I have had a dog in my family for around 23 of my 30 years. But, since moving out more than four years ago – and not getting one of my own yet – I’ve realised how much I took having a furry four-legged companion for granted.
I miss coming home every day to her smiling face and wagging tail, having snuggles in front of the TV, the comfort she provides when I’m sad. But, I also miss taking her out for a walk.
We were ahead of the trend last summer when we flew across the world to explore the country Lonely Planet has named its number one destination for 2019 – Sri Lanka.
After more than a year of saving and planning, we headed to Gatwick to board an 11-hour flight. After a 2 hour stopover in Dubai and the time moving forward 4.5 hours, we finally landed in Colombo, ready to discover everything this corner of Asia had to offer.
We created our own itinerary after watching YouTube videos and reading reviews, booking everything in advance to ensure we made the most of our three weeks circling the south of the country.
Our first night was spent in Negombo, then we made our way to Kegalle, followed by Kandy, Ella, Arugam Bay, Yala National Park, Tangalle, Mirissa, and finally, our last night was spent in Unawatuna.
Here’s what we got up to during our time in South Asia…
Staffordshire bull terriers were named the top breed out of 100 on Britain’s Top Dog 2019. After the two and a half hour countdown on ITV, Ben Fogle and Sara Cox announced the country’s new favourite breed had taken the top spot from Labradors, who moved down to third place.
Nobody needs to tell me Staffies are the best, I have one – so I already know this. However, for a breed that is often, wrongly, stereotyped as ‘aggressive’ and ‘dangerous,’ this is a huge step in the right direction.
But, does this mean people are changing their opinions and seeing them for the loving breed that they really are? View Post
Photo by Johannes W on Unsplash
I woke up on the first morning of my 30s to the sound of the waves crashing against the beautiful shores of Arugam Bay. We were staying there to celebrate my birthday, halfway through three weeks travelling around the south of Sri Lanka.
Rewind 9 years ago to the day and I was waking up a 21-year-old as the sun rose over Kho Phangan following the Full Moon Party, with no recollection of having gone to sleep. My two friends were to the side of me with the party still going on behind us. It was definitely a birthday to remember.. what I can remember of it. So, I thought this milestone needed to be marked in a similar way – perhaps with a few less sangsom buckets.
Riding elephants is one the most popular tourist activities in Asia but are you aware of the inhumane conditions they are kept in, the horrific way that are treated or how painful it is for them?
I can’t, however, begin to write a post preaching about the treatment of elephants within the tourist industry and the reasons you should never ride one without first addressing the fact that I have done it myself.