Tips for traveling to Sri Lanka
- Maps. Google is not the only map. Try the following specially for hiking trails
- Exchange rate was SGD$1.00 to LKR133.56 (or USD$1 to LKR173 at the airport). There will be a commission fee of LKR 500 for changing LKR back to USD
- Food at airport is extremely expensive: Burger King meal is about USD$15. Good to use Priority Pass to eat at Lotus Lounge.
Flight Details
Flight was SGD$363.40 per pax. It was cheaper than Sri Lanka Airline due to the Singapore Airlines/Silkair's "two-to-go" promotion.
Singapore Airlines • SQ 468
SilkAir • MI 429Train Details
| S/N | Itinerary | Date | Train Number | Time | Class | Price |
1 | Train from Mount Lavinia to Galle. | 11 Apr 2019 | #8050 | 0713am | Observation | £11.00 (SGD$20.21) |
2 | Train from Ella to Nanu Oya Railway Station (for Nuwara Eliya) | 14 Apr 2019 | #1006 | 0924am | AFC | £12.00 (SGD$22.05) |
3 | Train from Nanu Oya Railway Station to Kandy | 16 Apr 2019 | #1016 | 0925am | AFC | £13.00 (SGD$23.88) |
4 | Train from Kandy to Colombo | 18 Apr 2019 | #1016 | 1250pm | AFC | £11.00 (SGD$20.21) |
Cost of tickets: £47.00 (SGD$86.35) at 1 SGD = 0.54428 GBP
Tickets delivery charges: £5.95 ($11.16 SGD) at 1 SGD = 0.533286 GBP
Train tickets via https://visitsrilankatours.co.uk
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Day 0, 10 Apr 2019
Flight delayed due to technical issue
Night sky
Arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport
Mobitel SIM card for Rs900 (SGD$6.74) for 5GB (2.5 GB for day and 2.5 GB for night)
Taxi service from airport is fixed price - LKR 3,300 (SGD$24/50)
Colombo Mount Beach Hostel - LKR 4,400 (SGD$35)
The toilet
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Day 1, 11 Apr 2019
The Mount Lavinia station is 350m away from the Colombo Mount Beach Hostel
Credits: Google Maps
Mount Lavinia Station
3rd Class tickets
Observation Class Ticket £11.00 (SGD$20.21) per pax
Catching the train from Mount Lavinia to Galle at about 7:20am
The train from Colombo to Galle takes us along the West Coast of Sri Lanka
Toilet that goes straight down
Getting the entire Observation Class carriage to ourselves
Raining
The Observation Class
Arrived Galle ගාල්ල at about 9:35am
Chaotic
Walking towards the Galle Fort
Seagreen Guest House - LKR 9,625 (SGD$72)
Panorama
Shallow patch showing the reefs
Galle Fort, Sri Lanka - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA
Galle Fort 360
Father and Daugther
Galle Lighthouse
Maritime Museum
Blue Sky
All Saints' Church
Lunch at Calorie Counter - LKR 3,400 (SGD$15.46)
Sri Sudharmalaya Buddhist Temple
Afternoon walkabout
Galle Cricket Stadium
Fishing port
Aerial view of Galle Fort
Unawatuna
Japanese Peace Pagoda
Buddha
Coconut at LKR 100 (SGD$0.75) that you use the husk as the spoon
Fishing boats
*Did not go for the swing at Dalawella Beach / Wijaya Beach
Flag lowering ceremony back at the Galle Fort
Sunset at Galle Fort, Sri Lanka - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA
Sunset 360 Galle Fort
Sunset
Silhouettes
Nicely arranged provision shop
Dinner at Spoon's - LKR 2,000 (SGD$15)
Google Timeline GPS log
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Day 2, 12 Apr 2019
Morning
Banana
Fishing boats
#meow
A good assortment of catch
Big catch! Spiny lobster
Chopping the fish
Pulling the fishing boat in
Collecting the catch
Happy with the catch
Dutch Reformed Church
Methodist Church
Dining area of Seagreen Guesthouse
Breakfast at Seagreen Guesthouse - LKR 2,860 (SGD$10.71) per pax
Took a car from Galle to Ella at LKR 18,000 (SGD$134.76), while visiting sites along the way.
