SRI LANKA TRAVEL MEMOIR
A Vegan Yogi and Carnivore Husband Find Harmony on Retreat
Crafting a perfect his and her experience
My husband and I are (polar) opposites.
Though we’ve been together for 17 years, I never imagined we’d wind up in Sri Lanka on a vegan, yoga retreat together.
In 2018, we moved from Canada to Abu Dhabi, UAE. We’d been planning a short trip to Sri Lanka as it’s only a four-hour flight from the UAE.
Our original itinerary included an elephant safari plus beach time on Sri Lanka’s East Coast. But the airport we needed to transfer to closed unexpectedly. My husband decided to cancel, and I opted to fly solo and attend a yoga retreat near Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital.
I found a retreat surrounded by jungle but close to the West Coast beaches famous for surfing and partying. After booking, I called the ticketing agent we’d used to cancel my husband’s flight. But the agency refused to give us our money back. With no way to refund the ticket, we took it as a sign, and Steve decided to come after all.
There was just one complication.
The retreat I had booked is a vegan, yoga, surfing, and meditation retreat. For anyone who knows me, this is my jam.
Steve is Irish Canadian, code for meat-loving sports fanatic. There is almost no Zen in his DNA. Luckily, he was curious to learn more about surfing.
The retreat owners prepared a perfect agenda to accommodate us:
- For me, double yoga, no surfing.
- For him, double surfing, no yoga.
- Together, a mix of activities to learn more about the local culture, wildlife, and history.
They assured us Steve could satisfy his carnivorous needs in the nearby surf towns.
We flew overnight from Dubai and arrived at 6:30 am. We hired a private car and after a 90-minute drive through the jungle, found our way to the front gate.
Day 1: Arrival and sightseeing
We were greeted by our hosts as well as their rescue dog Moody.
I could tell Steve was uneasy as the accommodations had no air-conditioning, no TV, and no Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi was available in the main house only).
The hosts had scheduled sightseeing excursions for the first day. Our tuk-tuk driver picked us up and took us on a river safari. Steve and I are avid boaters, so it was a real treat to enjoy the lush, tropical landscapes. On the way back, we stopped for fresh king coconut juice at the boat operator’s home.
We visited a turtle hatchery and mask museum later that day, but a highlight was visiting the tsunami museum.
On December 26, 2004, a tsunami with waves up to 30 meters high killed over 225,000 people across 14 countries.
The museum owner explained that animals fled for higher ground in the hours leading up to the tsunami (an early sign). As the water receded, many people, curious, ventured out into the water.
It took 45 minutes from when the water receded for the first waves to hit.
There is one particular photo that I will never forget. It still haunts me to this day. A group of people have walked out into the receding ocean, but in the distance, there is an enormous wave forming.
In the moment the picture is captured, the group realizes what is happening. Some are pointing while others are screaming. They know what is coming. As they turn to run, their horrified expressions are memorialized.
35,000 people perished in Sri Lanka. Despite the state-of-the-art tsunami warning systems that were implemented, the trauma lingers.
Day 2: Yoga and surfing
In the early morning, Steve headed off to Turtle Beach for his first surfing session, and I met my yoga teacher, Perci, for a 90-minute yoga class.
The classes took place outside in the yoga shala (house/pavilion) and by the end, I was a steaming, dripping mess. After a cool shower, I joined Steve at the beach and enjoyed the ocean views and some sun before heading back for my afternoon yoga class.
A key difference between yoga teachers in the West versus the East is that teachers in the East adjust, push, and pull you into the poses. They will contort you until you get into the correct position and alignment.
As a plus, the heat and humidity make you incredibly flexible and pliable. On the other hand, the adjustments are uncomfortable and painful. You are pushing beyond your boundaries because your teacher can see your potential for expansion into the practice.
Our hosts had anticipated that we might both be sore and stiff, so they sent us out for massages at the Ceylon Spa, in the neighboring town of Galle.
We had not expected much in Galle, but the architecture and history surprised us. Galle is the provincial capital, and even with a population of nearly 100,000 people, it still had the sleepy, surf vibes we were yearning for.
Day 3: Pushing on!
When I awoke on the third day, every muscle of my body ached and creaked with resentment.
Steve headed off to Galle Fort for more advanced surfing, and I gingerly made my way downstairs.
I wasn’t sure I could muster the energy for more yoga, but our hosts assured me that the second day is always the hardest. An extra cup of strong black coffee provided the boost I needed.
I limped over to meet Perci at the yoga shala. For the remainder of our time together, I affectionately referred to him as No Mercy Perci.
During the practice, Perci would call out the names of poses for me to contort into. When he saw I was struggling, he’d ask: “May I help you?”
I learned that when I replied: “I’m alright” (code for no), he heard “Alright.”
Thus, I was pretzeled and twisted, pushed and pulled. At one point in a seated forward fold, Perci sat on my back to encourage more deepening.
Though my body protested through every adjustment, it was worth it. Eventually, there is a sense of release when your body finds new depths.
Later in the morning, I met Steve in Galle and explored the city. Galle Fort is a coastal town originally built in the late 1500s by the Portuguese and then again by the Dutch in the mid-1600s onwards. A popular tourist area, there are tons of great shops, hotels, coffee shops, and restaurants to check out.
We enjoyed a longer afternoon sightseeing and headed back to Turtle Beach for a dip and snooze before returning to the retreat.
That evening, I was treated to a relaxing, restorative yoga session with flickering lights, fireflies, and sounds of the jungle enveloping me. Afterward, there was a power outage, so I stayed behind to meditate. There is a Buddhist temple nearby so the sound of the monks’ chanting was my mantra.
Day 4: Connecting
On our final day, I attended one more session with Perci while Steve took the day off from surfing by relaxing on the beach. We also got to know our hosts a little better.
Originally from Poland, our hosts — Jack and Sandra — spent several years living in Dubai where they fell in love with Sri Lanka during a vacation. Sandra, a chef, brings incredible culinary and nutritional knowledge to the retreat.
After deciding to abandon the daily grind, they moved to Sri Lanka with nothing but a few suitcases. They rented a house and started running a small Airbnb-style retreat which they quickly outgrew.
Having recently moved to their current location, a Colonial Villa surrounded by jungle but near the Indian Ocean, they are profitable with plans to expand.
The big lesson learned is that you don’t need heaps of money to create the life you dream of.
Wrap up
Though I was initially worried that Steve would be disappointed with his experience, it worked out remarkably well for both of us.
We ended up with a perfect itinerary including a mix of sightseeing, history, dining, museums, nature, beach, yoga (for me), and surfing (for Steve).
Most importantly, we were both recharged and rested.
Travel is such a wonderful way to discover new aspects of yourself and each other. You’re bound to grow together when you go in with an open and flexible mind.
Resources
- Earthlinks retreat, Sri Lanka
- 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
- Ceylon Spa, Sri Lanka
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