Thursday, 28 November 2013

A Visit to Negombo Offers an Enjoyable Sri Lankan Experience

As we were going to reach our destination, I could see from the window of our flight, the vast and fascinating blue coloured Indian Ocean past a winding coastline extending like a long white ribbon, towards the tropical paradise of Sri Lanka.


After flying through large puffs of white clouds we finally landed at Bandaranaike International Airport, eager to start our honeymoon vacation and to get an eyeful of the sea. We had decided to go to Sri Lanka for our honeymoon before our wedding. The reason of our choice was because of its scenic beaches and the food culture of this country. As we were going a swift custom clearance, I took a quick look towards my wife, who was much at ease before the commencement of our journey.

Mr Anand, who was our chauffeur-cum-guide, was quick to spot us. Soon we were driving down palm-lined lanes away from the crowded streets towards the seaside fishermen town of Negombo, which is at a distance of around 7 km from the airport. The guidebook that we had purchased, informed us that it was once the trading port for the Portuguese and Dutch. 

This historical place features a primitive Dutch fort gate and prison, built around 17th century and is considered as the 'Rome of Sri Lanka' due to its beautiful churches dotted around every bend, and inside every cranny. As the sea was not yet in sight, I was happy driving around Nogombo's primitive lanes, which were dotted with old-fashioned tiled houses with beautiful gardens overflowing with pink bougainvillea creepers. As we drove over a wooden bridge straddling an emerald lagoon and past few shops, we reached our hotel where we were going to stay for the next two days, Club Dolphin.

As we entered, I was amused with the traditional wooden architecture of the resort. A place was beautifully furnished, along with a lounge area, lotus ponds and mini fountains. As we entered our room, I was quite relieved to find that I could see uninterrupted view of the sea from our room. 

By the time got ourselves sitting out in the balcony sipping coffee, the light outside was slowly fading, the palms were merrily swaying in the breeze, and the activity in the pool was increasing. After few moments, I was with my camera to capture the best view of Sri Lankan sunset. With the sunset radiating red and orange colour in the sky, there was romance all around. To enjoy the moment, we sat on a fallen log of coconut palm feeling the wind in our faces and a roaring sea before us.

The next morning, we woke up much early than our usual time and run down the beach to an inviting sea, fresh and white in the morning sun. The garden and pool lights glowing from the previous night which were not yet put off, offered some exquisite scenery, and I found myself clicking away without really training my lens. 

We enjoyed the entire morning while cherishing the scenic views of the sunrise and the splashing of waves along the banks of the coastline. After returning to our rooms, we took a quick shower and headed towards the dining room for breakfast. Alike every meal at the resort, breakfast too was a large one, which was served with a selection of fresh fruit juices and cup desserts.



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