Getting Lost Enroute To Sinharaja

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Tara

The trip started out easily enough. I knew that we had to get a bus from Kithulgala to Ratnapura and that these buses left from the main street and were very cheap.

I always feel so bad for the poor birds stuck in these pet shops in tiny cages.

The trip went smoothly up to this point and we arrived in Ratnapura about 90 minutes later after making a lot of stops. The instructions from our next lodge, Rock View Motel near Sinharaja were to take a Kalawana bus, then change to a Rakwana bus and hop out when we saw the motel on the road side.

At the Ratnapura bus station, we waited to see a bus with Kalawana written on top. Soon, a bus with Rakwana written on top pulled in. I thought we were being smart to avoid a change of buses in Kalawana so we hopped on and headed out of Ratnapura.

We saw another bus with Kalawana written on top so alarm bells went off but I ignored them thinking we were still OK.

We continued on and enjoyed more scenery.

We finally arrived in Rakwana and I was wondering why we didn’t see the motel on the road side.

I should have listened to the alarm bell! As it turned out, the road to Kalawana and subsequently the Rock View Motel were different from the road to Rakwana. On the map below, you see the road we were supposed to take in blue with the blue X marking the hotel location. The red line represents the road we actually took.

By the time we got to Rakwana and realized our mistake, it was too late to get another bus so we had to hire an auto-rickshaw to take us to the motel which cost more than if we had just taken the rickshaw from Ratnapura! It was annoying to arrive after dark but lesson learnt! Always check even the smallest towns on a map, listen to your gut feelings and follow directions!

White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis)

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Tara

The White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) also known as the White-breasted Kingfisher or Smyrna Kingfisher, is a tree kingfisher, widely distributed in Eurasia from Bulgaria, Turkey, West Asia east through the Indian Subcontinent to the Philippines. This kingfisher is a resident over much of its range, although some populations may make short distance movements. It can often be found well away from water where it feeds on a wide range of prey that includes small reptiles, amphibians, crabs, small rodents and even birds. During the breeding season they call loudly in the mornings from prominent perches including the tops of buildings in urban areas or on wires.

They are fun to watch and I saw several in Kithulgala. They were easily seen by their bright blue backs and seemed keen to pose for photos! This one wanted to make sure I got his best side – both of them!

He’s got a beakful!

White-throated Kingfishers have a huge range throughout Central and South-east Asia so it shouldn’t be hard to find an award ticket to get to one of their many habitats.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BIRD

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Naturia

VIDEO

Getting ready for a hot date?

This one was happy to hang around and be filmed.

Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot (Loriculus beryllinus)

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Tara

The Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot is a small, mainly green hanging parrot, only 13 cm long with a short tail. Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot is less gregarious than some of its relatives, and is usually alone or in small groups outside the breeding season. Its flight is swift and direct, and the call is a sharp whistled twiwittwit..twitwitwit. It undergoes local movements, driven mainly by the availability of the fruit, seeds, buds and blossoms that make up its diet. In Sri Lanka, this bird is known as Gira Maliththa or Pol Girwa in Sinhala Language.

I couldn’t get a good shot because of backlighting from the sun so here’s the Wikipedia one followed by a few of my attempts to catch this beautiful bird in flight and perched near Kithulgala.

They are endemic to Sri Lanka and most easily seen around the town of Kithulgala. See the red dot below. Use a Central Asian award to get to Colombo, then take a taxi or bus.

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VIDEO

This little guy was hungry!

Chestnut-backed Owlet (Glaucidium castanotum)

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Tara

The Chestnut-backed Owlet (Glaucidium castanotum) (often misspelled Glaucidium castanonotum), is an owl which is endemic to Sri Lanka. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, Strigidae, which contains most of the smaller species of owl. This species was formerly considered as a subspecies of the Jungle Owlet.

They are endemic to Sri Lanka and most easily seen in Kithulgala. They are quiet and hard to spot but if you have a good guide, they will know where to find them. They can also be seen in Sinharaja and around Sri Lanka. Use a Central Asian award to get to Colombo, then take a taxi or bus.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BIRD

VIDEO

This has to be the cutest owl I have ever seen!

