Camping, glamping and dune stamping. Desert accommodation in the UAE and beyond

Weekend breaks just ain't what they used to be. None of that popping into the hills behind town, buying organic apples at a roadside stall, wine tasting on the way, rolling fields, fragrant gums, roos doing their kamikaze leaps across the highway in front of your speeding car at dusk. No more country pubs for lunch, farmers markets in paddocks, cheese sampling in stinky dairies. Ahhh, those were the good old days.

But these are the good new days. This arid region might not offer much in the way of greenery, cellar doors and local produce, but there's a whole lot of sand to explore. Only twenty minutes drive from the spires of Sheikh Zayed Road will bring you into a beige sea that tilts and rolls just like the blue one. Its texture changes  - some regions are rusty and treacherous, others like peachy crumpled blankets, and more are flat and stony, the colour of parched bones. The sands reflect the sky's moods just as the watery depths do. They are blindingly bright, mousey, red, purple or black. It's amazing how different something can look when it's really all the same.

Staying in the desert is something that everyone must do when they come to Dubai, or anywhere around here really. Even in summer, when the back blocks of this dusty land resemble the sunny side of Mars, when the very air melts, there are options. If you live here, then there is really no excuse.



There are three styles of desert experience. First, the self-arranged camp. But I'm no expert on this, and tend to sympathize with Debbie in this post. If that's your piece of cake, I'll start you off with Time Out's suggestions . Then get yourself down to Carrefour, spend 3000AED on gear that you'll only use once, and I'll titter over my Mai tai while I lay back poolside at Qasr al Sarab and think of how we've just spent the same amount of money for entirely different experiences. (I know, I know, it can be good. But ONLY if you're kitted out, know what you are doing, and where you are going.)


Secondly, is the organised camp. This varies in quality from five stars down to about negative one, so make sure you do your research, and have reasonable expectations before you trek out there. Most of the 'dune bashing' organisors will also offer an overnight stay that is tacked onto the evening 'safari' (safari means "a journey or expedition, for hunting, exploration, or investigation", so this term has been entirely exploited). To be honest, if you don't have much to spend, don't mind a bit of kitch and noise, and it's not summer, then this could be a good option. Prices will include all manner of gimmickry like camel rides (a circle 20m in diameter, not an idyllic sunset wander over the dunes), henna painting (careful, you may be allergic), trying on of national costume (100% polyester, worn by hundreds before you), belly dancer and super duper authentic buffet of soggy spaghetti bolognese and bland chicken curry followed by watermelon chunks and crusty custard. Sleeping conditions are basic, but most camps have toilets and showers. All operators are much of a muchness - the tip is to get a deal. Groupon and makshoom will have them going now and then, so if you plan ahead you can really save some cash.

If you want something a little more towards the upper end of the spectrum (yes please!), have a look at these (in ascending order of quality/authenticity)

