Lavinia Woolf | The Adventure Travel Site

Best Things to Do on Koh Phangan

Be it lazing around on a pristine beach, enjoying local delicacies or even having some fun in the wild, Koh Phangan is what you are looking for! Here’s what you absolutely can’t miss out on when on holiday on this atoll that is a part of Thailand.

Beach hopping

White sand, clear blue waters and a whole bunch of fun water sports is just what the beaches of Koh Phangan have to offer. Don’t forget to book up a room with Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas or any other stunning Koh Phangan resort for some self-pampering. Also, you simply have to experience a moon party at Haad Rin Beach.

Image Credit: Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas

Waterfall hunting

Experience the way the locals have fun by paying a visit to the waterfalls that are favourites among all tourists visiting Koh Phangan. Head over to Paradise Falls and have some splashy fun with the local kids. Remember not to make the mistake of visiting in the dry season!

Night market

Where better to find a night market than in Thailand? The Thong Sala Night market is an absolute must visit! If you are up for a culinary journey, then hit the night market to find all sorts of cuisines to entice your taste buds.

File:Thongsala - Food market - panoramio.jpg — lanjan, Thongsala – Food market – panoramio, CC BY-SA 3.0

Slip N Fly

It’s all about the thrills and spills at Slip N Fly! Slide down water slides and into the plunge pool or enjoy a game of water volleyball. This is an ideal spot to hang out with friends and family.

Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting. Google+

Explore Sri Lanka’s Wildlife

As one of the world’s greatest Biodiversity hotspots, Sri Lanka, is an excellent place to witness wildlife. The island has numerous, amazing wildlife sanctuaries, here are some top spots.

Yala National Park

Being the second largest national park in Sri Lanka, the Yala National Park has been a favourite hotspot among many tourists who visit the country. If you want to spot a leopard, there will be no better place than this! Sloth bears, elephants, and many other creatures can be experienced up close. This dry zone park is just one of the rustic wildlife reserves Nature Odyssey and other leading tour operators in Sri Lanka cover.

Wilpattu National Park

Wilpattu is undoubtedly one of the, if not the most, beautiful wildlife park in the country. Situated about 30km from Sri Lanka’s ancient capital, Anuradhapura, Wilpattu is the nation’s oldest national park and its largest one. The National Park’s most prominent feature is its unique complex of more than 50 natural lakes, called ‘Villus’ which largely contribute to both its natural beauty and its lush fertility.

Minneriya National Park

A park that is always covered in most popular adventure tours in Sri Lanka, Minneriya is best known for its large population of migratory elephants. The park is also home to diverse species of birds, reptiles, amphibians, and even fish. The surroundings too are quite beautiful with dense shrubberies and vast grassy plains.

Bundala National Park

This park is well-known as a wildlife hotspot for aquatic bird life! The most impressive aspect of the park is its terrain made up of sand dunes, scrub jungle, salt pans, lagoons and long stretches of coastline.

Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting. Google+

The Enchanting Sinharaja Rainforest in Sri Lanka

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Sinharaja Rainforest is a rich storehouse of biodiversity home to an array of endemic flora and fauna. If you love communing with nature this is definitely a place you should explore!

Planning a Trip

This rainforest can be found in the south-west part of the island; it can be reached via Ratnapura, Deniyaya or Rakwana depending on where you are coming from. Of course, to fully utilise your time here choosing accommodation options like The Rainforest Ecolodge – Sinharaja which lies at the fringes of the reserve is a good idea.

Exploring the Trails

Those staying at a Sinharaja eco lodge Sri Lanka has to offer can look forward to spending lots of time trekking through the rainforest. The two main trails here are the Mulawella and Sinhagala trails, both of which offer a wonderful chance to experience the beauty of this World Biosphere Reserve.

Birdlife

The Sinharaja Rainforest is ideal for birdwatching and in fact, 21 of the country’s 26 endemic bird species have been recorded here. Keep a look out for sightings of the Ceylon grey hornbill, Ceylon wood pigeon, Ceylon blue magpie, Layard’s parakeet and Sri Lankan junglefowl to name but a few.

Other Wildlife

On your adventures, you may spot other endemic creatures as well including the torque macaque, purple-faced leaf monkey and giant squirrel. The rainforest is also home to many butterfly and reptile species too which add to its allure.

Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting. Google+

Awesome Things to Do in Koh Phangan

From spending lazy days on the shore to making foodie discoveries and dancing till dawn under a full moon, Koh Phangan is an island full of adventures just waiting for you!

Beach Exploration

Being an island, Koh Phangan is blessed with some truly gorgeous stretches of shore, ideal for some beach hopping. Haad Yao, Haad Salad, Haad Yuan and Thong Nai Pan Noi Beach home to Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas are amongst the beaches you can look to explore.

