We came to Sri Lanka from Maldives. It was the second destination for our honeymoon. As we came from Maldives, we thought it was best to travel to the hilly areas of Sri Lanka rather than the seaside destinations. Let’s face it, after the Maldives it wouldn’t be fair to any beach to be seen with the eyes that have just seen the blue paradise.
We started for Pidurangal from Colombo early in the morning. Our guide and driver, Mr. Jagat, already knew where we wanted to go, so we planned every detail of the tour beforehand. On our way, our first stop was the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. We went to the government-managed orphanage. There are a few privately run orphanages that provide more engaging tours with Elephants, but we didn’t want that. Even though it is a government-run orphanage, you must pay a small fee to enter it. Depending on where you are from, it costs about 11-16 USD for adults & 6-8 USD for children (3-12 years).
The weather was nice, and the elephants were in a good mood while we were there. We took some photos with a bright blue sky and playful white clouds in the background. We saw a baby elephant dancing while bathing in the shallow water. After watching the elephants, we strolled around to see crafts and souvenirs made from either elephant feces or designs that symbolize elephants. Bought some souvenirs quickly, then had some coconut water. This particular orange-colored coconut is called “Thembili” in the local language. I come from a country having different kinds of coconuts, and I can tell the appearance & taste of the water is something I have never tasted before.
From Pinnawal to Pidurangala was another 2-and-a-half-hour drive. We stopped for lunch in the midway. The sun was in the west part of the sky when we reached the bottom of the Pidurangala rock. We came to this place especially to see the sunset from the top. So we started climbing up immediately. This place is not at all organized or structured like Sigiriya Rock, where we went the next day. But I kinda liked it this way, natural and vibrant. The way to the top was somewhat paved for the ease of travellers. But still, you have to go inside the bushes and climb up or down a few rocks on your own. This climb is definitely for those who don’t mind getting their dresses or hands a little dirty. After about an hour of climbing, we reached the top of Pidurangala rock.
The top has two sides. One facing the Sigiriya Rock & and the other facing the sunset horizon. At first, we took some time taking photos with the Sigiriya view. Brilliant crimson clouds started to appear in the background.
Photography Thoughts & Tips:
While taking some photos, I realized our dress should have been of a different color. Both of us were wearing dark green, which blended with the massive forest background at the bottom part. Blue or red/ish color would have been more appropriate. It was almost impossible to use a tripod for a phone here with the wind as we only had an iPhone for camera here. On our request, Mr. Jagat tried his best to capture some couple photo of us, but you can guess how that went. But I love the photos I took with my wife as the subject.
Finally, we went to the sunset view side. The wind was so strong here that it was almost impossible to walk straight. But there is no danger of falling as this massive rock has a significant slop for travelers to just lie down anywhere without fear. Me & my wife found a spot to make our own. Although there was not much crowd at the top but still about 20-25 people were trying to enjoy this magnificent sunset. I must say we were extremely lucky to get such a weather that day. Even Mr. Jagat told us he has rarely seen such a beautiful sunset on the top of Pidurangala. Here I clicked the photo below that was selected for an international photography exhibition in the mobile phone category. My only regret is that I wish I had my mirrorless camera to capture this amazing view back then.
Important Note:
some sacred grounds are along the way to the top. There are clear instructions to remove your shoes and cover your body correctly with cloths. Please respect these instructions, as there are not enough people guarding all this. Few people I have seen who were definitely not security staff.
