Mannar is a small district in the Northern province of the country. If you are going to Sri Lanka and planning to do a road trip around the country, write down the following places to see in Mannar.

Fishermen in Mannar

Pearl Fishing

Sri Lanka has been called as the ‘Pearl of the Indian ocean” from ancient times. Apart from the reason that this beautiful island takes the shape of a pear, ancient Sri Lanka has been famous for its superior pearl trading. If you want to witness how pearl hunters dive deep without any scuba gears and fish for pearl, you must go to Mannar. Although the new generation pearl fisherman uses scuba gear to dive, still there are veterans in the area, who would hold the breath under water and go on pearl fishing. Tell you lodge manager that you want to go and see pearl fishing and he will use his network of contacts to arrange it for you. Take your Go-Pro with you and plenty of water as this area is extremely humid and diving can dehydrate you a great level.

Baobab tree

Baobab Trees

So, you noticed those trees with a huge trunk on your way to the beach…? Those are called Baobab trees and you won’t see much of those trees and what’s remining can be seen only in Mannar. Some history books tell that ancient Arabian traders have brought this tree to the country so many centuries ago. Well, some of these trees have cavities in its trunk and you might want to go inside and capture a photo or two.

Mannar Dried fish

Mannar Dried Fish

Fishing is the main business in Mannar.  Due to extreme sun light and warm weather, Mannar produces some of the best dried fish in the region. Most are domestic businesses where one would catch fish in its own boat and dry it in the front yard of the house and sell it to a whole seller who would ultimately sell it to the end customer for a very high price. Poverty among these families are common and you may find their houses dirty and unhygienic but they have warm and friendly hearts. Many local tourist buy lots of dry fish from these domestic fishermen as the prices are cheap when you buy from the place of manufacturing. Remember to tell your lodge manager to prepare you an authentic dish with Mannar dry fish for you lunch next day.

Image – Mannar Dried fish

Hindu Kovils in Mannar

Hindu Kovils

Mannar is primarily an area with lots of Christian Tamils. Thus, you will find lots of churches around. But little further to the town, there are some Hindu kovils (shrines) where most Hindus in the country go as pilgrimages. These Hindu Kovils have unique architecture which is very colourful. Every piece of the building represents some story in the Hindu culture and it is a paradise for photographers who love to create photo stories. All you got to make sure is wear decent clothes and have a good camera. Just to be sure, ask the head priest for permission to take photos because inside the Kovil remains the holiest chamber of the kovil and only the head priest is allowed to see.

War torn buildings

War torn buildings

Sri Lanka suffered from a civil war for a long time and remnants of it remains in some Northern province areas such as Mannar. Do not be disheartened but be aware of what people here must have gone through when their schools and houses get bombed right front of their eyes. Although some of those buildings provide you great photographic opportunities to show case what war is about to the rest of the world, it still is a very sensitive subject for any Sri Lankan. So, never ever discuss war with Sri Lankans as you wouldn’t know what that person must have gone through and which side that person was in.

Toddy tapping

Toddy tapping

Tired and thirsty…? You got to try the glass of traditional toddy from this area. Toddy is an alcoholic drink extract from palm trees. Toddy is a very famous Sri Lankan alcoholic drink and you get coconut toddy and palm tree (thal tree) toddy. In Mannar, what you mostly get is Palm tree toddy. Toddy tapping is a very dangerous job and needs extensive skills and experience. Toddy tappers climb very tall palm trees without any safety harnesses and sometimes even cross among trees using a very thin rope and with absolutely no safety harness around. Ask you tour guide or lodge manager to take you to a place to see how they do this. These are one of a life time photos and you won’t get these shots anywhere in the world. However, I must insist that you should not try to attempt toddy tapping as it is a very dangerous act. Have a glass of freshly extracted toddy for yourself. Have it with some fried sea crabs under a palm tree after your tiresome photo journey.

Long shoreline

Long shore line

‘Talei-Mannar’, the corner of Mannar district has a beautiful shoreline that stretches towards infinity. Go for a stroll in the evening. If the day is clear, you might even see Rameswaram which is the Southern end of India. Sand is gold and water is warm. All you would see is the horizon where clear blue sky touches the clear blue water.

Before you head back to Colombo, visit the Wilpattu national park where you would capture leopards if you get lucky and have stop at Chillaw where you would see more pearl fishing and can do ship wreck diving.

