Time for The Gathering

It is that time of year again where one of the most amazing wildlife spectacles take place in the dry zone jungles of Sri Lanka. On the shores of Minneriya and Kaudulla National Park, elephants from all parts of the north-central jungles ‘gather’ to feed on lush grass from the tank beds to quench their thirst. Ranked sixth on the best wildlife spectaculars list by Lonely Planet this is a must-do experience for anyone visiting Sri Lanka between July and September.

As the drought in the north-east part of the country starts from the month of May, most of the usual feeding grounds and watering holes of elephants in these regions dry up. The receding water levels of both the Minneriya & Kaudulla tanks however results in the growth of lush green grass which has become a major source of food for the elephants during these tough months.

The Gathering which starts around the month of June every year peaks during the months of August and September where the zone is at its driest. On an evening safari to Minneriya National Park one can be sure to see small herds coming together and building up large elephant herds that can number from 100 to 150 animals. There have even been instances where this number has been as high as 300.

For those of you who are visiting Sri Lanka during this time, I highly recommend that you do a visit to Minneriya or Kaudulla National Park to see this wonderful spectacle. The best way to experience these wonderful animals is to ask your safari jeep driver to park the jeep in a place that does not obstruct the natural path of the elephants and watch them silently as they feed their way through the grassland towards the water where you can watch them at their happiest while drinking up their fill and cooling off in the water.

Watching elephant babies play and interact would be some of the most interesting and breathtaking moments of your safari so keep an eye out for them as they run around between the adults in the herds who are very protective of them.

We urge to you use a tour operator and jeep supplier that does not behave in a way that would harm or disrupt the natural behavior of the animals. There have been many incidents in the recent past where jeeps go too close to the herd scaring them back to the forest, meaning they end up hungry and thirsty for the rest of the day.

Parking a jeep across the path of the elephants could distress the animal and can lead to elephants charging jeeps which can put you in a very unsafe situation as well.

You have the right to ask your guide and jeep driver to ensure that they conduct themselves in a way that puts the elephant’s welfare at utmost importance, making your experience as well as the elephants’ most rewarding.

The elusive Comb Duck turns up in Yala National Park

For those of you that have a bird watching bug in you this news will get you all excited, The Comb Duck known to be a very rare migrant to Sri Lanka was spotted by a water hole in the Yala National Park last week – outside its migrant season!

The discovery was made by Naturalist Indika Nethigama of Leopard Safaris Camp in Yala while he was on safari with guests. A big thank you to Leopard Safaris for sharing this rare image with us.

The Comb Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos) which was a resident in the past but was declared extinct in Sri Lanka due to it being hunted in the colonial days, has been classified as a very rare migrant. It is also one of the largest species of duck. The male is much larger than the female, and has a large black knob on the bill.

The spotting of such a wonderful male specimen in late June might suggest that the bird might be resident in Sri Lanka after all. However I will leave it to the leading Ornithologist of the country to come up with the correct theory for this. One things for sure, you know where I will be heading to this weekend!

Scenic Train Journey to Cooler Climes

Ever since I joined Red Dot as a sales consultant the phrase “scenic train journey” has cropped up in emails on a daily basis. We have people in the Red Dot office who claim to know every station en route intimately, but for me it was time to upgrade my childhood memories.

The first hurdle to overcome was actually to obtain tickets for the train journey. It is an extremely complicated process and there were only 46 seats in the observation carriage. But we were lucky enough to get the required 4 seats and booked the Mountain Heavens Guest House in Ella for the two-night stay, a reasonably-priced guest house with stunning views over Ella Gap.

We got to the station around 5.30am on the appointed day and to my pleasure Poddi Menike set off exactly on time which was a refreshing change from long years ago when the trains never ran on schedule. The seats in the observation carriage were quite comfortable with good leg space and the carriage was full on this Saturday morning. I have always had a great affinity for train journeys and the gentle sway of the carriage and the rhythmic noise were complemented by the scenery whizzing by.

Two hours in to the journey we had a gourmet breakfast of homemade hotdogs, a selection of cheese, egg and salmon sandwiches and washed it all down with homemade ice coffee. Replete with all the food we dozed off for quite a while.

As we neared Kadugannawa we could clearly see the magnificent spectacle of Batalagala Kanda, more popularly known as “ Bible Rock” due to its resemblance to a lectern. The rock stood out majestically, shrouded in the early morning mist.

As the mountainous terrain started, Poddi Menike’s speed slowed, as if in protest of the exertions put upon her aging body. There were times in the steepest sections when I wondered if I could walk faster than the train.

It is after you pass Hatton that the true beauty of the scenic train journey unfolds. Gazing at the green-carpeted tea country with its silvery gushing waterfalls surrounded by the misty hills, I fell in love all over again with my amazing country. The distinctive chill in the air coupled with the icy rain drops that pelted my face and hands as I leaned out of the window for a better view reinforced what drew me back to Sri Lanka after many years of living abroad.

We gasped at the sight of St Clair’s falls which is one of the widest waterfalls in Sri Lanka and is also known as Sri Lanka’s Little Niagara. There is concern about the future of these magnificent falls because of the Upper Kothmale Hydro Electricity Project but the government has given assurances about the survival of the waterfall.

We had now been in the train nearly nine hours and just when we are getting restless the train drew in to Ella station on cue. In no time we were at the charming Guest House called Mountain Heavens. After a delicious dinner, we fell asleep, exhausted by the long day.

The next day after a hearty breakfast we start our sightseeing tour. First visit was to Ravana Falls named after the legendary Hindu character Ravana of the Hindu epic Ramayanaya. It is told that Ravana, the king of Sri Lanka, kidnapped Sita, an Indian princess and hid her in a cave behind the waterfall. The next visit was to the Dowa rock temple, which has a huge unfinished Buddha statue carved into the rock face.

Bogoda Bridge, with its ancient temple, lies some 10kms from Badulla, off the Hali-ela junction and is claimed to be the oldest surviving wooden bridge in the world. The bridge built across the Gallanda Oya is on an ancient route, which linked Badulla and Kandy and is said to have been used as an ambalama (a building used to rest) during the old days when travelling took weeks of hard walking. The more adventurous could choose to climb Little Adams Peak.

That evening we decided to dine out and walked down the hill to Ella town. Ella is dotted with quaint little eateries and it’s a personal choice where you dine at. There are particularly two lovely restaurants called Nescafe shop and Dream café. The Nescafe shop tends to draw a much younger hip young clientele but we opted for the much more sedate but dreamy ambiance of the Dream Café.

Every hotel or guest house has their own secret places that they recommend to their guests. Mountain Heavens is no different. The following morning they directed us to an amazing waterfall which is a good 20 minute walk along the rail track. With some difficulty and a couple of scraped knees we found this little gem of a place. The waterfall was small but stunning in its beauty and the icy cold water was a shock to our systems. But it was an unforgettable experience that I would recommend to anyone staying at Mountain Heavens Guest House.

Ella has not been one of my specialities, but I began to understand the lure of this little mountain hamlet. As for the train journey, you don’t do it for the luxury observation carriage ride (there is hardly any luxury involved in it). Rather more, you do it for the memories of the lively green tea country, the misty hills, the gushing waterfalls and the feel of the cooler mountain air.