Although it was on the other side of the island Nilaveli and Pigeon island was high on our list of places to visit. Numerous people had recommended it for it's laid back atmosphere and excellent diving opportunities. It also meant we got to sample our first Sri Lankan train. An early start of 5am and we were on the train, slightly less rickety than Burma and still super cheap. Sri Lanka may be a small island but it still took us most of the day to get across ...

This had been long awaited, we nearly went to Sri Lanka back in 2006, but ended up buying Rose Cottage instead and travel plans were shelved.Even being on the plane felt like we had entered a new world, with the stunning women cabin crew with their peacock patterned saris, bare midriffs and sparkly eye shadow. The drive from the airport to our homestay was a quick introduction to being on the road Sri Lankan style, witnessing no less than two crash sites, bus ver...