Backpacking Sri Lanka - trip to Anuradhapura

Sri Lanka is home to an ancient and complex civilization with a recorded history extending back over two millennia. This civilization accomplished great feats, from the construction of ancient cities to irrigation systems that are still in use today. The sheer depth of Sri Lanka's cultural heritage is recognized by UNESCO, which declared six archaeological World Heritage sites in the country. From enormous dome-shaped relics of Buddhist temples to the ruins of ancient cities and statues in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, to the towering stairways leading to the Golden Dambulla Temple, and the sensual frescoes of heavenly maidens adorning the regal rock-fortress carved into the mountain of Sigiriya, yours truly have been fortunate enough to marvel at all of these, and also many other sites ensconced within a small area known as Sri Lanka's cultural triangle.

I find it quite strange that a fair percentage of travelers who have voiced their opinions in various travel forums, didn't find the sacred city of Anuradhapura worthy enough for their time spent, and some of them have also suggested to visit Polonnaruwa instead. Analyzing their reviews make me wonder if they were trying to find Seychelles in Sri Lanka! Among all rural to urban places I have explored in Sri Lanka, if I have to pick a single destination that can quench the historical, cultural and spiritual thirst of a sensible traveler, my indubitable recommendation would be Anuradhapura. In this blog I'll give you unbiased glimpses of this sacred city, so that you can decide for yourself whether Anuradhapura should find a place in your Sri Lankan backpacking itinerary.

Train Travel in Sri Lanka - inexpensive & intriguing

Traveling by train is a quintessential Sri Lankan experience. Your trip to Sri Lanka won't be panoramic enough in case you miss those unhurried and quaint train journeys. If you care for my opinion, I would suggest- hop onto a train whenever and wherever you can, while you are backpacking Sri Lanka. Before I proceed let me clarify, I haven't been commissioned by Sri Lanka Railways to promote their service. Forget about sponsoring a travel blogger, they are so happy-go-lucky in their attitude that they haven't set up an online reservation facility yet to boost the railway tourism in the country. The second disclaimer is, I'm a train buff. If you go through my Sri Lanka backpacking itinerary you'll find I had commuted on trains in multiple occasions. Keeping aside my intrinsic bias towards train rides, in this article I'll try to give you a comprehensive idea of exploring Sri Lanka on trains, especially from a backpacker's point of view. I'll also mention other transportation options at your disposal, so that you don't feel logically deprived when I emphasize- train rides are mandatory components of your Sri Lankan travel plan. But then, investing your faith on a railway network that still thrives on technologies and infrastructures dating back to nineteenth century might not seem like the smartest move to many of you. It'll be like judging a book by its cover. Today we'll turn more pages before drawing the ineluctable inference- train travel is the most comfortable, affordable and kaleidoscopic mode for getting around this tropical backpacker's paradise.