Where now?

We got on our coach in Kuala Lumpur at 12 midday, we got off the coach in Singapore at about 10pm, it was a long ride! It did involve 3 stops and we had to get off for customs etc. which all went very smoothly but we were happy to arrive in Singapore. We started the first day by heading to Chinatown and having a good look around the markets, Matt finally bought a new cap so all set for the sunshine again. There was lots of lovey street art all around which was very impressive. We then headed to the Singapore City Gallery, free to enter, it's filled with exhibits about how Singapore developed and how it plans to sustain itself in the future. It was very interesting, we spent a while there on a interactive thing where you could build your own city, trying to get the balance right between residential and commercial buildings and green space and attractions. We the headed to see the Merlion, the official mascot of Singapore with the head of lion and the body of a fish, whichh sits on ...

We're back in the big city! Kuala Lumpur!  Our first task was Matt getting a camera lens which he regretted not bringing with him, and that was quickly achieved. Whilst walking around you notice that almost all electrical boxes are painted bright colours with messages on or animals, or just something nice. The 'Be Happy' one was the first one I saw 😀. We headed to Chinatown and the Petaling Street Market where we both did our best haggling to get a huge 5 myr off a t-shirt and pair of shorts.  We then went to the Botanical Gardens which are free to enter and a lovely space in the city. Loads of birds, butterflies, and we saw a Monitor lizard. There are some impressive trees too, an d a stunning orchid area. Thankfully there is also places shelter as there was a downpour just as we got there.  We didn't want to pay to enter the bird park but there is a cafe on the edge of it and as it was now mid-afternoon, we were super hungry we thought this would be a good spot. Ther...

  We were up at 4:30am to set off at 5am for a safari in Yala National Park. It was beautiful while the sun rose, and our accomodation had given us a take away breakfast which included tiny bananas! Sri Lankan bananas are small and sweeter than what we're used to in the UK. I didn't go on the safari expecting anything as there's always the risk you won't see much but we were not disappointed. Highlights were the Asian Elephant, plenty of Crocodiles, Grey-headed fish eagle, Ruddy mongoose, Purple-faced langurs, Spotted and Sambur deer, Wild boar, and lots more bird life too. We also had time to sit on the beach and eat our breakfast, so really not a bad way to start the day. After this we were back on the road heading towards Bentota. We stopped roadside to see some huge bats which were actually flying foxes, me and Matt were both amazed by the size of them! We also ate some curds with honey as we were in an area where there were plenty Buffalo and therefore plenty of cu...

To give ourselves a little break from planning we booked a tour in Sri Lanka, so a company books your accommodation, provides a driver, and advises stuff to see and do. As we only have a week here, and getting around on public transport isn't the easiest, we thought this the best way to see as much as possible. However, the break from planning did not mean a break from stress as we had very little communication from the tour company right up until we arrived in Sri Lanka, despite us pestering them. We enjoyed a sunset over Negombo Lagoon on our first night and in the morning, to our relief, our driver arrived right on time and away we went! Once on the road we were very glad that the idea to hire a car and drive ourselves around didn't stay in our minds for very long. The roads are crazy, it appears everyone thinks they have right of way in every situation. On the way we stopped at some herbal gardens, which grew lots of plants for medicines and herbal remedies. It was very int...