A short history of Kneeboarding

Definition.

Riding on an extra wide board shaped ski, in the kneeling position, while being pulled by a boat. (Also Known As: Hydrosliding.)

Kneeboarding can be traced back 35 years to Southern California, where surfboard enthusiasts experimented with their homemade "knee" and "belly" boards behind boats.

Rapid development.

Surfers in other parts of the country soon caught on to the new concept of what was then known as "surf-skiing." As early as 1965, a Wake Board was developed and during the late 1960s and early 1970s, several California companies worked on a “knee” board, specifically designed for towing behind a boat.

How things have changed.

The first kneeboards were heavier and more cumbersome than those available today They resembled large teardrops, with flat bottoms, thin knee straps and slippery rubber knee pads. Today, the shape has changed. The bottom is contoured to provide better performance, the knee strap is broad which helps to hold the skier on the board and the pads are resilient, to protect the knees from injury.

A relatively new sport.

Kneeboards are now produced by many of the world’s top water-ski manufacturers and come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes with boards for all levels of expertise. Kneeboarding as a competitive activity is a relatively new sport, having developed only within the past 17 years.


(http://www.ewatersports.co.uk/html/kneeboards.html)

Adventure Tours in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has something to offer everyone. It has the potential to become one of the great adventure destinations in the world. A rocky, mountainous core rises in three peneplains, or steps, from the centre of the island. Sheer rock faces abound in an island dissected with ridges and mountain ranges. No less than 130 rivers cascade down to the ocean, allowing plenty of scope for canoeing and white-water rafting. Anything from easy, grade one stretches, to hair-raising grade six rapids, to make even a seasonal rafter’s heart pump fast, is available. Sri Lanka’s potential for scuba diving is probably understated. In addition to the well known reefs, several others lie unexplored, off the routine diving-circuit.

It is probably in trekking that, Sri Lanka has the potential to stake a claim as a premier soft-adventure destination. Being a relatively compact island, it is not too difficult to design a trekking circuit that will run from the cool highlands to the humid, lowland rain-forest, or the parched dry lowlands dotted with ancient lakes and the remains of grand ancient civilizations. A trek can start at altitudes where temperatures drop below freezing point, and end only a few days later, in an almost desert-like environment. The mountainous core and two seasonal monsoons work to produce markedly different climatic zones in a relatively small area. Trekkers can experience montane forests, alpine grasslands, tea estates, paddy fields and scrub jungles, all in the space of a week.

Sri Lanka the land yet unexplored can easily be the new millennium’s adventure tourism destination. The adventure season now covers almost the entire year. Sri Lanka being blessed with rolling meadows, jagged rock faces, verdant valleys, meandering rivers, cascading waterfalls, dense forests, and hospitable people, blessed with a rich culture – is a land perfect for adventure. People from all over the world have rapidly begun to realize the potential of this island as a premium adventure sport destination. The wide choice of adventure sports ranges from daring to exotic tours that mix various activities.
Camping, mountain biking, biking, white water vaulting and canoeing also give visitors a refreshing glimpse of lesser – travelled parts of the country.
Those who want to see man and nature surviving in each other’s arms is rediscovering one’s own self.

Mountain Biking
Sri Lanka's mountainous terrains are among the finest of the world's best biking sites. Among the slopes, valleys and the tea plantations are tracks and trails that will lure any mountain biker. Tours range from lush tea estates to caves, rain forests, ancient temples , reservoirs etc.

Mountain Climbing
Standing on the summit of a mountain is only part of the total enjoyment and satisfaction that one achieves from mountaineering. Mountaineering is an adventure sport that requires skills and levels of fitness that few other adventure sports can match. For those fascinated by the explored, the mountain ranges offer breath taking, enthralling, climbing routes. Climbing is all about discovering the natural world around and with you. Join Sri Lanka's climbing expeditions for spine tingling encounters combining with rafting and sailing.

Trekking / Camping
There’s no better way to explore the natural scenic beauty of this island with diverse climatic zones.Trekking is an excellent way to explore a country, people, their traditions and beliefs. Paths and campsites have been selected to give nature lovers the experience of a lifetime. All possible steps are taken to ensure local community benefit and nature conservation in keeping with all international camping guidelines.

Cycling
Cycling must be one of the most challenging and physically demanding adventure sports you have ever indulged in. Cycling arguably offers the best way to explore Sri Lanka and a great way to see the real country and gives the proximity to people, culture and landscape that is unparalleled. Cycling through rice fields and villages to see 700-years-old temples is an absorbing experience.

Sri Lanka’s bicycle trail
Sri Lanka’s National Cycle Trail comprises four district geographical areas and caters to all the demands of the serious bikers of the world.

1. COASTAL ROUT
This southern costal cycle route is 240 km in length and is bounded by Wadduwa, a city about 20 km (?) south of Colombo and extends to Koggala just beyond Galle, with detains into the interior foothills of Sri Lanka.

This trail is divided into eight segments, which are about 20km to 30km each of two hours unhurried cycling through the real Sri Lanka of prime beach, coconut, rubber and tea plantations, village living and a rich of fauna, flora, and cultural heritage.

2. ANCIENT CITY ROUTE
This dry zone trail is a 150km long ride into the part and covers the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka with its remains of glorious and adventured, ancient civilisations, temples, masterpiece of inhale art, and irrigation systems, national parks and the excitement of encounters with elephants, leopards, bears and crocodiles.

3. SABARAGAMUWA PROVINCE ROUTE
This 200 km trail is dotted with muddy, gemstone pits and mining methods as old as the time of Kind Solomon. Rivers, waterfalls, tea country and a Rain Forest are the absorbing of this cycle route radiation from the City of Gems.

4. HILL COUNTRY ROUTE
300 km of emerald tea estates, sweet air, cool misty mountains and wilderness areas are indeed a mountain bikers dreams come true.

Bikers will have the opportunity to observe the production of high quality first hand, Ceylon teas. From the harvesting of the two leaves and a bud by mostly Tamil women Tea Pluckers, the production process in a tea factory, set in some of the most scenic mountainous island, is the big highlight of the Hill Country cycle trail.

Each of the four National Cycle Trails has been developed for a wide spectrum of tourist on delights, outstanding natural beauty availability of accommodation and all the fun and excitement of beauty. Cyclist-friendly environments and adventure.

White Water Rafting
Lanka’s boulder stream rivers are the ideal setting for white water rafting. This is the best way to see the stunning environment what this region has to offer. Many tours are arranged and it begins with days of action, rafting the white waters. This high adventure is suitable for fish time ‘go for it’ rafters and experts alike. Along one ride you can pass the scenic location outside. Rafting has become a very popular exciting get safe adventure sport option.

Canoeing/Kayaking
This is a relatively new sport around the world rated as the most adventurous of all adventure sports. It involves descending a stream as it drops over waterfalls and boulders. Can you handle 700 ft waterfalls? That's what we can offer you. We do have lower falls for the less daring , but equal in breathtaking scenery.

Diving
A wide coral shelf surrounds Sri Lanka’s coast at intervals, from north to south, providing excellent sites for skin-diving. The discovery of the beautiful underwater natural world in Sri Lanka will make you absolutely fascinated and spell bound. The blue green, turquoise and aquamarine waters are home for the magical and mysterious underwater world of coral veets, shells and a fantastic variety of fish. The adventure of scuba diving can be easily clubbed with activities like underwater photography and fish identification. The coral world offers beautiful species such as Rays, Eels, Clown Fish, Porcupine, Moorish Idol, Unicorn and Moorish Angle. The common species belonging to the families of Aroporidae (Staghorn Corals), Poritidae (Donnie Corals), Mussidae (Brain Corals), faviidae (Ster Corals) and Pocelloporidae (Flower Corals).

Paragliding
Paragliding is the latest aero sport to take the world by storm. The origin of the sport dates back to the 1940s. Since then , this sport has been rapidly expanding. Thousands of people all over the world have found this sport convenient , sheer fun and a safe medium of soaring in the air. Sri Lanka's physical features and climatic conditions are conductive to flying operations throughout the year. Paragliding holds a special lure for the foreign tourist. Flight time for any average pilot with an intermediate level glide will take 25 minutes.

Ballooning
Explore the natural beauty of the Island on a hot air Balloon. Watch the Elephants in their natural habitant without disturbing them , fly over the placid lakes or take a bird's eye view over Sigiriya Rock or a historical ruined city without disturbing the landscapes. We call it " Soft Tourism " . Witness our ancient lakes, gigantic ruins, some over 2500 years old! Forests with its wild life from a different perspective above!

(http://www.srilankatourism.org)

'The Adventure Races': Newest attraction in Lanka

'The Adventure Race' is the latest to be staged in Sri Lanka.

In other countries, as you have seen many times on TV, the 'Adventure Races' are a very popular calendar event in Asian countries like Nepal, Bhutan, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and the Himalayan Mountains.

The very first 'Adventure Race' in Sri Lanka is to be held in April this year.

This major event is facilitated by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board and organised by Adventure Centre Asia (www.ac.asia.com).

According to SLTB, the Adventure Race will be conducted to international standards.

The direction of Lankan race will come under Peter Stewart, the CEO of 'Adventure Races', one for Sri Lankans and the other for the International participants.

Adventure racing is a new multi-discipline sports that requires individual will, endurance, survival skills, outdoor savvy, and teamwork to be successful. The duration of adventure races varies from one-day races to two-week expeditions requiring both day and night navigation through harsh and challenging terrain.

"This will be the newest venture in Sri Lanka tourism. We have the potential. In Sri Lanka, we believe, the resources for this kind of event is at the maximum level. We have better locations and places than in any other Asian countries. Sri Lanka needs only a little push in exploring and promoting these places as one on the best adventure locations in the world." an official attached to the SLTB said.

The National Event (one night -two days) will be in April 2003 and the International Adventure Race will take place in July 2003.

