Harare, Zimbabwe (short layover) 2017

Several 24h layovers in Harare

• Even if Harare is not the main attraction to visit in Zimbabwe, there are still many things to do and I will share a few  

Places visited:

• Downtown
• Bushman Rock safari
• Mukuvisi Woodlands safari
• Lake Chivero

Downtown:

• Some people will say Harare is dangerous but please do not listen. Just take care not showing off too much money or luxury but I enjoyed the city alone and I loved walking its streets
• No matter where you walk in Harare you can see thousands of street markets with lovely fruits and vegatables

• There are a few parks in the city such as Africa Unity Square

• Most building in the city are humble, being Harare Town House one of the best

• Also, right in downtown you can visit the Kopje hill to enjoy nice views of the city from both sides

Bushman Rock safari:

• In one of my visits to Harare I went for a safari in Bushman Rock, where a guide drove us in a huge vehicle

• The fields look nice and it was a nice visit but do not expect to see much wildlife

• We also visited the winery and the staff was very nice to let my colleagues try several wines for free

Mukuvisi Woodlands safari:

• Very near Harare we experienced a horse riding safari
• I did not expect much but I actually liked this safari much more than the one before. There are only 5-6 kinds of animals you can see but you can get really close to them and it is beautiful
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• As a general recommendation, avoid taking bags with you on the horse. The bag of a colleague fell into the horse, obviously the horse got scared and she fell
• That day we were lucky to see some kids of  a local school visiting Mukuvisi. They were very cute and friendly :)
  

Lake Chivero:

• On the same day we did a short visit to Lake Chivero, but the Dam was a bit dry

• Apparently this is a popular local spot for picnics during weekends
• Also on the other side of the lake, there are several gaming safaris available for tourists which I have been recommended but I did not have time to experience yet
• Hope this post helps :)   

Sri Lanka 2015

Sri Lanka 2015 (29th September-11th October)

• I visited Sri Lanka almost 2 years ago so I will miss some details but I had a great time there and I will share some tips and ideas

Places visited:

• Colombo-Negombo
• Anuradhapura
• Sigiriya-Dambulla
• Polonnaruwa-Uppuveli
• Kandy
• Adam´s Peak (Hatton)
• Ella
• Arugam Bay
• Galle-Unawatuna
  

Colombo-Negombo:

• Colombo airport is actually in Negombo, beach area a bit North from the capital
• Anyway, I would not miss any time in these places as the country has much better places to offer 

Anuradhapura:

•  Once I arrived in Negombo it was raining so I am glad I took a bus to Anuradhapura
• I was offered a bus ticket for less than €10, what I thought it was great, and then I realized I was completely cheated as I should have paid less than €2, so remember to bargain everything in Sri Lanka
•  In Anuradhapura,  one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, I took a tuk-tuk to visit several  buddhist temples. The city is packed with them, but here you are a few examples only
  
  
  
  

Sigiriya-Dambulla:

• Again by bus, this time at a reasonable price for local standards, I visited Dambulla
• Main touristic attraction here is the Golden Cave temple, which as you can notice looks a bit like Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur, with many monkeys as well of course
  

• Near Dambulla you can visit Sigiriya, one of the most iconic places in the country which I really liked
• This time I rented a scooter and went with the owner of the hostel and three girls. However we did not climb Sigiriya Lion Rock, an royal ancient rock fortress, but another peak nearby for sunrise. This was a beautiful experience but I regret I did not climb the Lion Rock as well (€30)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Polonnaruwa-Uppuveli:

• On my way to Uppuveli I stopped at Polonnaruwa, one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka similarly as Anuradhapura
• This time I visited the temples in a scooter by myself and I enjoyed it much morex
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• If you are short it time, I would choose either Anuradhapura or  Polonnaruwa but not both places. I honestly was a bit sick of so many temples in just 2 days
• Once in Uppuveli I has some beach rest for 2 days
• I stayed at Aqua Hotel Trincomalee in the section called The Backpacker Caves for just 4€ per night. I have great memories of this tiny caves
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
• If you are looking for more comfortable options, the hotel had proper rooms, was right in the beach and had a nice bar area to chill so it is highly recommended
  
  
• In the hotel they also organize tours for whales and dolphins sigthseeing
  
  
  
  
   
• Finally, sunset in this beach was also beautiful
  

Kandy:

• I took bus from Uppuveli till Kandy, a popular village surrounded by mountains

• Main touristic attraction here is the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, which it is meant to host one of the teeth of Bhudda. Once a year there is a celebration where they take the sacred tooth on top of an elephant that goes around the city
  

Adam´s Peak:

• I took train from Kandy to Hatton, and from there a tuk-tuk for 1 hour till one of the closest villages to Adam´s Peak, called Nallathanniya
  
  
  
• There are a few guesthouses here due to the importance of Adam´s Peak, a sacred area for bhuddists, hinduists and muslims
• As pilgrims normally do, I started the trekking till Adam´s Peak at around 2:30am. The path coming back showed the beauty of this place
  
  
  
  
• I reached the top at 5:30am, ready for sunrise. However it was too foggy and rainy so I missed the lovely views some lucky ones get, especially from November till February, where most pilgrims visit
  
• Also, I did not bring any warm clothes so I was freezing at the top so remember that for your trip!

Ella:

• Back to Hatton I took the popular train to Ella. Views during this ride are beautiful

• In Ella I could see several tea plantations and I did an easy trek to little Adam´s peak

• From Ella you can appreciate Demodara Nine Arch Bridge, built under British control
  

• In Ella I visited Ravana Falls as well
  

 Arugam Bay:

• Before leaving Ella I rented a scooter for a few days and decided to go till Arugam Bay, a popular destination for surfers. I tried some surf there and I enjoyed a few days relax again
• I do not have nice pictures of this part but it was lovely to drive around this area of Sri Lanka
• I could not go to Yala safari park as it was closed during my visit but I was lucky to see a few animals during my drive

Galle-Unawatuna:

• After giving the scooter back in Ella, I took bus towards the south
• I recommend a visit to Recawa Turtle Conservation Project by the beach in the Southern part of Sri Lanka. At around 8pm a few guides take visitors for turtle watch in the beach
• After this visit I stayed for the last few days in Unawatuna, another popular beach destination
• One of the days I visited Galle, a town which developed the most under Dutch control
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
• As previously said, I am missing many details and some information that unfortunately I do not remember but still you can get nice ideas about Sri Lanka. Hope it helps :)