Ayubowan! Greetings from Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital city! Time to start using my limited Sinhalese vocabulary! The average daily high is 31C (88F), however it feels like 36C (97F). Very hot, my friends, especially with the lack of any breeze!
How was your week? What new activity did you try to get you out of your 'comfort' zone? While your routine can be comforting, the risk you have is stifling your opportunity for personal growth through learning!
My good friend Emily, who works in Maldives, asked me for my thoughts about the five islands I visited. Here's my response:
'Actually I now think each island has its own personality and tourist development approach. Overall I like Kamadhoo the best. Still finding the words to explain. Hangnaameedhoo ranks at the bottom. Lacks the same cleanliness and community pride. Dhangethi is definitely a divers destination. Only place that had a boat offshore serving alcohol as well. Ukulhas is more advanced as a tourist destination which I'd likely avoid in the future. Dharavandhoo was an odd island. Tourist beach, on the island's north side, was more like a private beach for a few hotels. Be a great destination if you want to see mantas and whale sharks when they're 'in season' (May to November).'
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| Boy and girl sharks dancing on the beach |
I had a small hiccup in accessing a Canadian online banking account in the past week that is worth sharing. I was attempting to transfer funds between two Canadian banks when I was suddenly locked out of my account for failing an identity identification challenge. The only solution presented was contacting the bank's help centre by phone which I was reticent to do. It costs about $20 Cdn/day to activate roaming access through my Canadian phone number. My solution - find a bank email address to appeal for help. Wow! There is a remarkable lack of bank email addresses available to contact unless you know specific banking personnel. I sent an email to the bank's corporate secretary requesting their help to reroute my issue to the appropriate banking group for resolution. It worked. A Toronto main branch banking advisor contacted me by email, scheduled a Webex video call to verify my identity remotely and voila - my account was unlocked and my funds transfer is completed.
Quick update on my travel writer journey. The Barbados travel article I submitted to the newspaper's editorial team was favorably received. Hooray! Next step is for Lisa, the editor, to review the article with the publisher/paper owners. I did request a nominal amount ($25 Cdn) for articles to advance my status as a paid freelance writer. I'm also paying to have my Country Bakery article published as an advertorial. The proposed publication date is March 19. Stay tuned for future updates!
May the universe bring endless blessings and moments of magic 🦄 to you and your loved ones in the week ahead. 🙏
Travel Administration
It's time to catch up on a few Maldivian travel specifics:
- Nescafe instant coffee in tube shaped packets is the standard. Good news - you can get 'real' coffee if you pay for it.
- USD is strongly preferred over local currency. While the 'official' conversion rate is 15.42, one hotel proposed charging me 19 Rf/USD. FYI - the International Airport Duty Free prices merchandise in USD and converts to MVR at the official rate.
- You do want to avoid carrying excessive local currency as your conversion option to USD is very expensive. I've met several fellow tourists trying to figure out the best tactics to minimize their conversion losses.
- Mobile service is typically a minimum of 4G (5G in Male) including over the open water.
- Wifi service is available on every island I visited. I used about 5 GB of data on my SIM card account over my 30 day visit. I could have used less if I waited to connect with the hotel wifi.
- Hotels may charge between 3.5% - 4% surcharge for paying with a credit card. Booking and paying for rooms through Booking.com, if the pricing makes sense, avoids the surcharge.
- Local restaurants charge in local currency, USD or Euros.
- Breakfast/Breakfast buffets in the mid-range hotels I stayed at typically included Mas Huni - shredded smoked tuna salad is mixed with grated coconut, onions, and chili served with rosti. If it's a buffet, expect the food to be served cold. Chicken sausages, toast, possibly pre cooked omelettes may also be served. Juice can range from 'real' to prepared from a powder mix. Coffee is Nescafe Instant coffee. Sometimes you'll get fresh fruit/bananas or a sweet like cake.
Travel Update
I may be heading to Hanoi, Vietnam or Brisbane, Australia for a week after my month in Sumatra, Indonesia. I've decided two weeks is sufficient time in Taiwan to revisit the mountainous areas I want to explore more. Hanoi is of interest as the tourist sites were closed due to COVID in my last visit. I think I was on one of the last flights to Canada before the world shut down. Brisbane is on my radar as Simon, a friend I met in Maldives may be living in the city around early May. I shall see what the universe has in store for my travel plans.
Travel Maps
After a speedboat ride to Velana International Airport and a five hour layover at the airport, I was on an Emirates plane to Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital city. I'm in Sri Lanka for the next ten nights.
