Christmas in Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka (4/4) By Dave F

(1/4), (2/4), (3/4), (4/4).

Photograph Gallery 1, Gallery 2.

A paradise holiday on a backpacker's budget? The twelve hour, 5413 mile flight is the most expensive thing about coming here but with so many deals available on the internet these days even this is becoming more affordable. The duty-free at Colombo Airport is the cheapest in Asia so you'll save some cash by buying all your booze and cigarettes here. Clothing is dirt cheap if you can fit into a UK size Large or smaller so if you need to buy holiday clothes, do it here and save a fortune. You won't need much more than a couple of pairs of shorts and t-shirts, so travel light.

The short peak season is from November/December when the monsoons end through to April during which time the weather is upwards of 80 degrees every day.

For anyone who is prepared to forget their British ways and ideals and go back to basics, Sri Lanka is the place to go. I visited an elephant orphanage, went to the cultural capital Kandy and saw firewalkers and visited the Buddha's Tooth Temple. I travelled through paddy-fields, vast mountains, jungle and along the coast but still only saw a tiny amount of what this beautiful country has to offer in the three weeks I spent here. There are cooler, trendier places to go but Sri Lanka has friendliness and charm you'll find nowhere else. If you want to plan ahead, here's a couple of useful links. www.go-lanka.com www.travelsrilanka.co.uk/home/home.asp

Photograph Gallery 1, Gallery 2.

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