For 91 Days in Sri Lanka

Adventures, anecdotes and advice from three months exploring Sri Lanka

For 91 Days we lived in Sri Lanka, the island nation off the southern coast of India. With incredible nature, a fascinating culture, and innumerable historic sites, Sri Lanka provided an unforgettable base for three months of adventure.

Whether you're planning your own journey to Sri Lanka, or just interested in seeing what makes it such a special country, our articles and photographs should help you out.

Bow to King Coconut

In every city, town or village of Sri Lanka, and alongside country roads, you'll find stands hawking golden coconuts. These are thambili, or King Coconuts, and we've made it a habit to grab one every day.

Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil

An enormous, 100-foot golden tower announces the presence of the Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, on the northern end of Jaffna. This is the largest and most important place of worship on the peninsula, and holds multiple daily ceremonies. Jürgen and I removed our shoes and shirts (oh quiet down, all you squealing tweens!), and stepped inside for an afternoon observance.

Jaffna Causeway and Chatty Beach

A string of small islands stretch out to the west of Jaffna, pointing the way to India, mostly connected to the mainland by roads built up out of the shallow water. One day, we rented rickety old bikes and rode out on the causeway which begins near the fort to the first of the islands.

The Besieged Fort of Jaffna

In 1618, the Portuguese built an enormous fort in Jaffna, to help protect their hard-won property. Colonial-era forts are fairly common across the world, but Jaffna's must be one of the very few which continued to see action until the late 20th century. Recently re-opened to visitors, it was one of the first things we checked out in Jaffna.

The Modern Ruins of Jaffna Town

We've never visited a city with a vibe like Jaffna's. The only town of any appreciable size in the whole of northern Sri Lanka, Jaffna is the vibrant de facto capital of the country's Tamil population. But it's also a tragic showpiece for the horrors of modern war. A walk through the streets of modern Jaffna offers both a heartbreaking look at the darkness of humanity, and an inspiring example of our stubborn perseverance.

The Sri Lankan Civil War

Between 1983 and 2009, a brutal civil war threatened to tear Sri Lanka apart at the seams. Waged primarily between the island's Sinhalese majority government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the conflict claimed over 100,000 lives. The war only came to an end when the army killed the LTTE's charismatic leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, after a bloody campaign in the north.

North to Jaffna

Like a feather in Sri Lanka's cap, the Jaffna Peninsula pokes out of the top of the island, pointing towards India. The long, narrow peninsula is separated from the rest of the country in about every way imaginable: culturally, ethnically, religiously, linguistically and geographically.

Get Those Sexy Calves of Steel at Mihintale

A few kilometers east of Anuradhapura is the small town of Mihintale, famous as the place that Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka. While on a hunt in the woods, the reigning Sinhalese King Tissa encountered a monk named Mahinda, who had been sent to the island by the Indian King Ashoka to spread the faith. Mahinda found a willing convert in King Tissa, and Sri Lankans quickly embraced their ruler's new religion. Ever since, the country's Sinhalese majority has been staunchly, proudly Buddhist.

The Cave Temples of Dambulla

An extensive complex of ancient cave temples is found in Dambulla, a bustling town just twelve kilometers from Sigiriya. It's awfully convenient that two of Sri Lanka's best cultural sites are within such easy access of each other, and we visited one right after the other. The Dambulla Temple was constructed in the 1st century BC and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

The Back of Beyond Eco Lodge in Sigiriya

For our three-day road trip that would bring us to Ritigala, Sigiriya and Dambulla, we needed a lot of energy. Luckily, we couldn't have chosen a more restful place to spend our down hours: The Back of Beyond Eco Lodge in Sigiriya.