Sri Lanka vacation – Take a trip to Ceylon

The big island Sri Lanka southeast of the southern tip of India is now a safe and very interesting destination for tourists.

Collecting Ceylon tea leaves in Sri Lanka the most important crop for export.

Sri Lanka is the most famous country of tea production under the name Ceylon tea. Ceylon was the name of Sri Lanka before the independence from British government.

The former social unrest between the majority of Sri Lankan inhabitants and a minority of Tamiles, the Tamile Tigers, has been settled and the majority of people on Sri Lanka has all the time been living peacefully side by side independent of their cultural origin.

After a 2 ½ weeks trip to Sri Lanka with a round trip to some of the most famous tourist destinations of Sri Lanka and a week at the coast at Unawatuna, south of Galle my wife and I can highly recommend this beautiful island in the Indian Ocean.

The national carrier Sri Lankan Air brought us safe and with very good comfort and service from Europe to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, and back again. With very friendly staff and a caring atmosphere the long flight wasn’t too demanding.
Sri Lanka offer a smiling and very kind population, often with as much interest in us as we tourist in them.

The scenery is very attractive due to the varied landscape and differences in climate and soil conditions. Especially the many national parks are of great attraction to tourists as well as locals.

Do I need to mention that the elephants in Sri Lanka are a chapter for themselves? In the national parks and nearest surroundings elephants are still plenty and easy to observe. It is the elephant species the Indian elephant that has its natural distribution in Sri Lanka.

Unlike its bigger African relative the African elephant, the Indian elephant has much smaller ears and the tip of the trunk has only one ‘lip’, not two as the African elephant.

Besides the wild and free elephants of Sri Lanka elephants have been used as working elephants for thousands of years, and still have a prominent place in Sri Lankans’ lives.

As a tourist you can visit many facilities for ‘visitors meeting the elephants’ and get a ride on elephant back in the neighbour of the place or observe other interactions with elephants.

Sri Lanka is rich on cultural highlights, including a number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, like the old and charming town with fortress of Galle:

Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications

“Founded in the 16th century by the Portuguese; Galle reached the height of its development in the 18th century, before the arrival of the British. It is the best example of a fortified city built by Europeans in South and South-East Asia”

Ancient City of Polonnaruwa

“Polonnaruwa was the second capital of Sri Lanka after the destruction of Anuradhapura in 993. It comprises, besides the Brahmanic monuments built by the Cholas, the monumental ruins of the fabulous garden-city created by Parakramabahu I in the 12th century.”

Ancient City of Sigiriya

The ruins of the capital built by the parricidal King Kassapa I (477–95) lie on the steep slopes and at the summit of a granite peak standing some  370 m high (the ‘Lion’s Rock’, which dominates the jungle from all sides). A series of galleries and staircases emerging from the mouth of a gigantic lion constructed of bricks and plaster provide access to the site.

Golden Temple of Dambulla

A sacred pilgrimage site for 22 centuries, this cave monastery, with its five sanctuaries, is the largest, best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka. The Buddhist mural paintings (covering an area of 2,100 m2 ) are of particular importance, as are the 157 statues.

Sacred City of Kandy

This sacred Buddhist site, popularly known as the city of Senkadagalapura, was the last capital of the Sinhala kings whose patronage enabled the Dinahala culture to flourish for more than 2,500 years until the occupation of Sri Lanka by the British in 1815. It is also the site of the Temple of the Tooth Relic (the sacred tooth of the Buddha), which is a famous pilgrimage site.

Among the national parks and sanctuaries we visited:

Udawalawe National Park

See  here for a list of national parks in Sri Lanka.

Bird list of Sri Lanka:

Deforestation in Sri Lanka

The Book of Islands Review by Philip Dodd & Ben Donald

The Book of Islands is an amazing journey to some of the most interesting places on Earth – islands – because islands have a spe

cial attraction for most of us.  The island book covers from tropical paradises such as Mauritius and Bali, to prison islands like Alcatraz and Robben Island. The extremes of islands from islands in the middle of cities and those that are cities in their own right, like Venice and Singapore, to some of the most remote islands of the world. The quest has been to find,  describe and collect islands with that in mind that each island should have a unique and very distinct character.

