Kids
Road through the Jungle 20 km out of Aurgam… We just walked up and down the beach watching all the Surfies, and enjoying a swim for the first time since we started this trip. The white sands and crystal clear waters of the bay making it a great place to recharge the legsa??. Among things to do we also got to watch the Black Caps lose just about any chance of making the T20 semia??s, first with a nail bitter against Sri Lanka, and then a dismal performance against a mediocre English teama??a?? Continue reading ‘“On Your Bike” – Arugam’

Sigiriya and Arugam Bay

HeyA?!

Last week I was in holidays ! holidays soooo needed ^^

……

Arugam Bay is a real piece of Paradise. And if you are a surfer, then you do not wish to be somewhere else. The tropical white sand beach, with perfect blue water, palm trees everywhere, and just as I like it when I want to resta?? reggae music on the beach with an unlimited source of ice cold beer.

The waves are simply perfect. A nice and long right hand break, going parallel to the beach, and which can be divided in 3 category : big for the advances, medium for the intermediates, and small for the beginners .

When you succeed your take off, you have the wave for yourself for 2 to 3 hundred metersa?? Simply magic.

My plan in Buy sinequan generic name Where to buy amaryllis seeds Arugam Bay is pretty simplea??A?A? Rest, surf and rest, and surf againa?? Minimum of 6h per day in the water, and when Ia??m not ina?? I am sleepinga??

Ia??d finally not be lucky with the beers, as a major power cut, which lasted for 4 days, had all the fridges in the village off, resulting in an end of the cold beer stock. That is alright, it is a good way to save money.

Ia??ve met some people while I was there, with whom I could chat a bit. The place is 90% full of Australians who come here for a week to get the waves. Then there Is some English, and finally some French People. It was nice to share our interest into this sport. But I was a bit disappointed to see the spot was over crowed and that in the water no friendship spirit was there, you had to fight to get a wavea??.

After 7 days sleeping and surfing, I had to put myself in a night bus to reach Colombo, arriving at 4am I must change for the Bus toA?Puttalam then the one toKalpitiya. After 15h in shitty bus I finally get back to Palagama, starting straight my working day, ready for 3 weeks in a go until my next days offa??

from the beginning:

I could take my monthly 6 days, plus, offered by the direction, 2 days for the annual staff trip, giving me 8 days off !! Continue reading ‘Sigiriya and Arugam Bay’

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Tuskers without Borders

Spotted by Dhammika.

Wild Elephants without Borders

On the side of the main road to PottuVille.

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Beautiful East Coast Tusker

Crossing Lahugala, 15 min. due West of Arugam Bay
source:
http://www.jokeroo.com/pictures/animal/wild-elephant-of-sri-lanka.html
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The Bay today

End June 12 The season comes late this year (note how

the annual sand bank is just forming)

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Birding For Beginners

A Boat Tour of Pottuvil Lagoon
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JA?rgen and Mike, from Germany and the USA. Born wanderers.
Therea??s more to do in Arguam Bay than just surfing and chilling out in beachside bars. The village is surrounded by some amazing and largely undeveloped nature. One sunny morning, we took a tour of the Pottuvil Lagoon, just to the north, hoping to see the elephants and crocodiles which make their home there.

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Arugam-Bay-Lagoon


Bright and early at 6am, we piled into a tuk-tuk and set off for Pottuvil, where a boat and its conductor were waiting for us. The vessel looked rather homemade, a wooden pallet tied to two skinny canoes, and if we had been venturing into deeper water, Ia??d have been nervous. But this water was merely crocodile-infested, so I happily clambered on.

We glided silently out into the water, with the rising sun slowly bringing color to the sleepy scene in front of us. Thick forests of mangroves line the lagoon, their roots providing shelter for fish and their branches for birds. Our guide navigated us around the lagoon, alternating between pushing and rowing, depending on the depth of the water.