Guided Bird Walk Through Kithulgala Area

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Tara

The manager of Kithulgala Resthouse booked an excellent guide for us – Shanaka Lakmina for our morning bird walk. I told him I was especially keen to see parrot species, preferably close up so he tailored the walk to the areas of most interest. Of course we saw lots of fantastic birds along the way. We did manage to find a Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot that perched for awhile except he was backlit by the sun. There were also a few Alexandrines and possibly a quick flyby of a Layard’s Parakeet. The other highlight of the trip was the endemic Chestnut-backed Owlet.

First meet Shanaka. He’s a licensed guide who works for Kelaniriver Adventure Kithulgala (KAK). He can be booked via your hotel or in advance by Facebook. He’s a great guy, knows the local birds quite well and where to find them.

These are photos he sent me of the parrots since I couldn’t get good shots. The smaller one is the Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot, the others are Layard’s Parakeets in a nest.

Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot – just hanging around

Layard’s Parakeets in a nest.

Layard’s Parakeet on a tree

And now some blurry shots of parrots at a distance taken by me.

Chestnut-backed Owlet

And the rest of the birds in chronological order starting with the walk through town.

After the bird walk, we sat down and ticked off all the species we saw over both days. This was my final tally: Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Little Cormorant, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Green Imperial Pigeon, Spotted Dove, Sri Lanka Green Pigeon, Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot, Layard’s Parakeet, Alexandrine Parakeet, Chestnut-backed Owlet, White-throated Kingfisher, Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Orange Minivet, Sri Lanka Drongo, White-bellied Drongo, Black-capped Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Orange-billed Babbler, Yellow-billed Babbler, Oriental White-eye, Lesser Hill Myna, Common Myna, Purple-rumped Sunbird, White-rumped Munia, Grey Wagtail.

Lodge Review: Kithulgala Resthouse

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Tara

Sometimes you just have to go with your instincts. With not a lot of time to prepare and research, and a worry of rooms selling out for this beautiful eco-tourism escape from the city of Colombo I had to do a quick look around and book something fast.

Kithulgala Resthouse came up in several searches – Google, Trip Advisor, Booking.com and Agoda. The photos were stunning and reviews were mixed but although some people found the rooms out-dated; all I cared about was the view and the birding! I also loved the historical aspect – it was the location used for filming of The Bridge over the River Kwai and the crew stayed there during filming. Evreward turned up a deal using AAdvantage’s click-thru mall to Booking.com so that sealed my decision.

There really is no need to use Colombo as a gateway. There is only 1 hour of travel time difference between the airport and Kithulgala & the airport and Colombo. Also, you won’t get stuck in traffic on the Kithulgala road. The airport is the big red dot.

I was not to be disappointed. The grounds were gorgeous and I could hear birds as we drove in. The restaurant overlooked the river with more birds flying overhead and it had that historical feel to it.

They have both fan rooms and AC rooms, I had chosen a fan room overlooking the river. Yes, if you are used to Park Hyatts and Sheratons you will probably find the room simple and “dated” but that is exactly what I love in a room – character!

A White-throated Kingfisher was there to greet us!

Laundromat!

Nice patios to sit and watch birds.

It was fun to watch the locals rowing across the river.

A beautiful young wedding couple showed up a bit later.

Watching birds from our patio.

I loved the artwork around the property! Unfortunately, it wasn’t for sale.

The staff were very friendly and accommodating. Since there weren’t many people there they didn’t do a buffet, we ordered off the menu. They cooked from scratch so service was slow by Western standards but I didn’t care as there were plenty of birds to watch from the restaurant balcony, even Layard’s Parakeets! The food was good and they will tone down spiciness for those who don’t care for it. I do wish they had a gift shop though as I really wanted some of that art! We hung around the lodge and birded the grounds the first day, then had the manager book us a guide for the next morning……………but that’s another post! I loved this place and highly recommend it for birders!

Kithulgala Resthouse – Easy Birding

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Tara

Sometimes you have to work hard to see the best birds. Other times you can just sit back, relax and let them come to you. Kithulgala Resthouse is like this. You can sit in the garden, on your own patio or on the balcony at the restaurant. Since we were pretty tired that first day, we enjoyed a relaxing day just birding the grounds and even got several Sri Lankan endemics, including the beautiful Layard’s Parakeet – albeit from a distance.

