Serendipitous sights of Serendib
Experiencing Sri Lanka by air with Cinnamon Air
A nature-related disappointment led to many other unexpected nature-related delights, when a mega-pod of whales was sighted for just a few hours on Friday morning last week.
When the team’s expert naturalist Daya broke the news that he had seen a mega-pod of over 300 whales off the east coast near Trincomalee, Nature Trails was quick on the trail.
The sighting was absolutely unexpected at this time of the year and a first-time experience in terms of size too, given that the pods seen in Sri Lankan waters are usually super-pods of around 100 animals, said Chitral Jayatilake, Head of Eco Tourism and Special Projects at Cinnamon Nature Trails, explaining the enthusiasm the news generated.
Early the next day, the Daily FT, along with Cinnamon Nature Trails Head of Field Operations Vimukthi Weeratunga and Cinnamon Air Director Romesh David, was part of the team joining Chitral at the Cinnamon Air terminal in Katunayake, to set out to witness the mega-pod from air – but this was not to be.
Out at sea since the wee hours, Daya relayed the news that it was too late as the mega-pod had disappeared from sight overnight and the attempt in the subsequent hours spent trying to locate the pod again had been unsuccessful.
Already air-borne, we had to give up on the whale watching plan, but there was other excitement in store – an opportunity to view Sri Lanka from above, close-up.
First up was Koggala and the sights all the way down south had us enthralled, with the Galle Fort and the spotting of the numerous swimming pools dotting the southern coast in addition to the sparkling sea all the way there being of special interest.
From there we headed towards Adam’s Peak where the Cinnamon Air pilots flew close up, giving us an excellent bird’s eye view, followed by breathtaking sights of the mist-shrouded Knuckles Range, the Victoria Reservoir and Samanala Wewa, interspersed with green paddy fields, little water bodies, small villages and winding roads.
Everywhere we looked it was lush greenery, a nature lover’s dream. This Cinnamon Air experience is perfect for those passionate about photography, with endless opportunities to click away. Sri Lanka is great on the ground, but seeing the country close up from air is also a must – it makes for an unforgettable experience indeed.
Nearing noon, it was time for a break so off to Sigiriya we went, enjoying stunning sights all the way. Closing in on the famed rock, we flew around and over several times, cameras furiously clicking away, only to be taken by surprise when the pilots performed some awesome acrobatics in the air.
It was a very smooth ride all the way and after landing at the Air Force base in Sigiriya, it was time to head to the luxurious Cinnamon Lodge Habarana, where we were welcomed by Cinnamon Lodge General Manager Ghazzali Mohideen and pampered in true Cinnamon style until it was time to take off again.
Stunning sights during the journey aside, Lodge had another great experience awaiting us, when we were invited to enjoy the special ice cream tour there, making for some fantastic foodie fun time.
Served over a dozen special varieties made in-house, I was especially blown away by the cinnamon, kochchi, wasabi and palmyrah flavours. Even more unusual varieties on offer were the rhubarb and brown bread ice creams.
Too soon it was time to head back to Colombo, but the sensational experiences packed into less than half a day made it all worthwhile and went a long way in easing the disappointment of the whales disappearing that morning.