Sri Lanka stilt fishing scene - empty because no one is paying for the fishermen to pose. Similar to the Myanmar's Inle Lake leg rowing fishermen, the "fishermen" here have turn to tourist attraction who try to collect fees to pose for photos.
Weligama Beach වැලිගම
Taprobane Island
Welligama region
*Passed by Mirissa Beach මිරිස්ස without stopping
Suspension bridge පරෙවි දූව විහාරස්ථානය - Paravi Duwa Temple (Matara)
Suspension bridge that appear unstable
A very modern supermarket - Cargills Food City Matara II
Hummanaya Blow Hole, Kudawella - Admission LKR 250 (SGD$1.87)
Unfortunately, there was no blow, likely due to low tide
Kudawella
Kudawella Fishery port
Lunch at Emmalaya Rock View, Tangalle - LKR 2,200 (SGD$16.50)
Diyaluma Falls දියලුම ඇල්ල is 220 m (720 ft) high and the second highest waterfall in Sri Lanka and 361st highest waterfall in the world It is situated 6 km (3.7 mi) away from Koslanda in Badulla District on Colombo-Badulla highway. The Falls are formed by Punagala Oya, a tributary of Kuda Oya which in turn, is a tributary of Kirindi Oya. Note: Diyaluma Falls is a detour for those proceeding from Galle to Ella. The route from Wellawaya to Diyaluma is quite bumpy.
Unfortunately, it rained when I was filming this great waterfall
Zoomed out version
Ravana Waterfalls (රාවණා ඇල්ල) - It currently ranks as one of the widest falls in the country, it measures approximately 25 m (82 ft) in height and cascades from an oval-shaped concave rock outcrop.
View from Country House, Ella
Country House - LKR 19,400 (SGD$145) for two nights
Decent toilet with rain shower
Ella town ඇල්ල is abuot 600m (10min) walk
Dinner at Cafe C Ella: Cream Pasta and Kottu - LKR 1,310 (SGD$9.80)
Ella Town at night
Google Timeline GPS log
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Day 3, 13 Apr 2019
Sunrise
Winding road
Nature
Breakfast included - Toast, Egg Hopper, Juices and fresh fruits
Nine Arch Bridge (3km from Ella) ආරුක්කු නමයේ පාලම is between Ella and Demodara railway stations, on the Demodara loop and spans 91 meters at a height of 24m.
Popular rumours suggest that when construction work commenced on the bridge (commissioned 1941), the Great War began between the empires of Europe and the steel assigned for this site was reallocated to Britain's War related projects at the battlefront. As a result, the work came to a standstill, leading the locals build the bridge with stone bricks and cement, but without steel.
Nine Arch Bridge, Ella - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA
360 of Nine Arch Bridge
The "Blue Train"
Tunnel
GPS log for Nine Arch Bridge - There are different approaches to the bridge; the one my tuktuk dropped me required some hiking thru steep slopes
Many blogs recommended following the railway tracks from Ella station to Kital Ella Railway Station. However, I've chosen to cut through the village via stairs because OpenStreetMap provides the routes and contour lines that are not available in Google Maps
Using OsmAnd App for on site navigation from Country House to Ella Rock (2.6km from Ella Town)
Passing through scenic routes
Stairs climb that cut through the village
Slippery rocks
The "Small Ravana Waterfall"
Bashing through the vegetation
Little pitstop to buy coconut
Little puppy
Walking along the ridge line with good views, but not yet the summit
More to go... tougher path ahead
View from the summit - I wonder who and how the Sri Lanka flag is planted on that tree
Ella Rock, Sri Lanka - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA
360 panorama of Ella Rock
Magnificent views
House with bottles
Cutting through plantations
Route back to Ella
Nice flowers along the village
Family having picnic along the roadside
GPS Log of the Ella Rock hike
GPS Log overlay on satellite view
Getting misty
Ella Town
Cooking the Kottu
Dinner
Evening walk - Ella Railway station
Google Timeline GPS Log
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Day 4, 14 Apr 2019
Little Adam’s Peak (3km from Town)
Sunrise
Buddha
Walking along the ridge line
Helipad
Breakfast with a view
Nice red flowering tree at the Ella Railway station
Weighing machine
Boarding the "Blue Train"
The Air-conditioned First Class (AFC)
Bandarawela
Greenery
Diyatalawa
Passing train
Father and daughter
Beware trying to stretch outward
Scenic railway ride
AFC toilet
Train conductor giving the go ahead
Train conductor's area
Elgin Falls is located in the Elgin tea estate which is 18 km (11 mi) from Nuwara Eliya. The waterfall is 25 m (82 ft) in height. Elgin Falls named after Elgin major town of Moray in Scotland. The falls is at about 1,500 m (4,900 ft) above sea level.