1. Gulf Ventures - This is where Dubai Drums hold their full moon drumming, and it's a reasonable camp, just a little better than the 'safaris' mentioned above. It sits in a lovely hollow in a quiet area. Food is a little better (arabic BBQ), and the camp itself is sheltered and reasonably pretty. If you can partner it with full moon drumming (my experience linked), even better. Licenced camp, no BYO. Overnights start at 445AED for min 4 sharing a tent, or you can take the tent itself for 2045 for the whole weekend. Includes pick-up/drop-off from anywhere in Dubai.
2. Arabian Incentive is a fairly recent addition to the dunes of Ras al Khaimah. It's a more authentic experience involving activities like horse or camel treks over the dunes, falconry and 4WD expeditions (rather than pitching and fishtailing over crowded and rutted dunes just to freak out the grannies in the back). There is some of the standard tack on offer (belly dancing, shisha), but over all, it's better presented. The overnight accommodation is fairly basic, and food is served buffet style, but like the above, is a little better than the norm and at least keeps things in an arabic vein. They also offer the occasional drumming session, and other events like this will crop up now and then. Other benefit is the proximity to this beautiful section of desert spotted with ghaf trees. 340AED (about $100US) per person, pick up and drop off from a meeting point in Dubai is an extra 60AED. You can BYO booze, but best to check with operators first.
3. Liwa Desert Safari will take you way out back into the real desert. There's no organised campsite, no belly dancer, none of that stuff. Just Land Cruisers, 100-meter sand dunes, a look at some far-out sights in Fujeirah and Dubai, including a date farm on the edge of an oasis, and then a quiet camp set up in the middle of nowhere for a barbecue dinner and a sleep in the arabian wilderness. Make sure you book the right safari, because the group offers many styles of adventure with prices varying from about 1000AED upwards. Not for summer visitors.
4. Platinum Heritage is the real deal, and more. The safari takes place in the desert conservation near Al Maha (mentioned below), in 1950s Land Rovers. They take you on an expedition to see the Arabian oryx, and local flora, and then there is a falconry display. Dinner (limited to 40 guests maximum) is truly authentic, a 4-course meal with deliciousness like ouzi (whole baked lamb with biryani style rice) and lqeimat (like doughnut holes, smothered in date honey), and is followed by storytelling and cultural entertainment. Breakfast with a bedouin accompanies the morning. Accommodation is in natural fibre tents. Overnights are 795AED per adult, and 595 per child, so it's not cheap. You can opt out of the overnight and go home after dinner for 495/395. They also have more expensive options involving Mercedes G500s and 6-course meals and more, starting at 1295AED. Part of the fee goes to conservation of the area. Alcohol can be requested, but must be done beforehand as it is a camp designed to be of authentic Bedouin style and there is none on site at most times. I found out about this amazing tour through a twitter mate - Daniel at Al Arabi, and I've booked one through him (email link) for my husband's birthday next week. Expect a more detailed post shortly.
5. For something further afield, there's Wadi Rum, Jordan, which I have posted about previously here. Its an area with little on the luxury side, and so it's best to find a small camp in an area that appeals to you (it's a big wadi) and enjoy the rustic pleasures for what they are, shunning all luxuries and absorbing bedouin life. Scott Dunn will set up bespoke camps in Wadi Rum, but also in Oman, in either the Wahiba sands area (more on this blow) or up in the mountains that frame Muscat and the northern coast. Another crowd, Elite Oman, have the glamping down pat, complete with queen size beds, fluffy pillows and private chefs.If you don't want all that, then maybe try Responsible Travel, with tents starting at 40 Rials (just over $100) that might not have all the mod cons, but keep your soul clean.

Thirdly, is the desert resort. This ranges from faux glamping (the term 'tents' could only be used loosely) through to desert castles like Qasr al Sarab. There's several around, the more notable of them being:

