AMY GRIER ATE, CLIMBED AND SAFARI-ED HER WAY AROUND SRI LANKA WITH FLASH PACK AND FOUND A NEW BUNCH OF FRIENDS IN THE PROCESS
DAY 1
Have you ever wanted to go somewhere
– to really do something – but not wanted to go by yourself? That was me, wistfully looking at pictures of Sri Lanka on Instagram. I wanted adventure, to meet new (but like-minded, similaraged) people. I wanted fun, but not 18-30s, flea-ridden hostels fun. Enter Flash Pack. Taking the hassle out of travelling by yourself, they organise trips that err on the side of adventure for those in their thirties and forties. It’s organised and fun, but it’s not “organised fun”. Instead of a boring guide with a pink umbrella, you get a guide your own age plying you with local beer and biscuits while you hurtle around mountain roads soundtracked by your own Spotify playlist. You sort your own flights, they do the rest.
The first day is a kind of orientation. Our group of six arrives separately at the Jetwing Lagoon in Negombo, just outside the capital city of Colombo. At dinner that evening, over a feast of Sri Lankan curries and local Lion beer, we set about bonding.
DAY 2
This trip takes you from the west of the country, slightly north to Kandy, into the mountains and jungle around Ella, south to Galle and to the turtle beaches, then back up again. Today we set off for our first stop, Dambulla, a three-hour drive away. In the afternoon, we head to one of the most famous tourist destinations in the country, Sigirya, a huge terracotta-coloured rock and ancient fortress. Climb the 1,200 stone steps to the top and the views you get – especially at sunset – are unparalleled. Our guide, Donald, directed all six of our Insta photoshoots while simultaneously regaling us with the history of the place. I’m not great with heights, but after only one day I trusted my fellow Flash Packers enough to let them cajole me up the final rickety steps to the top. And I’m so glad they did.
DAY 3
After a cycling tour of ancient temples (including some incredibly impressive Buddhas) and lunch in the covered courtyard of a local farmer’s house, it’s back to the hotel for a spot of pool time. Dinner tonight is at a local homestay. Our carriage there? Essentially a lawnmower attached to a milk float.
We have dinner by multicoloured lantern light, eating fish curry, coconut sambal and roti while a local quartet serenades us. This is what separates Flash Pack from all of their competitors – the one-off experiences that you just couldn’t do any other way.
DAY 4
The long road to Kandy, Sri Lanka’s second city, begins. Along the way, we break for lunch – and a quick lesson – at Ranweli Spice Garden. There, a man called Ravi takes us through every type of herb and spice they grow, from cinnamon to turmeric, as well as all the Ayurvedic potions they make. Fair warning: Ravi is such a persuasive salesman that “to get Ravi-ed” became a verb among our group. Oh, you bought 14 artisanal wicker bags from that roadside shop? You just got Ravi-ed.
DAY 5
Up and up we go, as our mini-van swings effortlessly around lush green mountain roads, lined with Sri Lanka’s most famous export: tea. By this point our small group (most Flash Pack trips are for around 10 to 14 people) have bonded to the point where we feel comfortable trolling each
other’s music tastes and eating each other’s snacks. After lunch in the mountains, we took the famous blue train from Kandy to Ella. This journey is one of the most scenic in the world, trundling through the treetop towns with clouds hovering in the sky almost next door. At key points, you can hang out of the carriages (as directed by Insta-husband and tour guide Donald) and get some truly great #content.
DAY 6
After spending the morning at a tea plantation, we then did the Nine Arches walk – an easy, scenic hike along an old railway track. We continued up, hiking steeper into the hills to Mini Adam’s Peak. The views from the top are worth the sweat you work up on the ascent. Plus, it’s one of the best ways to earn the drunken dinner at Cafe Chill (hot backpackers, great cocktails) in Ella town. This night ended… actually, I’m not sure how it ended. But it definitely did! And the drive down the mountain the next day was one of the worst of my life.
DAY 7-8
Travelling again, this time into safari country. On our way to our hotel, we encounter one of Yala National Park’s most famous residents: a wild elephant. It makes waking up at 4.30am the next morning, in the hope of seeing leopards and even more elephants, much easier. In the early morning light, we see wild deer, antelope, crocodiles, mongoose, wild boar, elephants and even a glimpse of a sloth bear. After lunch, we’re travelling east towards the coast again, to Galle. Outside the walls of this beautiful fort city, our bus is met by a string of tuk-tuks that whisk us to our hotel inside the fortress. Left to our own devices, we wander the arty streets and have beers on the ramparts, waves crashing against the rocks below as the sun sets. We might have started as six strangers, but just over a week later, we’re already fast becoming friends.
DAY 9-10
Our trip ends with pristine white sands and epic surf at Kosgoda. The beaches are famous for turtles, who migrate back each year to lay their eggs. At a sanctuary, we help release a rescued adult turtle back into the wild. Our journey, as the solo travellers we were at the start, and the pack of mates that we now are, is over. But his? It’s only just beginning.