From the publisher’s description of The Book of Islands:
Included here are places of refuge, escape, exile and mystery – the unblinking primitive statues of Easter Island and the dragons of Komodo; islands that have been sanctuaries and monasteries; the homes of hermits, mutineers, emperors and artists; the sites of battles, vendettas and revolutions. Some of the islands featured are under desperate threat from the forces of global warming: rising sea levels and an increase in severe weather conditions. Unless such issues are brought under control, many of these unique and diverse mini-cultures will simply disappear. The Book of Islands presents what could be a last chance to celebrate these diverse and extraordinary places.

About the Authors of The Book of Islands
Philip Dodd is a writer and publisher specialising in international and popular culture. Books he has contributed to include the Virgin City Guides, Images of France and Images of Spain. He was co-author, with Ben Donald, of The Book of Cities.

Ben Donald is a travel writer whose journalism has appeared in the London Times and various UK travel magazines. He has written guidebooks to various Italian cities for Footprint and Cadogan Guides, and co-authored The Book of Cities.

Best beach camera for island vacations

Panasonic Lumix DMC TS3 in blue version

We often discuss what would be the best beach camera when going on vacation to an island. Of cause it has to be a digital camera and it has to be a robust camera. The specifications of a camera for the beach aren’t only that it can take pictures. What is very important, too, is the camera’s ability to withstand the sand and seawater. Sandy beaches are a real tuff environment for a camera.

We can discuss if a suitable camera for the beach should be submersible even that wouldn’t fit what most people would like to use the camera for – maybe not necessarily for snorkelling and underwater photography – but for a no risk possibility to bring the camera out in the water and to take pictures of family members and friends in the wet element without spoiling the camera.

Besides being a rugged camera, a good beach camera shall also be a handy camera that is not that big or clumsy and it is fine if it’s also a bit smart and sexy. We should like to bring our beach camera on many vacations, not only beach vacations.

PC Magazine selected the digital camera Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 as their recommended camera for the beach in their review of beach cameras in July 2010 among 7 candidates for the best beach camera. Among these 7 rugged cameras was the Canon PowerShot D10 and  it was regarded as very good but  a little bulky.

A camera review from last year is already outdated so I have been looking for a new model building and improving on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2. The new Panasonic model for the beach is here but I do not have a full review of it at the moment so I will include the press release of it here:

PANASONIC’S NEWEST RUGGED LUMIX DIGITAL CAMERA, COMPLETE WITH GPS & COMPASS IS PERFECT FOR CAPTURING STUNNING PHOTOS AND HD VIDEOS DURING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

New LUMIX TS3 is Waterproof*1, Shockproof*2, Freezeproof, Dustproof*1, and Adds Full-HD Video Recording, a New 3D Photo Mode & Easy Facebook and YouTube Uploads

SECAUCUS, NJ (January 25, 2011) – Panasonic today introduces the LUMIX DMC-TS3, specifically designed for active users who want to capture high-quality photos and 1920 x 1080 full-High Definition videos, incorporating a powerful rugged design and new outdoor-friendly features, such as a built-in GPS function, a compass, altimeter and barometer. The new 12.1-megapixel LUMIX TS3 further strengthens its toughness, when compared to its LUMIX TS2 predecessor, and is now waterproof to approximately 40 feet (12m)*1; shockproof to approximately 6.6 feet (2m) *2; freezeproof to 14ºF (-10 degrees C); and dustproof*1.

The Panasonic LUMIX TS3 also features the new Panasonic 3D Photo mode, which produces a realistic 3D photo by taking 20 consecutive photos and overlays the two best to create a 3D image that can then be played on a Panasonic VIERA 3D HDTV. The format of 3D images is compatible with MPO, and can also be played back on other MPO-compatible equipment such as a televisions, digital photo frames and printers.