1.     Bab al Shams - This is an adobe brick fortress style building, just past the wasteland that joins Dubailand to the more pristine areas of desert, less than an hour out of Dubai. The surrounding sands are golden and not as alluring as those closer to Al Maha, but you will find oryx if you look hard enough. You might even find a sheikh trotting past on his noble steed from the nearby equestrian endurance club. But it's more about the inside than the out. It's an incredible setting, with pale turquoise pools, and trickling fountains joined by a falaj system that encompasses the entire resort. The walls are the same dusty gold as the surrounding desert, but inside it's ornate, plush, genie in a bottle styled. Five star, complete with all the trimmings (day spa, range rover expeditions, dinner on scarlet rugs under the stars...). Starts at under 1000 AED per room per night (in summer), rising to double that in peak seasons. Can even be experienced in summer as the pools are chilled and there's plenty of air conditioned inside space.
2. Al Maha is the other big one in Dubai. Accommodation ranges from private chalet to sprawling pavilion 'tent' (so much more than a tent). Everyone gets a private pool. In fact, it's private everything, and no kids are allowed. The cuisine is exceptional, it's in the best part of Dubai's desert, and you never see another guest unless you want to. Just in case that isn't enough to make you romantic, it's just about expensive enough to scare someone's pants off. At the absolute peak of summer, rooms start at 4000AED. The Presidential suite will set you back about 20K. You can however book a daytime experience if you just want to have a look around. They start at 550AED including lunch, or visit Lime and Tonic's page for their 'spa day' offer.
3. Arabian Nights is a fairly new village between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, and stays fairly true to traditional Emirati style. Accommodation is in fort towers or barasti huts, and has a good level of luxury without being bloated with opulence. There's a pool and air conditioning, so summer visits are possible. The highlight here is the dining, which prides itself on being true to the Emirati traditions, something surprisingly rare in the area (most other Arabic menus tend to veer closer to Lebanese cuisine). Prices start just under 1000AED per room per night.
4. Next we have Qasr Al Sarab, which rests in the Abu Dhabi emirate between the Liwa oasis and the hundreds of kilometres of sandy sea stretching into Saudi Arabia known as the Empty Quarter. It's fortress style, like Bab al Shams, but bigger, bolder, more isolated. This area of desert is rose-gold, and owns the largest dunes in the world, but many who go never leave the resort. Blogged previously here. Prices have dropped a little, and you will find the standard rooms range from 1000AED per room in summer up to 1500 at cooler times. Of course there's plenty of non-standard accommodation if you need a bit more space (in your wallet)
5. The Banyan Tree has a little of everything. It's based in Ras al Khaimah, and they also offer a beach resort nearby. The desert retreat is similar to Bab al Shams in style, but with a more contemporary than arabic style. It's still exotic in every way, but you'll find clean lines and neutral colours rather than the ornate and plush interior of the other. In other ways it competes with Al Maha, with private villas or tent-style dwellings, but children are allowed, and there is even a kids club. It's got all the activities you would expect to find, a nature reserve, plus a 4000 sq metre hydrotherapy spa. Prices range from just over 1000AED, but you're usually looking at around 2000+ for a pool tented villa.
6. Back to the wahiba sands in Oman, just a couple hours drive out of Muscat (about 7-8 from Dubai) there are a couple of well known desert resorts that should not be confused with each other (I accidentally booked the wrong one, but luckily all turned out well). 1000 Nights Camp is glamping of a sort (tramp-glamping?), with camel-hair tents, and a super majlis with lovely food. Entertainment is tasteful, with omani music, drums and traditional dancing (finally we get away from the belly dancers!) Officially there is no alcohol, but you can bring in wine and drink it quietly in your own area. It's an experience that warrants its own post, so expect one soon. Prices are around the 50 Rial (500AED) mark per night in the cool season - avoid in the summer. Although there is a pool, the tents are not heat-friendly. 
7. The luxury option is the other one - the one I meant to book - known as Desert Nights Camp. It's double the price and then some, but for that, you might actually get a little more of a look at traditional Oman, including a trip to a bedouin home, and some traditional food such as Shuwa, a dish often talked about in Oman but rarely found. They also have a communal games room and a not-so-traditional cocktail bar. Ah well, next time...

So - enough options? C'mon, time to get some sand in your pants...

Danie De Wet Limestone Hill Chardonnay 2011

Well, Wine-Ed-101 will tell you that limestone and good wines go together, so I picked this up hoping it wasn't a marketing campaign to make a hill full of stones and planted with lime trees, sell. Lucky, it's not. And, it's quite a lovely surprise. This wine is for those who love their Chardonnays with a real punch. It's that free-draining gravelly soil taking water away from the vine and concentrating the berries. It's absolutely choc-a-bloc with flavour. The nose is lusciously leesy - yeast, butter, vanilla and nuts - like walking past a bakery that's just taken almond croissants out of the oven. The fruit hits after a little sweetness on on the front palate - mainly green apples and white peach. The flavour on finish is a little short, but it's worth it for that tongue smack, and at least the acid plays nicely around the mouth, preventing all those rich and slightly sweet flavours from cloying.

