Off on an adventure in Sri Lanka (page 1 of 6)

Day 1 – December 6

Our decision is our decision. And it’s firm and final. Next winter, our plane will spread its great wings toward the island of Ceylon! "Wait a minute... Ceylon... Ceylon... that name rings a bell, but I can’t quite place it on the globe Grandma gave me for Christmas! Ceylon... Oh right, I’ve got it: Ceylon is the name of my tea!" Exactly. But the name on your pretty tea box is also the one used until 1972 for this island nation, a speck on the Indian Ocean at the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent: Sri Lanka!

For this new adventure, I’m exceptionally leaving my Flo behind, cowardly replaced by a double dose of testosterone. To write the book of this journey with me, I’m bringing along my brother, who’s used to this kind of thing, and... a guest star: My model of resilience. My dad! All aboard! Or rather, all aboard our tuk-tuk! Yes, you read that right: A real tuk-tuk, a little colorful rolling box that putters along at two miles an hour. The idea? Well, Sri Lanka and its winding roads overlooking the vastness of lush nature are tailor-made for this kind of vehicle. And since it’s one of only two countries in the world that allow foreigners to rent and drive these mini speedsters, we’ll be crisscrossing the island in our two-square-meter rolling box. Plus, adopting this mode of transport is a surefire way to connect directly with the locals, who’ll surely be curious to see a foreigner driving their iconic vehicle. Not to mention the... let’s say... spicy anecdotes it might generate. I mean, heading into a subtropical zone with my jet-black dad and his unpredictable digestive flora while deliberately choosing the tuk-tuk as our *only* means of transport? That’s the winning combo for an unforgettable adventure! "More seriously, Dad, Sullivan, I’m already loving the idea of living this adventure together, the three of us—brothers and father..."

So, does the intro to this new adventure get your salivary glands going? Yes? Too bad. Because unfortunately, the program handed out by the lady at the entrance has been slightly... let’s say *crumpled*. Some might even say "scrunched up and nearly tossed in the trash." First, six days ago, as the countdown echoed in us like a call to adventure, Cyclone Ditwah grabbed Sri Lanka, played with it like a rag doll, and left it battered on the ground. The toll is devastating: over a thousand dead, thousands of homes wiped out by relentless rains, roads and railways swallowed by massive mudslides. A country wounded once again, after the civil war, the 2004 tsunami, and the post-Covid economic crisis.

But as if this weather disaster wasn’t enough to shake our unbreakable adventurer spirit, fate decided to mess with us further by cutting our trio down to two. The victim? My brother, violently turned away because of a simple date on his passport that didn’t match the border officials’ expectations. Return to sender!

So now it’s just the two of us allowed to board the Qatar Airways Airbus A380 for this trip. If he were here, Denis Brognart would say, "And in the end, only one remains!" Except I know you’ll be with us, following our adventures! Right?

Day 2 - December 7

Alright, we’re waiting for you here! Just so you know, while you were getting all emotional reading the intro to this adventure, we’ve already set foot in Sri Lanka! I’ll spare you the sticky tropical hug at the plane exit, the little carousel spin for our backpacks, the short queue for a stamp on our passports, exchanging our euros for Sri Lankan rupees, buying a SIM card to send updates to my sweetheart back home—so we can jump right to the long-awaited moment of our trio reunion. No, my brother didn’t surprise us by joining against our will. I’m talking about my dad, me, and our super three-wheeler! Video to pass the test, express driving lesson in English, and voilà—my Sri Lankan driver’s license is mine! Note to self: Add this diploma to my CV... So here we are, let loose among the twenty-two million people in this country! Here, we drive on the left. Here, traffic lights are placed *after* the intersection. Here, you honk to exist. Here, you avoid elephants crossing the road. Here, you weave between elephant droppings littering the pavement. Here, you forget your bearings—and, incidentally, Western road rules. If you’ve got all that down, everything should go smoothly... "Dad, do you want to try?... - Uh, no, not right now..."

Despite the apparent chaos ruling the first few kilometers, something here stands out. A kind of unlikely harmony. Everyone honks, yes—but with kindness. Everyone brushes past each other, yes—but without getting angry. Everyone crosses paths, yes—but without colliding. And in the middle of this joyful organized mess, Tukif, our wobbly red tuk-tuk, naturally finds its place. After a few kilometers, the tension eases a bit, my hands on the handlebars relax, my reflexes settle in, and my eyes finally start taking in the first landscapes rolling by. Welcome to Sri Lanka! "Yeah man, we’re here, straddling our flying tin can!"