Plantations
Arrived at Nanu Oya Station
Nanu Oya Railway Station is about 7km (15min) from Nuwara Eliya main town
Taxi engaged via Traveladvisor
Upper Kotmale Dam feeds the third largest hydroelectric power station in the country. It significantly affected the water at the St. Clair's Falls, located 2.2 km (1.4 mi) downstream of the dam.
The St. Clair Viewing Point & Restaurant
St. Clair's Falls (සාන්ත ක්ලෙයාර් ඇල්ල) is one of the widest waterfalls in Sri Lanka
Shot of St. Clair Major Falls using 85mm
Mlesna Tea Castle St Clair
Exhibit of machine used to cut the tea leaves
Souvenir shop
Lunch - LKR 3,740 (SGD$28)
Winding road
Devon Falls ඩෙවෝන්_ඇල්ල is 97 metres high and ranked 19th highest in the Island.
Devon fall from 85mm
Kids
Street food vendor
*Did not visit Glassaugh Falls and Nanu Oya Falls which are near the Nanu Oya station
Seasons Villa, Nuwara Eliya - LKR 37,410 (SGD$280.08) for two nights. This particular room is the only one with a balcony which is great for laundry
Bathroom
Common area
Nice interior design
New Year snacks - Kokis (deep-fried, crispy and sweet snack made from a mixture of rice flour and coconut milk) is the best
External view of the balcony
Fun fair
Well decorated buses
Ferris Wheel
Boat rides at Gregory Lake
Flower display
Birds frightened by helicopter
Old houses
Sunset
Colourful lights
Night market games
Dinner back at Seasons Villa - LKR 2,100 (SGD$15.72)
GPS Log
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Day 5, 15 Apr 2019
The Horton Plains is about 1hr away from Nuwara Eliya. Depart one hour before sunrise so as to begin the hike at sunrise itself.
Horton Plains National Park is a protected area in the central highlands of Sri Lanka and is covered by montane grassland and cloud forest. This plateau at an altitude of 2,100–2,300 metres (6,900–7,500 ft) is rich in biodiversity and many species found here are endemic to the region. This region was designated a national park in 1988.
Sunrise
Horton Plains Pattipola Entrance
Tickets at LKR 8,000 (SGD$60)
Sri Lankan sambar deer
Elephant skull in the visitor centre
start of track
The Horton Plains trail is in a loop. Took the anti-clockwise direction
Chimney Pool
Vast plot of land
Different types of track along the way, but nothing challenging compared to the Ella Rock
Baker's Fall බේකර්ස්_ඇල්ල
As the sun raise higher, so do the temperature
World's End ලෝකාන්තය - Now with conwire
Little World's End
Toilet with a view
Pink rocks
GPS Log for Horton Plains
The "New Zealand Farm" at Ambewela - LKR 200 (SGD $1.50) per pax entrance fee
Tractor
Cows
Feeding
Snacks and milk - LRK 280 (SGD $2.10)
The Bulls
Ambewela Junction
Roadside vendor
Plantation
Bomburuella Waterfall බෝඹුරු_ඇල්ල - LKR 50 per pax entrance fee
Intermediate fall
Pipes that supply water downstream
Little stream along the way
GPS log for Bomburuella Waterfall
Photo spot
Ramboda Falls රම්බොඩ_ඇල්ල is 109 m (358 ft) high and 11th highest waterfall in Sri Lanka and 729th highest waterfall in the world. It is situated in Pussellawa area, on the A5 highway at Ramboda Pass. It formed by Panna Oya which is a tributary of Kothmale Oya. Altitude of the falls is 945 m (3,100 ft) above sea level.