Maldives: January 28 to February 26, 2026
Intercountry Travel: Maldives to Sri Lanka - February 26 flight
Sri Lanka: February 26 to March 8, 2026
Kamadhoo
Wow! How a great hotel room can influence my overall impression of an island. I had a four star experience at the Ithaa Inn, an inn that was open for about a year. My room in the six room inn was spacious and fully appointed. There was a sitting area with mirror and lighting for anyone wanting to put on makeup, laptop safe, a/c, ceiling fan, working desk, bar fridge, firm beds with the whitest sheets, daily housekeeping, bath/hand/face towels, full bathtub, shower, shampoo/conditioner/bath gel/skin lotion, balcony with two chairs/small table and more. The service from Abdul and team was exemplary. The breakfast was served a nearby hotel. The inn owner mentioned they expected to open their own restaurant within three months. I was comfortable at an affordable price. The hotel's downside was being located away a three minute walk away from the beach. There were very few, if any, seaside accommodations available with a walk on beach experience.
Restaurants
I ate at two local restaurants that had tables in an open overlooking the harbour. A pleasant setting to enjoy a reasonable meal. I skipped lunch as the local restaurants were closed in observance of Ramadan. Meals were served once the sun set.
Sea Side
I ate most dinners at the Sea Side. The food was consistently good. I did get an education in how service and food preparation can vary daily. The ultimate test of my patience happened one evening when I waited for almost two hours for my order of chicken biryani. Should have known better as biryani was a pre order menu item when I was on Dharavandhoo. It just takes more time to prepare.
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| Outdoor eating area |
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| Service counter |
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| Indoor eating area |
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| Covered outdoor eating area |
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| That's 'my' table in the foreground! |
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The two hour wait for this delicious meal may
have been a little much! |
Beach Hut
The second local restaurant was adjacent to the Sea Side with a similar indoor/outdoor table arrangement. Great food and great service!
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| Outdoor setting |
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Magnificent banana fritters made with so much
LOVE! |
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| Noodles with Chicken |
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| Pappadum |
About the Island
I'm belatedly sharing photos of the local version of a public bench. These webbed frames are found throughout the Maldives, typically in shaded areas or in laneways where they are occupied by local residents in the evening.
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| Time to sit a spell. |
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First telephone booth I've seen in Maldives.
Missing handset though! |
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| End of day trash burning |
Fauna
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| Lizard |
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| Up close |
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| Crustacean on the move |
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| Crustacean on the move |
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| Boy and girl sharks dancing on the beach |
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| Boy and girl sharks dancing on the beach |
Seaplane Fascination
This is the first island I've visited with a seaplane 'station' near the beach. There is something compelling about watching a plane land and take off; when the activity is conveniently located right in front of me.
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Small dock where passengers are offloaded into
island resort speedboats. |
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Unsure why my camera decided to adjust
the coloration |
Friends
Sadly, I only had a brief conversation at breakfast with Kevin (South Africa) and his travel partner Inas (Finland). Kevin was planning to make his way to Sydney, Australia to start a career in AI given his IT degree. Inas was returning to Finland to complete her Masters in Psychology after spending time in SE Asia which included a semester in Bangkok.
I did have a chance to practice my Nepali as there were several Nepalese workers on the island!
Sunsets
I continue to be blessed with magnificent sunsets that I can readily watch up close from my spot on the beach. My sunset experience is still missing witnessing the sun disappear below the horizon. I'm also discovering I can capture interesting up close photos of the sun with shifting cloud cover.
Sunday, February 22
Monday, February 23
Tuesday, February 24
Wednesday, February 25
Velana International Airport - Maldives
I was blessed with traveling over calm seas in speedboats and public ferries throughout my 30 day Maldivian adventure.
I'm grateful for the universe's benevolence regarding the timing of my travel from Maldives to Sri Lanka. If I had chosen to fly later in the week, I might have been stranded in Male as my flight was booked with Emirates which cancelled their flights on Saturday given Iran's military reaction to the US/Israel attack over the weekend.
Finally, Emily shared the great news she is having a speedy recovery from the personal health issue she was having addressed in England. Sadly, we were unable to connect during my stay. Just need to find another time, (place?) to meet up in the future!
I've included these two airport photos in the gate waiting area to share the state of the art airport facilities now available in Maldives. These new facilities, quantum shift in appearance and capability, were open mid last year after my first visit. The old facilities were akin to being in a regional airport that was desperately in need of upgrading. I wish I had taken a photo of the antiquated airport I experience. Here's the
saga behind the journey to complete the new airport facilities. Fascinating reading!!!