The White-throated Kingfisher was easily spotted with his bright blue back and kept us entertained as he caught insects for dinner and fished in the river. I don’t know if this is the same one or not but we never saw two together.

There were several Layard’s Parakeets flying over the river. They never came close enough for a good photo but at least we got to see them! It’s really hard to spot them amidst the foliage and zooming in only blurred them even more.

Alexandrine Parakeets were distinguishable by their larger size and longer tail even though they didn’t want to come any closer.

This Orange Minivet tried to hide from the camera but his bright colours gave him away.

Some Sri Lanka Wood Pigeons were hanging around near the restaurant.

The staff kindly came and got me during lunch when a pair of Sri Lanka Grey Hornbills was spotted in a tree in the front.

A Little Cormorant showing off.

Cute Red-vented Bulbul

Shy Sri Lanka Drongo………..and one not so shy.

Common Mynahs foraging.

Not sure about these, any help?

Last but not least, a squirrel.

Layard’s Parakeet (Psittacula calthropae)

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Tara

The Layard’s Parakeet (Psittacula calthropae) aka Emerald-collard Parakeet is a parrot which is a resident endemic breeder in Sri Lanka. The common name of this bird commemorates the British naturalist Edgar Leopold Layard; his first wife, Barbara Anne Calthrop, whom he married in 1845, is commemorated in the specific epithet. In Sri Lanka, this bird is knowns as alu girawa අළු ගිරවා (ash-parrot) in Sinhala Language. This bird appears on a 50c Sri Lankan postal stamp

My photos of this stunning bird were blurry and at a distance so here’s a close-up from Wikipedia.

They are endemic to Sri Lanka and most easily seen (albeit from a distance) flying through the rainforest opposite the town of Kithulgala. I also got a brief glimpse of one flying overhead at Sinharaja. See the red dots below. Use a Central Asian award to get to Colombo, then take a taxi or bus.

Although they share the same habits as Alexandrine Parakeets, the Layard’s are smaller and have shorter tails. If you try to photograph them you will need all the zoom you can get and a steady hand.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PARROT

VIDEO

Sri Lanka For Birders & Gateway Colombo

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Tara

Sri Lanka is an amazing country for birds. Although small, it has a wide variety of habitats and over 435 species of birds can be seen here. Out of these, 235 are resident and33 of these are endemic. I would have liked to stay longer and explore a bit more but I was doing an impromptu award trip based on an amazing promo so I had to cut back to two birding hotspots – Kithulgala & Sinharaja.

DO YOU NEED A VISA?

Yes, most people do but fortunately this is a painless ETA procedure done online. Print it out and show it to the officers when you arrive. You can also get visas on arrival but I thought it was easiest to do it online and pay by credit card. It costs $30 except for citizens of SAARC countries who pay $15. You can get a 2 day transit visa for free at the airport. I can see this option becoming very popular with Sri Lankan Airlines joining One World for people doing RTW tickets! I would certainly do it and spend my 2 days in Kithulgala!

GETTING THERE

You can get here easily on a Central Asian award. Colombo has fewer airlines serving it than the main cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai & Bangalore but there are still options for all alliances although One World dominates.

STAR ALLIANCE:

Thai Airways – Bangkok

Singapore Airlines – Singapore

ONE WORLD:

With Sri Lankan Airlines joining One World on 1 March 2014, this really opens up the country to awards. Remember, you can use British Airways Avios & American AAdvantage for good deals on award flights.

Sri-Lankan Airlines – Abu Dhabi, Bangalore, Bangkok, Chennai, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Frankfurt, Jeddah, Karachi, Kochi, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, London, Maldives, Moscow, Mumbai, Muscat, New Delhi, Paris, Riyadh, Rome, Singapore, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Tokyo

Cathay Pacific – Bangkok, Hong Kong

Malaysian – Kuala Lumpur

Qatar – Doha

SKYTEAM:

Korean – Seoul

Saudia – Jeddah, Riyadh

China Eastern – Kunming

NON-ALLIANCE (Bookable with miles):

Etihad – Abu Dhabi (AA Partner)

Emirates – Dubai, Maldives, Singapore (Qantas partner)

WHERE TO STAY ON POINTS

The bad news? Very few chain hotels here so few opportunities to use points.

HILTON – Colombo Hilton & Colombo Hilton Residence – both at 40,000 points.

