Holidays in Fuerteventura

The eternally sunny Canary Islands are still very much a top pick for a warm winter escape but which island to go to? The far flung Spanish archipelago offers up seven enticing choices, each with a distinctive atmosphere all of its own, from the hectic beach life of Tenerife or Gran Canaria to the soothing desert island tranquility of La Gomera. For a Canary Islands holiday that combines a little bit of everything, water sports-crazy Fuerteventura should fit the bill perfectly.

Closest to the African mainland and the second largest of the Canaries, Fuerteventura’s perpetual sunny days revolve around world-class windsurfing and kite boarding or simply getting horizontal on glorious sands. There are over 120 miles of coastline dotted with sugary white and volcanic black sand beaches and there is little to detract from the chilled out mood. The island is also noted for its liberal sprinkling of sheltered naturists’ beaches where you can work on that all-over tan. You can get all your information for your next holiday and airport at Flight Hub reviews who review every airport in the world.

The resorts of Caleta de Fuste or Corralejo are the places to be for a little after dark action with a wide array of happening bars and classy al fresco dining, although it’s generally more low key than the fleshpots of Tenerife or Gran Canaria. Holidays to Fuerteventura offer a culinary awakening too; you will find wide choice of traditional Canarian bites on menus and a profusion of quintessential tapas bars frequented by friendly locals. Dive into hearty papas arrugadas con mojo potatoes or rancho canario beef and chicken stew.

A Fuerteventura holiday has so many more possibilities if you can bear to drag yourself away from the beach. Of course kids are always going to be happy playing on the sand and in the surf but won’t need to be asked twice to go to Fuerteventura’s wet and wonderful Baku Water Park or a fun camel ride at La Lajita Zoo. A more sophisticated escapade is the Alcogida Eco-Museum in Tefia, featuring traditional country life, art and crafts and costumed dancers specifically aimed at culture-curious kids.

The whole island is classed as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve covering diverse ecosystems. Aside from the arid volcanic interior, towering sun dunes surround Corralejo and the west coastline is awash with rugged cliffs and coves. There are plenty of recognised hiking trails or you can go native exploring on horseback, 4x4 jeep or even on a camel safari.

There is a great mix of accommodation options on the island in all price ranges from no frills €25 rooms to classy 5 star beach resorts. Caleta de Fuste is a good base for all-action family holidays in Fuerteventura while Corralejo has a livelier atmosphere and is a perennial favorite with British travellers.

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The Attractions in Canary Islands

Tenerife is the biggest island among the seven islands of the Canary Islands and it also has the highest number of residents. It is estimated that five million travellers come to Tenerife each year and it is the highest among other Canary Islands. Tenerife is an island that is sculptured by volcanic eruptions and some of the sceneries here are simply breath-taking. The island is also free from pollution and is one of the cleanest places in Spain.  This is what makes tourists come to this place again and again.

There are two airports on this island, Reina Sofia Airport at the south and Los Rodeos Airport at the north. Both these airports handle domestic flights only, therefore tourists who want to come to this place must come from other airports in Spain like Barcelona El Prat Airport or Madrid-Barajas Airport. As the island is quite big compared to the other Canary Islands, it is highly recommended that you hire a car at car hire Tenerife located at the airport, because this car hire company provides the best service compared to all the other companies available on this island.

Tenerifa was once a really poor region in Spain where the main activity was banana planting in small plantations. It was only after the airports were built in 1960s, that Tenerife became one of the top destinations in Spain in terms of tourists’ numbers. A lot of hotels and resorts were built and the government then built more and more facilities to cater for the crowd of tourists that come here. The south and north side of the island is quite different, and the southern part is more crowded with tourists especially those who come to this island in groups. The weather in the south is also more stable than the north. However, this does not mean that the north does not have the same attraction as the south.

The north offers a more vibrant local culture to its visitors and the weather here is not as hot as the south. Between the two different parts of the island lies the Teide Mountains that is also declared as Teide National Park. This mountain was once a volcano but sadly, tourists are not able to visit the crater of the mountains anymore as there are concerns about safety and security of the tourists.