Panasonic also adds the LUMIX Image Uploader, for seamless and instant sharing via Facebook (for digital photos) or YouTube (for videos). Users can checkmark the photo or video files they want to share, connect it to a PC with the included USB cable or by inserting the SD Memory Card directly into the PC’s SD Card slot, and then the uploading automatically launches with an easy-to-follow menu option.

“The LUMIX TS3 is Panasonic’s ‘take anywhere’ digital camera – whether it is for carefree, everyday shooting with its easy-to-use features, high-quality lens and video capabilities, or for the active user who will appreciate the rugged design in any season – for activities such as hiking, skiing, camping, diving, snorkeling,” said David Briganti, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “Last year’s LUMIX TS2 was a highly-regarded rugged camera and with the TS3, we just built on its success with new features, like GPS, a compass, altimeter and barometer, making this the ultimate camera for the outdoor user.”

The Panasonic LUMIX TS3 features a 28mm wide-angle LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens, complete with a folded optics design. With an optical zoom up to 4.6x, the LUMIX TS3 works even while shooting video – giving the user the flexibility for a variety of different scenes – especially underwater, where movement is often restricted and the angle of view becomes important for composing shots. Thanks to the newly incorporated Intelligent Resolution technology, the Intelligent Zoom is available and extends the zoom to 6x equivalent.

Empowered by a newly developed 12.1-megapixel Hi-Speed CCD sensor, the LUMIX TS3 is compatible with high-speed, large-capacity signal processing required for 1920 x 1080 full-HD AVCHD video recording and high speed continuous shooting. The advanced image processor, the Venus Engine FHD, powers Panasonic’s Intelligent Resolution and the Sonic Speed AF, allows for a shutter release time lag as short as approximately 0.005 second.

Beyond full-HD video recording capabilities, LUMIX TS3 excels in shooting videos with a Dolby® Digital Creator so audio quality is also high. The built-in LED light greatly supports shooting in dark situations. The LUMIX TS3 also features a 2.7-inch, 230,000-dot Intelligent LCD screen with wide-viewing angle and Anti-Reflection coating.

Panasonic’s iA Mode, a suite of technologies that engage automatically, has evolved for more powerful image stabilization while video recording and taking still photos with Active Mode which boosts POWER OIS to excel in suppressing blur when recording videos at wide angle while walking.

Other features of iA include: POWER OIS, Face Recognition, Face Detection, AF Tracking, Intelligent ISO Control, Intelligent Scene Selector and Intelligent Exposure. With iA, taking beautiful photos is possible for users at any skill level. In addition, the Intelligent Resolution technology is always activated in the iA mode, which helps produce even clearer photos by precisely performing signal processing pixel by pixel to help ensure clear and sharp images.

The newly-integrated GPS function, shows the name of the Country/Region, State/Prov./County, County/Township, City/Town/Village and Landmark by using the internal data to give users details on where the photos or videos were taken. The area information covers 203 countries or regions for global users. Plus, more than 1,000,000 landmarks over 78 countries or regions are in the database. Using the included software PHOTOfunSTUDIO 6.1 HD Lite Edition, photos and videos can be searched by location and names. The LUMIX TS3 also features an internal clock that automatically adjusts to the local time when GPS is enabled – a handy feature for travelers.

The LUMIX TS3 will be available in March 2011 and pricing will be announced approximately 30 days prior to shipping date. The LUMIX TS3 will be available in red, orange, silver, and blue. For more on these Panasonic LUMIX models, please visit www.panasonic.com/lumix.

*1 Waterproof/dustproof performance complies with the “IPX8” and “IP6X” ratings. Provided the care and maintenance guidelines described in this document are strictly followed, this camera can operate underwater, to a depth not exceeding 12 m for a time not exceeding 60 minutes. This does not guarantee no destruction, no malfunction, or waterproofing in all conditions.

*2 Anti-shock performance complies with “MIL-STD 810F Method 516.5-Shock” of the U.S. Defense Department, which specifies performing drop tests from a height of 122 cm, at 26 orientations (8 corners, 12 ridges, 6 faces) using 5 sets of devices, and passing the 26 orientation drops within 5 devices. (If failure occurs during the test, a new set is used to pass the drop orientation test within a total of 5 devices).