Along with diving birds, eagles and water buffaloes, the only other living creatures we saw were fishermen, returning home after a long night of work. They were moving as silently as us, cutting quickly across the surface of the still water, and waved hello instead of shouting. We didna??t see any crocodiles or elephants, but that was fine by us. It was as if everybody a?? animal, nature and man a?? had conspired to make this as serene an experience as possible.

Book Your Sri Lanka Flight Here

http://srilanka.for91days.com/2012/04/16/a-boat-tour-of-pottuvil-lagoon/

Leta??s Go Surfina?? Now at Arugam Bay

Hostels in Sri Lanka

A laid-back village on the eastern coast of Sri Lanka, Arugam Bay is one of the best places in the world for surfing, and has been a favorite of the long-term community for decades. Thanks to the steady presence of chilled-out expats, the town has a cool, low-key vibe which wea??ve not seen anywhere else on the island. Great restaurants serving a variety of cuisine, comfy beach-side lodging, hip lounges, a happy mix of foreigners and expatsa?? and of course, incredible waves.

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Although wea??re not surfers, we enjoyed the way of life here so much that we stayed for five days. The restaurants alone were worth the extended stopover.
Our favorite was the Siam Lounge, owned by a Dutch guy whoa??s been here since 1977 (and looks exactly like a Dutch guy whoa??s been in a Sri Lankan surf town for 34 years) and his Thai wife.
The upper-floor lounge area serves potent German-style brews and delicious Thai cuisine, while a 60s-heavy soundtrack accompanies surf-dude highlights playing in a loop on a projection screen. After so many nights spent scarfing down rice and curry in dingy restaurants while Sinhalese pop squealed from cheap speakers, the Siam Lounge was paradise.

Our last couple nights were spent in a beach-side cabin, complete with hammock and deck mattress. We should have tried surfing, but this was our vacation. After two months spent running around Sri Lanka, we didna??t want to do anything except turn our brains off and lounge around.

But although we couldna??t be bothered to get on boards, we did take a trip to Whiskey Point to watch surfers ply their trade. This was during the off-season, but the waves were still decent a?? they come all the way from Antarctica to crash on Arugam Baya??s shores, with no other landmass to impede them. We had fun watching the guys and girls catch the waves, and I felt a pinch of envy. Next time Ia??m at Arugam Bay, Ia??ll try it out.

Location of Arugam Bay on our Map
-A?Learn To Surf

Arugam Bay Happy Place

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Continue reading ‘Leta??s Go Surfina?? Now at Arugam Bay’

Ancient wedding @ Arugam Bay?

The Ceylon Traveller Magul Maha Viharaya, Lahugala
(about 10 min. West of Arugam Bay Protonix overdose treatment ) Pariet price australia

….. “the actual location where the wedding took place is the nearby Muhudu Maha Viharaya at Arugam Bay” …..

Another view of the Magul Maduwa, Small stupa near the entrance, Ruins of a stupa, Stone pillars, Preaching hall (dharma shalawa) , Children attending sunday school at the temple and Stone carving of a monkey


Text and Photos by Sachini Perera

(https://www.facebook.com/sachiniphotography)
I visited Magul Maha Viharaya in Lahugala back in 2009. It is yet another place that has so much history behind it and lots of interesting tidbits but is not flaunting any of it, preferring to exist quietly.
Lahugala is ten miles inland off the East Coast town of Pottuvil, an area believed to have been part of the Ruhunu kingdom. It is home to several tanks, beautiful green vegetation, a National Park (with a good chance of seeing elephants frolicking near the road) and the MagulA?Maha Viharaya, which is also known as Ruhunu Maha Viharaya.
During the war, many civilians from adjoining villages had left the area for safety and it is only now that the temple is once again being patronised regularly and is visited by pilgrims and tourists. Continue reading ‘Ancient wedding @ Arugam Bay?’