If you are searching for a great place for a holiday, you can consider Tenerife as the best place you can find in Spain.

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Bird Photography: Indian Pitta from Yala National Park

The ‘Indian Pitta’ is one of the more prettier and colourful small birds to be found in the Indian Subcontinent. This was the first time I laid my eyes on this beautiful bird and it was quite a sighting.

 
The sighting was not long in terms of time, but was quite eventful as I saw this small bird in two different forms. One, in the normal self and size and the second when it drew in air to get all fluffed up and bloated. It was quite an experience to see these forms of the same bird in less than 2 minutes. Both looked equally pretty though.

 
I saw this bird in some dense forest undergrowth at the Yala National Park in South Eastern Sri Lanka. This passerine bird, breeds in the Himalayas and migrates to South Peninsular India and Sri Lanka in the winters.

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Little New Zealand of Sri Lanka

I haven’t been to New Zealand so far. In fact, it is one of the top places on my travel bucket-list given that it is an adventure travel paradise. But, I have seen a lot of pictures on the internet and books of the New Zealand landscape and I was stunned when I saw something similar in Sri Lanka. I was at Ambewala, a small hill station near Nuwara Eliya, the tea capital of Sri Lanka. This place is tucked in the central highlands of this island nation and falls enroute from Nuwara Eliya to the Horton Plains National Park. This hill station and its near-abouts is known for its milk and cheese. And on any given day, you will see large herds of cows grazing on this pristine green landscape.

 
The misty surroundings, the wavy hills in the background and the never ending green landscape give this place a magical touch. And when you see the big white cows grazing here, you feel that you are in New Zealand’s countryside. No wonder, this place is called the ‘Little New Zealand’ of Sri Lanka.

 
While you are here, do pay a visit to the Ambewala and the New Zealand cheese farms and try out a hot cup of fresh farm milk. And if you wish you can buy some of their cheese and other milk products. Each cheese farm has a retail outlet to cater to the tourists.

 
In terms of access, Ambewala is connected by buses from Nuwara Eliya that ply this route once every hour. The bus ride (one way) should take about 45 minutes.  But, if you wish for more flexibility, hire a tuk-tuk (3 wheeler taxi) from Nuwara Eliya. A return trip on the tuk-tuk from Nuwara Eliya should cost you about 800-1500 LKR depending on tourist demand.

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Shopping in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is primarily known for its 3 Ts (Tea, Textile and Tourism). In fact, this forms the base of the country’s GDP. But, if you are visiting this tropical paradise, then you can take back much more than just memories. At a high level, tourists typically stick to the gift stops in their hotels or souvenir shops in the main city market to buy souvenirs back home. But, if you really explore, you will find great variety and excellent quality at good value for money.

Tea
To start with, Ceylon Tea is Sri Lanka’s most famous export. If you like tea without milk, try the Orange Pekoe and if you prefer your tea to be strong and with milk and sugar, then go for the broken Orange Pekoe. Every Tea estate at various locations in Sri Lanka (Kandy, Bandarawella, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, etc.) have their own flavour and one can get a taste of it right there. Do keep in mind that the Sri Lankan Tea is a milder, but more aromatic form of Tea when compared to the Indian varieties. The Long Leaf varieties are milder, but make a great hot cup of relaxing tea. Though, the Orange Pekoe makes for a great brew, my personal favourites are the Chinese Herbal Green Tea and the flavoured Long Leaf varieties (available in flavours such as Passion Fruit, Cinnamon, Lemon, Mint, Vanilla and others). You might tricked into buying low quality tea at some tea estates, but for the premium and authentic stuff, buy from a Mlesna, Tea Breeze or Dilmah outlet. Personally, I prefer Mlesna over the others.

Spices
Aromatic spices also make for great buys as they constitute the soul of the Sri Lankan cuisine. For special stuff, head over to the Spice Shop at Majestic City, Bambalapitya on Galle road, Colombo. Authentic stuff is also available at supermarkets like Cargills, which are located at many places around the country.