Drink now or for 2 years
AED 55 + tax
15.5/20

Coleslaw with an asian twist

Coleslaw used to be one of my favourite salads. Childhood days in my Mum's late 1970s kitchen, when Margaret Fulton ruled (she still does occasionally), and when a "salad" was always lettuce, tomato and cucumber with french dressing. There were only two other variations - Potato salad (with bacon chips from a jar) and the aforementioned, sweet and dripping with store bought "coleslaw" dressing. My mum used to add nutmeg and somehow this translated it into a dessert rather than a vegetable. But one day, I tried the coleslaw from a take-out restaurant, and this soggy mess with raw onions and bland flavour destroyed it for me. I will never eat coleslaw again.

But, I will take some of the ingredients, and give it my own twist. I'll eat this kind, and so does everyone else - it's a party favourite. It even has a crunch honouring my mum's bacon chips on potato salad.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups grated carrot (or fine julienne is better if you can be bothered)
• 2 cups finely sliced red cabbage (also called purple cabbage or blue kraut)
• 1/2 cup coriander leaves
• 1/2 cup mint leaves
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 3 tbsp teriyaki sauce
• 3 tbsp white Japanese sweet sauce (*see note on sauces)
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 cup aloo bhujia for topping **
  

Instructions:

1. Dry toast the sesame seeds in a pan on a hotplate for a minute or two, flipping frequently. Then add to carrot, cabbage and herbs in a salad bowl
2. Combine dressing ingredints (teriyaki, sweet sauce and sesame oil), and pour over, then toss the salad
3. Just before serving, sprinkle the aloo bhujia on top. I use about 1/2 cup, but feel free to use more to taste.

Notes:

*Sauces:
Japanese sweet sauce is very similar to sweet Mirin (the non-alcoholic kind you buy from the supermarket, not the real deal), just a little sweeter and less acidic. If you can't find the non-descript "sweet sauce", substitute 2 tbsp Mirin and 1/2 tbsp honey.
Teriyaki sauces differ widely. I usually use Kikkoman's Teriyaki marinade and sauce. It's as fluid as a soy sauce, just a little lighter and sweeter. I have made the dressing with soy instead, and it works well. Just be a little more sparing as it is much richer and saltier. You may also need to add more sweetener to combat this - brown sugar, or honey.

**Aloo Bhujia:
This is the indian version of the potato chip. It's like little vermicelli noodles made of fried potato and rolled in spices. I love them for my gluten free family. You should be able to find it in most supermarkets here in the UAE, elsewhere you may have to look in an Indian grocer or specialty store. If you would like to substitute, anything small, spicy and crunchy will do. Fried noodles would work a treat, or even some two minute noodles, crushed a little. Just test them first to ensure they aren't too hard to eat raw. You might also want to add some finely chopped red chilli to the dressing if the noodles have no kick to them (and, if you need to, a sprinkle of powdered chicken stock to give it that MSG burst ;p ).

Choo choos, Manga and sass. Where you dirham buys more than just sushi.

Gone are the days when Japanese food was all about raw fish. We live in an age where western kids pack home made california rolls for school lunches. Sushi is passe, even Aussie grannies know what urumaki is. You can buy edamame beans snap frozen in the freezer at Carrefour now. For Japanese restaurants to distinguish themselves in the sea of pink crab sticks, puffs of spearmint green wasabi and shiny black nori that colours almost every street in CBDs around the world, they must now give us more than a boring old hand roll. Here's a couple of options in Dubai that bang it up a bit.