Mannar is one hidden pearl in the island of Sri Lanka. It is a small miracle that contains vivid cultures, natures, and traditions in a small geological area. If you want to capture some awesome photographs where other travellers haven’t captured in Sri Lanka, then I say you should go to Mannar. Most people go to Jaffna, the prime city in Northern province and stop from there. But I tell you, there are so many hidden places to see in Sri Lanka that are worthy to be seen and photographed.

Hope to see you there soon…!!!

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Mountains in the Himalayas

Thamel, the tourist area in Kathmandu

So, if everything is ready, book your ticket to Lukla and hop in to one of those small planes and get ready to land at one of the most dangerous airports in the world: The Lukla Airport.

Lukla

This is where the journey starts. Lukla is the closest town to Lukla airport. The place is filled with narrow roads, small lodges and shops selling anything and everything to tourist at an exorbitant price. Have a hot meal before you start your trek. Fill your thermos with hot water or black tea, get your walking sticks and lets, start the walk. You are already at an altitude of 2,860 meters. So, take your time and walk slowly enjoying the extreme beauty that surrounds the place. Stop at Phakding for the night. Another small village with too much hustle and bustle for a mountainous area. Get some rest and start trekking the next day.

Lukla, the place to start EBC trek

You will cross the Dud Khosi river several times on the way. This river is one of the biggest rivers in Nepal and absolutely a natural beauty with its ice blue water and curvy rapids. Water is ice cold so do not hope to get a dip in there. Maybe you can spend the second night at Monju and have dhal rice and a hot lemon for dinner. If you need, most lodges here have hot water facilities so could use to refresh yourself.

Crossing the Dud Khosi

Namche Bazaar

This is the last big village you will get on the way. It is a perfect tourist village for a couple of days’ rest. You probably will need this rest as the trek to Namche is very steep and hard. Altitude at Namche is 3,440 meters and this will make you really exhausted. So, you deserve a full day’s rest here in a cozy little lodge. Namche is an amazing place with its weekend market, bakeries, and people. Roam around and you will be able to capture some beautiful photos of lifestyle in rural Nepali families. Young men herding Yak cows, women washing clothes by the river, small kids playing with dirt and mud, men just sitting aside the road and wait for some work can tell a bigger story about the lifestyle.

Namche Bazaar

After Namche bazaar, the look and feel of the trek changes significantly and becomes harder and steeper.  You will notice more Yaks and cows carrying lots of goods to shops and lodges up in the hills. You will hear the bells even from afar. That is the notice asking to move to a side and let the Yaks to move. Path is mostly serene and calm except when you hear those Yak bells. You may stop once at places and get a little rest and hydrate yourself with a cup of black tea or hot lemon.
There are places where you will see the far away snow-capped mountains. But nothing is more glamourous as seen Mount Everest. You will stop for a moment at the very first place you view the top of that majestic mountain. Have a stop at the Tengboche monastery and spend the night at a lodge there. Participate for the early morning spiritual prayer at the temple and get the blessings from monks who stay there. This monastery is a beautiful milestone in the trek and ideal for photographic capturing. You will take stops at Dingboche, Lobuche and Gorakshep in next few days before you start walking up to the Everest Base Camp. Take a day off at Gorakshep before you trek to Everest Base Camp. Maybe you can go to Kalapathar which is located at the south ridge of Mount Pumori. This small black rock is about 5,643 meters in altitude and provides the perfect view of Mount Everest. You can trek to Everest Base Camp which from Gorakshep which is about 2-3-hour trek but be careful of altitude. Walk high and sleep low is the law in the mountains. Do not hurry yourself and get caught up with deadly altitude sickness as it can literally kill a person. You must spend at least a couple of hours at the Everest Base camp and photograph the story of those mountain guides who risk their lives every day to take overly eager mountaineering tourist to the summit of Everest. Everest Base Camp has become a small village of tents nowadays.

Mount Everest from Kalapathar

This is the peak of our Everest Base Camp trek in the Himalayas. Of course, there are million and one other treks which you can take and spend the rest of your life wandering in the Himalayas. Because the beauty of this place is unmatchable and serenity will make you forget all the madness in your usual city life. You walk back the same way. Maybe you can do a little D-tour and go to Island Peak (20,305 feet or 6,189 meters) which is another beautiful trekking peak.

Come back to Kathmandu and spend a couple of days roaming around this busy city before you head back home. Visit the Swayambhunatha temple also known as the Monkey Temple in Kathmandu valley. Go to Patan Durbar square and Mangal bazaar where you can capture faith, religion, and culture of Nepal in one place. Killing of goats, colourful gods and romance of youth can be seen and will be objects for some memorable photographs.