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| So new! So fancy! |
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| Maldives joins the modern age! |
Sri Lanka
This is my third visit to Sri Lanka. I have two priorities for my visit - visit with my friend Lakshi and her family and stay at my friend's new homestay in Dambulla. Lakshi is the sister of my amazing friend Sajee who I met while working at Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) in Toronto. Lakshi was a godsend during my first visit when I experienced a litany of issues related to my banking/credit cards when I was pickpocketed in Bangkok. Lakshi agreed to have my replacement cards shipped to her and then arranged to meet me to deliver the cards. Sajee had suggested setting up a WhatsApp group prior to my departure to ensure I had support while in Sri Lanka. I was incredibly blessed by a benevolent universe in my travels.
I've enjoyed my first three nights in Colombo which is a pleasant change. This is the first time I was unaccosted while walking about the city. In my first visit I had three different guys try to scam me within a three hour period on my first morning in Colombo. In my second visit, I had a guy suggesting I accompany him to a local festival while I was on my way to an ATM. He was slick in his approach. He had a lanyard around his neck with the hotel name on one side to ease my concern about his motives. I bid him farewell after getting my money. Yes, he waited around until I finished my transaction. BTW - there were security officers around the ATM so I felt I was safe enough.
Nearby
I decided to stay at a different hotel in a different part of Colombo for this visit. In the past, I stayed at the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel given its walking distance proximity to the main train station. I was cutting the umbilical cord and start using Uber more readily to get around. I was blessed to be upgraded to a superior room with a panoramic view of the Indian Ocean. The hotel also has a rooftop bar to witness sunsets up close.
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Marine Drive looking north from my
hotel room |
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Marine Drive looking south from
rooftop bar |
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| Looking north from hotel room |
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| Local transit buses |
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Appears the roadside across from my hotel
is a good place for a pee break!
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I was blessed with the chance to attend my first cricket match on Friday night. Sri Lanka is known for its passionate embrace of cricket. I was equally fortunate to meet two local couples who offered to share their cricket expertise with me so I could understand how the game was played. I now have basic working knowledge of cricket; a starting point to learn the game's finer points. I did treat myself to a seat in the grandstand section for what is touted as the best viewing area (plus protection from the elements, if necessary!)
I was foiled in my attempt to explore the stadium as tickets restrict your movement to the section you purchased the ticket for. The stadium lacks a concourse level you'd find in a baseball stadium or hockey arena. The stadium accommodates 35,000 fans. The link above has more detail about the stadium if you want to learn more.
I've included a couple photos of the solitary vendor walking about the stands. I thought the contrast with what I experienced at the Japanese baseball game I attended was striking!
BTW - England (favored) won the match.
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| England vs. New Zealand |
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| Where the action happens |
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| Hot dog/local food vendor |
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| Walkway towards Grandstand entrance |
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| Looking towards stadium's main entrance |
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| National anthems being played |
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| Stands |
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| Stands |
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| Stands |
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| Solitary Grandstand vendor - ice cream only |
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| Solitary Grandstand vendor - ice cream only |
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| Cheering squad - at rest. |
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| Cheering squad - in action! |
Friends
I'm thrilled to introduce you to Lakshi and her family who graciously treated me to the most wonderful Thai dinner at the Thai Cuisine Boulevard, coincidentally Lakshi's favorite Thai restaurant. The restaurant was within a ten minute walk from my hotel.
Fun evening with amazing food and great conversation! Lakshi unexpectedly met a former school friend she hadn't seen for the last ten years which was exciting for her and her family.
I also left our evening together with a new idea about future living arrangements. When I mentioned I was planning to visit Japan to investigate the possibility of acquiring an abandoned home (apparently there are lots of abandoned homes in Japan's smaller centres). Nishan's response to my issue about enduring winter in Japan was suggesting I also have a villa in Sri Lanka to avoid the Japanese winter! Now that is worth considering! Another example of how meeting others in my travels broadens my thinking!
Sunsets
My hotel is conveniently located to watch sunsets. It sits right across the road from the Indian Ocean.
Friday, February 27
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| Sunset through Uber vehicle windscreen |
Saturday, February 28
As experienced from rooftop bar!
Next Week
I'm heading to Dambulla, by train, via Habarana train station. My friends and homestay hosts have arranged for transportation from the train station to their home - about 24 km (15 km) away. While I have a few activities in mind, I'm mostly going to let the universe unfold as it should. I return to Colombo on Thursday for my last three nights in Sri Lanka. I'm still sorting out my return transportation.
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