Experience Moon Parties

Of course, no mention of things to do on Koh Phangan is complete without highlighting its legendary Full Moon Parties. Haad Rin Beach becomes party central each month with its heady mix music and dancing on the shore which attracts revellers from across the world. What’s more, the island hosts Half Moon and Black Moon parties too!

Visit the Thong Sala Night Market

When it comes to this market, think less retail therapy and more food therapy! The Thong Sala Night Market is a must visit for foodies who can sample a huge range of authentic Thai dishes. Be it savoury, spicy, sour or sweet, the selection here is fantastic and will appease meat lovers and vegetarians alike.

Learn Muay Thai

Koh Phangan is a great place to learn the traditional martial art of Muay Thai which is very much a part of Thai culture. Since you utilise your hands and legs in a variety of attack and defence techniques, it offers a great cardio workout too!

Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting. Google+

Visiting a rainforest- a practical guide

If you’ve never thought of going to a rainforest, you should! These unique biomes burst with bright flashes of colour and busy buzz. Know these tips before visiting a rainforest.

Wildlife in Sinharaja Rainforest | Image Credit : Jayne Stockdale, White-bellied Blue Flycatcher in Sinharaja National Park, CC BY-SA 4.0

Climate

Staying true to its name, ‘tropical’ rainforests are both humid and warm. For instance, when you are not under the protective canopy the sun can be quite strong. Generally, tropical rainforests receive plenty of rainfall with different air circulation patterns.

Wildlife

Needless to say, rainforests are tremendously rich in wildlife. Majority of these animals live in the forest canopy and animal life is subtle and fleeting. If you stay at a Sinharaja eco lodge in Sri Lanka the likes of The Rainforest Ecolodge, you’ll be able to witness diverse species of exotic animal life here. A good guide can make you experience an educational and fascinating journey.

Plants

More than two-thirds of plant species in the world can be found in tropical rainforests. Once you enter a rainforest, you will notice that most of its trees grow closely spaced and straight up into the high canopy. Although you may find fallen flowers on the forest floor, you will not see many flowers in most of the rainforests.

Be observant!

Walking along a rainforest with an open mind will help you find differences between the rainforest ecosystem with that of a normal forest that you’ve seen. While walking make sure not to get entangled in vines or trip over roots.

Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting. Google+

Wilpattu National Park Sri Lanka

Wilpattu National Park Sri Lanka is the oldest and largest national park; also known as the leopard sanctuary in Sri Lanka, famous for its population of leopards.

Image Credit-Gihan Jayaweera, Leopard at Wilpattu National Park, CC BY-SA 3.0

Historical importance

About 500 BC, prince Vijaya and his followers from India landed at Thambapanni in the North West of Wilpattu defeating the Rakshas who inhabited this area; settled down and developed the land to originate the Sinhala kingdom. Many archaeological remains of that era are scattered around Wilpattu. To view these ruins, guidance of a competent tour guide is advised.

Way to explore

The best way to explore this park is to get professional guidance from Cinnamon Nature Trails one of many operators that offer Sri Lanka Guided Tours with a resort located near the park.

Wilpattu Park features

It is a large park sanctuary spread over 130,000 hectares in the North West coast of the dry zone in Sri Lanka, west of Anuradhapura. What’s unique about this park is that it is dotted with small natural lakes or ‘Villus’ collecting rain water for wildlife.

Animal population

It is world famous for its leopard population, has the largest collection of leopards also known as the Panthera pardus kotiya in Sri Lanka. The park is also famous for Sloth bears and barking deer.

Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting. Google+

Get one with nature! Discover the native bird species of Sri Lanka

One of the places in Sri Lanka where numerous species of birds are present throughout the year would be Yala National Park. Most of the birds seen here are indigenous birds while migrating birds drop by as well.

Image Credit- Steve Garvie from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland CC BY-SA 2.0 () via Wikimedia Commons

The Sri Lankan Junglefowl

This class of bird is much like the red junglefowl. It is also called the Ceylon Junglefowl. The bird wears a feather coating of shades of bright yellow on the upper body, gradually darkening into orange and then a dark blue at the tail. It is also the national bird of Sri Lanka.

The Indian Peafowl

This is undeniably one of the most gorgeous birds in Yala. The male bird holds an astonishing tail in countless hues of blue. These beautiful feathered creatures are quite commonly seen when on bird watching tours.

White-bellied Sea Eagle

Also known as the white-breasted eagle, this takes after the Sanford’s Sea Eagle of Solomon Islands when it comes to looks. Fish is this bird’s main diet. Its call is like the loud honking of a goose.