Ancient fortress in Kathmandu

Nepal is one country that you need another life time to explore and Himalayas is the heaven of mountains. I know this trip would have given you just the glimpse of it and you are badly want to go back to the mountains once again. So, do I.

Sellers at the Swayambhunath Temple

Adios, until we meet again in the great Himalayas.

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National Museum of Cambodia

Any rikshaw person will willingly take you to the National Museum of Cambodia because it is in a such a busy road and they sure to get another hire easily. This building itself is an amazing piece of work in Cambodian architecture. I fell in love with Cambodian Khmer culture from first sight. The museum premise spans around 5,100 square meters. You will see many vendors at the gate of the museum trying to sell an old Lonely Planet books, travel maps and tickets to various cultural shows. After all, tourism is one of the main trades in Cambodia. The museum was built and opened to the public on 13th April 1917 on Khmer New year day. This place protects the world’s greatest Khmer cultural artefacts and Angkorian history. However, the sad news is you are not allowed to take photographs inside the building. So only the artefacts placed outside can be photographs. But, once you go inside, you will be mesmerized by the amazing carvings and mythical gods of Angkorian history.

Well, there are lots of small cafes near the museum where you can have a beer to crunch your thirst in this very humid weather. You had better get a small rest before we head down to see some of the cruellest parts of Cambodian history.

National Museum of Cambodia

Tuol Sleng Prison

Tuol Sleng was a school transformed to a prison during Polpot, the cruel dictator in Cambodia. Codenamed as S-21 prison, this used to be a place where the Khmer Rouge tortured, interrogated and executed millions of Cambodians and foreigners whom they thought were their enemies. Prisoners were kept in tiny rough cells made inside classrooms of the school and tortured daily till they decide to kill them. Amazing fact was that, the Khmer Rouge has taken a great effort to document all the prisoners they had captured. The details of the prisoners which includes: Name, age, height, weight and photograph were safely filed and the left on site when the Vietnamese army invaded. Prison staff left the prison leaving all the documents. These documents later proved how many has been in this prison and whom they are. Prison cells and torture machines were on display and will make you utterly depressed. Yet again it is prohibited to take photos inside the prison buildings as those photos are not going give any happiness to the viewer. But seeing this place is just a pre-amble to make up your mind before you go to the “Killing Fields”.

You would have to take a rikshaw to go the killing fields as this grim place is located on the other corner of the city.

Photo of Child Survivors displayed at Tuol Sleng prison

The Killing Fields

This is literary a killing field. One of the places where Polpot killed people and buried in mass graveyards. The place is now quiet a tourist attraction and the management has organized audio tours. This audio tour facility takes you on the same route that prisoners went through during the last couple of days in their lives. You might be able to create a photo story about how these prisoners must have spent their last few days at the Killing Fields before death. In the middle of the premise, there is a tall monument that contains most of the human skulls collected from the field. These skulls have been cleansed and segmented according to the age and gender. There are thousands of skulls and there are only few places in the world you would see such many human skulls in one place on display.

Victims of the Killing Fields of Cambodia

Then it takes you to various shelters where they kept prisoners without food or water. And then the place where they were tortured and executed. Finally, the places where they were buried. There are so many mass graveyards. Most graveyards are bigger than 50 square feet. These graveyards are covered with a protective fence and numbered and explained. There are some grave yards with human bones, clothes of prisoners are on display. There was this tree used to called as ‘The Killing Tree’ which executioners beat the small children and killed.

Monument of Skulls at the Killing Field of Phnom Penh

You probably are too depressed and tired to go anywhere else now… So, go back to your hotel and get rest. Tomorrow you can visit the Royal Palace of Cambodia.

Royal Palace

Situated at one corner of the Sothearos Boulevard, Royal Palace is the official residence of the King Sihamoni of Cambodia. You can get a tour guide from the entrance who would explain you the significance of the building. Silver Pagoda is one of the must visit attractions in the city. They called this the Silver Pagoda because the building is inlaid with Silver tiles. This is the place where various gifts the King has received would be on display. If you have not seen a pure Emerald Buddha statue before, you would see one here. Gleaming green of the statue could be a masterpiece object for some abstract photography.

Royal Palace of Cambodia

Tonle Sap River

Stroll back along the Tonle Sap River towards the city centre. This is one of the biggest rivers in Cambodia. It would be a pleasant photograph to capture the golden sun rays beaming on the waves in the evening. You might like to take a boat ride but best to wait till late evening to avoid the heat. There are lots of cafes and pubs on the water front targeting tourists. So, you can pick one and have you lunch with a beer and chill.