'Adventure Races' in their various forms have been referred to as the ultimate adventure. It's epic, gritty, challenging and unpredictable. Sri Lanka Tourist Board will call for application for this 'Race' from Sri Lankans soon.

'The race' will run into a three or four day event (continuous days).

Teams of 'Four people' (with minimum one female member) will be eligible to take part.

'The Adventure Race' will be within the general boundaries of Nuwara Eliya District, Horton Plains, World's End, Peak Wilderness Sanctuary, Adam's Peak and Kitulgala.

Adventure Race comprising Wilderness running/Rafting/River Activities/Kayaking/Mountain Biking/Canoeing/Abseiling/ problem solving initiatives/self styled campaign/ rock climbing.

The Sri Lankan category will be for team of four members. Each team of four, comprising of men and women, race (sometimes non-stop, 24-hours a day) over a rugged course, participating in such disciplines as trekking, white water canoeing, horseback riding, sea kayaking, scuba diving, mountaineering and mountain biking.

It's a race against time, pitting the dramatic forces of Mother Nature against the skill and experience of adventure athletes.

Such races are meant to be a challenge that transcends physical fitness and the individual; its very essence lies in team dynamics and the ability to solve problems under constant stress, including little sleep and limited food.

The race demands mutual respect for others and for the environment, while each individual is pushed to the very edge of human endurance.

It is a race measured in pain-endured lessons.

If one person quits or is injured, the entire team is disqualified. To succeed is to finish as a team; to win demands something extraordinary.

The sport requires the athlete to be versed in a variety of outdoor sports, have individual drive and the highest team skills.

For those competing it is necessary to have an appreciation of techniques for biking, paddling, climbing, gear selection, proper use and preparation, navigation and orienteering essentials, tips on nutrition, hydration and health, team strategy and logistics.

Adventure Races has been highlighted by the "Eco-Challenge" which is one of the world's premier 'Expedition Race' attracting the best adventure athletes from around the world, and it is held in a remote region of the world each year.

The race Director Peter Stewart is an Australian from Melbourne. He is the director of Himalayan Mountain Bikes and Adventure Centre Asia. and also Hawaiian Ironman and International Triathlete of some 100 races. A pioneer mountain biker and adventurer of the Himalayan region since 1995, Peter having established tours in eight Asian destinations. He is the 'Adventure Race' organizer for Asian countries over the past eight years.

Adventure sports have seized the interest of the world. It is high time to get our share in adventure tourism.The doors are now open for Sri Lankan Adventure projects to keep the Lankan flag flying high in adventure tourism.

According to the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) in US, 189 million outdoor enthusiasts in the U.S. alone were involved in adventure sports and travel in 1998. In the USA alone millions are heading outside for fitness, self-discovery and a closer connection to the environment and many are creating a lifestyle out of it.

In the past five years the sports following has multiplied and found a solid home in many parts of Asia with monthly and even weekly events underway. Cricket has become the major shareholder in sports tourism.

But I storngly believe that Adventure Races will exceed the revenue generated from 'cricket tourism'.

EII's Mangrove Action Project Ecotour to Sri Lanka and Thailand

After more than 20 years of civil war, Sri Lanka is at long last enjoying peace. From the steep fertile fields of tea plantations in the mountains to the untouched coastal beaches sprawled around its borders, Sri Lanka remains the fabled jewel of the Indian Ocean. Once called "Serendip" by the Greeks, who accidentally stumbled into its beauty, this island nation south of the Indian subcontinent offers truly unexpected beauty and pleasure to visitors with its abundance of national parks, nature and wildlife preserves, botanical gardens and wide, sandy beaches.

Sri Lanka may soon enjoy a resurgence of visitors. Balancing the desire to capitalize on the tourism industry with protecting national biological treasures is not an easy task. Still, the country seems poised to step forward on the right foot.

This January, Sri Lanka welcomed its first group of eco-tourists since the war ended. The group, 10 volunteers from the US and Australia, was organized and led by Earth Island Institute's Mangrove Action Project (MAP). Each member of the tour paid to join a restoration and education group, replanting an area of degraded mangroves in the Pambala Lagoon near Chilaw and visiting places of environmental import throughout the country. Anuradha Wickramasinghe, director of the Small Fishers Federation of Sri Lanka (SFFL), invited the group to Pambala Lagoon to participate in ongoing efforts to save the lagoon from the damage by shrimp farms, and to demonstrate the culture and vitality of the fishing communities around the coast.

The mangrove replanting, led by Small Fishers Federation's Restoration Expert, Douglas Tisera, took place over two days. Joined by a local group of fishermans' widows and a group of school children, volunteers planted nearly 700 mangrove seedlings (Rhizophora apiculata and R. mucronata) along a one-kilometer stretch of Pambala Lagoon's Dutch canal to help control erosion.

Small Fishers Federation Programs
During their 10-day visit to Sri Lanka, MAP volunteers traveled throughout the country, from Puttalam to Kandy, to the southern coast and along the western coast to Chilaw. The group visited several Small Fishers Federation (SFFL) projects that have been developed to help villages, fishermen, and their families who have been hurt by the decline of fisheries in their country.

In Nakudugamuwa, the study-tour sampled tuna sausages, dried tuna, and fish pastries from SFFL's Kudawella Fisheries Tuna Processing Center. The center has developed these products as alternatives to unprocessed fish for the wholesale market. By selling these value-added products, local fishers get improved marketing of their catch, along with longer shelf-life, ensuring less wastage from spoiling.

In Badagiriya, just north of Hambantota, the group visited SFFL's Educational Center for youth who are unable to attend secondary school because of family fishing obligations (often due to death or injury to the family's main provider). Young people are trained in home electrical wiring, small engine repair, or apparel making to provide them with job opportunities. Recently lauded by the government for benefiting the youth, SFFL will offer three-month certificates beginning in 2003. After three years, the center will become accredited, offering nine-month courses for students in various vocational technology programs.

Another SFFL project is the Tilapia and Ornamental Fish Hatcheries. The hatcheries provide tilapia fingerlings for inland fisheries to restock lakes and ponds. The center sells fingerlings on no-interest credit terms to local villages. These loans come due only when the tilapia have been successfully raised, harvested, and sold at market. Local inland fishers have access to affordable fish stocks. Ornamental fish are also raised in this hatchery to bring in supplemental income.

Near Hikkadua, the group toured the coral reef gardens via glass-bottom boats. The group learned about the fragile nature of the corals, and the ways corals and mangroves are interrelated. When corals and mangroves are found in close proximity, loss of one can mean the ultimate degradation or loss of the other. Mangroves filter water, holding back soil and silt that would otherwise destroy the reef. Reefs break waves, which would otherwise damage shorelines and mangrove seedlings.

That evening, Serendip proved to be serendipitous indeed. When the group gathered at a small beach restaurant to discuss the tour, the owner of the establishment pointed under their table on the beach. A nest of olive ridley sea turtles was hatching, struggling to reach the surface. The owner had no idea that he had pointed this out to Sri Lanka's first eco-tourism group, nor had the group realized they were to witness one of the most mysterious and wondrous spectacles of the animal kingdom. Because the sand was compacted by human activity, these turtles were in danger. Normally exiting their nest at night, the turtles had struggled through hot compacted sand, arriving at the surface in the full blaze of the sun. The group was able to save about 50, but already, more than half had died in the nest of dehydration and suffocation. It was clear that tourism had already impacted the beaches of Sri Lanka.

Koh Yao, Thailand
After 10 days in Sri Lanka, the official work-study portion of the tour was completed. While three Australians and one American remained in Sri Lanka, the rest of the group traveled to south-central Thailand to continue studying the effects prawn farms and tourism have had on mangrove forests there. By 1996, Thailand's prawn farm industry was responsible for the loss of more than 65,000 hectares (160,000 acres) of mangroves. Additionally, some 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) of productive rice farms have been converted to shrimp farming, making Thailand one of the world's largest shrimp producers. The impacts of these commercial farms are a major contributor to the loss of fisheries in Thailand.

The group traveled to the island of Koh Yao Noi where they stayed with local fisher families, as guests of the islander's award-winning "Eco-tourism Club." Opening their homes to eco-tourists, the island's seven villages have recently been awarded Thailand's Outstanding Tourism Award of 2002 by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Besides spending time with the families, eating and talking with them, the group was invited to go out to help with fishing nets and observe traditional fishing methods.

The villagers have had a tremendously positive effect on the fisheries near their islands. The mangrove conservation club was initiated in 1994, representing the seven villages on the island in aspects of coastal resource management. Through Community Managed Forests (CMF), nearly 80 percent of the mangroves lost during the past three decades have been recovered. The club also patrols the island to prevent trawlers and other outside fishing boats from encroaching on the islands' fishing grounds. Using a boat built with help from the Social Investment Fund, the group has kept unauthorized trawling vessels and push-net boats from the waters around the island. Trawlers and push-net operators often carelessly destroy fishing gear and wreak havoc on sea-grass beds and coral reefs nearby.

John Gray Sea-Canoe
MAP's 2003 volunteer group was privileged to be guests of the John Gray Sea-Canoe company. Mr. Gray, or "Caveman," as he is known locally, has lived in Thailand for over 20 years, and has introduced tropical kayaking to Thailand. While kayaking (or sea-canoeing as it is known in Thailand) has become big business, John Gray Sea-Canoe maintains itself as Thailand's only true eco-tourist kayaking company, featuring excellent guides who are knowledgeable about the issues surrounding tropical coastal environments. Unlike other tropical kayak companies in the area that rely on day workers to guide customers through the narrow caves and dangerous hongs (steep-walled lagoons), John Gray Sea Canoe guides are full-time, long-term employees who've been with the company for five years or more.

