A Month Between South India and Sri Lanka

DURATION: 1 MONTH TOTAL SPEND: 2500 euros per person IR-EURO EXCHANGE at the time of the trip = 61 on average IS-EURO EXCHANGE at the time of the trip = 143 on average DISTANCE TRAVELLED IN INDIA (with driver): 2346 km from Tamil Nadu to Kerala via Karnataka DISTANCE TRAVELLED IN SRI LANKA (with driver): 1780 km from Colombo to Colombo AIRLINES: QATAR AIRWAYS (Milan Malpensa-Madras via Doha and return) = 667.69 euros SRILANKAN AIRLINES (Coimbatore-Colombo)= 125.00 euros (Colombo-Madras)= 117.00 euros ACCOMMODATION: 80% found on the road (excluding Big Banana Island retreat (Kerala), On the Way (Fort Kochi) and Jungle Lodge (Silent Valley-Attapadi? TO BE AVOIDED ABSOLUTELY!) MEDICAL/TRAVEL INSURANCE with GLOBI ASSISTANCE for one month= 125.00 euros VACCINES: Typhoid booster, Hepatitis B, Cholera with "traveller's diarrhoea" cover = about 100 euros MALARIA PROPHYLAXIS= not done VISAS: India

65 euros + additional costs (valid for 3 months) Sri Lanka: free for the first 30 days Qatar: Doha visit 20 euros, bought at Immigration BEST ACCOMMODATIONS: Big Banana Island by Deepan ( The Residency - Tamil Nadu (Coimbatore) - India In Arugam Bay we stayed at the Stardust (sstarcom@eureka.lk) Sri Lanka In Tangalle we stayed at the Mangrove Beach Cabanas (mangrove@email.de) Sri Lanka In Hikkaduwa The Oasis Villa PRECIOUS AND VIVID TIPS: -In general, with drivers be clear that you don't want to be taken to the shops where they get commissions. -When you enter Hindu temples make it clear straight away that you don't want a guide, otherwise a tip is obligatory and they're not satisfied with a little.

-Bargaining is good but don't go too far -Don't bring repellents from Italy, THEY'RE USELESS THERE! Buy ODOMOS OR GOODKNIGHT - Unless you suffer from particular illnesses, don't bring medicines, you'll find them all there, and the Ayurvedic ones are much more effective and beneficial than ours -I strongly advise against relying on Italian travel agencies and with local agencies make everything clear, in black and white, and pay (including everything, food and accommodation for the driver) in three instalments: deposit, halfway through, and at the end. -The roads in India are really bad..better to take the train to cover distances.

In Sri Lanka instead the roads are much better and the distances can be covered both by bus and train -Always check the driver's mileage and the cost of petrol to get an idea of the "live" cost -Do not contact Monique Fontana in India or Quickshaw Ltd in Colombo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -For those who want to take a longer trip and visit many places I recommend the car. I recommend contacting our driver (and friend) Farook directly for India: umerfar212@yahoo.com Tel: +91 9846042881 -For Sri Lanka I recommend Uma: ayodya50@hotmail.com tel: +94 332221875 For the safari in Yala you can contact this local agency for the jeep (Dicjshow Safari Jeep in Tissamaharama): Mr Milro: milros@yahoo.com and for the guide inside Yala contact Ajith, he's very good at finding leopards and takes non-touristy routes to find them: supurcj@gmail.com tel + 94 77 5181372

The most beautiful places where we slept: Big Banana Island by Deepan (see above) India In Arugam Bay we stayed at the Stardust (sstarcom@eureka.lk) In Tangalle we stayed at the Mangrove Beach Cabanas (mangrove@email.de) In Hikkaduwa at a fantastic Sinhalese guy who also worked in Italy when he was young and knows well the tastes of us Westerners, we spent our last days of holiday! Excellent quality for price/accommodation, the place is called The Oasis Villa ( And dulcis in fundo.....in Hikkaduwa for a good 18 years there's been the restaurant Spaghetti & Co. run by a likeable Italian couple Fabio and Paola who survived the tsunami, where despite my doubts about eating Italian in a foreign country we had dinner a good 4 times! Excellent quality/price ratio ( saravillage@yahoo.com)

CONCLUSION AND THANKS As our friend Riccardo says: "Travelling is a job"..it was a very hard month, we visited a good 26 places and I worked a lot on myself. We had the chance to approach the 4 great religions, we met along our way so many delightful people (locals and travellers like us) who shared with us their experiences, their religious/philosophical faiths, their dramas and their miracles of surviving the Tsunami, telling us, even with tears in their eyes, about the terrible moments they went through. I thank: -the nuns of the Fatima Convent for hosting us and helping us grow, for teaching us that the humblest and neediest are vital teachers in order to grow and improve.

-all the children and girls of Koddambakkam who gave us a piece of their heart that we will carry with us as precious treasures! YOU WERE A GREAT GIFT, NOT US! -Farook, a friend who made us understand more about Islam, breaking down many clichés, and who helped us on our long journey in India. -Kingsley, his generosity makes this Sinhalese guy unique and we will never forget the wonderful moments spent at the Oasis Villa and the special dinner he offered us by cooking for us! -And.....no less important, our Italian friends in Hikkaduwa for giving us beautiful and joyful moments! "Riccardo, how you made us laugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" -Finally, no less important, all the people who thanks to their contribution made the Christmas of 80 children unique; there are no words to describe your wonderful act of love.

And now? Well...another trip awaits me..a return to a country already visited twice in search of another aspect of life and the deep hope of being able to achieve what I hope to obtain for a long time...travel is a job in all its wonderful shades, always full of surprises...always full of so many precious things "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page" and I am still only at the first chapters, how much road still awaits me and I can't wait to set off again