8 days in the midst of the crisis in Sri Lanka of Vietnamese guests

“According to the invitation from the Embassy of Sri Lanka, we departed for the first trip right before the day Vietnam opened for tourism on March 15. This is the first trip abroad after two years of the epidemic, so we are very nervous.” , Ms. Nga said. This journey of hers combines working and cooperation with the embassy and the government of the host country to stimulate tourism.

She said she went to the right time the island was face the economic crisis, but everything is still safe. Protests took place, but mainly in big cities like Colombo. Smaller sites visited by Ms. Nga did not have protests. Everything was peaceful and I didn’t see the police or the army showing up much.

Seven-day visit to Sri Lanka amid the crisis of Vietnamese female tourists

“The city of Kandy has the Buddha Tooth Relic temple, which is considered a national treasure, so it is very carefully guarded. Security is controlled like an airport. Each corner of the temple is about 10-20 square meters, and there is a policeman holding a gun. I don’t know if this is an order to strengthen it because of the protests, or if there is a security force like that, “she shared.

Moving has a little effect. Gas, gasoline, oil… are all distributed. People have to wait in long queues to be bought. “At first, we secretly blamed the driver for not going to fill up with gas while everyone was still resting in the hotel, but let the whole group have to drive around and wait in line for an hour. But then we didn’t. know, must have customers in the car, with the same travel schedule to be approved to buy”, Ms. Nga said.

Apart from this problem, her team did not face any other difficulties. Ms. Nga praised the friendliness and warmth of the local people. “They are extremely friendly. The people are still poor, there are few street stalls. The food is cheap, the spending is low. A delicious street cake is only 100 rubi (more than 7,000 VND). I tip the waiter in the restaurant. 1,000 rubi hotel (more than 70,000 VND) is that they are very happy.”

Below are the destinations in Sri Lanka during Ms. Nga’s trip from March 13 to 20.

Seven-day visit to Sri Lanka amid the crisis of Vietnamese female tourists

The first tourist destination she visited was the ancient citadel and the stone palace Sigiriya Lion’s Rock (Lion Rock), located near Dambulla town, Central province. This is the most famous and typical image of the country. The most special feature of the site is the architectural complex built on the flat surface of a rocky mountain with steep cliffs.

The main gate of Sigiriya is built in the shape of a pair of giant lion’s feet, shaped by carving into stone. Sigiriya was built during the reign of King Kassapa I in the fifth century. Initially, the mountain caves here were used as Buddhist monasteries, in the 14th century, this architectural complex was abandoned.

“I had a day to surpass myself when conquering thousands of steep stairs, enjoying the panoramic view of the majestic green Matale region. This place has a lot of squirrels, monkeys climbing the cliffs. The entrance ticket is quite high, about 30 USD but worth it. Tourists can hire porters to narrate, guide, take photos and support you when tired, “said Nga.

The next day, she participated in the experience of seeing wild animals in Minneriya National Park. “I used to wander in the vast African primeval forest reserves, but I am still impressed by Minneriya. The fragrant forest scent that hits my nose makes me feel very comfortable,” she said.

The national park attracts visitors with its year-round green vegetation, scrublands, abandoned lands, grasslands, rocky outcrops and wetlands. It is home to 24 species of mammals, more than 160 species of birds, 9 species of amphibians, 25 species of reptiles, 26 species of fish and 75 species of butterflies. This is also the largest meeting place for visitors with Asian elephants.

Dambulla Cave Temple The Golden Temple or the Golden Temple is a UNESCO-recognized site in 1991, known as the largest and best-preserved cave temple in the country. The attraction of this site lies in the five caves, which contain Buddha statues and murals with themes related to Buddha and his life.

Visit the holy city of Kandy is the next stop of Ms. Nga. This place, also known as Senkadagalapura, is the last capital of the kings of Sri Lanka and was recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site in 1988. The most impressive point here is the Tooth Relic Temple, which holds the tooth relic of the Buddha. and is a favorite pilgrimage place for Buddhist followers. The Buddha Tooth Relic is enshrined inside a beautiful golden stupa in a glass frame at the Temple of the Tooth and is considered a national treasure.

Fishing on stilts is a long tradition of about 500 fishing families in the southwest of the country, in the Galle district, especially around the towns of Kathaluwa and Ahangama. This is also one of the experiences many tourists visit when coming to the South Asian country. One fisherman who fished on stilts shared that the wooden stakes they built could last for about four months. When the wooden stakes rotted, they would remove them and build new ones.

Seven-day visit to Sri Lanka amid the crisis of Vietnamese female tourists

Fort Galle located on the bay of the same name is the next place that Ms. Nga sets foot in. In the 17th century, when they arrived on this pearl-shaped island, the Dutch built fortresses to fight the natives as well as the disputes of the French and Portuguese colonial groups. The fortress was built of granite and coral reefs under the sea. A special feature that makes the fortress always attractive is its very European and Dutch architecture in the heart of the island. Inside the fortress are countless wooden houses, red-tiled roofs, with rose gardens and overlooking the shores of Galle Bay. This place is also a UNESCO heritage site.

In the last days of the trip, Ms. Nga spent time sightseeing Colombo’s capital. The place that impressed her most was the 356m high Lotus Tower TV tower. It is considered an iconic work of the country. From the 29th floor, visitors can enjoy the panoramic view of the city. Currently, the tower is not open to guests and is limited to guests with special reasons to visit.

The island nation has many beautiful hotels and resorts with cheap prices, 100-400 USD a night. Hotels are usually built right in the forest, leaning against the mountain and still have the golden sparkling stones in the middle of the lobby or corridor. Monkeys climb out of trees a lot, “break into” even into the living room to get fruit.

Local food is spicy, with a lot of curries, a bit difficult to eat compared to the normal taste of Vietnamese people, according to Ms. Nga. Colombo capital has two Vietnamese restaurants, Kim’s kitchen and a Pho restaurant.

Seven days in the tear-shaped island on the Indian Ocean are extremely impressive and emotional days for Vietnamese female tourists. Ceylon (the old way of calling Sri Lanka to Vietnamese transliteration) is the land of Thien Sang, of Theravada Buddhism. On one trip, she experienced from the high mountains to the wide sea, from wild nature to urban architecture.

“Sri Lanka is still quite strange and new to Vietnamese tourists. I have visited 70 countries and territories, so before coming here, I thought to myself: There’s nothing good about it. But I was wrong. It’s a very peaceful, beautiful and nice place,” she said.

Phuong Anh
Image: NVCC