The MAP volunteers were invited to go on an overnight trip with John Gray Sea Canoe. After floating through some of the last remaining pristine areas of mangroves, going deep into the hongs and bays, the group viewed the impact of unrestricted tourism at James Bond Island. Hundreds of people were doing a half-day float into the small region of this famous tourist attraction. The MAP group removed enough discarded plastic and styrofoam from in and around the mangrove roots to fill six 55-gallon garbage bags. MAP is now working on a partnership with John Gray to develop a specialized program emphasizing mangrove conservation.

This year's Mangrove Work Study tour was underwritten in part through funds from the Cottonwood Foundation.

(http://www.earthisland.org)

Kudakalliya , Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka

Simple beach hut on one of the world's best surfing beaches, where you may spot wild elephants rather than other people

OVERVIEW

Kudakalliya sits on its own bay just south of Arugam Bay on Sri Lanka's East coast. Out front is a beach and a river, out back is the jungle. Here you truly get away from it all - there is rarely a soul on the beach for miles. You may however, spot wild elephants congregating for an evening shower on the nearby little island or lagoon. And Elephant Rock, the world-renowned surf-point (for those in the know), is just a 20-minute stroll from the house.

The building is a basic beach hut, built to be as eco-friendly as possible with solar energy for its lighting and water drawn from its own well. The walls are covered in termite hill mud, the floors are polished cement, the furniture is made largely from driftwood and local handloom fabrics have been used for sofa and cushion covers.

The house can accommodate up to 6 adults (extra beds for children available) and is the ultimate beach and nature lovers' paradise, if you have a sense of adventure.

ROOMS

On the upper floor of the bungalow there is one double/twin bedroom for privacy, the other 4 beds are outside on the veranda, similar to those found in jungle lodges. All beds are singles which can be pushed together to make a double. Drop-down bamboo blinds are there to protect you from the wind and weather, if necessary.

There is a large sitting area on the upper floor - wonderful for reading and relaxing, enjoying the view. Toilets and showers are on the ground floor and there's also an outside shower in the garden, all with fresh running cold water only.

EATING

The airy porch on the ground floor doubles as an outside dining room. There are two staff members on the premises who will do the food shopping and cook any meals to your requirements. Let them know what you would like and they will purchase the ingredients that day, although meals are at the mercy of what's available at the market so be flexible! The fully equipped kitchen is also available for those who prefer to cook their own food.

Bring your own alcohol or tell the owners what you want before you arrive - there are no supermarkets round the corner here.

ACITIVITIES

Long walks on what feels like a private beach

Swimming and of course, excellent surfing near Elephant Rock and Ulla Bay from May to September

Boat rides, dolphin watching and fishing trips can be arranged

Kayak (with life-vests) is available at the house for paddling down the river

A Landrover is available for rent as you need a 4WD to go into the jungle. Here you can explore 2000-year old temples and palaces that have hardly ever been seen by tourists

Visit Kumana bird sanctuary (part of Yala National Park), great for bird watching, spotting of wild boar, deer, elephants, wild buffalo, and even leopards if you are lucky

Lahugala National Park is also situated in this area and is famous for its large herds of elephants

HIGHS

Sitting high atop the water tank with a drink, watching the sunset. On one side, the sun lowers over the jungle, on the other, the tiny lights of the fishing boats glow like fireflies as night drawns in - magical!
Elephant Rock, one of the world’s best surf points is just a stroll away

Sleeping out on the verandah and watching the starry sky and night

LOWS
This is basic beach living so don’t expect mod cons

Kudakalliya is remote, so getting here does mean a long journey

The east coast is best visited from March to October; the surf season is limited to May-September.

(http://www.i-escape.com/kudakalliya.php#)

Adventure sports enthusiasts gear up for action by Carol Aloysius

Sri Lanka's conventional image as a popular sun 'n' sand destination is about to change. Future tourists are likely to be lured by something far more exciting, namely, adventure and action.

Working towards this goal is a group of enthusiastic outdoor sports lovers led by Thilak Weerasinghe, Chairman of Lanka Sportsreizen and President of the Adventure Operators Association (AOA) and Baron De Livera, President of the Windsurfing, Kayaking and Canoeing Association, who are sparing no efforts to lure this new and growing breed of tourists out there who they say prefer action packed adventurous holidays to just sun and sand.

As they point out, "The modern day tourist wants much more than just sand, sea and beaches. We have to lure them with out of the ordinary, action based holidays and give them a holiday they will never forget."

They are convinced that Sri Lanka is the perfect location for such holidays. "Sri Lanka has all the potential of becoming the future destination for water sports lovers, mountain climbers, windsurfers and those who enjoy canoeing, boating, yachting, fishing as well as nature lovers and wild life enthusiasts - instead of just a holiday location for sun, sand and beach lovers. All that is required to make this a reality is to harness all our natural resources and protect our environment. It would give our tourist industry a boost which it needs right now", says Weerasinghe, who set up his action based company, Sportsreizen a decade ago, for just this purpose.

Not expensive

Judging from the success of his own pioneering efforts at introducing several new water based sports such as kayaking, canoeing,windsurfing . white water rafting along with land based action activities like mountaineering, hiking, and cycling, Weerasinghe is convinced

that adventure based holidays is the answer to putting our tourist industry back on track, at practically no cost. His colleague, De Livera agrees. As they explain, "It will not be an expensive exercise, since we have all the infrastructure we require for such activities provided to us free of charge - by Mother Nature. It is merely a question of harnessing these gifts of nature at the minimum of costs."

As they rightly observe, Sri Lanka has perhaps more facilities for water based sports than most countries in the world, with ideal weather conditions and consistent winds all year round unlike in most other countries. "We are also blessed with an abundance of lakes, lagoons and rivers in the most picturesque settings. But these resources have to be tapped."

Comparing with their own experiences of water skiing, windsurfing, yachting and canoeing on our waterways in the past, both Weerasinghe and De Livera are deeply concerned at the extent of pollution and damage that has been done to our eco system in recent years, which has resulted in de-forestation and silting of natural lakes and rivers. "At the turn of the century, many of these waterways were used for transport and recreation especially by our former Colonial masters who even wrote books and perpetuated their beauty in paintings, today these natural resources have fallen into neglect.

Silt and weeds have clogged their waters and prevented any form of transport, let alone recreational activities such as boating, canoeing, fishing and even water skiing", points out De Livera who says his love affair with the waterways in Sri Lanka began some fifty years ago.

Pollution

He recalls how in the early fifties, he formed a Motor Boat Association persuaded by Dr. A.T.S. Paul who had brought down a speed boat. "We used to race along the Beira and in the Bolgoda lake. Then the rivers and lagoons were crystal clear and the lakes were like sheets of glass".

Both he and Weerasinghe also cite the old Dutch canal that flows through Hendela to the Negombo lagoon and beyond upto Chilaw as another example where pollution had ruined the splendour of a once breathtakingly beautiful stretch of water. "Even now the Negombo-Chilaw stretch of the lagoon is extremely picturesque studded with lovely mangroves which would delight any nature lover.

But there is so much silt that the boat actually touches the ground at time on this particular stretch. You dare not cruise especially at low tide", they say."If our lagoons are dredged regularly and kept free of silt and garbage, they could easily become some of the chief attractions for water sports lovers all over the world", says De Livera as he shows me a picture of a windsurfer riding the crest of a huge wave in the middle of the Puttlam lagoon. Windsurfing on this lagoon as well as some of the other lagoons in this country is as good as windsurfing on the sea" he says. "You get the feeling you are riding the waves of the ocean."

Both of them are eagerly looking forward to witnessing the first Adventure Race in Sri Lanka scheduled to be held in April, facilitated by the Tourist Board and organised by Adventure Centre Asia. As they point out, adventure races are a new concept in multi discipline sports and will most certainly prove to the world that Sri Lanka has probably the world's best potential for this kind of event.

New image

They reiterate the fact that Sri Lanka's future lies in promoting this new image of the country to the modern day tourist.They also share the view that the rivers, lakes and lagoons which have been neglected could easily become some of the chief attractions for outdoor sportsmen.

With the prospect of peace close at hand,and their belief that Sri Lanka's future lies in promoting this new image as a destination for adventure lovers, they have turned their eyes to the Northern and Eastern parts of the island. "The Jaffna lagoon and the Nilaweli beach are ideal for water based activities like windsurfing, canoeing and kayaking," they say. Both Weerasinghe and De Livera are now seeking to create awareness (via posters etc) of these new and exciting attractions which Sri Lanka can offer to future visitors from abroad.

Once this message gets through they believe that a holiday in Sri Lanka will be more than just sea, sun and beaches for future travellers.

(www.sundayobserver.lk - Sunday, 02 March 2003)

SPORTS AND RECREATION

Sri Lanka provides the holiday maker with a wide range of recreational activities at its tourist resorts. Water sports, beach games, golf, tennis, squash, group events conducted by trained animators are among the many activities provided at the resorts.

Wind surfing, water skiing, boating, swimming, diving and snorkelling are popular events at the west and south coast resorts. Diving schools run by experienced divers help the uninitiated. These resorts are popular with almost all holiday makers coming to Sri Lanka. Australian surfers have a special affinity to surfing at Hikkaduwa.

Submerged wrecks in Sri Lanka's coastal waters are an added attraction to the skilled divers. Negombo, Bentota, Ambalangoda, Hikkaduwa, Galle, Unawatuna, Weligama along the west and south coastal belt are ideal locations for water based activities.

Wind surfing and water skiing are popular events at coastal hotels. So are boating and boat trips. Inland boating facilities are available at the Bolgoda Lake in Colombo. Boating along rivers has become a favourite pastime with the tourists.

Tennis and squash are played at all major hotels in Colombo and some resort hotels. Land based sporting activities like mountain biking, trekking and hiking are there for those who like adventure.