 

Kaiten-zushi

Starting with the one that everyone knows, but never fails to disappoint, conveyor belt dining, otherwise known as Sushi train. It's been in Japan for over fifty years, but only in Dubai for ten. It was invented by an ingenious lover of asahi beer, who ran his restaurant with too few staff. He saw the conveyor belt at the local brewery... lightbulb! Yo Sushi brought it to Dubai first, and so we've been eating urumaki off bold coloured plastic plates and bowls for a while now. It's surreal watching perspex domes full of petite and identical dishes glide around in front of you.I can't help but dream that one day there will be a domino like conniption down the rail, and I can watch all the giant contact lenses tumble to the floor while nigiri and edamame fly through the air directly into my mouth.


The concept is not really about the food - it's about immediacy. First it found its niche with the express work lunch. But it's morphed and now found that it's favourite customers are three-year-olds, who enjoy the show that comes with dinner, the vibrant colours, and the smiles they get from other diners as they 'choo choo' happily away eating green vegetables and a healthy dose of iodine in nori - food they'd never touch at home.

Where to go:
You'll find Yo Sushi at the Dubai Mall, Marina Mall, Festival City, Mirdiff City Centre and the DIFC.
Last time I went to Scoozi, they also had a sushi train. Unusual find in an Italian restaurant, but hey, Dubai's an international city, no? And the food was decent. Now Cafe nearby have a more continental conveyor (untested by moi).

What to eat:
At Yo!, try the crispy salmon skin hand rolls, the 'yo roll' (salmon and avocado maki), and order some gyoza, which you won't find on the train (most hot dishes have to be ordered separately). Scoozi had a super crab salad. The trick is to hold back until you see exactly what you want - it's like the Japanese version of yum-cha, and you're likely to be struck down with eyes-bigger-than-belly syndrome, or worse, a belly-bigger-than-pants complaint. One dish at a time, people.

 

Let's Roll!

Let's take a step up now, past the haven for bacteria like the self-serve non-refridgerated dining experience above. A home grown sushi restaurant designed by the already successful owners of Sho Cho (a japanese restaurant/nightclub by the beach at Dubai Marine Resort in Jumeirah that has manged to survive Dubai's chopping and changing very nicely), and strangely named Chez Sushi. It's not French fusion (fortunately) and I don't get the french word in the name, but it's worth a stop none-the-less. It works off the concept unveiled in the US by Yuen and Peter Yung, who established the How Do You Roll? franchise. But as far as I know, the first of its kind in Dubai.

It's a hip little spot, bathed in lime green, neon red and circle patterns mimicking maki in a minimalist way. The ingredients are displayed separately, and are so perfectly presented they appear fake, waxy, like sampuru. The colours are insanely bright, the corners too sharp, the curves too precise. But real they are, and here's where the uniqueness of this little venue comes in. Customers are encouraged to select their own mix of ingredients, starting with brown or white rice, moving through the main ingredients (cooked or raw fish/chicken/meat in the main), veggie adds and then the coating.

Chez Sushi and their "Let's Roll!" concept at this stage has only one venue at Wasl Square, near Safa Park, but their website suggests more are forthcoming. I see this as inevitable. 

What to eat: Mix it up! So, for my kids, lets go brown rice, chicken teriyaki, mango and yuzu dressing rolled and coated with tempura bits . For me, white rice, rock shrimp, cucumber, spicy mayo and tobiko pearls to coat. Or maybe I'll stick with the salmon... Other items to look for are their nori chips (coated in filo and deep-fried), some superb mochi (best in Dubai possibly...?), and tempura rock shrimp (which will rival PF Chang's dynamite shrimp).

(fish-eye-fun snaps occurred at the launch. I really hope they keep it - I need more pictures in me with inane Japanese props - see the crazy duo hiding below)

Izakaya

   Lastly, and holding a special place in my heart currently, is Izakaya Restaurant, recently opened in the Marriott Marquis. It's got a few things going for it, but the main one is the adhesion to the Cosplay Izakaya style. For those who are new to this, it's a combination of cosplay - costume, which can take many forms, but in the case of restaurant service, usually dresses the females in wacky maid costumes, similar to those you would associate with Manga, or Japanese animation - and then Izakaya, a casual, sharing style of dining, which traditionally involves copious amounts of sake (sakaya = sake shop).