WYNDHAM – Ramada Katunayake Airport – 8000 points

The good news? Kithulgala is 2 hours away by taxi via a non-trafficky road so it’s pretty much just as quick to stay there rather than the city where you can take almost an hour just to get there from the airport! Most flights seem to leave in the late evening or at night so you probably won’t need a layover in Colombo unless you especially want one, in which case I would just use Pointshound to find a good hotel. Our flight arrived at 2:30am so by the time we finished the formalities we were out by 3:00. I don’t like traveling at night so we waited until almost 5am and took a taxi to Kithulgala. Everyone you see here is either waiting for a flight or waiting for their ride. The kiosks in the rear are taxi companies.

GETTING AROUND

Many tourists like to hire a car & driver for the duration of the trip. Since our itinerary didn’t really require a car at the destinations (to drive to temples, cultural sights, markets, etc) it would have been a waste of money and I was really not comfortable with having an “employee” with us all the time and being responsible for him. We used a taxi for the first leg, Colombo Airport to Kithulgala for a negotiated rate of 6500 rupees, then used buses after that. The official taxi rates are here but because of the competition you can usually bargain with some of the operators. The scenery enroute is gorgeous!

The first bird I saw in Sri Lanka was a Common Mynah.

A couple towns we passed through.

Entering the Kithulgala Resthouse.

Our taxi driver and car dropping us at Kithulgala Resthouse.

Buses are dirt cheap for Western tourists, I don’t think a single one was over $5. They are slow though so allow plenty of time for your transfer or do it around mid-day when the birds are having a siesta!

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE

There are several excellent places for birding in Sri Lanka. I have highlighted a few on this map. I wasn’t able to get to Yala but I will be blogging about Kithulgala and Sinharaja in more detail in due time.

SpiceJet – India’s Low Cost Carrier With Great Service

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Tara

I had originally planned this adventure for sometime in 2015 at which time Sri Lankan Airlines would have been a One World member so I could have gotten the Bangalore – Colombo route for 4500 Avios. Since I brought the trip forward, I would have to buy tickets since I couldn’t use miles for this route.

After checking all the local airlines, SpiceJet came in the cheapest but we would have to transfer in Chennai.

You can easily book this ticket online and pay with a foreign credit card – unlike buses & trains which require you to jump through hoops!

The YQ is way more than the base fare but I couldn’t find a way to fuel dump it!

Since the entire ticket only comes to around $85 I wasn’t going to lose sleep over it!

The one drawback was a 5 hour layover in Chennai from 7pm – 1am and there is nothing near the airport to do at that time of night. The aircraft is a smaller one and our carry-on backpacks barely fit in the overheads which was annoying but no one challenged us or made us gate check them.

The one advantage was that the seats were 2 x 2 so we didn’t have to share a bank of 3 with a stranger. The crew were very friendly and a snack and soft drink were offered to everyone. Of course you can’t compare to Singapore or Cathay Pacific but for a low-cost carrier, I thought they were pretty good! Both legs departed and arrived right on time.

Laying over in Chennai was a pita. There was nothing to do but sit and wait. I did have some Kindle books on my netbook, my husband people-watched and dozed off. They won’t let you check in until 3 hours before the flight. Chennai does have some nice artwork in the terminal.

These little shuttle carts will take you from the arrivals terminal to international departures for free but they do expect a tip.

For once I was hoping for a delay as I really didn’t like arriving in Colombo at 2:20am but the flight was right on time! Since we had only carry-ons we were off the plane in no time waving goodbye to the friendly crew!

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Tag Archives: Sri Lanka

Getting Lost Enroute To Sinharaja

White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis)

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BIRD

VIDEO

Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot (Loriculus beryllinus)

Chestnut-backed Owlet (Glaucidium castanotum)

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BIRD

VIDEO

Guided Bird Walk Through Kithulgala Area

Lodge Review: Kithulgala Resthouse

Kithulgala Resthouse – Easy Birding

Layard’s Parakeet (Psittacula calthropae)

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PARROT

VIDEO

Sri Lanka For Birders & Gateway Colombo

DO YOU NEED A VISA?

WHERE TO STAY ON POINTS

GETTING AROUND

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE

SpiceJet – India’s Low Cost Carrier With Great Service