Tonle Sap River

If you want to try some unique Cambodian street food, go to the Russian market in the evening. From fried insects to boiled duck foetus can be found here. Really delicious, really nutritious, and truly a fancy food to eat.

Phnom Penh is a city full of general chaos. However, it is a fusionist city with Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese and Western world. If you are travelling in Cambodia, Phnom Penh is one city you would want to capture real life of a Cambodian.

Cheers, till I see you again…!!!

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Siem Reap

Arrange tickets to arrive at the Siem Reap International Airport where most tourists start their travel in the country. If you could book your hotel before arriving, it would be great as during the season (November to March), the most hotels are booked and you may find it difficult to get a decent hotel on arrival. However, don’t worry if you are a budget traveller as there are many budget accommodation places in central Siem Reap area. I recommend Banyan Leaf Hotel in Taphul village, with my personal experience as one very good place. You could use one of those rikshaws on road to arrive as taxi cars could be expensive. Just give the address and agree for the price before you get in to the vehicle. Well, if you still carry US Dollars and wants to exchange to Cambodian currency, do not bother as almost all the vendors in Cambodia accepts US dollars and due to very high exchange rate, you would have to carry loads of local currency notes if you do so.

If you like to cycle around, you can hire a bicycle from one of the many places in the city. But Cambodia has a very humid warm weather that would make you sweat and dehydrate you within hours. Arrange a rikshaw to take you to places.

So, get some rest because you would have to get up early morning next day to start your journey to the history of Cambodia.

Angkor Wat

It is said that Angkor Wat is the largest temple premise in the whole world. Build out of rock, this place has been a castle as well as a Buddhist monastery. If you are planning to photograph the best view of Angkor Wat, you must get up early and be at the place by 5.00am. because it is said, that the best view of Angkor Wat comes along with the sun rise. Thousands of tourists gather around the moat to watch sun rising over the Angkor Wat temple. There are enough places for you to set up your tripod and arrange for the best angle if you go early.

Angkor Wat Temple premises

Once you get you photographs of the outer premise, walk inside. This is a huge temple building with so many corridors and doors and one could easily get disoriented. Observe carefully for the rock carvings on walls as those carvings reveals great historical incidents in Cambodia as well as in their neighbouring countries. Famous Ram-Ravana war in Sri Lanka is one of the prominent wall carvings in the front wing of the temple. There are outer foyers to walk around the temple and see both inside and outside both at once. But careful of your step as the foyer is several feet high from the floor and there are extremely narrow, steep staircases to move from one floor to another a floor.

Wall carvings of Ancient tales

Bayon is the next place to visit. This amazing temple has been a castle of Jayawarman kings and the humongous rock carvings on all sides of the castle has been vividly argued as the faces of Jayawarman kings or Avalokitheshwara: a compassion of Bodhisattva. These huge carvings will be worthy photographic opportunities in your life, so make sure you take enough photos.

Bayon

Have you watched the movie Tomb Raider? Ta Prohm is the place where that movie was shot and you will remember the scenes from the movie when you enter this temple. Covered with large roots of a tree, this ancient building is about to collapse therefore not allowed to go inside. But you can go close enough to take a rare photo of a tree root entangling with the rocky walls and clay roof of the temple. Fix your camera settings to capture the sun rays dripping down the tree during mid-day.

Ta Prohm: The Tomb Raider Temple

You would need another day to come to the historical Angkor ruins site. So, make sure you purchase a multiday tour ticket which allows you to come on another day. The ticket counters are well organized and issues a personalized ticket with your face printed on it. Keep the ticket with you all the time as the guards at the entrance gates come and check tickets time to time. Distance from one ruin to another is long and walking is probably not a good option as the total site spans over 160 hectares with thick jungles on either side of the road. But if you get hungry or thirsty, there are enough local food stalls inside the premise.

Keep the next day to visit other temples such as Angkor Thom, Banteay Srei, Phnom Bakheng, Ta Som and Baphuon. These amazing architectural marvels with long corridors and bottomless wells will sure marvel you and your camera. Make sure to use a flasher when taking photos inside building as thick rocky walls rarely provide any light inside.

Angkor Thom

Central city has some luxurious hotels that has cultural dancing shows featuring the ‘Apsara’ dancers. You can go to one of those shows in the evening.

If you are done with ancient ruins, you could attend a full day village excursion and learn to cook some local dishes or have a flight of the gibbon ride in a thick Cambodian tropical forest or have a cycle ride across the city or even a hot air balloon ride to see the bigger picture.