Alright, twenty hours of travel, four and a half hours of jet lag, and heat like a winter coat in the middle of summer as a welcome-flower lei! You can easily guess that this first day is officially a UNESCO World Heritage rest day. Spoiler: No, I’m kidding! Even with a 72-year-old relic on board, a day of adventure is precious! So enough envy—this day is put to good use like its little sisters: First, drive for three and a half hours to our first program spot, then pin it to our trophy board! And this spot, brace yourself—we’re starting with a heavy hitter! According to some experts, it might even be the most beautiful temple in Sri Lanka: The Dambulla Caves, a refuge for fourteen years for King Vattagamani Abhaya (exiled from his throne in the 1st century BCE), a complex of cave temples also known as the Golden Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991... There’s the pedigree of the place...

Day 2 (continued)

With its five funerary caves turned into sanctuaries, over 150 Buddha statues immortalized in every pose, and colorful murals, the peaceful vibe of the place strangely reminds me of Luxor’s Valley of the Kings. In other words, it’s a must-see!













Okay, one last tuk-tuk ride and that wraps up our first day with our arrival at the Segiriya guesthouse. I’ve finished my rambling, but are there any questions from the audience?

"Yes, front row for Voyage-Forum: Are there still visible traces of the cyclone? - Well, not really! From what we’ve seen on this first day of exploring, the rivers have returned to their beds, and life seems to have already bounced back... - What about tuk-tuk driving—how do you find it? - Driving itself in Sri Lanka doesn’t seem too overwhelming, especially after our scooter trip across Java with Flo last summer. That said, Tukif the tuk-tuk is showing some signs of clutch weakness. To be continued... - And finally, what’s your first impression of the Sri Lankans? - Good! Maybe a little less smiley and approachable at first than the Indonesians we met two months ago, but the first interactions have been generous. Generous in the sense that our first stop at a roadside stall to buy bananas turned into a gift... Then we were offered a drink at a guesthouse we accidentally walked into..." Anyway, we’re gonna love it here, Brenda!

With style, as always! 🙂

With style, as always! 🙂

We do what we can! [;]

Awesome, there's still room in the tuk-tuk... I'm in! PS: One day, in a burst of optimistic madness, five of us adults (all over 70) squeezed into a tuk-tuk in Bangkok to go to a restaurant. Double trouble: first, crammed inside the vehicle where you have to fold yourself into a pretzel just to sit on someone’s lap because of the super-low ceiling, and then stuck in Bangkok’s evening traffic jams. We could barely unfold ourselves to get out! If we’d seen our grandkids in that situation, we’d have said they were being reckless, especially abroad!

The tuk-tuk, a generator of stories! There were only two of us in the tuk-tuk, but you’ll see in the coming days that we formed an awesome trio! 😉

Hey Franck, I’m gonna relive this story with pleasure, even if it’s after the fact. This time, it’ll be easier to follow along since I’ve already saved all your spots on maps.me !

Day 3 – December 8

Two French lads, 8,500 kilometers from their burrow on an island eight times the size of Corsica, had set their minds on exploring this patch of land astride "Tukif," their tuk-tuk. Their goal? To bring back memories from each of the iconic spots this Sri Lanka has to offer. Speaking of which, when someone mentions Sri Lanka to you—besides knowing two French guys who decided to explore it on a tuk-tuk—what comes to mind? Nothing? Well, the two things that *should* pop into your head are the cultural triangle and elephants. And lucky for us, those are exactly the two postcard images that’ll shape our day today. Come on, let me tell you all about it...

First up, the triangle... Nestled between the cities of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, and Kandy, it’s packed with ancient sites, temples, and fascinating spots like the Dambulla Caves, the Lion Rock of Sigiriya, or the former capital Anuradhapura. We checked out Dambulla yesterday. Anuradhapura’s for tomorrow. That leaves Lion Rock—now’s the time!

Perched nearly 200 meters above the plain, Lion Rock is arguably Sri Lanka’s most iconic site. And when it comes to visiting, there are two schools of thought. There are those who climb it without being able to take it all in, lacking perspective... And then there are those who hike up Pidurangala Rock right across from it to soak in the whole panorama with Lion Rock smack in the middle. We’re team two! Not only does it let you step off the beaten path and get an unbeatable view of the thing, but it also saves you from calling your banker to take out yet another consumer loan. The tourist cash cows are milked for $36 to sweat their way up Lion Rock, while we only pay 3 for Pidurangala.

Anyway, all this to say we started our climb up Pidurangala Rock in the pitch-black night, hoping to catch the sun god’s morning wake-up call. 200, 360, 5, 9. Here are the numbers to remember for Pidurangala Rock. Meters to climb to try and touch the sky, degrees of horizon to embrace the world, hours to kick off the quest... and the level of pure joy on the Richter scale! There you have it for the stats.





