Exploring Sri Lanka's former war torn areas

Since the Tamil Tigers surrendered and the Sri Lankan war ended, Sri Lanka is a nation on the move. 

On arrival at Colombo, a new airport greets visitors – a facility loaded with tourists and transit passengers, courtesy of the national airline's efforts to turn the country into a regional air hub. Then there's the new (toll) highway from the airport to Colombo city, symbolic of the tremendous improvements in road infrastructure of the last few years.

The tourism industry is also participating in the country's rejuvenation.

During my visit in January 2015, I visited a pristine beach area in the Western Mannar District of Western Sri Lanka. The Indian Ocean coastal district was contested by the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan Army during the country's 26 years long civil war. Due to the conflict, people moved away from vast areas in the country creating 'green zones' into which tropical flora and fauna naturally migrated.

A flowing stream near our guest house - where many locals swam and bathed

I stayed in a 'shack' less than one hundred meters from a spectacular beach. Green jungle surrounded us everywhere. There were few human residents and certainly no tourist hotels in the vicinity.

Each morning I awoke to birds chirping. In the early morning stupor of half sleep, it felt as if the birds were hovering only a few inches away from me. In the nearby jungle were peacocks in the wild and monkeys shaking trees to get at breakfast. 

Apparently, our camp was even visited by a family of wild elephants on the first night. Somehow, I slept through the ruckus created by exploding firecrackers lit to drive the unwanted guests away!

My 'bedroom' at the hut. Note the invaluable mosquito net above my concrete bed.

The entire stay was unrivaled by anything I have experienced hitherto. Though there was one small irritant – or shall I say many small irritants? Mosquitoes! 

I have never genuinely been afraid of dengue fever or malaria … until I reached our 'camp.' With the number of mosquitoes buzzing around, I came to appreciate the power of the small (female?!) disease carrying insects buzzing around like kamikaze fighter aircraft! (Clearly, early explorers of deep, dark tropical jungles in Africa and Asia were crazily brave people, venturing into such zones without mosquito repellent lotion is nothing short of crazy!)

For a city boy more at home inside a subway train than a jungle, Sri Lanka always provides energizing and new experiences (despite the mosquitoes!). Now that peace has taken hold, I anticipate more unique travel adventures in Sri Lanka during the coming years!

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Imran is a business and management consultant. Through his work at Deodar Advisors and the Deodar Diagnostic, Imran improves profits of businesses operating in Singapore and the region. Imran has been a regular visitor to Sri Lanka since the 1990s. He can be reached at imran@deodaradvisors.com. 

Singapore’s historic Botanic Gardens: UNESCO Heritage site in waiting?

Botanic gardens are not in short supply. Many cities around the world lay claim to having beautiful gardens and parks. However, there is no doubt Singapore's Botanic Gardens competes well with the best parks from around the world.

Singapore's Botanic Gardens (SBG) has a history few competitors can boast.

The gardens have been in the present location since 1859, over 150 years. During this century and a half the SBG has developed the National Orchid Garden – a wonderful collection of one of the most beautiful plants in the world: the orchid.

The Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid, Singapore National Flower since 1981

Certainly, it is fitting for Singapore to host a collection of over 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids given that the city-state's national flower is the Vanda 'Miss Joaquim' orchid. Additionally, Robert Holttum, Director of the SBG from 1925-49, was instrumental in technological advancements related to orchid breeding and 'hybridization.' (Hybridization is the process of crossing different orchid species to come up with a new 'combination' hybrid orchid.) To date, the SBG has registered more than 400 types of hybrid orchids in the international orchid register.

Other than orchids, the SBG contributed strongly to the development of the region's rubber industry. It was 'Rubber Ridley,' the SBG's first Director (1888-1911), who perfected a tapping method to harvest commercial quantities of latex without harming or killing rubber trees. 'Mad Ridley's' obsessive promotion of the rubber crop was one critical factor in the establishment of Malaya's rubber industry, a major source of wealth for Singapore and the region in the 1900s.

The gardens are also home to one of Singapore's best kept secrets: the Rain Forest. A six hectare patch of rain forest can be found smack-bang in the center of Singapore, a city better known as an urban concrete jungle. The SBG's rain forest retains the original vegetation which once covered most of Singapore – and made the island a prime playground for tigers!

A view of the Saraca Stream inside Singapore's Botanic Gardens

Though the Singapore Botanic Gardens continues to play a major role in research of the region's botany, it is the serene beauty of the landscaped gardens which charms the average visitor. Whether it is the Ginger Garden, the Healing Garden, the Evolution Garden, the many Heritage Trees or the public art spread out across the 74 hectares of green space, Singapore's Botanic Gardens is Singapore's nominee as a UNESCO Heritage site for good reason.

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Imran is a licensed Singapore Tour Guide. Please contact Imran if you wish to arrange personalized tours of Singapore, including 'Green Tours' encompassing the Botanic Gardens, Gardens by the Bay and Marina Barrage at imran@deodaradvisors.com or +65 9786 7210. Imran also leads walking tours around the city, e.g. Singapore's Civic District Heritage Trail and Orchard Arts Trail.