Bird watching in Sri Lanka

If you wish to embark on a bird watching adventure during your stay in Sri Lanka, there are plenty of tour agents offering great packages. Also, properties belonging to major hotel chains such as those under Minor Hotels chain may offer excursions to Yala park as well.

Caleb Falcon is a travel writer who specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers. Google+

Explore Wildlife in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka being one of the best all-round wildlife destinations in the world showcases diverse wildlife creatures in their natural habitat. Read on to know some of Sri Lanka’s best wildlife reserves.

Image by Patty Ho Uploaded on Wikimedia Commons by Lkcl_it, Yala National Park (Sri Lanka 2012), CC BY 2.0

Wilpattu National Park

Those who keen on discovering diverse and numerous wildlife in Sri Lanka can look forward to a multitude of wild encounters in Willpattu. Being one of the oldest and largest national parks in the country, the best time to visit this park is from February to October, as this when the Wilpattu National Park quite literally comes alive different species of wildlife encounters. Cormorants, painted stroke, terns, whistling teals and spoonbills are some of the birds that nest and breed in Willpattu.

Yala National Park

Being one of the most popular wildlife reserves, the Yala National Park features brackish lagoons, grassy plains, and a light forest. Sloth bears, elephants, and many other creatures can be experienced up close. This dry zone park is just one of the rustic wildlife reserves Nkar Travel House and other leading tour operators in Sri Lanka cover.

Kumana National Park

Also known as ‘Yala East’, spotting animals is not an easy task in Kumana! However, it possesses a certain authenticity and a significant bird population. The nesting season which comes in the months of May and June makes it an ideal place to visit the park.

Sinharaja Rainforest

Staying true to its name, the Sinharaja Forest which means the ‘Lion Kingdom’ is an important biodiversity hotspot in Sri Lanka. It is home to more than 50% of endemic species including mammals, butterflies as well as many kinds of insects and reptiles

Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting. Google+

Surfing experience in the Maldives

Would you like to surf the mellow and playful waves in Maldives? Everyone who visits the island is sure to be enchanted by the majestic splendour of oceans. Know these tips before planning your surf trip.

Image by Ishan @seefromthesky seefromthesky, North Central Province, Maldives (Unsplash KgCbvOWYuU0), CC0 1.0

Right time?

In order to spend an enjoyable time of surfing in Maldives, you must ensure that the visit is made at the right time. Try your best to visit the island during the surfing season to enjoy an unforgettable experience. The surf season in Maldives starts in late February and generally lasts until November. During this time the size of the breakers averages between 4-5 feet.

The best destination?

If you’re planning to visit Maldives between April and October, consider staying at a resort in the North Male Atoll as the conditions for surfing are best in that area during this period. Always make sure whether the resort you’ve chosen provides all the necessary facilities for your surf excursion. Amongst many a surfing resort in Maldives the likes of Niyama Private Islands Maldives come as an excellent venue featuring excellent surfing spots to indulge in an unforgettable surfing experience.

Beginners!

If you wish to discover the sublime delights of surfing for the first time, you’ll find a myriad of surfing spots across the atolls that are ideal for beginners. Places such as Ninjas/ Piddlies in the Male Atolls as well as the Mulhaku Rights/ Lefts in the Central Atolls are quite safe for beginners and intermediates.

Tips to know

The heat of the sun can be brutal when you go out into the ocean so drink plenty of water to stay hydrated throughout the day. Most of the surf spots are often crowded, so remain calm and wait for your turn!

Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting. Google+

Whale Watching in Sri Lanka –The Gentle Giants of the Ocean!

The island of Sri Lanka is quite a popular whale watching destination in South Asia, and many travellers head to the tropical isle to get a close and tantalising glimpse of these gentle giants.

Image by Oren Rozen, NZ280315 Kaikoura Whale Watching 03, CC BY-SA 3.0

Top Spots

The major locations to enjoy whale watching in Sri Lanka are Kalpitiya, Mirissa, and Trincomalee. All of these three destinations are wildly popular among tourists and have much to offer them in terms of marine life and more.

Best Time

The best time to set off on whale watching excursions is considered to be during the months of December, January, and April. During these times, you have a 95% chance of spotting whales migrating just off Dondra Point. Many travel companies on the island such as Nkar Travel House offer great packages to do so with minimal hassle.

Types of Whale Species to Spot

The Sri Lankan waters are home to the largest pod of blue whales in the world. Among the types of whale species you will encounter, include sperm and Byrde’s whales. If you happen to be really lucky you might even spot a killer whale.

Other Types of Sea Life

Apart from the whales, you can also spot plenty of bottlenose dolphins, Risso ‘s dolphins along with large pods of spinner and striped dolphins.

Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting. Google+