Hot Air Balloon ride over Siem Reap

Siem Reap has some great variety of restaurants so you can make sure to try something new in every meal.

Eat some fruits and have a dip in the swimming pool and get some rest in the last day, because once you are done with Siem Reap, you would take a bus ride to Phnom Penh to see the modern Cambodia.

So, enjoy Siem Reap and be amazed with ancient marvels of Angkor Wat. I’ll see you back on the other side of Cambodia.

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If you want to go to Phuket and first have some partying around, that’s ok, because it’s is just 3 hours away from Phuket and you still can add some rare photos to your library that most other photographers do not capture in Thailand.

Krabi is a large province in Thailand with an airport. But most travellers come to Bangkok first and travel to south. You might use Krabi airport to go back though. This is a much peaceful and less crowded place comparing to Phuket. Here you get to enjoy your time without much fear of being ripped off by a shrewd vendor or tricky thieves who aim foreigners. Go towards Aonang which is the tourist central in Krabi. Every tour starts from here and you can find any accommodation from 5 star resorts to bunker bed hostels.

Phranang beach – Krabi, Thailand

Beyond resorts in Krabi Thailand

Of course, you are an adventurous person and that’s why you explore places where most people haven’t gone. So, pack your bag with necessary items in Aonang and get a boat to Tongsai. The beautiful beachscape for superb photography, rock climbing, deep water soloing, diving, snorkelling, kayaking and of course partying. Keep your camera water proof as you would be travelling in a boat. These boat services don’t provide life jackets so if you are not a swimmer, you better not try standing and taking photographs while the boat is on the move.
Get yourself checked in to a one of the many hotels and get ready to enjoy the place.

Tongsai beach at Krabi Thailand

Rock climbing in Krabi

This is the beach for adrenaline junkies. If you have your own ropes start coiling it… or else, you can register at one of the mini adventure companies there. There’s one conducted by a German lady which has a very good reputation.  You have to go to the other side of Tongsai beach which is East Railey for this. You can walk on the beach or you can take the interior road which falls through a small village. I prefer the beach route as then I get to walk through a beach boulder, a jungle and pass some shallow water line. On East Railey, you will see some beautiful rock climbing spots. You can try those or you can take some beautiful photographs of people sweating over a good vertical climb. Sun is bit too harsh so you should adjust your lighting to avoid burnouts.

Rock climbing in Krabi Thailand

Water sports in Krabi Thailand

Sweaty after a good climbing period? Get a kayak and go around the islands. There are many places to rent Kayaks. This is the best way to photograph sunset behind the rocky islands in the evening. If you love to dive down to that Blue Green water and get some under water photographs, this is the best way to do it… But get information from a local guide on best spots for diving and snorkelling as some places are bit dangerous. If you are still high with adrenaline, you got to do some deep-water soloing. There are companies that facilitates deep water soloing (Harness free climbing and jumping off to deep water) and the places they do this are amazingly beautiful places. Some of the rocks have erupted out of water making caves filled with see water providing you the chance to take some spectacular photos.

Erupting rocks in Krabi

Other sightseeing in Krabi

You could simply lie on beach and watch sunset while sipping a beer. Or you can take some time lapse photographs of how sun sets behind the rocks. Either way, you are going to enjoy it without too much disturbances. Most people go for a dip in the sea before they go to a beach pub for dinner and drinks. Maybe next day you can go see Phranang cave or have a super-fast motor boat ride before go back to Aonang. If you have time, you can go to Krabi National park where you can experience tropical forests.

Krabi is a less crowded and less spoiled area in Thailand. But it has the beauty of a true Thai beach worth enough for you to use your camera. So, make sure, you go to Krabi, when you are in Thailand. I guarantee you, that you will find some wild things to do here that you have never done in your life.

Cheers!!!

I’ll see you there at Krabi.

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Udawalawe lake

This lake is the main water source that keeps the park green and provides water for animals. Apart from that it is a part of the Udawalawe dam that provides hydroelectricity to the main grid in the country. The lake contains many mini islands that surface time to time when the water level drops. Although you are not allowed to kayak in the lake, there are local villagers who would provide you the traditional boat service around the lake. If you love taking photos of crocodiles who sun bath on the river bank or the wild elephants splashing cold water at each other on a warm day, this would be the ideal way to get it done. Do not attempt to dive or swim in the lake as these lakes contain very dangerous currents and usually bring death to a person or two every year.

