Sri Lanka – where tourism is in it’s infancy after the end of a 30 year civil war in 2009. Beautiful scenery, UNESCO World Heritage sites, super friendly people and flavorful food make this country a must see.

It feels like India without the hectic, overcrowded atmosphere.

Trains clank and shuffle through rainforests to stunning beaches. Slow travel. In contrast the tuk tuks buzzing around as if they were on a race track jockeying for a first place finish.

*click on any photo to enlarge.

Bats the size of eagles and the sounds of thousands of crows ring in your ears no matter where you are – both giving you the sense that Alfred Hitchcock must be filming nearby. My mother’s fear of birds would have left her horrified.

Colombo’s (capital city) historic landmarks include Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple housing a Hair Relic of Lord Buddha and Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara where Buddha visited Sri Lanka his third and final visit – 8 years after gaining enlightenment. The peacefulness and custom of leaving flowers as gifts left a lasting impression.

The temple’s elephants left us feeling like children.

Kandy’s UNESCO Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic found us unprepared for their dress code. I brought a scarf which was too sheer, my skirt which covered my knees too short, Bill’s Buddha t-shirt blasphemous and his shorts just a wee big too short. For $2 we rented colorful sarongs and made the Buddha gods happy.

The monkeys around Kandy Lake were charming for all of 5 minutes until we realized what pesky animals they really are – stealing food from people and attacking with vigor.

Galle is a stunning beach town at the southern tip of Sri Lanka attracting hundreds of surfers.

Unfortunately, I was sick and spent the whole time in bed – missing out on photographing the famous stilt fishermen. Next time…

We ate at a seafood restaurant overlooking this.