(http://www.atsrilanka.com/sports.htm)

Sri Lanka and Maldives Travel Log, May 1993 by Helen Pederslie

Trip Participants:

Helen & Robert Pederslie

Trip Summary/Description:

4/30/93 Singapore - Colombo
5/3 Colombo - Male - Nika
5/9 Nika - Male - Colombo
5/10 Colombo - Singapore

DISCLAIMER:
This travel log was written solely for the purpose of providing the trip participants better means to remember this trip after their memories begin to fade. Therefore, if you like it-we will be happy for you, if you don't like it-don't come to us with a lawsuit for mental hardship! :-)

Email Address for Comments/Questions:
76244.1411@compuserve.com (Robert Pederslie)

Maldives, The Art of doing Nothing!

We must have had one of the most relaxing vacations ever! We started out with taking an Air Lanka flight to Colombo, Sri Lanka. We chose Air Lanka because it's much cheaper than Singapore Airlines. We definitely realized that we're travelling on a "3rd world airline" when we were directed to a special security check area just for Air Lanka! We then had to identify our checked baggage before boarding. Guess they don't want any bombs on the plane! Other than that, we were pleasantly surprised with great food and good service onboard.

The Colombo airport was much more modern and civilized than we had expected. I had thought that it would be similar to the Caracas airport in Venezuela, and we were all ready to face the hoards of "porters" trying to grab your bags. We were glad to spot a woman holding up a sign for "Pederslie" when we got our baggage cleared. She was the wife of our agent, and she also happened to be the ground crew for Air Lanka. We followed her outside to the waiting area where we met up with her husband who had just started the Sunflower Tour Agency. We then started on our long 2 hour journey to the Bentota Beach Hotel, about 70 kms from the airport. Boy, was I glad we didn't decide to get a car ourselves. The Sri Lankan folks are very aggressive drivers. Our agent would pass every car in sight, even though we were mainly on two-lane roads. Sometimes, four cars would squeeze by each other! Unbelievable!

When we finally arrived at the Bentota Beach Hotel, I was completely beat and was red-hot with a fever from my cold. The hotel was actually built on an old Dutch fort. Quite interesting indeed. We felt like we were entering a castle! The hotel lobby had these nice ceiling panels made with batik. That was a nice touch. Our room on the second floor had a fantastic view of the beach. Sri Lankan has lots of tall palm trees everywhere. But the room itself was quite hot and muggy. Apparently, the air conditioning of the hotel was hardly working. I didn't care the first night because I was shivering from the fever anyway. We ordered room service....basically, they brought whatever sandwiches were available. Robert ordered a milk shake, but it was basically strawberry flavored warm milk. Yuk! The tomato and cheese sandwiches weren't bad though, although I thought the cheese tasted funny, like the ones we had in Nepal (Yak cheese!).

We found out at breakfast time that each room was assigned a specific table at the "dining room". After an uneventful and mostly unappetizing breakfast, we headed outside to check out the two baby elephants who were taking their daily morning baths. The elephants were laying in the shallow water, and these workers were riding on them, scrubbing them clean with fresh coconut halves. The elephants really looked like they were enjoying themselves. Since they were mostly submerged in the water, you could see their trunks sticking out of the water once in a while to get some air.

Throughout the hotel grounds, signs of topless women with a cross on top of them were posted on the palm trees. Sri Lanka is mostly a Muslim country, so nakedness is definitely a taboo. I bet the Europeans must not had been pleased with that.

The hotel had quite a large swimming pool with big rocks embedded at the bottom of the pool. Looked quite interesting, but the water was much much too warm! We swam just a little and started sweating all over. Definitely not a refreshing swim. The Indian ocean was much much better. The water was warm but not hot, and Robert and I spent quite a lot of time playing in the waves. The waves could get quite big at times. Robert would lie in the water and try to catch a wave. He got lots of sand in his shorts (hee hee!) I just stood in the water because I was chicken. It was great fun!

Dinners at the hotel were not bad, but the worst part was that the men were expected to wear long pants at dinner time. Considering the fact that the air-conditioning was nothing more than a weak fan, dinner got to be quite a pain. The Sri-Lankan food was much better than the continental cuisine. Most of the guests at the hotel were tourists from Germany or other European countries. They didn't seem to mind the hot stuffy restaurant at all. Strange! Some of these people really overdid it with the sun-tanning. There entire bodies, including their faces, were beet-red in color! It was painful even to just look at them!

Robert bought me a beautiful Ceylon Sapphire and Diamond ring as my early birthday present. It was a good deal even though we just bought it at one of the jewelry stores at the hotel. As our Dutch friend Eveline would say, the ring was "cheapy, cheapy". Apparently, we were the first customer for May day, so our jeweller wanted our business badly. It was funny, because he was taking a nap when we entered the store. I guess business was not good for him that day.

We wanted to rent a water scooter for two that afternoon, but the boat house told us that there were some "problems" that day so they were closing the boat rentals early. We initially thought that their boats need repair or something, but we found out the next day that it was because of the imposed curfew throughout Sri Lanka that evening. The President of Sri Lanka was apparently bombed during the May Day Parade!! Some guy (must had belonged to the Opposition) strapped a suicide bomb to himself so he could kill the President. Scary that anyone would be crazy enough to do that! Good thing that there were no riots or anything after the assassination!

The next morning, we rented a boat to take us on a tour up the river. Our boatmen showed us water monitors (they were lying on tree limbs, and were about 1 foot long) and various birds (eagles, cormorants, etc.) We also stopped by this little hut where two little girls came running to show us their "pets", a mongoose and a baby alligator! The mongoose actually looked quite cute, but I didn't want to pet it in case it bit me. I figured that if mongooses (or is that mongeese??) were
tough enough to kill snakes, they couldn't had been that domesticated! We bought a hand-painted wooden elephant as a souvenir of the trip. We later found out that the wooden elephant was missing its tusks... bummer!

When our agent picked us up to take us to the airport for the flight to Male (the capital of Maldives), he showed us the spot where the President was killed. I didn't see anything unusual other than the fact that there were many policemen carrying rifles patrolling there. On our way, we saw lots of white flags and white banners. Air Lanka required us to check in 3 hours before flight time, so we had plenty of time to shop in the duty free area. The shopping was WONDERFUL at the airport! We bought lots of Ceylon tea (the Mango tea was especially delicious), and bought four kinds of cashew nuts. I also bought some cosmetics because the prices were really good. Now, THAT'S duty-free shopping! I was so happy shopping that before I knew it, it was time to board the aircraft. Bummer!

The Male airport was on a completely separate island from Male itself. It was very small, and was basically non-air-conditioned. We were met with a representative from Nika Hotel, and was quickly transferred to the Hummingbird helicopter waiting area. Nika Hotel is on Ari Atoll. It would take about 2 hours for speedboat transfer, so were lucky to get the helicopter transfer instead. The ride on the helicopter was very nice since we got to see all the beautiful islands below us. The Hummingbird helicopter service ran two different helicopters, an American one and a Russian one. Apparently, they had to hire a Bulgarian pilot to fly the Russian helicopter since all the controls were in Russian. After we arrived at the helicopter pad, we then took a 10 minute ride on the boat to get to the Nika Hotel. Boy, what a trip! I was completely exhausted when I got there. But at the reception, they had already laid out fresh pineapple and papaya together with two coconut drinks for us. What a nice surprise! They even had nice cold towels for us...ahhhh.... this is the life!

Nika Hotel was situated on this small island covered with many fruit trees. It was named Nika after a rare tree in the middle of the island. The hotel was owned by Italians but was run by local Maldivians. The bungalows were shaped to look like coral shells. Very interesting indeed! The water around Nika was absolutely gorgeous in all different shades of blue! The only thing that I didn't like about the island was that there was this one bat (at least I hoped that there was only one of them!) that would fly around the pathway at night! Gross! I could even tolerate the little lizards that would run around the island. They looked just like miniature iguanas. When they ran, their tails would swish around, making them look very comical!

We were assigned the Sultan room, and later found out that we got the best bungalow suite on the entire island. Nika Hotel had altogether about 26 bungalows, and each one got its own private beach, well, except for bungalow #1 (to the left of our bungalow). The two young Italian girls (I called them the Italian babes, they looked like twins) in Bungalow #1 were sunning themselves on our beach when we arrived! Imagine my surprise when I saw them right next to my bedroom window! So much for the private beach! Our "public relations" guy told us that their beach was being repaired, and so they were sharing our beach with us. But if we didn't want to share, he would tell them not to go to our beach anymore. Well, I didn't want to chase the two women off our beach, but I didn't want to have them lying by my bedroom either! But I guess Robert and I grossed them out when they saw us lying around on our bed (with our towels) after our shower (we were so beat!) I guess the Italian babes got embarrassed and decided to find another beach themselves. We later found out that they decided to share the beach with some of their other Italian friends. Lucky us!

The Sultan bungalow had two large bedrooms complete with mosquito netting over the beds. The place was furnished with old Sri Lankan furniture, and the bathrooms were actually outdoors! There was even a second bathroom with an outdoor tub. Strange! Since parts of the bungalow were outdoors, there were quite a number of house lizards and ants running around, especially at night. One of the house lizards actually got into the toilet and was doing a backstroke in it. Yuk! The best part of the bungalow was definitely our bedroom as we overlook our private beach. It was really nice to hear the waves lapping away at night! Sort of like a lullaby! There were several ceiling fans throughout the bungalow, but we really wished that they had air conditioning during our first evening there. Somehow our part of the island had very little breeze at night... so that was a drag. On our first night, we kept on waking up every few hours because of the heat. We actually went and took cold showers to keep cool.

Dinner was served from 9pm to 10:30pm! Nika set its time 2 hours ahead of Male time, so I guess it wasn't too late after all. Besides, there wasn't too much to do after dark on the island anyway, except for swimming in the moonlight (which we did the first night...it was really nice!) The moon was glowing on the beautiful water, and I could actually see the sand underneath the water! Anyway, back to dinner. We got one of the best tables at the restaurant because we got the Sultan bungalow, and our waiter's name was Hussein. He was a really nice Maldivian. Lunches and dinners were always a three course affair with tea or coffee at the end. Considering that they had to import mostly all of their foods, I would say that the food was quite excellent. We had excellent pastas with tomato sauces, and we had fresh fish every day. At night, they would usually serve some meat. We also had a Maldivian buffet (curry and rice mostly) one night. The hotel actually grew its own vegetables and fruits. One night, I ordered the lobster as a special meal. Our waiter made beautiful flowers with our paper napkins. It was so pretty!