As the first light of day broke, we discovered the jungle below us draped in a veil of mist. Magical. From that fleeting cloud emerged Lion Rock, looking like it was floating in front of us like a "castle in the sky." *Re*-magical. It was barely past eight when our hosts served us a hearty breakfast, and the day was already a success!









But don’t worry, we’ll still make the most of the time we have left to pack in even more. First stop: the Dambulla wholesale fruit and vegetable market, where the stars strut proudly on their red carpet. Bunches of bananas to make you smile, crates of sun-drenched mangoes, piles of fragrant pineapples... not to mention the less glamorous supporting actors of the pantry—sacks of onions and white cabbages unloaded by smiling Sri Lankans paid by the task. The hustle, the smells, the raw, authentic life. Everything I love!

Day 3 (continued)







After a little boat ride for fruits and vegetables, we then dive into the animal theme: Here we are now in the back of a convertible Jeep, hair in the wind, for a safari in Urulu Eco Park! Foxes, peacocks, monitor lizards, gazelles, black monkeys, wild buffaloes... A very pretty "trophy" list, sure, but let's be honest, we didn't come for these jungle extras. We want the big stuff, the heavy hitters, the pachydermally iconic... We want to spot the Sri Lankan elephant! And the Sri Lankan elephant, we can tell you right away that we’re blessed by lady luck because they’re everywhere! Big ones, little ones, moms, babies, glimpses from afar, close-up admiration... and even *very* close-up... Wow!!!













To wrap up this adventure, a Sri Lankan beer in hand, as cool as the morning mist over the jungle, we toast to our elephantine luck today... and also to the gargantuan meal prepared by our hosts! Sri Lanka sure knows how to spoil us...

Hey Guillaume, it works out, even if it's still so frustrating to have to limit ourselves in terms of photos...

We totally agree on the number of photos. In my Peruvian travel journal, I had 900 photos to start with, so the selection was more than drastic 🤪

Hi Franck,

I’ve already been looking into a tuk-tuk trip in Sri Lanka.

My main worry: luggage!

How does that work?

Hi Franck,

I was already looking into a tuk-tuk trip in Sri Lanka.

My concern: luggage!

How does it work?

Just fine... if you don’t bring much! We each had a hiking bag and a small backpack... No suitcases allowed!

All good... as long as you don’t take too much! We each had a hiking backpack and a small daypack... No suitcases allowed!

Hi Franck,

Awesome, another thrilling Tintin adventure (oops, Biboun...!) in the land of elephants! I’ll be following this with great interest... from my couch! 😇

About the tuk-tuk, I’ve read stories of couples with a child who’ve tried traveling independently that way—are there different sizes available?

Which other country allows foreigners to rent them?

Thanks for joining me on these new adventures! To answer your two questions: no, there’s only one size of tuk-tuk, and the other country is Cambodia! Happy reading! ... and I’ve got more trips to post!

Day 4 – December 9

Are you a die-hard history buff in general and eager to learn more about Sri Lanka’s past in particular? Do you want to immerse yourself in the fervor of local Buddhism? Then look no further—Anuradhapura is just waiting for your beautiful eyes to reveal itself! But hey, if you can’t be bothered to come all the way here, there’s always the ultimate solution: read my ramblings from today’s adventure, and that’ll do the trick! Here we go...

Once the capital of the kingdom, the sacred city of Anuradhapura is teeming with historical ruins scattered across a vast park. Still aboard our trusty Tukif the tuk-tuk, we’ll be zipping together from majestic stupas to sacred temples in search of spirituality.

But before that, I wanted to circle back to what I said the day before yesterday about the scars of Cyclone Ditwah being "already erased." In Sigiriya, yes, the illusion of a landscape back on its feet was very real. But that’s not the case—far from it—in the new town of Anuradhapura! Along a hundred-meter stretch on either side of the river that splits the city in two, all we see is tangled sheets of metal, uprooted trees, and piles of debris. You can easily imagine the wave of mud rushing over the houses, swallowing everything in its path, and leaving behind this scene of devastation. A grim, post-apocalyptic Hollywood movie set...

And yet, despite this frozen chaos, life seems to be reclaiming its rights, and the Sri Lankans impress me by keeping their smiles despite everything. For us, the contrast with what follows is completely jarring. We leave behind the aftermath of Ditwah and step into a historical site that time seems to have left untouched.

Jethawanaramaya, Thuparama, Ruvanvalisaya, Isurumuniya, Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi... Just a bunch of major temples and stupas with unpronounceable names you *must* remember. Consider yourself warned—there’ll be a pop quiz at the end!