There's nothing quite like Izakaya in Dubai. Manga Sushi may have provided some inspiration, as would have sleek venues with sharing menus and modern aura like Okku and Zuma. But Izakaya has taken it all a step further, combining both in a melange that both creates and defeats all notions of 'cool' in one foul swoop. Diners will love the futuristic lighting and the pixellated decor, which occasionally splits to show traditional geisha paintings in boothes. Geektastic. The waitresses (didn't catch a male one on the night we dined) are a treat to the eye, especially the green haired and sparkly-stilettoed Wasabi girl, who grates fresh wasabi root over shark skin and onto your plate.

The food and drink is the other thing going for Izakaya. The menu is small and simple, but dishes have been selected with care, and created with style. It's tasty, very, very tasty. The sake list is likewise small, but well chosen, with a range of styles that can take the diner on a reasonable tour. Wines are scarce, but very well priced, and also very good. The best thing? Four people, leaving full to the brim, after two bottles of good wine and two caraffes of sake, and a bill of 1000AED (yes, it was a big night). I'm sure prices like that can't last, so I'm going to be dining quite a bit until they figure out they should be charging more.

Izakaya can be found at the JW Marriott Marquis, Business Bay, Dubai.

What to eat:
Unagi - possibly the best I have ever had, good enough to convince my eel-loathing husband to change his tune. Also don't miss the seafood pancake topped with katsuobushi, a smoked, thinner-than-paper tuna skin that seriously tastes like bacon. A great example for those who have been previously unadventurous. Tuna tataki also is one of the better ones around.

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So - your sushi glossary for today:

Kaiten-zushi - conveyor belt sushi
sampuru - shiny, plastic food used in restaurant window displays.
cosplay - costume-play, dress-ups for grown-ups
izakaya - shared dining, lots of small dishes
sakaya - a sake shop
manga - Japanese comics
anime - Japanese animation (quite stylized) that you will find in manga

kaiseki - fine dining, japanese style. Many courses

hashi - the use of chopsticks
Katsuobushi - smoked tuna skin, beautiful when shaved paper-thin
itadakimasu - "I humbly receive" - what you say when given your food (unless the waiter is horrible)
oshibori - hand towel (impolite to use it on the face or neck)
akachōchin - the red lanterns you will usually see outside an Izakaya
yōshoku - western food in Japan
tsukidashi - a tiny appetiser, or amuse bouche. Should be free, but not always
sunakku - the japanese word for snack bar.
kanpai - cheers!

and five points for anyone who can tell me what Nyotaimori is without googling it...

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Other Japanese Restaurants in Dubai for those who prefer it authentic and without the gimmicks:

Kisaku at the Khaleej Palace
Miyako at the Hyatt Regency
For sake lovers, try Yukaru, in the Asiana Hotel (also izakaya style)
For something basic, try Bento Ya

And, my favourite when I am cashed up... Hashi at the Armani Hotel

And, if you want information from the real deal, try this blog: www.dubaisushi.com

Disclaimer - Chez Sushi had me to their launch with their compliments. I have eaten there since and paid for it.

Eating on the South Coast of Sri Lanka

There's a building on the corner next to the market. It's the same colour as the sea just past a reef in the Maldives. A fresh, colour, both cool and deliciously warm at the same time. But it's cracked in places, slabs of render have fallen off revealing the ruddy brick underneath. It's like an incomplete puzzle. Black mould has sprouted in parts, particularly where turquoise meets russet. It follows the cracks in earnest, probably trying to dislodge another chunk. It's the most prominent building in the market, and yet nobody's fixed it. They seem to enjoy its contrast, it's ruin, like Miss Havisham did in Great Expectations.