Next to our tables were this one German couple who seemed to know EVERYONE. The wife had these incredibly long thin legs. I was so jealous. But she had an ugly face and really awful long hair. I told Robert that I would like to have her body but keep my face. He thought that I would look very strange indeed! The German husband had this very very dark tan! He must not had been worried about skin-cancer!

At the other table sat the Italian Doctor and her buddy. I had requested for some cough syrup when we got to the hotel, and ended up getting a quick checkup by the Italian Doctor. She couldn't speak English well at all. It was my first checkup in Italian! That was funny. Apparently, the hotel always invited a Doctor to be on the island for medical emergencies.

>From our dinner table, we could sometimes see the moon rising over the horizon at night. It was a really beautiful sight to see the moon rising over the clouds! Too bad we didn't have a camera to capture it on film.

There was an open air aquarium not far from the restaurant. We would take our bread to go feed the turtles, fish, and sharks (they didn't like bread) nearly everyday. It was really fun to see the turtles fighting for the bread! The German couple had this ritual where only one of them would go feed the turtles during every meal. Strange...

Sure seemed like everyone else smoked except for us. I guess it was because the hotel guests were mainly Italians and Germans, and that smoking was quite common in Europe. Oh well... We just made sure that we didn't linger too long among the smokers. The main activities before and after dinner were to gather at the coffee-shop to have drinks. I particularly enjoyed our pre-dinner drinks since we could see the beautiful sunsets. Drinks were very expensive in the Maldives since the Government does not allow Moslems to drink. It was a major offense to smuggle in alcohol in the Maldives. Even our bartenders were not Maldivians. The Government would import Sri Lankans, etc. to act as bartenders. Robert's favorite drink was the Coca Dorato, a very potent mixture of coconut, Rum, and Galliano. Since I had a bad cold, my favorite was Coke with Lime (they call them Limon over there). They would serve the drinks with finger sandwiches (tuna and tomato, or olive spread), green olives and fresh coconut. All very yummy! One night, I fed the tuna-fish sandwich to the cat "Lumpy". This one white and gray cat would always show up at the coffee shop at night. He had one bad leg and would hobble around. I called him Lumpy (or Lumpaceous) because he had these scratches and scars all over his body. I guess it was tough to be an island kitty. Apparently, he was one of the five cats on the island. Lumpy was nice and friendly enough. He would always meow for attention, and loved getting petting from me. Robert tried petting him with his foot once, and Lumpy let out this awful meow after a while. He then kept staring at Robert's foot while meowing in this awful tone. Robert was sure that Lumpy was going to attack his foot! It was so funny!

My favorite activity on the island was definitely snorkelling! We could actually snorkel right from our beach. There were an amazing number of fish on the coral about 30 yards from the beach. We even fed them once, and these neon colored fish were very aggressive and even bit our fingers to try to get at the bread. It was fun! There was a short "wall" or drop-off in the coral, where we could see large schools of fish swimming along the wall. I couldn't believe all the marine life! Actually, before we discovered snorkelling right along the island, we went on this snorkelling trip to one of the outer reefs. The water was very choppy that day, and I was getting quite nauseas from the sea. Everybody else (there were only four of us) jumped into the sea from the boat, but I refused. So they got me this ladder which I hung on for dear life. I was so nauseas that I wasn't sure what would be better. In the water or on the boat. Good thing I decided to go ahead with the snorkelling anyhow. We actually saw a manta-ray swim by. The ray was a very fast swimmer. Robert tried to catch up with him, but he just kind of "flew" away. The other German couple saw a small reef shark. One of the local Maldivians from our hotel snorkelled along with us. He used no flippers at all, just stuck a mask and snorkel on. All the Maldivian men wore these long sarongs. It was really funny to see him in the water with this sarong. When we swam back to the boat, we had to swim outside the reef area where there was this incredible wall. I didn't have my contact lenses in, so I couldn't see how deep the water was all of a sudden. All I knew was that the water turned a very intense shade of green. Robert said he looked and couldn't see the bottom at all. Scary!

Since I caught this awful cold, we didn't get to try any diving at all. But the snorkelling was just fine for me. I had never seen so many fish in my life. The best part was that I could go snorkelling any time in the day right from the beach, and then go into the bungalow for a shower before coming back out to the beach to lay around. Sometimes we could see the water turning dark from all the schools of fish. Many of them would actually jump out of the water, making splattering noises. That was very entertaining! Our beach always had one or two cranes that would stand there patiently waiting for an unsuspecting fish to swim by. Robert would always try to get close to them, but they were awfully shy. So he would start running after them. These poor cranes would let out these awful noises when they were terrorized by Robert.

Maldives was having its rainy season, but we were fortunate to have only periodic showers from time to time. Actually, we enjoyed the showers because it would bring some relief to the hot weather! One afternoon, there was a big storm outside, and we actually spotted two water spouts! Robert was really happy because he had never seen water spouts before.

Lots of people were learning diving, including the Italian Doctor. One night, a group went on a night-diving trip. While we were sipping our pre-dinner drinks, they put on all their gear and just kind of disappeared into the water. One of the Germans was kidding to the bartender, saying that he better sign for his check before he went diving, just in case he didn't come back.

We arranged to be dropped off on a deserted island not far from the hotel. It was really strange to be there all by yourself. We spent the morning walking around the island, and Robert saw this black and white water snake in the water not far from where he was standing! Good thing I didn't see it because I would definitely have freaked out! Robert even tried to take a picture of it, although it didn't turn out very well. The snake was about 1 foot long. It was my understanding that all water snakes were very poisonous, although they didn't usually attack unless they were provoked. Still, the thought of us lying there on the deserted island dying from the poisonous snake bite was not a good one! It was quite hot and sunny that day, so we did some snorkelling around the island. We saw these very cute clown-fish (orange and brown with white stripes) that hang out in the anemones. Anemones were something like living coral and were poisonous. The clown-fish would secrete this mucus so that the anemones would think that the clown-fish were actually part of the anemones. This way, the clown-fish would be protected from other predators. They were really very cute. When Robert waved in the water with his hand, they would hide in the anemones, and then peek to check whether he was gone!

We also went fishing twice. Robert caught this 40 lb grouper, a very fat fish with an awful looking mouth and teeth, and also this 80 lb (6 to 7 feet long) Blue Marlin (or Sailfish, with this very beautiful blue fin and a nose like a swordfish). I caught these two much smaller fish by comparison. Boring! I did nearly get pulled overboard by this other Blue Marlin. He actually bit the steel leader off and got away. That was quite exciting! The fishermen hardly spoke English, but they were all very nice. All the fishing was done with just a hook with fish as bait and a piece of fishing line. For the big fish (caught during Trawling Fishing), we had a big piece of rope attached to the fishing line. No fishing rods at all! It was really amazing to see one of the fishermen pull in this great big shark (about 9 to 10 feet, I would say) with his bare hands! He also caught another smaller reef shark (about 2 to 3 feet). We took a picture of him holding his trophy before he let the little shark back into the water. That shark went bounding all over the deck in a fury. Robert's fisherman actually got on the bench to get away from the shark. It was so funny to see Robert's grouper jumping around madly, splashing water onto one of our fishermen's eyes. Everyone was laughing really hard. The Maldivians really keep their fishing boats very clean. They would clean and scrub with sea water every time a fish touched the deck. During our fishing trips, we also saw schools of dolphins playing in the water. They would gracefully jump in and out of the water. What a sight it was!

Apart from fishing, we spent some time playing "Travel Scrabble" and kayaking. As the slogan goes..."Maldives, the art of doing nothing!", I figured that we did alright! We could sure get used to this life! It was really sad to leave the place, although I missed Tiggra and Teddy badly. I stared at the blue waters as we took our boat ride to the helicopter pad, and I saw this spotted ray go by. It was beautiful! On the way back to the Male airport, since there were only three passengers, Robert actually got invited to go sit in the helicopter cockpit. He took lots of nice pictures of the islands below, and spent some time talking to the Bulgarian pilot.

Time to go back to Colombo for one night before flying back to Singapore. The Male airport was FILLED with local Maldivians who were seeing their relatives off on their trip to Mecca (in Saudi Arabia to pay pilgrimage...this was supposed to be their journey of a lifetime). It was really funny to see a huge Boeing 747 being filled with these folks all dressed in white robes. Looked like a giant Toga party!

We stayed at the Hotel Lanka Oberoi in Colombo. It was quite nice and luxurious in comparison to the simple bungalows we were used to. We had asked for a suite, and it turned out to be two adjourning rooms! They took out the bed in the other room and put in sofas. So much for a suite! Apparently, the occupancy rate was so low there that they could afford to have these "suite" arrangements. Our room was quite nice as it overlooks the swimming pool. After another hot and totally unrefreshing swim at the swimming pool, I went for a quick massage at the Health Club, while Robert read his newspaper (first time in over a week) by the pool. There were these big crows all standing around the pool, hoping to get a scrap of food. There were a lot of expatriate families around the pool area. Apparently, the hotel pools were one of the few hangout joints in Colombo.

For dinner, we tried out the local restaurant at the hotel called the "Ran Malu". We ordered all Sri Lankan curries. Yummy! We really like Sri Lankan food. They even had a band playing Sri Lankan music (sounded like Mexican music to us though). The food prices in Sri Lanka were very reasonable. The entire dinner with drinks came to about US$30. Not bad!