Blue Fields Tea Factory
Tea of different grade
Winding road
Golden light
Sunset
Traffic jam on the way back
Dinner at Araliya Green City Food Court - LKR 3,850 (SGD $18.82)
Cakes for dessert
Araliya Green City Food Court
Night scene
Provisions
New year celebration concert
GPS Log
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Day 6, 16 Apr 2019
Victoria Park
Post Office Nuwara Eliya is one of the oldest post offices in Sri Lanka
The Tudor-style two-storey red-brick building with a clock spire, was constructed in 1894 by the British. In 2012 the former living quarters of the post-master, on the upper floor of the post office, was converted into tourist accommodation
Letter box
Exhibits
Hatton National Bank
Local food place - Hela Bojun Hala
Gregory Lake Nuwara Eliya
Preparing to depart Nanu Oya Station
Local children
Not all seats at the Aircon First Class (AFC) has power sockets
St. Clair Major Falls
Admiring the view together
GPS Log from Nuwara Eliya to Kandy
Kandy මහනුවර
Burger King Rice - LKR 940 (SGD $7.04)
Oak Ray Heritage Hotel - LKR 25,750 (SGD $192.80) for 2 nights
Bathroom
View
Interesting bathroom slipper
Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic) is located in the royal palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy, which houses the relic of the tooth of the Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings and is a World Heritage Site mainly due to the temple.
Ticketing machine - LKR 1,500 (SGD $11.23) per pax
Picturesque Corridor that is always occupied
Royal Bath
Corridor
World Buddhist Museum
Raining
Ceremony
Dinner at the Empire Cafe (Queen's catch & Chicken) - LKR 3,218 (SGD $14.08)
Provision shop / Mini Mart
Grains
Mineral water in different sizes
GPS Log
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Day 7, 17 Apr 2019
Breakfast with a view
Breakfast
Bahirawakanda Vihara Buddha Statue
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
Railway station
Kandy Lake
Sangaraja Temple
Flags
Lakewood Residence - This was meant to be the original hotel to stay, but was told it was overbooked. Felt that we didn't miss much since the pool water looks dirty
The Bogambara Prison was a 13-acre maximum security prison and second largest prison in Sri Lanka, after Welikada Prison in Colombo. The prison closed operations on 1 January 2014 with the properties and belongings of the Prison handed over to President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Local market
Butcher in action
Fruit stall
Souvenir shop
Kandy Municipal Central Market
The Kandy General Post Office (මහනුවර ප්රධාන තැපැල් කාර්යාලය) was opened in Kandy in 1820. On 8 July 2005 the post office building was gazetted as an Archaeological Protected Monument.
Internet Cafe
Phone booth
Different types of mailboxes
Staff at work
Municipal Public Shopping Complex
Sewing services
The Beach Road "Army Market" feel...
Walking through residential area
Lunch at Devon Bakers (Devilled Chicken & Veg Rice) - LKR 725 (SGD $5.42)
Kandy Police Station
Bahirawakanda Temple බහිරවකන්ද පන්සල - At 26.83 m high, it is one of the tallest Buddha statues in Sri Lanka. Can be seen anywhere in Kandy. Entrance fee LKR 250 (SGD $1.87)
Locked
Stupa
Stormy weather ahead
Asgiri Maha Vihara Stupa
Interior of the stupa
Meera Maccam Jummah Masjid - Kandy
Tunnel
St. Anthony's Cathedral
YMCA Kandy
Ice cream at Hi-Pro Soy (Pvt) Ltd, at YMCA - LKR 100 (SGD $0.75) each
Kandy Red Mosque
Kataragama Devalaya
Paddle pop
St. Paul's Church (Anglican)
Stupa
Fountain
Flowers as offerings
Queen’s Hotel is an 80-room British Colonial style three star hotel, located at central hill capital Kandy in Sri Lanka. Located in the center of the city at end of the main street, this former Governor's residence is one of the oldest hotels in Sri Lanka with a history of over 160 years.