Udawalawe Lake

Elephants in Udawalawe safari

Before you enter the park, you will surely see one elephant on the road begging for food near the elephant fence. Also, you will see a board saying that not to feed that elephant. Udawalawe elephants have become somewhat accustomed to humans, that they expect food from visitors. But the authorities’ advice is to not to provide any food to these elephants as it could ruin their regular diet. The roads inside are very tricky and you could easily get lost in the maze if you go alone.  Tour guides highly recommend not to get down the vehicle due to safety requirements. You will get to see elephants everywhere in the park. Some with baby elephants, some with the ranch and some alone. The most dangerous are the lone elephants also called as ‘thaniya’ and the female elephants with babies. ‘thaniya’ could get extremely wild and aggressive especially during the mating season. Mother elephants are very protective therefore will be very defensive against strangers. So, if you come face to face with one of these two, be extremely quiet, quickly take a photograph or two and stay still. Tour guides know how to get away from these wild elephants but occasionally, one or two safari jeeps get damaged due to a full frontal attack by these wild beasts.  

Lone elephant in Udawalawe ‘Thaniya’

Other animals in Udawalawe

Peacock is a symbol of Sri Lanka tourism. You will see enough peacocks in Udawalawe national park. Keep your camera ready all the time. Because it is extremely beautiful to photograph a male peacock does his mating dance showing his colourful tail. Peacock feathers are available everywhere. But be careful as these are restricted biodiversity items and could get you in to trouble at the customs. If you have powerful lenses, you might be able to spot the peacocks in far off tall trees.

Water buffaloes are a common sight near muddy water pools around the park. But do not dare to go very close to these buffaloes as they too could be extremely wild and aggressive. But it is nice to see how they immerse in water to cool of their heaty bodies.

There are couple of leopards in the park but you should be extremely lucky to capture one. Due to the high tourist level and harsh noise created by most four wheel drives, these creatures stay inside their caves and come outside only after sun-set. But if you really want to capture some superb leopard photos, go to Yala national park which is just a couple of hours away from Udawalawe. Or else, you could go to Wilpattu national park which is on the North-Western part of the country. Both parks are famous for Leopards.

Water Buffaloes at Udawalawe National Park

Like a local

Tired and sweaty after the safari…? Have a fresh water bath in the lake. There’s a bathing place used by villagers along the road side. This place is very much safe and spacious. Get a dip in the cool water of the Udawalawe lake and refresh yourself. Do not attempt swimming but just simply take a dip and be chilled. You will be hungry as an elephant after the bath. There are many places for food. Good five star hotels with international cuisine as well as local villagers’ huts that serve typical Sri Lankan village food. These dishes are so delicious and so rare, even most Sri Lankans love to eat from these small places.

Elephant Orphanage

There’s one more place to visit before you head back. Udawalawe Elephant orphanage. Among one of the many s in the country, this place is famous for feeding and taking of the baby elephants. Baby elephants found without the mother at the park will be brought to this place and treated properly. The feeding time is the best time and its open to the public. Feeding time starts around 3.00 so right after lunch, you could head towards there. These baby elephants are so disciplined that that they come in a line and get fed. This area could get so crowded with local tourists so you might need to station yourself in a bit higher ground with a good lens to get very good close-up shots. It’s amazing to see the how these baby elephants play with their caretakers.

As it says, once you explore Udawalawe, you will want to come repeatedly every year. That is the nature of ‘Nature’.

Happy Safari…!!!

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It is an old local saying that you are a fool if you have not climbed Adam’s peak once or have climbed it more than once…This beautiful peak is one of the top sacred places in Sri Lanka tourism map and if you are a photographer seeking to take rare photographs, then you must make this journey.

Sri Lanka: A Small island on the Indian Ocean, consisting of many miracles in a small land area. This country is rich with sacred places that has significant religious, cultural, and historical values. If you are touring in Sri Lanka, Adam’s Peak (2,243m) is a place you must insist your tour guide to take you…

Locally known as ‘Siri pada’ meaning the ‘sacred footprint’, is a pilgrim mountain due to the sacred footprint mark on top of the rock. This has attracted four different religious faiths. The Buddhists believe the footprint belong to Lord Buddha’s and then the Christians and Muslims believe it is the footprint of Adam, the first parent of the world according to the Old Testament and Hindus believe it belongs to Lord Siva.

Pilgrim season is between December to April. But off season is best for photography as it will give you enough freedom to experience the climb. Get your camera, rain cover, and enough lenses because during this journey, you are going to face different weathers, lighting situations, rain, and sun. But do not over load your-self as the hike is steep and you will get too exhausted to notice the beauty of the surrounding.