Well, all in all, we had quite a wonderful time at Sri Lanka and Maldives. I really want to visit Maldives again. I will never forget the beautiful blue waters....

Activities for Tourist

For Cultural Tourists

Many Cultural Sites, particularly in the Cultural Triangle are all within easy reach of many hotels located in Dambulla, Habarana, Sigiriya, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. Tour Operators provide transport to and from these tourist sites, and has a well experienced guide. For the free and independent tourist, excursions can be obtained from hotels and these are also accompanied by an experienced guide. The attractions within these sites are well marked and can easily be understood by a traveler.


Beach Resorts


West Coast Beach Resorts

The West Coast stretches from Negombo, 35kms north of Colombo, to Mt. Lavinia a southern suburb of Colombo. Mt. Lavinia and Negombo are the best-developed beach resorts in this region. Isolated hotels have sprung up in most places along the western coastal stretch.

Mt. Lavinia

Eleven kilometers south of Colombo along the road to Galle (known as Galle Road) is the beach resort of Mt. Lavinia. The sea is safe for bathing and is a popular bathing spot with clean sandy beaches. The name Lavinia is derived from local legend of a secret love affair between a British Governor and a local damsel who used to meet at the holiday house of the Governor that stood on the spot where the Mt. Lavinia Hotel is now located.

Negombo

The major beach resort on the West Coast it lies just 10 minutes north of the International Airport, the wide sandy beaches and the safe sea attract thousands of visitors to Negombo, a traditional fishing town. Several hotels ranging from luxury hotels to small motels and restaurants have come up along the coastal stretch. The fish market is worth visiting where busy trading of a variety of fish including prawns, crabs and seer takes place in the mornings when the fishing crafts return to the shore with their catch.

South Coast Beach Resorts

The southern coastal belt is the most popular among the tourists and is frequented by the European tourists. The main beach resorts are at Beruwala, Bentota and Hikkaduwa having several beach hotels with their exclusive beachfronts. Another spectacular stretch of beach in the south is Unawatuna, which lies a few kilometers south of Galle.

Beruwala

An hour's drive from Colombo along the south coast will take the visitor to Beruwala that marks the beginning of the South Coast Beach Resort. Several luxury resorts provide comfortable accommodation and meals. Beruwala is considered to be the first Muslim settlement in the Island established by the Arab traders as far back as the 8th century. There is a famous Muslim mosque at the beachhead close to which is a lighthouse one of several erected along the Sri Lankan coastline.

Bentota

Four kilometers to the south of Beruwala is the Bentota National Tourist Resort, a unique place where the river and sea meet. It is a planned resort with four-star class hotels, a Railway Station, Post Office, Bank, Shopping Arcade, a Tourist Information Centre, and an abundance of water based recreational activities, such as windsurfing, water skiing and jet skiing.

Hikkaduwa

Hikkaduwa (99 km. from Colombo) is the place for underwater delights and has a dedicated marine sanctuary abundant with rare corals and tropical fish. The underwater world of colourful corals and beautiful shoals of fish can be explored either by snorkeling or taking a ride in a glass bottom boat. Hikkaduwa is also a god location for surfing and Australian surfers have a strong affinity to surf at Hikkaduwa.

Galle the southern capital (116 km. from Colombo) was the seaport of Sri Lanka before the Colombo Port was developed. Its main attraction is the Fort that has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Fort was built by the Portuguese in 1619 and subsequently expanded and developed by the Dutch and the British the one time colonial masters of the Island. What now remains is mostly the work of the Dutch and the British.

Unawatuna

Four kilometers south of Galle is Unawatuna (120 km. from Colombo), a beautiful stretch of beach in the south safe for bathing.

The town of Kudawella (189 km. from Colombo) is famous for its blowhole, which is a rare geological formation on the rocky beach throwing huge columns of water high up into the air with a loud noise like a natural spout. This noise has given the village its name Hoommane. Huge ocean waves breaking on the rocks are thrown up through an opening in the rock causing this wonderful sight that should not be missed by anyone going along the southern coastal road. This site is known to be one of the biggest blowholes in the world.

East Coast Beach Resorts

The Eastern beaches stretch for over 300 kilometers along which tourist resorts have developed in Nilaveli, 16 km. from Trincomalee to Kalkudah, 32 km. north of Batticaloa. It is one of the best stretches of beach in Sri Lanka.

Trincomalee

Horatio Nelson, the British admiral of the 18th century had on arriving at the Trincomalee harbour described it as the finest natural harbours in the world. It is a beautiful harbour worthy of that description and had been in use as a port from the days of the early Sinhala kings. The old Portuguese/Dutch Fort reminiscent of the colonial rule of the Island has the year 1676 inscribed above its entrance by the Dutch. The British colonists subsequently named it Ford Frederick. Trincomalee is well known for its spectacular views from the tall cliffs protecting the harbor, and is centrally located between the beaches at Nilaveli and, Kalkudah and Passikudah.

Nilaveli

Nilaveli is a prime beach resort in the East Coast, with a number of luxury hotels situated just a few kilometers north of the port of Trincomalee. It is ideally suited for sun bathing, sea bathing and diving. A few meters off shore, a small rocky island is good for snorkeling. Nilaveli was the venue for the 1985 International FunBoard Championship.

Kalkudah & Passikudah

These are very fine beaches in the East Coast. Kalkudah Bay is a 2 km. long wide stretch of beach well protected from the monsoon by the off shore reef. Passikudah Bay is another wide beach 4 km. long just north of Kalkudah. The combined area of Passikudah and Kalkudah was declared a National Holiday Resort in 1973. This is an ideal stretch for bathing, windsurfing and water skiing.


For Eco-tourists

Sri Lanka sets the perfect backdrop for the nature lover, offering a variety of large mammals, insects, reptiles and birds found among the island's scenic beauty. Hotels offer a variety of small excursions such as Bird Watching, Butterfly watching or in some hotels, even elephant safaris (a safari while riding on the back of an elephant). Sri Lanka is situated on winter migration routes, and many birds from Europe and Asia make the wetlands, lakes and marshes of Sri Lanka, their home. During this migratory season Sri Lanka hosts a total of more than 500 species of bird, truly a bird watcher's paradise. Only a few years ago a new species of owl was discovered in the dense forests of Sri Lanka, displaying Sri Lanka' great bio-diversity. The trackers that lead these tours are also the best in the business and you won't miss out on anything. For the tourist who wants to experience more than what hotels have to offer, you can ask for specialised tours such as bird watching tour packages.

For tourists interested in seeing larger animals Sri Lanka's national parks are ideal. Close to 13% of Sri Lanka's land area is demarcated as a national parks or nature reserves. Independent Safari Tour companies have many jeeps for hire near all the major National Parks, and information on these tours are available at the information desk at your hotel. Each jeep has a tracker and a driver and is very cheap to hire. For nature lovers who want to rough it out, camp facilities are available at all the major national parks upon permission. The national parks are easily accessible by road bar a few reserves in the North and the East. The two biggest National parks are Yala (Ruhunu) National Park on the South East Coast and Wilpattu on the West Coast. The variable climate in different parts of the country ensures that one national park is different from another in both flora and fauna. In Yala the terrain varies from flat plains alternating with rocky outcrops. The vegetation ranges from open parkland to dense jungle. Water holes, small lakes, lagoons and streams provide water for the animals and birds. Yala is known to have elephant herds, and the elusive leopards. Wilpattu is famous for its leopard population and its dense scrub like vegetation.

A few hotels promote and practice eco-tourism, and they also offer recreational activities such as bird watching, nature trekking, canoeing, camping and visits to villages in a way manner that does not harm the environment, nor the people living in the vicinity of the hotel. These hotels are situated in areas of exceptional beauty and they are allowed to because they don't damage the environment. Therefore a large number of these hotels have located themselves close to National Parks. Some hotels have been created to emulate traditional lifestyles, and offer the tourist a window into Sri Lankan lifestyle.

Recently there has been collaboration between members of the industry to create a model Eco-lodge to establish standards through a demonstration model in developing a specialised tourism product.


For Adventure Tourists

This is one of the fastest growing segments of Sri Lankan Tourism. With a large number of tourists looking for unique experiences, Sri Lanka is fast establishing itself as an adventure destination. Many companies and resorts offer a complete adventure sports-oriented holiday package for travelers. The mountainous region of Sri Lanka offer excellent locations for rappelling and abseiling, while the gushing rivers are excellent for white-water rafting and kayaking. Para gliding, out-door camping and trekking are some of the other activities which most tour operators and adventure sports companies offer travelers. Nature trekking is a favorite activity, and some combine this with bird watching expeditions. Trekking is an exciting way of discovering the beauty of flora and fauna, ancient cities and small villages that's found beyond the nation's highways. For those who want a less exhausting trek the rolling plains of the Central Province are ideal. For the more adventurous, if a hotel room does not exciting, you can settle for special camping sites near waterfronts and jungle settings.

The Sri Lankan coast is also a hive of adventure activities. Some hotels have the unique geographical position of being on the beach but close to a river. This means that the hotels offer water-based activities in the calm and safety of a river but also the challenge and the excitement of the open sea. Adventure activities offered on the coast include, water-skiing, jet skiing, wave runners, banana boating. There are plenty of activities to keep you occupied when you are not sunbathing or exploring a seaside town. If the coast overwhelms you, hire a mountain bike and test a section of the new 240 km long National Cycle Path from Wadduwa on the west coast to Koggala on the south coast. This new service is very enjoyable, and you can see Sri Lanka from a new perspective and not just as a passing blur from inside a vehicle. This course takes you away from the main highways through areas of scenic beauty and you will also get the chance to meet many local Sri Lankans, identifiable with their ever-present mile and out-going personality.