The camera has cleared a drop test from a height of 2 m onto 3 cm thick plywood. In most cases this camera should not sustain any damage if dropped from a height not exceeding 2 m. This drop test was passed. (Disregarding appearance change such as loss of paint or distortion of the part where drop impact is applied). This does not guarantee no destruction, no malfunction, or waterproofing in all conditions.

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Time will show if this LUMIX TS3 will be the best beach camera for 2011 but I guess it will be a good choice for any beach lover anyway, based on the fine ratings the former model Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 got.

What is your own experience with beach cameras and do  you have any other suggestions for the best beach camera? – Please add your comment here.

Travel insurance for your island vacation – Do not forget student travel insurance

Travel insurance is an issue mainly when you have forgotten to care for it in time. On the other hand a lot of us easily pay more than needed for a travel insurance agreement for the individual travel. This has to do with the fact that many of our normal insurance arrangements often include some kind of protection on travels too.

Also many credit cards like Mastercard, Globecard and America Express include some kind of elements of travel insurance, depending on your credit card contract.

As a traveller to a remote island or a busy island with plenty of people we might be most focussed on issues with stolen items or lost luggage. Such issues are very inconvenient but the most serious issues are related to health problems on vacation.

Travel health insurance is needed to cover costs related not only to treatment on a high level hospital or clinic but also costs related to transportation home etc. Are you far away from home and civilization and need a plane back from your vacation this will cost a fortune.

I state that the travel insurance for students is especially important because firstly, young people tend to forget that aspect of life when a shining new vacation trip is in the horizon. And secondly because young people are more physical active than older people and accordingly can easily break a leg or get other injuries from their young active life. And thirdly I dare to mention that younger people are not so much experienced and might easier get into some kinds of trouble abroad.

It is obvious that many of us who are near or after the age of retirement should be especially careful with what is covered in our travel health insurance.

As the situation of health travel insurance is different from insurance company to insurance company and from country to country you have to be very careful checking the coverage of your travel insurance and what could be your best travel insurance deal. You will get a travel insurance checklist in a post later, but before I will just give you two examples.

We thought that my wife had got a perfect solution to her travel insurance by signing up with Globecard. Globecard seemed to offer a very good coverage of health issues on travel, stolen items, lost or delayed luggage, all car insurance for hired cars, etc. And it would also give access to airport lounges without any cost.

The smart aspect of the insurance through Globecard was that the coverage would include the same insurance for an accompanying person. All this was included in the annual rather high fee for the credit card so in total it seemed to be a good deal for travel insurance.

The requirement of Globecard to cover the travel insurance is that Globecard is used for paying the travel. This seems to be a rather obvious expectation but at least here in Denmark that became something of a problem. In many cases it became very difficult and complicated to have the travel agency to accept payment via the Globecard. And if it worked (finally) my wife was always charged an extra fee from the travel agency. I had to add that use of credit cards is very well developed in Denmark.

And finally I should add that the extra benefit from having free access to airport lounges were often disappointing as we were seldom able to find an airport lunge that included Globecard users.

Now we have an annual travel insurance added to our general health insurance that for our situation seems to be the cheapest travel insurance with the needed coverage.

Anyway be sure that the travel insurance you have signed up with is still what you expect it to be before you travel.

Hawaii Travel guide books list

A list of HAWAII travel guides has just been added to the section of Island Vacation Tips with travel guide books.

This list is including a lot of other books about the Hawaiin Islands to help you find the relevant information about history of Hawaii, natural wonders of Hawaii, ex. the vulcanoes and the special fauna and flora of Hawaii.

Not least the bird life of Hawaii is famous for its uniqueness as a true island biodiversity, developed through evolution to have many endemic species – unfortunately many of these special bird species are on the brink of extinction.

- Just to mention some of the useful information you will find in the list of Hawaiian books click here.