I haven't uploaded this blog until now as I had mixed feelings about whether to post it or not. An awful terrorist attack occurred in Sri Lanka effecting many people and highlighting that no place is free from terror. As it turns out I had my trip booked well in advance and as my accommodation was at least two hours outside of Columbo (as well as for personal reasons which I will not go into) , I decided to follow through with the journey.
Fellow travellers had regaled me on the sheer greenery and beauty of this country and they were not wrong. The closer we drove to the location, the better the landscape became. The traffic was emblematic of Asian countries and yet there was still a level of calmness to it all which was ironic given the chaos that had occurred a week earlier in the capital.
Upon arrival to our base camp I became excited. The area possessed a number of items on my pre-requisite list; bird and mammal diversity and abundance - check, high levels of greenery - check, a water source/s - check, friendly people - check, interesting culture - a definite check. Sri Lanka had it all and as I explored the area during the two weeks there I realised that nothing had been a disappointment. Incredible bird diversity was complemented by very large Water Dragons swimming around our accommodation in the lagoon and Drizzled Giants Squirrels bounding along the upper tree line. Incredibly, unbeknownst to us when we booked the accommodation, every night thousands of egrets, cormorants, storks, anhinga’s and herons would land in the lagoon bushes to roost for the night.
Trepidation on going to Sri Lanka has evolved to admiration. The people are extremely friendly, the nature is plentiful and diverse and the culture is immersive. Although a terrible event occurred to the country, I would still strongly urge people to return to Sri Lanka to not only enjoy its treasures, but to help keep their economy going. Tourism is of high importance to the Sri Lankan economy and is suffering as a result of people fearing additional attacks. Common sense is key as are people’s personal comfort levels but I would strongly encourage seeing this wonderful country for ones self.
Safe travels and happy shooting,
Rob Gubiani