How to go to Adam’s Peak?

There are several routes to climb up to this sacred place in Sri Lanka. None of it requires any climbing gear or skill. All you need is a bit of stamina to do the uphill walk for several hours…Easiest and the most popular route is via an area called Hatton-Nallathaniya route. You can reach this area within 3-4 hours from the Capital city. If you are travelling in a private vehicle, there are lots of beautiful places such as Norton bridge hydro power plant, Kithulgala white water rafting site and lots of lush green tea plantations.

It is advised to dress appropriately and avoid cigarettes and alcohol since it is a sacred place. However, you are free when you are back in your hotel. It is a tradition to start the climb very early morning (around 3am) so that you might be able to be on top to photograph the sunrise. It is said that watching sunrise from the peak is a pure blessing to the soul, eye and of course to the camera. You might want to use extra lights as the path to the top is mostly dark and gloomy.

Entrance pandol at the beginning of the steps (From Hatton side)

Other two routes start from two different places in Sri Lanka and considered to be difficult and longer than the first one. But if you are ready for some adventure, then you must take the ‘Kuruvita-Eratna’ route or ‘Ratnapura-Palabaddala’ route. These two routes are difficult, muddy, rainy, and surely takes more than 8 hours of climbing uphill. These routes are through some pure tropical jungles and is extremely humid, gloomy, and slippery. This is an excellent condition for leeches (the small blood sucking worm type). If you stop in one place to take a photo for more than 1 minute, you are sure to attract an army of leeches. So be careful where you keep your feet when resting or stopping to take a photo. It is best to wear leech resistant socks and apply some menthol application.

In these tropical jungles, you will capture the most beautiful images of Sri Lanka that won’t be seen on travel magazines. There are hidden streams, water falls, and sometimes during off season, you might spot wild elephants and if you are lucky, a Leopard too. Rare and extremely beautiful photographs come with great risk in these wild jungles. So, you better be careful if you are skipping the regular path and walking inside the jungle.

Seetha Gangula: Cleansing stream

It is said that one must cleanse himself before worshipping this sacred place on top of the Adam’s peak. Regardless of the icy cold water, you will be happy to wash your face when you see this stream. ‘Seetha Gangula’ means ‘the cold-water river’ is a place where worshipers use to bath before they start the second half of the climb. This stream starts from a mysterious fountain somewhere in the jungle and flows down and join one of the main rivers in Sri Lanka. Be careful of flash floods during off season, when you have to cross this river in case if you are taking the harder routes. You would find rare angles of the river when if you go up stream.

Seetha Gangula on Kuruvuta Eratna route

Climbing Adams Peak

It’s not an adventure climb you would experience at Adam’s peak. It’s more of an uphill walk with lots of stamina, sweat and thirst. Carry a water bottle and refill it from the stream if you need more. There are small shops at the bottom of the mountain for you to buy Sri Lankan refreshments. But you won’t find any camera batteries, memory cards, rain covers in these shops. So, better be prepared. Even if you take the shortest route, you still must pass more than 5000 steep steps to reach the top. If you take the longer routes, steps will be much steeper and slippery.

Steps at Adam’s peak

On top of Adam’s Peak

On top of this sacred place is a Buddhist Temple. It is one of the most sacred Buddhist shrines in Sri Lanka. During the season, the temple is very crowded with worshippers. But it’s a good opportunity to capture a variety of South Asian faiths in one place if you love to photograph portrait photos. You would notice some very old people have climbed up and worshipping the ‘sacred footprint. Their faces reflect various emotions and you might love to photograph those if you are a photographer capturing faces of different countries.

View from the top of Adams Peak

If you can be on top of the mountain for the sun rise, you will be able to take a beautiful photo of the shadow of mountain on the other side. But that’s not the only photo you can take. A photo of surrounding mountains will give you an idea how it is to live in a tropical country and the vastness of those thick jungles. Adam’s peak is situated in a mountain range which consists many other smaller peaks and some of those have not been fully explored by the public yet. There are lots of stories about people who have gone ‘lost’ in the surrounding vast jungle. If you are keen to explore these thick jungles, take precautions and make sure to take a local guide with you.

Beware of your behaviour when you are on this journey. It is a local belief that one must be careful with thoughts, words, and actions, when in you travel in this part of the jungle, as ‘God Saman’ who is said to be based in Adam’s peak mountain range could punish anyone who doesn’t respect this sacred place. If you talk to some locals, they will provide a long list of stories about ‘lost’ people to support this belief.

