Sri Lanka - Part 16 - From the Mountains to the Indian Ocean

Today we had a long day on the bus as we left the central highlands of Sri Lanka and headed to our next stop as Tissamaharama (aka “Tissa”).

The lobby of the Heritance Tea Factory hotel. A unique, fascinating, and very comfortable hotel near Newara Eliya.

Picking tea leaves.

On a clear day it is said that you can see the Indian Ocean in the distance.

Rawana Falls. One of several sites around Ella that are found in the Ramayana -- an epic of Hindu mythology.

It’s lychee season -- a cart full of lychee near Rawana Falls.

Buduruwagala -- large Buddha figures carved into a granite wall. There are seven figures in all -- three on each side of the central Buddha.

A close-up of the Buddha’s head.

This must be a figure of a Bodisattva because the Buddha is pictured in his headdress.

As we neared our hotel, we saw a peacock strutting his stuff trying to impress peahens.

The peacock turned in a circle and wiggled his rear end to impress potential mates.

Our hotel is on the beach near the entrance to Yala National Park.

On the beach.