Tractor
The coins are actually attracted to magnets
Springroll from Singapore
World Spice - Kandy City Centre (KCC)
Singapore Chill Crab?
Food stalls offering different cuisines
Chef at work
Dinner - LKR 3,744 (SGD $18.04)
Not bad environment
GPS Log
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Day 8, 18 Apr 2019
Sunrise
Good morning Kandy
View from Oak Ray Heritage Hotel room
Tea of different flavour
Kandy KFC - LKR 1,550 (SGD$10.86)
Kandy Clock Tower
Underpass
Kandy Railway station
Empty platform
Empty train
Kandy Railway station - 488.6 metres above mean sea level
3rd Class carriage is free seating - Everyone rushing to get onboard
The train from Kandy to Colombo is supposed to be 1250hrs to 1527hrs, but turned out to be 1345hrs to 1855hrs due to late departure and track defect at Polgahawela Railway Station for 1.5hrs.
Train conductor's coat
Polgahawela Railway Station
The defective part
Locals seem to be able to board the Aircon First Class (AFC) carriage without tickets and the railway police didn't seem to be too bothered by it
Sunset
Colombo කොළඹ train station
Ministry of Crab is located at Old Dutch Hospital Complex (පැරණි කොළඹ ලන්දේසි රෝහල)
Keep calm and crab on
Oyster Sixer
1/2 pound Prawn
Curry crab
Garlic Crab
Dinner at MOC - LKR 18,800 (SGD$140.76)
Lobby of Cinnamon Red Colombo
Bar area next to main lobby
Corridor
Swimming pool
Night scene from the roof top
Dining area
Cinnamon Red Colombo - SGD $146.34 for 2 Nights
Note: There is no lock for the toilet
GPS Log
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Day 9, 19 Apr 2019
Breakfast
Infinity pool
View from rooftop
Seema Malakaya (සීමා මාලකය) Temple is mainly used for meditation and rest, rather than for worship. Situated in the Beira Lake, the temple was originally constructed in the late 19th century. Seema Malaka is a part of the Gangaramaya Temple and is situated few hundred meters to its east.
Meditation
Elephant at Gangaramaya Temple
Gangaramaya Temple (ගංගාරාම විහාරය) 1.2km is one of the most important temples in Colombo, Sri Lanka, being a mix of modern architecture and cultural essence.
Bodhi Tree
Vintage cars
Smallest Buddha Statue
Guan Gong
Borobudur look-alike
Colourful mural
War Memorial
Viharamahadevi Park is the oldest and largest park of the Port of Colombo. Situated in front of the colonial-era Town Hall building, the park is named after Queen Viharamahadevi, the mother of King Dutugamunu. The park was built on land donated to the Colombo city by Charles Henry de Soysa during the British rule of Sri Lanka, and used to be named "Victoria Park" after Queen Victoria. During World War II it was occupied by the British Army with Australian 17th Brigade based at Victoria Park. After the war the park was restored and open to the public in 1951.
Horse
Colombo Municipal Council
Roundabout
Street vendor
Victoria Memorial Operating Theatre is in the Indo-Saracenic style and was designed by Colombo-based architect Edward Skinner. The construction of this ophthalmic institution was the result of the twin objectives of commemorating the late Queen Victoria and establishing a specialist eye hospital. Funds for its construction were raised by generous donations by the prominent Anglophile citizens of Ceylon and by public subscription. Its location puts it at the southern end of the vast General Hospital complex and within easy reach of the Medical College. Its foundation stone was laid on 6 August 1903 by Lady Ridgeway, the wife of the then Governor of Ceylon and the hospital was opened in 1905. When completed, it was reported that it "is hardly equalled in the colonies, and only surpassed by a few institutions of the kind in England."