To understand this site, you first need to know why Anuradhapura was chosen as the capital back then. Long ago, Sanghamitta—the well-named Buddhist nun and daughter of the emperor at the time—had the idea to bring back a cutting from the tree under which Buddha attained Nirvana. Planting it in the small town of Anuradhapura, the tree instantly became the center of the kingdom. That’s why, 2,300 years later, the cutting now fully grown, the most revered treasure of Sri Lanka is a 30-meter-tall ficus!







As you can imagine, we obviously didn’t miss paying a visit to this rock star... And you know what? Like all stars, it’s really just a tree like any other—if you ignore the bodyguards keeping you from getting too close.

Day 4 (continued)





Another highlight to remember was our visit to Ruwanwelisaya, also known as the great white stupa that every devout Buddhist dreams of visiting at least once in their lifetime. An immaculate Mecca, a Vatican made of cotton. This stupa, with its impressive proportions, stands over 100 meters tall with a circumference of 300 meters, around which the faithful walk in silence, make offerings, or pray. I don’t know if you realize, but this "elderly giant" has been drawing crowds like this for over 2,100 years! "Soldiers, remember that from the top of this stupa, twenty-one centuries of history are watching over you!"





Alright, we cross the park again to check out another stupa, then another temple, and then... Along the way, we come across lots of black-headed monkeys and hornbills, those exotic birds with oversized beaks... I also take this quiet moment to remind my dad that you don’t mess around with etiquette in the presence of His Majesty Buddha in Sri Lanka: First, smoking or vaping in front of Buddha is considered disrespectful, so don’t do it. Next, if you have a tattoo of Buddha, it’s best to cover it up to avoid any trouble. I also warn him to be careful with his gestures: Never take a selfie with a Buddha statue—the Sri Lankans would see that as an insult. Truth be told, it’s better not to turn your back on him at all. Even a flower you intend to offer shouldn’t be sniffed! Only Buddha gets to enjoy its scent, got it? Finally, dress appropriately: barefoot, with shoulders and legs covered, and absolutely no low-cut tops. "Dad, I told you, no cleavage! And while we’re at it, put on your rain jacket—there’s a tropical downpour heading our way!"







So, it’s time for us to hop back into our tuk-tuk for a couple of hours of "passionate debates" that will lead us to new horizons you’ll discover with us tomorrow...

Hi, I just got back from 7 weeks in Sri Lanka (with a 4-day extension thanks to Donald 😅) and we made 6 trips of 80-100 km by tuktuk with a driver, but without any steep climbs like Tissa-Haputale. Everything was organized on the go. There are actually 3 variants of this vehicle. The one to go for: the Bajaj RE with a 4-stroke engine—better than the Bajaj RE with a 2-stroke engine, which is older and reeks of burnt oil. There’s also the PIAGGIO, less common, wider (so more space for luggage), but with a diesel engine and noisier. We only had 2 bags (like NorthFace 60L) and 2 backpacks. Usually, there’s no luggage rack, but there’s space behind the seat—except for the Wilpattu National Park-Kalpitiya route. Our guest house (Wilpatu Buma Lodge, an excellent family-run GH) provided us with a tuktuk whose driver had practically filled the luggage space with 2 huge speakers! Check out this link too: https://www.tongsetsrilanka.com/voyager-en-tuk-tuk-au-sri-lanka For the Anuradhapura area (days for the ruins, late afternoon in Mihintale), I can recommend Nishantha: he’s full of info and offers reasonable prices. He also does multi-day trips further afield.

Day 5 – December 10

There’s a saying that the night brings counsel. Another claims that after the rain comes sunshine. If you toss both into a shaker and give it a good shake, you might invent a new proverb of our own: The night brings the sunshine! Because last night’s windshield-wiper workout during our two-hour tuk-tuk ride didn’t bode well for today. Let’s just say we arrived on the island’s east coast, and in December, the rainy season is in full swing here. Add to that the area’s reputation for major natural disasters, and you’d think we had every reason not to come to Trincomalee! Yet here we are.











So why did I stubbornly insist on coming here during K-way season? First, Tukif didn’t bat an eye at this four-hour detour. Second, landing in Tamil territory is like getting a bonus: a different culture, traditions, faces, cuisine, and language—a kind of trip within our trip to Sri Lanka! Third, *météo* (weather) is a feminine noun. And as they say, "feminine" means "moods that change like the wind." So you never know—on a whim, it might just work out.









And guess what? Jean-Claude Dusse was right to believe in it! Because in this Sri Lankan roulette game, we’ve been served a sky-blue breakfast in bed. Ready for a dip in Tamil country!