May in Sri Lanka is about coming back to life. The heat begins to reduce ever-so-slightly and the rains come pouring down. This month trees are in full bloom and fruits lay heavily burden to branches. And a world of amazing experiences are in store for you this month if you happen to be in Sri Lanka

1. Experience the Colours of Vesak

The birth, death and enlightenment of Lord Buddha is celebrated in maddening colours, lanterns and lights all across the country in a festival we call Vesak. No matter where you are during May’s full moon, heading out is most advised. Don’t forget to look out for Pandols, a traditional outdoor art installation that tells stories from the life of the Buddha.

2. Make a Vesak Lantern

The reason Vesak is so colourful owes much to the vibrant and conceptual lanterns that come together. Why don’t you try your hand at making one? Pick out some of your favourite colours when you buy the tissue paper, get yourself bendy straws or bamboo sticks and gather around the usual suspects: glue, scissors, tape, rope and of course your imagination. Having a local show you the ropes is also a good bet.

3. Indulge in a Rain Bath

After many months of endless heat, you’ll find our sheets of rain this May a perfect cool down in the tropics. Don’t be shy, get out from under the comfort of indoors and let our rains wash away our scorching days.

4. Surf’s Up!

Arugam Bay at the heart of Sri Lanka’s East Coast begins to come alive in May. Surfers from all across the world come here in hope of riding the perfect wave. This familial gathering of surfers also means that the nightlife in Arugam Bay becomes the stuff of legend.

5. Escape Inside the City

If you want to get away and still be close the conveniences of the city, plan an escape at one of Cinnamon’s 3 city hotels. Cinnamon Lakeside is especially designed to create the air of a far-away resort!

6. Immerse in our History

Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle is strewn with many historical sites housing the stories of ancient kings and powerful mythology. Anuradhapura and Pollonnaruwa are particularly recommended.

7. Sunrise Season

May begins our East Coast season and if you’re here this month we recommend you start at Yala and make your way up to Trincomalee, capturing the sunrise on your way.

8. Tuk-Tuk Rides

Travelling by 3-wheeler or tuk-tuk (especially outside city limits) is a must-do experience and the best mode of short distance travel in the country

9. Go Gallery Hunting

Sri Lanka’s contemporary art scene is spectacular, so we most certainly recommend that you spend a rainy afternoon inside one of Colombo’s many concept galleries.

10. Under the Sea

For the most daring of you, the best sights await. Ask for a try-dive or dedicate a few days to a PADI licence and you’re on your way to Sri Lanka’s kaleidoscopic underwater paradise and it’s haunting shipwrecks.

Trinco is the land of the rising sun, with graphic sunrises, golden beaches and an altogether slower pace of life. Coming here forces you to relax, unwind and rejuvenate. But there are other things about this harbor town, things that you ought to know if you’re planning on heading to Sri Lanka’s beautiful North East coastline.

1. The World War II Memorial Cemetery

You might miss it if you aren’t looking for it, but somewhere between Trinco town and Nilaveli beach sits this magnificent green lawn, strewn with gravestones of many brave men, of different nationalities who fought and fell in the Second World War. Falling under the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, this place in Trincomalee is one of 11 burial grounds strewn across the island and each with a similarity in terms of landscaping, headstone structure, layout and a significant cross that looms over each cemetery, known as the Cross of Sacrifice.

2. Sperm Whales & Spinner Dolphins

Scuba diving adventures and boat trips are a must when you’re in Trincomalee. Why? Because since of late, Trinco’s deep blue becomes the migratory home of one of the biggest pods of sperm whales in the world. Add to that the spectacular marine life including spinner dolphins and a vibrant shore reef and the world underwater might seem even better than the breathtaking sunrise.

3. Spotted Deer at Fort Fredrick

Trincomalee is home to the age old Fort Fredrick; built by the Portugese, reconstructed by the Dutch, claimed by the British and currently occupied by the Sri Lankan military – and a small herd of spotted deer! It is said that a couple of spotted deer were shipped here by the British as pets for their militia stationed here. Since the fort is opened to the public however, the incorrect disposal of waste and feeding the deer have caused the herd to get sick. If you are visiting the Fort, remember not to feed the animals and merely observe them from a distance.

4. Early Chinese Settlers

Something that’s not often known about Trinco is that it was once home to Chinese settlers brought here by the Dutch and Portugese during their colonial rule of the region. They were brought via the Trincomalee harbor into the island on the pretext of working on cinnamon plantations here. China Bay that sits a short drive away from Trincomalee town is thus named for those who stayed with the island long after the colonials left, having been away for too many generation with nowhere else but Ceylon to call home. Walk through the narrow streets of Trinco town and you just might find a family run Chinese restaurant serving the most authentic Chinese food in the region.

5. Multi-Ethnic Community

The many comings and goings, and the original settlements here combine to make Trincomalee a cornucopia of ethnic delights. Despite hundreds of years of occupation and a 30 year war, Trinco’s many faiths and cultures thrive here. On some days the church bells, temple chants, the Islamic call to prayer and kovil sounds emanate simultaneously in a glorious spiritual cacophony that could rival most other countries in the world. Trinco is a shining example of how people from different walks of life can live in harmony.

Photo Credits: Wikiepedia, Lucy Calder