Day 6: Hambantota (Bundala National Park)
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A morning at sea before arriving
in the southern port of Hambantota; an afternoon
excursion to Bundala then overnight in port.
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Friday 21st February 2025
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With 208 nautical miles
to cover from the north-east of Sri Lanka to its southernmost
port, it wasn't possible to complete the voyage overnight
and we therefore had a morning at sea. We were quite happy
with this, because yesterday had been very busy and we welcomed
the chance to take things easy. |
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We did, however, take
part in the "walk-a-mile" group activity led by
Caroline. Normally we would have done this on our own, so
it made a change for us to do the 9 full circuits with others. |
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We were struck by the
size of the port - no cruise ships to be seen and only one
or two container ships, but it was clear that this was definitely
a major commercial port. |
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We were amazed to see
what must have been tens of thousands of cars lined up,
all seemingly in transit - though from where and to where,
we had no idea. A little research revealed that the site
is a major Indian Ocean transshipment hub for vehicles,
handling an astonishing 700,000 units each month. |
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At around 3:00pm we
disembarked the ship and set off on a coach to the Bundala
National Park for our afternoon outing. |
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At the entrance to the
national park, we transferred to one of the twenty or so
jeeps that were lined up waiting for us. |
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Neil, making himself
useful by supervising operations. |
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We felt lucky a get
a really good driver and guide. Some of the roads were good,
others not so much, but we drove slowly enough that we weren't
too aware of the bumps. With the heat of the day starting
to fade, it was the perfect time to be out spotting the
wildlife. |
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At this point the national
park meets the sea and we were able to get out of the jeep
and admire the beautiful setting. |
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The variety of birdlife
in the wetlands was impressive. I just wish I had decided
to bring my big camera with me, because my phone didn't
really do them justice. |
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The light was fading
fast by the time we got back to the entrance to the park
and transferred back onto our coach for the return trip
to the ship. |
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It was dark by the time
we got back to the ship. We were scheduled to spend the
night in the port and then to spend all day tomorrow on
two different trips. |
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