Sri Lanka also offers specialised tours for the adventure seeker including deep-sea fishing tours, diving tours and trekking tours. The advantage of such a tour is that you spend anywhere from 7 to 14 days dedicating your holiday catching barracuda and tuna from these tropical waters, to diving on shipwrecks in clear waters. To make sure that you are not "bored" with doing the same activities for your whole holiday, there will also be small excursions to cultural sites and national parks to show the multi-faceted attractions of Sri Lanka.

For Health tourists

Ayuverdic treatments and massages are available at major resorts and hotels. Ayuverda is now recognized as an alternative medicine form in the west, however the lack of fresh herbs required for the medication and treatment has prevented it from becoming a frequently used form of treatment in western countries. Sri Lanka has an endless supply of these fresh herbs, and several hotels have included Ayuverdic Treatment Centres in their hotels with dedicated Ayuverdic doctors. These therapists are well trained and have perfected this art over a long period of time, so you are assured of a relaxing time after a long day of tours. Treatments include the herbal facial treatment called Vakthra Vimardana, nasal treatment, herbal baths, oil body massages, medicated team baths, oil head massages and foot massages. Ayuverdic treatments have many health benefits and are known to detoxify the body, attain mental and physical relaxation, develop greater body immunity and relieve stress and promote healthy living. If this sounds appealing, you should choose a specialised Ayuverda tour. This tour package provided by many local Tour Operators offers a weeklong program of the above treatments, and it also prescribes the consumption of special food during the program along with simple exercises to be done morning and evening for body toning and meditation periods to purify the mind. Tours like this is guaranteed to leave you refreshed and revitalized and also teach you practices that will keep you healthy even after you leave the shores of Sri Lanka.

For Sports Tourists

Golfing in Sri Lanka has many nostalgic links to the British colonial era. During this time, wealthy English planters and governors spent their evenings at clubhouses, playing golf in an effort to recreate the English lifestyle in Sri Lanka (a good example is the town of Nuwara Eliya). Today, club members, tourists and traveling executives lured by the quiet atmosphere and the scenic beauty of these golf links.

There are three excellent golf courses in Sri Lanka, from the nostalgic to the modern. The first one is the Royal Colombo Golf Club, which is the island's oldest, established in 1879, measuring 5,770 yards in length and featuring several water hazards. It has hosted a number of local and regional championship events in the past. Situated in the suburbs of Colombo, it is easily accessible from the main hotels and the business district. It was one of the first 25 golf courses that celebrated over a hundred years of existence in the whole world.

The Nuwara Eliya Golf Club encompasses full of scenic beauty and is an 18-hole golf course that lies at the base of the tallest mountain in Sri Lanka, Mount Pidurutalagala, 1890 ft above sea level. Laid out in Nuwara Eliya in 1889, the course is acknowledged to be one of Asia's best, bounded by forest cover and gifted with a stunning view. The course itself is stunningly beautiful and challenging with fir-lined fairways, bunkers (especially that surround 9th hole), and a river on 6th hole that make this course unique.

The latest addition to Sri Lanka's golfing assets is the Victoria International Golf Club, opened in January 1999, situated on the shore of the Victoria Reservoir, 20 km away from Kandy. Designed by Donald Steel & Company, it is another enjoyable course in the island. The challenging Tee-shots and narrow coconut-trees lined fairways are really golfers' obstacles. The 3rd and 5th holes are beautifully overlooking the sweeping panorama of the reservoir. It is recommended to get a caddy, as the greens are hard to read. Caddies are courteous and mannered and getting one of them is really contributing to the enjoyment of the game.

Three more new Golf courses will be added to this list of courses in Sri Lanka shortly, offering tourists with a larger number of courses, conditions and challenges to choose from.


For City Tourists

Colombo is a very tourist-oriented city, the streets are easily navigated and if you have any queries, people will not hesitate to help you. Many of Colombo's attractions are close proximity to each other. Colombo, being the biggest city in Sri Lanka, offers a lot of services such as restaurants, hospitals and banks. The Fort district is the central business district of this city where most of the new office towers and also a number 'Five Star' international chain hotels are situated. This is an excellent centralised location to start exploring Colombo. Colombo is divided in 15 smaller districts, Pettah; the historical commercial district of the capital is now a vibrant street bazaar, which is the best place in Colombo to get a bargain. Many traders from jewelry to saris to handbags can be seen bargaining with customers to sell their wares. The National Museum in Colombo has a very large collection of exhibits of the historical and cultural past of Sri Lanka, the most beautiful of which are the jeweled throne, crown and sceptre of the Kandyan Kings. Set in the grounds of the old British Governor's house in Colombo it offers a view into Sri Lanka's romantic past. Colombo's bus service is very efficient and cheap, but probably the most exciting mode of transport is by hiring a three-wheeler, as this will make your tour of Colombo very easy. As night settles in on Colombo, many Bars, Nightclubs and Casinos replace shops to become the main attractions.

Colombo and many other towns and cities offer both Sri Lankan and foreign cuisine. If you want to experiment with traditional Sri Lankan food, the best place to go is to the restaurants that are situated in many parts of Colombo, which offer the best Sri Lankan at a very cheap price. Specialty foreign cuisine restaurants are also available in many parts of Colombo and its suburbs, though a foreign meal will cost a bit more than a Sri Lankan meal. If a trendier restaurant is your liking Hotel restaurants are the best, where world-class chefs create Indian, Chinese, Japanese and German cuisine. Expect restaurants in hotels to be much pricier than city restaurants.


For Business Tourists

Sri Lanka has seen a steady rise in the number of "MICE" (Meetings, Incentive travel, Convention, and Exhibition) tourists. These tourists arrive in Sri Lanka with the intention of attending or hosting such events. Colombo has a lot to offer to these tourists in terms of Infrastructure. The most renowned is the BMICH (Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall), and it is within easy access from any point in the city. The BMICH is actually a large complex and consists of four Blocks. The first block is the main Assembly hall itself; the second block consists of 90 office rooms for the use of the visitors and hosts, Block three has the main committee rooms and block 4 is the residential and secretariat, with deluxe rooms for distinguished visitors. The Complex offers services like Conference facilities, Telephone Services, Dining Facilities, Press lobby, Library, Bank and post office among others.

Colombo also offers a host of large convention and exhibition infrastructure one of the biggest being the Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre (SLECC), which is situated, in close proximity to the business centre in Colombo and the leading hotels. It is the most recent addition to Sri Lanka's convention centres. This multi-purpose air-conditioned exhibition and convention centre has a totally column-free layout and good floor loading providing easy assembly, installation and dismantling of any type of machinery, sensitive equipment. Conference rooms and facilities can also be obtained at major hotel resorts throughout the country; this offers the traveller the balance between a relaxing break and the modern up-to-date facilities required for business. For more information regarding MICE tourism contact the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau.

For business travelers, meetings and conferences are not everything. The City of Colombo provides many opportunities to relax. Take a few hours off from your busy schedule and go on a shopping spree or tee-off at the beautiful Royal Colombo Golf Club. International and local rent-a-car services are available and Limousine services can be organised from hotels.

Travelers to Sri Lanka will also have the luxury of traveling on a national airline that gives preferential treatment to MICE tourists. Sri Lankan Airlines will make your journey to and from Sri Lanka very comfortable, and conserve your energy for the important meetings and conferences. Some of the facilities provided include Discounted tickets, quick baggage clearance, so contact Sri Lankan Airlines to make your travel arrangements.

The soul-soothing Sri Lanka -June 04, 2004 by Damu

The mood is set straightaway by the very warmth and genuinely friendly smile and service of the cabin crew even as you enter the hi-tech fleet of Sri Lankan Airlines. It immediately makes you feel at home. You are at ease – be it on a business tour or just for fun. The craft gently takes off to fly you to one of the great countries in the Indian sub-continental region that hosts a rich culture, a mystical tradition and the best of Mother Nature. In tune with the flight, your expectations and elation too soar high.

If you are flying from Trivandrum airport by Sri Lankan Airlines, within thirtyfive minutes you are in Colombo, the capital of the Sri Lanka, with entirely elitist’s environs that would surprise you. There are a number of tourists’ attractions in Sri Lanka. The picturesque Kandy, the ancient city of Anuradhapura, the National Parks, the rejuvenating salutiferous hill stations, the Dutch relics of Galle etc., etc., etc. The magnificent Sigiriya rock fortress built during the 5th century by King Kashyapa, is today one of the world heritage centres. It is stated that only a few tourists have climbed all the thousand and odd steps to reach atop this spectacular fortress. Fortunately I was one among the thousands of tourists who have had scaled the full length and height of the fortress…visually though! The grand Buddhist temples and Bhamyan-like images of the god-incarnate in Sri Lanka are a spiritual treat to the soul.

For nature lovers and adventurers, the country has many surprises in store. Predominantly a beach and sand destination, Sri Lanka is very famous for canoeing, surfing, rock-climbing, trekking, mountain biking and more conventional activities like cricket and golf. About 20% of the visitors to Sri Lanka are British nationals, who come to enjoy the myriad magical bounties of this beautiful former British colony. Among other things two major attractions for the Britishers are the tea plantations at Nuwara Eliya with one of the beautiful and huge golf course in this part of the world and a race course too.

The picturesque Peradeniya Botanical Gardens spread over 147 acres of lovely landscape with a marvelous multiplicity of flora are a feast to the eyes. And elsewhere the children and the adults would be thrilled to see the variety of creepy little turtles of various sizes thrive in the hatchery in Kosgoda, and hundreds of orphaned elephants at the Pinnewala elephant sanctuary – a few commendable eco-responsible endeavours of the island nation.

The on-set of south-west monsoon brings with it many wonders making the lush green island look greener and a lot merrier. The magnificent Bambarakanda waterfall, the highest in the island, is something you would love to watch for hours together in a meditative mood. The amazing river Kwai swells to tempt you for a swim or a boat ride. And at times you find some adventure loving foreign tourists do some kayaking along the roaring river! It is one of the spots that appears in Sir David Lean’s 1957 masterpiece "The bridge over the River Kwai"! It is an out-of-the-world experience to watch pensively the river Kwai flow gently.

