Sri Lanka
Anuradhapura & Mihintale ( 2 nights)
Travelled from Negombo to Anuradhapura by taxi. I spent 1 full day (2 nights) with a local discovering Anuradhapura & Mihintale while learning more about their culture and religion.
Free temple tour Anuradhapura
I decided to discover the ancient city of Anuradhapura and Mihintale with a local by tuktuk. He picked me up at my homestay in the morning and showed me around temples and palaces. We did the free temple tour. I learned a lot about buddhism and Sri Lankan culture which was great. At noon, we had lunch at a local curry buffet. After lunch he dropped me off at my homestay to take a rest before going to Mihintale for sunset.
Mihintale
For sunset we went to Mihintale which is a little drive by tuktuk from Anuradhapura. We had a stop at a special tree and at Kaludiya Pokuna (Black Water Pool) where there is also a cave temple complex.
Staying in a home stay
Spending the night in a home stay is a great way to get in touch with locals and support them. I spent 2 nights at Sweet Home Tourist Rest which was a nice place. I had a spacious room and it was very clean. Sadly the location is not great: it's located in a residential area and there are no restaurants or shops around. I would recommend to stay closer to the new area of the city, near the new town bus station.
Chami Restaurant
A recommendation from my local guide to have good Kottu.