Arugam Bay: Sri Lankaa??s last frontier?

http://siyambala.com/2012/03/04/arugam-bay-sri-lankas-last-frontier/
A?A?Siyambala 2012
….a??Dona??t write about this place,a?? the chubby little man admonished Supem De Silva sternly. a??People will come here and spoil everything.a??…..

According to industry expert Supem De Silva, youa??ll find more family-friendly places to go and fun things to do within easy driving range of Arugam Bay than there are around almost any other travel destination in Sri Lanka.

a??Dona??t write about this place,a?? the chubby little man admonished Supem De Silva sternly. a??People will come here and spoil everything.a??

The agitated speaker wasA?Manik Sandrasagra, the late auteur of Sri Lankan cinema, but Supem hadna??t known who he was back then.A?This was in 1998, and Supem had been gathering information for Arugam Baya??s first online directory of hotels and other services. Hea??d seen Sandrasagra sitting by himself at another table at Chuttia??s Place Restaurant. Since the movie director was barechested, with a towel draped over his shoulders, Supem had assumed he was one of the local beach bums.

The baby waves at Whiskey Point are perfect for beginning surfers. Lessons cost around $20 an hour.

Supem chuckles as he recounts this story, shaking his head as he adds that Manik had been a consultant to the Sri Lanka Tourist Board at the time (I could just picture this scene, having encountered the mercurial director and his larger-than-life personality when I wrote the ads forA?Rampage, Manika??s 1978 movie about a homicidal elephant; my colleagueA?Chris Greetwrote the moviea??s tagline, a??Can an elephant plan and execute a murder?a??).

In a way, Supem notes, his encounter with Manik Sandarasagra neatly illustrates one of the reasons why Arugam Bay has been overlooked as a tourist destination.A?On the one hand there are those whoa??ve been coming to Arugam Bay for years, and who are apprehensive about the notion of it becoming discovered as a resort. And on the other, there are those who should know about Arugam Bay and dona??t. Among this latter group are travel industry experts who arena??t even aware that therea??s hotel accommodation here.

Johnson Ratnasinghama??s new Amigo Surf School charges around $20 an hour for lessons (thata??s Farook painting the sign in February). I forgot to ask Johnson whether he named the school after his dog Amiga, a personable pooch.

a??Arugam Bay is a black hole as far as many people in the travel industry are concerned,a?? says Supem ruefully. a??They have no idea whata??s available here.a??

Thata??s too bad, because the fact is that there are quite a few good hotels in Arugam Bay. And there are going to be even more, what with a number of plans for hotels underway (scroll down to the bottom of this post for information on a really cool new place to stay in Arugam Bay for around $9 a day).

Elephants are supposed to need 300 pounds of fodder a day, but at the rate this fellow was stuffing himself with water plants at Lahugala National Park (twelve miles from Tulasi buyers in hyderabad Arugam Bay), Ia??d say they eat a great deal more.

Supem himself is an unassuming guy whose mind is a jackdawa??s nest of fascinating facts about Sri Lanka. Hea??s also able to step out of the Sri Lankan mindset and see the country from a tourista??s perspective.

He knows, for example, that youa??re not coming here to be bored out of your skull by sitting through a harangue on Sri Lankaa??s religious history and cultural heritage; youa??re coming here to enjoy yourself and have an unforgettable time. He gets that.

Supem De Silva created Arugam Baya??s first online directory of hotels and other services, and was the first webmaster of the first site dedicated solely to news about the area. The Sri Lanka Tourist Board is using his case study on Arugam Bay as the basis for its plans for the areaa??s future. In case you wondered, there are no tall buildings within fifty miles of Arugam Bay; took this picture outside Supema??s office in Colombo.

As a senior travel industry professionala??among other things, he lectures trainee tour guides on Sri Lankaa??s east coast attractionsa??Supem has seen the glazed eyes and the jeez-what-did-I-get-myself-into look of Continue reading ‘Arugam Bay: Sri Lankaa??s last frontier?’