Cashew
Cashew is another important cash crop in Sri Lanka. Plain or roasted cashews are sold all over the island. Young girls sell them on the road to Kandy from Colombo and nearly all the markets and street shops in the island sell them. For the best cashews, head to Expo Shoppe, Liberty Plaza Shopping complex in Colombo.

Buffalo Milk Yoghurt
Next on the list is buffalo milk yoghurt (curd). You may not be able to carry it to your home country, but you can sure enjoy it while you are holidaying in Sri Lanka. The buffalo milk yoghurt is famous in the South and South West part of the island and is sold in earthen pots all along the highway from Thissamaharama to Thangalle on the west coast.

Alcohol
A lot of global brands and spirit types are available in Sri Lanka, but those are not native to this island. If you wish to carry home the local spirit, then I would recommend Mendis Old Arrack (18 years old), Rockland Old Arrack and Rockland Red Rum (a local form of slightly sweet rum). Most of these spirits contain 37.5% alcohol. These can either be bought at the Bandaranayake airport duty shop or any of the large shopping malls like Crescat Boulevard at Colombo – 3.

Gems
The tropical paradise of Sri Lanka has had a long association with precious gems and this was even before its colonial times when smugglers used to bring them from the Far East and the Middle East. The assortment of gems found here is phenomenal, but the pick of them is the blue sapphire. Star sapphires and star rubies are also quite popular as people like them in their rings and pendants. Alexandrites, Cat’s Eye, amethysts, garnets, aquamarines and moonstones are some of the other popular stones available here. When it comes to buying these gems, please do exercise extreme caution as I personally know at least five people who have been cheated. Ensure to check for hallmarks, weight and proper bills. Shops in five star hotels would be your best bet in terms of quality, though the Aida Gems and Jewellery shop on Galle road, Bentota comes with a solid reputation.

Handicrafts
The handicraft list is quite exhaustive with items like mats, masks, drums, coconut-shell dolls, porcupine-quill boxes, lace, reed, basket and bamboo-ware, lacquerware, wooden figurines, shell crafts and silver and brassware. Additionally, there are interesting low cost items like cushion covers, hand-woven cotton sarongs, colourful doorstops and floating candles. Apart from the village supermarkets that stock not so great quality products, the best places to buy these handicrafts in Sri Lanka would be Laksala (government handicraft shop), Lakmedura on Colombo 7 and Lakpahana on Colombo 7.

Batiks
These batiks are something that every tourist will see right from the time they land at the Bandaranayake airport and walk out of immigration and by the duty free shops to every market and shop in the country. The varied representations of the Sri Lankan elephant is a hot favourite as they are available in different designs or are carved from ebony. Other colourful batik designs involve motifs of peacocks and Kandyan dancers. These can be seen in wall hangings, tablecloths and songs. The government handicraft shop Laksala is the most authentic place to buy these, though it can be tad expensive.

Textiles
Sri Lanka is one of the worl'd’s low cost textile centres. Clothes made here are exported all over. Quality, thickness of cloth, colours, et al vary with cost. Interesting designs and colours can be found all over the island nation. But, if you wish to wear the best, then head to ODEL Fashions, the house of Sri Lankan fashion. I am personally am a big fan of their goods. In fact, such is their aura that I end up spending more than my prescribed budget. Their souvenirs make for excellent gifts for your family and friends. If I remember right, the main ODEL showroom is in Colombo 7, though other branches are in other parts of the city too.

If a tropical destination like Sri Lanka doesn’t pique your interest, then may be you should explore the Mediterranean, especially Morocco Holidays. 

Note: Most of the places selling touristy goods have a built-in commission structure, so do learn to bargain hard even in big shops and start at 25% of the quoted value of goods for the road-side ones. Shops are generally open from 10 am to 6 pm, though the shopping malls are open for slightly longer. And these are Colombo timings. Shop times at other locations may vary slightly.

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