Sri Lankan food is very much Indian-like. The typical Sri Lankan meal comprises the staple cereal rice spiked with a spicy curry made of coconut, chilli, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon! Vegetables, meat and fish at liberal quantities go as side dishes. Rambutan, the fat red furred fruit and the mangoustine are the two important fruits of Sri Lanka. Plenty you find them all along roadsides. The season is just getting over. Pineapples are there almost all days round the year, the particularly elongated pineapples of Sri Lanka are a different lot with a unique taste.

Most of the festivals of the island nation are of religious nature. During July and August there are particularly two important festivals. The southern jungles of the nation celebrate what is called Katarangama, the Buddhist festival with a concluding grand show of fire walking. The other festival is Perahara at Kandy, a ten day Hindu carnival with lot of pageant shows, gaja melas presenting scores of caparisoned elephants, acrobats, jigglers and entertainers staging lot of amusement for the visitors. This particular festival is very much Indian in its nature. Yet another important festival is Duruthu Perahera, a procession festival celebrated in the month of January, in commemoration with the first visit of Buddha to Sri Lanka.

So far if you have not visited Sri Lanka, that’s because you have had no idea about its tourism potential or that you were a bit hesitant for reasons as told to anyone in the subcontinent. But the picture is entirely different from what you have heard or imagined. Despite the bloody ethnic clashes for the past two decades between the Sinhalese army and the Tamil tigers, the serene island has kept its cool and charm, attracting millions of tourists from around the world. Sri Lankan tourism figures are a proof of its never-say-die tourist-enchantment nature.

In the past decade the tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka show a little over 32% increase with about 400 million tourists visiting the country as of now every year. The tourists to Sri Lanka are mainly from Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia. Europe’s tourists’ share of the Sri Lankan pie is 53% followed by Asia, the US and the Australasia with 36%, 5% and 3% respectively while the tourist influx from other regions forms the rest. Coping with this trend, the hospitality industry in the country has upgraded the accommodation capacity by about 32% over the years.

The unique hospitality of this island of fantasy comes alive in its entirety at the many wonderful hotels that are located there. Some of them offer a life-time tour package. Take for example the Best of Sri Lanka Holiday Package floated by the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces which has two finest hotels in the country - the majestic beach resort, Taj Exotica at Bentota situated on a hillock, overlooking the Indian Ocean and the palm-fringed long stretch of golden beach with its several banquet and conference halls of palatial proportions and Taj Samudra spread amidst 11 acres of landscaped gardens and facing the historic Galle Face Green waterfront.at Colombo. The hotel that has hosted two SAARC summits and foreign dignitaries like the former US first lady Hillary Clinton and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Unveiled with the opening of the skies between India and Sri Lanka, the Taj Best of Sri Lanka holiday offer is going great guns greeting the international traveler this summer through the end of September this year – the best time to tour this "country like no other"!

The most tempting island nation that is so near to our east coast, which cherishes a legendary bondage with our country, is just waiting to receive you! Get set to fly to this fantastic tourists’ destination with your family and enjoy the country’s hospitality. And don’t forget to carry back home your travel bag stuffed with samples of the world famous Sri Lankan tea, spices, fabric, gems and of course a couple of colourful and meticulously carved traditional masks of Sri Lanka’s artisans of Ambalangoda. Some of the world famous handicrafts of Sri Lanka are its silverware, ornamented brassworks, reed/rush/bamboo/rattan ware, coir goods, mat-works from the Dumbara valley, the lacquer ware of the Kandyan highlands, handloom textiles, lot and lot more.

Open Water Film Review

CREDITS
Directed by Chris Kentis
Sceenplay by Chris Kentis

Cast (in credits order)
Blanchard Ryan .... Susan
Daniel Travis .... Daniel
Saul Stein .... Seth
Estelle Lau .... Estelle
Michael E. Williamson .... Davis
Cristina Zenarro .... Linda
John Charles .... Junior

Produced by
Estelle Lau .... associate producer
Laura Lau .... producer

Original Music by Graeme Revell
Cinematography by Chris Kentis and Laura Lau
Film Edited by Chris Kentis


MPAA: Rated R for language and some nudity.
Runtime: USA:79 min
For rating reasons, go to FILMRATINGS.COM, and MPAA.ORG.
Parents, please refer to PARENTALGUIDE.ORG

SYNOPSIS
Based on true events, OPEN WATER follows a young couple, Daniel and Susan, (Daniel Travis and Blanchard Ryan) on an island holiday. Even before they leave for the airport, we learn that Daniel and Susan's relationship is under strain from their workaholic lifestyles, and they need a vacation even more than they realized.
The next morning the couple, certified scuba divers, board a local dive boat for an underwater tour of the reef. The boat is crowded with other vacationers, and due to a series of innocent miscommunications, the couple is, after only 40 minutes or so underwater, accidentally left behind.

Review by KEVIN MILLER


What follows is the story of their ordeal: cold, alone and miles from land, the couple is adrift in shark-infested waters.

“Rip-off.” That was the first thing I heard from the audience when this film was over. Although I would not offer that as my own one-word film review, I do agree that after setting us up with an intriguing premise, Open Water lets us down hard at the end.

The set-up of Open Water is painfully clever: A stressed-out couple is accidentally left behind during a diving excursion in the Bahamas. Alone in shark-infested waters, they strive to overcome the psychological, physical, and interpersonal trauma such an ordeal involves. The problem is, once the couple is out there floating, there are only so many directions the story can go. And few seem capable of topping the simple brilliance of the premise.

This film has been billed as “Blair Witch meets Jaws.” because it is a low-budget indie thriller about sharks. But I think such industry shorthand misrepresents what is really a character study, more along the lines of Castaway. As we bob next to Susan and Daniel, we see them go through the gamut of emotions, from euphoria to anger to outright panic and despair. It’s gripping stuff, a cross between reality TV (even the sharks are real) and our own worst nightmares. Watching it, we can’t help but imagine how we would react in the same situation.

At one point, Susan remarks that she doesn’t know which is worse: seeing the sharks or not seeing them. I had to agree. Would I rather see death coming or have it take me unawares? I guess my response would be dictated by what I thought was waiting for me on the “other side” and how prepared I was to face it. This couple struck me as completely unprepared. They were so wrapped up in their busy lives they hadn’t given death a second thought. That got me thinking: How different am I from them? Will I be ready when death arrives, whether I see it coming or not?

I certainly hope so.

Review by CHRIS UTLEY

POP QUIZ, hotshots:
You book a last-minute vacation and manage to squeeze in some time for scuba diving. You get up at 6:30 a.m., join your party, and the boat makes its way out into the ocean. The hosts insist that you utilize the buddy system to keep from getting lost, but you and your sweetie decide that you're brave enough to do your own thing in the deep blue sea.

You finish chasing eels and baby sharks and make your way back to the boat. One problem: the boat is gone. The scuba party has left you behind. For the next 24 hours, it’s just you, your sweetie, and an ocean full of sharks hungry for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and then breakfast again. There’s no clear path to dry land. And . . . a storm is on the horizon as well.

What do you do? WHAT DO YOU DO?

For Susan (Blanchard Ryan) and Daniel (Daniel Travis), all they could do is stay afloat. And hope. And panic. And, ultimately, wait for the inevitable.

Open Water is a true-blue horror movie. Not because of the sharks. Not because of the sharks. Not even because it’s a typical blood and gore horror film. The real horror stems from the psychological terror of the situation: the guilt, the shame, the blame toward both themselves and one toward the other).

In the hours in which they bobble like wine corks on the open sea, Susan and Daniel go through a plethora of physical and emotional changes. Susan gets seasick and has to fight diarrhea from drinking the sea water. She also gets a scratch on her leg (stemming from a smaller fish . . . maybe a barracuda). Daniel is forced to monitor his lover’s sickness as well as keep an eye out for dangers under the sea. As time goes on, they begin to blame everyone from the "stupid tour guides" to Susan’s crazed work schedule, which forced them to take this trip instead of skiing. Ultimately, of course, they blame each other.

At the height of their terror -- and after a few near misses with some sharks -- we find Daniel reciting some very familiar words: “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done.” That’s a brilliant portrait of our human condition. Whether we be Protestant or Catholic, evangelical or atheist, believer or nonbeliever, there’s a part of us on the inside that knows exactly Who to call on when terror strikes.

But, as I said before, ultimately this couple was just awaiting the inevitable. Kudos to the filmmakers for not resorting to the usual blood & guts & slo-mo tracking shots of the sharks approaching and devouring their prey. Instead, the filmmakers use a combination of total darkness accompanied by booming thunder and streaky lightning to let us know that the inevitable moment has arrived. This technique leaves the audience nervous and terrified, biting their nails, and hanging by a thread while sitting on the edge of their seats. That’s Thriller Movies 101, folks!

I posed a question earlier. If faced with (as Agent Smith referred to in “The Matrix”) the sound (or sight/touch/taste/feeling) of inevitability, what would you do? Would you revisit your life and beat yourself up for the things you didn’t accomplish? Would you become angry at those you love? Would you become angry at the God who loves you for allowing you to step into this position? Or would you do as Daniel and Susan did: in their final moments together, after all the terror and anguish, they ultimately reaffirmed their love for one another. Once they did that, they were able to surrender to the inevitable.

Which leads me to my one criticism of the film: As we walked out of the theater, we looked like a funeral procession. Not that there’s something wrong when movies don’t have happy endings (Open Water is based on true events). But most independent films have a knack for sending their audiences out on a sour note. I personally would have preferred to see an ending with their friends and family talking about their life together and the love they shared: a love for each other, and for adventure.

Bottom line: Open Water is truly scary. This film wasn’t designed for quick jumps in seats, gory tearing of flesh, and easy scares. As I said before, it’s true-blue horror that gets into . . . let alone under . . . your skin.