Adam’s Peak is a combination of nature, culture, and faith. It will provide a variety of natural and human objects to fulfil your photographic thirst. This is a must go place in your photography tour in Sri Lanka. So, come and explore the unexplored in Sri Lanka

Cheers,

Till we meet again in Sri Lanka.

The post Adam’s peak: Top places for photography in Sri Lanka appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.

Hire a bicycle if you can. This way, you can stop wherever you want and take photographs.

Start your photo tour from the Museum.

The Pyramid of Invercargill

One might wonder what the White Pyramid at the end of Gala street is…? The answer is, it is the Invercargill Museum. The place where you can learn about the first people who stepped on New Zealand soil, Antarctic expeditions, and various historical incidents of southland. If you love capturing architectures, this building is something of it.

Shopping Streets

Invercargill is a fusion of old and new. If you are a shopping person, you would see this in great length. There are few streets in the middle of the city, that consists of clothes shops, budget shops, flower shops, bakeries, and restaurants. You can capture the relaxing Southland families and young romance on these streets and of course amazing colours.

City Centre

Central junction of Invercargill at the end of Tay and Dee street leads way to Dunedin and Queenstown which are another two cities in South Island.

This old southland city with heavy Christian influence, is a great fusion of old and new architectural designs. If you are love photographing old buildings and monuments, Invercargill can easily fill your memory card.

Parks in Invercargill

Tired of travelling in a vehicle for long hours and want to stretch your arms and legs a bit…? Get your camera and go for a walk at Queens park. Just go down the Gala street and you’ll notice the majestic gates that pave the way to the park. Most Southlanders come here at least once a month with their families to spend a morning… Early morning and evenings, you will see fitness nuts jogging and stretching their legs. If you are a person love to capture human emotions, this is probably a good place to do so.

All the cultures, ages, and skin colours in New Zealand can be seen here doing various activities from just lying down and watching sky to riding cycles to family picnicking. If you are travelling with kids or if you just want to capture some birds and exotic plants, make sure you go to the aviary, mini zoo, Stumpery, and the Japanese Botanical Garden. Once you are tired, just lay down on green grass and capture the Blue sky and golden sun rays dripping through the trees…

Want to bushwalk in Invercargill…?

Thomson’s Bush

Go straight up Queens Drive for about 3 km and you will see the beautiful Waihopai river. Just across the river is Thomson’s Bush, which is one of the most famous bush walking areas in Invercargill. If you are travelling with your dog, I guarantee your dog will love the walk. Thomson’s Bush is hugely a swamp forest around Waihopai river. Acts as a sponge during rainy days, the pathways are always wet and muddy. You might consider using a flash due to the constant gloominess. Thomson’s Bush is a good place to capture some micro botanical beauties. Ferns, mushrooms, vines, and algae are common photo objects. You might find some trees that can be photographed in an ambient angle. Just make sure you find your way back before it gets dark because multiple paths can easily put you in a ‘lost’ situation.

In case if you are a beach person,

Oreti Beach: Beach area of Invercargill

If you go about ten kilometres West of Invercargill, you’ll see a lengthy beach area. Yes, that is Oreti Beach. The closest to Invercargill. There are few stops one the way for you to pick up a snack or a coffee. Apart from that, the beach is very much empty except people. This place is ideal to capture the sunset. There are sand dunes separating the beach from the access road, maybe you can place your tripod over there and take tame-lapse shots of the sunset.

You could walk up and down the 26km wide beach and you will notice that the sand is not Golden but rather very dark and the surface of the shoreline has an amazing texture. You will notice varies colours on the horizon finally before the sunset. Limitless boundaries of the shoreline and the far-off mountains can make a perfect background while the kids playing with their dogs could bring some emotions to the picture. Romance can be seen on the beach and if you find the perfect angle, you probably will shoot some beautiful photos for a love story.

Where to stay in Invercargill

Finding accommodation in Invercargill is not a problem. There are lots of hotels to stay but best to stay in a small motel and there are lots of small but cheap motels with many facilities. If you like to spend some time with locals, there are lots of homestay accommodation too.

Invercargill is an extremely calm and quiet place to live. Living cost is comparatively very cheap and all the facilities such as hospitals, banks, super markets, and cinemas. If you are a traveller you can get a little relax here while enjoying the city…This little city has some great hidden beauties of South Island New Zealand and only if you are keen to look at them in a different angle only you will see find those.

Let me know if you are coming to Invercargill, maybe we can uncover some hidden beauties together.

See me back with my next post.

Cheers!!!

The post Invercargill: A place to photograph in New Zealand appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.