Dawatagaha Jumma Masjid
ODEL is a public retail company, the first in Sri Lanka
High rise buildings
Colombo City Centre is a 47-storey mixed use development, comprising a five-storey 3,675 m2 (39,560 sq ft) retail space, a 164-room hotel and 192 residential apartments. It is designed by Aedas Singapore. A 2-bedroom apartment cost up to USD$400,000 plus (depending on design and floor)
Shoppers can buy fresh meat and go straight to the cooking counter
Shark slices
Lobster
No meat during full moon
Food Studio at Colombo City Centre
Singapore style
McRice Happy Meal - LKR 900 (SGD$6.74)
Feeling lazy on a warm afternoon
Milo in ice bucket
Old Parliament Building
Beira Lake
Lotus tower in the background
Meow
Pettah Floating Market
Train
Market
Fruit store
Balancing the load on the head
Empty street
Red Masjid (Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque) is a historic mosque in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is located on Second Cross Street in Pettah. The mosque is one of the oldest mosques (completed in 1909) in Colombo and a popular tourist site in the city.
Different entrance for visitors
Ladies are required to put on a coat with a head being covered
Busy road
Sammangodu Sri Kathirvelayutha Swamy Kovil
Wimaladharma Clock Tower
Gafoor Building
Young Men's Buddhist Association (YMBA) - Sir Cyril de Zoysa Building
Indian Bank and State Pharmaceuticals Corporation of Sri Lanka
Criminal Investigation Department - CID - Sri Lanka Police
Grand Oriental Hotel - Dead end, there is no means to walk through due to the Sri Lanka Police Headquarters. Hence, did not manage to visit the Sambodhi Chaithya temple, built on a platform supported by two interlocking arches.
Small alley
State Bank of India vs HSBC
Land reclamation in progress
Shangri La
Apartment facing the sea with a good view
Sunset
Galle Face Observation Deck
BBQ Seafood
Street vendor
Awesome colours of the sunset
Long evening walk
Dinner at Food Studio @ Colombo City Centre
Night scene
GPS Log
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Day 10, 20 Apr 2019
Sunrise
Tea package in a form of books from Premadasas Gems and Jewellery (Pvt) Ltd
LKR 2,790
Taxi using the Pickme App - LKR 1,760 (SGD$13.18)
Road to airport
GPS log
Bandaranaike International Airport
Sandwiches that cost USD$2 each
Buddha statue
Lotus Lounge is a Priority Pass lounge
Food in Lotus Lounge
Silk Air Boeing 777-800 is a 3-3 configuration compared to the Singapore Airline's Airbus A330-300 2-4-2 configuration
Departure
Losing sight of the land
Onboard meal
Itinerary
Overview GPS Log
Expense log using Monefy: $1,500
Breakdown of expenses
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21 Apr 2019
- Multiple blasts took place in Sri Lanka, claiming hundreds of lives and many more injured on an Easter Sunday and also during the Sinhalese New Year period. Churches and hotels were the targets from what it seemed to be a coordinated attack.
I was just at the Shangri-La, Kingsbury and Cinnamon Grand hotels two days ago during Good Friday and I could have got caught in the explosions.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Sri_Lanka_Easter_bombings
- https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/sri-lanka-blasts-churches-hotels-easter-mass-11464816
- https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-asia/blasts-hit-two-sri-lanka-churches-during-easter-mass-police
- https://sg.news.yahoo.com/deserted-beaches-empty-rooms-sri-lanka-tourism-takes-024023988.html
The affected locations were near places that I visited:
Extract from Google Map
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More pictures:
#Sri Lanka #斯里蘭卡 #Colombo #可倫坡 #Ella #NuwaraEliya #努沃勒埃利耶 #Kandy #康提