The market itself is also a contrast of colours, fresh versus ancient, wet and dry, pretty or pretty disturbing. Bananas are happy golden rainbows strung to the rafters. Game fish lie open and oozing their life juices onto boards criss-crossed with the machete marks of twenty years of fishmongery. Buddhist monks amble in irridescent orange, offering a smile and an opportunity for good karma. Houseboys jostle and shove, squeeze the best fruit and push in line ahead of tiny maids. Vendors jabber at customers and each other in a rolling rhythmic voice that is Sinhalese, battling with the volume of other conversations, braking trucks, tinging bells of bicicles and the incessent horns of rabid tuktuks swerving around the central roundabout. 


In this, I was supposed to find Christmas dinner for 14. No turkeys or potatoes in sight - just a selection of unknown fish, obscure leaves and vegetables and the tiniest chickens I've ever seen, complete with their knobbly little yellow feet. I know I'd said that this holiday was going to be about escaping Christmas (bah humbug), but bumping into very old friends in the waves the previous day had changed all that. I suppose there is something in this whole theory of Christmas Spirit after all, because something took hold of my senses when at 11pm on Christmas eve I asked them and the two other families they were travelling with over for dinner the next day. So - the biggest feast of the year, and I am presented with a supply place of such utter contrast and bafflement, I can't even tell a fruit from a vegetable.

I've given you plenty of options for dining out in my two previous posts (one and two), but what are you going to eat once you get there? I was fortunate enough to have a little research behind me - four years of living with Mary (our Sri Lankan maid and an excellent cook), previous trips to Lanka, and the wonderful Sonya, the cook who came with our villa, who was prepared to help me out with the shopping. But for anyone who doesn't have these helpers, I've included a list of the food to watch out for - both on the street, and at restaurants.

Fish

• Considered the greatest of the Sri Lankan fish is Seer Fish, a spotted mammoth also known as Indo-Pacific King Mackerel. If you go game fishing, this is the one you want. The texture is somewhat similar to kingfish or gummy shark. It's white fleshed, meaty, rich and if cooked incorrectly dries out horribly, much like tuna can. It will be served either in a fillet or a cutlet. The fishmonger will try and cut it in a cutlet, so make sure you specify. It's expensive compared to other fish, even at the market. The flavour is quite rich, and so despite its ability to hold together nicely, you would be more likely to find it grilled or baked in restaurants rather than served in a curry sauce. 
• If you prefer a milder fish, try snapper or para - white fleshed, sweet, small and mild. Stunning when grilled whole in spices.
• Dried fish is very common, and can't be missed, although it does sometimes take a little getting used to. There are the local varieties like kattawa, which you may see drying on rushes by the sides of the roads further south. But the locals are all mad on Maldivian fish - a cured tuna you will find in many curries and sambals (my favourite, Katta Sambal) that has a taste less fishy, and more sea-like. 
• Fish cutlets are not actually cutlets but fish cakes. If you see them on a menu, grab them. They will be spicy, salty, crumbed and crispy. Lovely with lime and extra chilli.

Seafood

• Lobster is fairly widely available, delicious, but not cheap.  Rock lobster (also known as spiny lobster) is a clawless variety though, meaning you get more tail meat for your rupees when buying it whole by the kilo. It is over-fished in the region, so double-think your purchase - celebrations only. You'll usually find it served fairly plainly - it's super when grilled with curry leaves and garlic. You will also see the odd lobster thermidor or curry. 
• Prawns and shrimp are available all over. Usually tiger prawns, varying from giants to sweet blue banana prawns (or indian shrimp), and you'll even find tiny dried shrimp flavouring many dishes. Most are farmed just north of Colombo or on the East coast at Batticaloa. Best way to eat them on the south coast is devilled - flash cooked in a sweet and spicy red sauce. Of course, it's hard to go past curried prawns too.
• Squid and cuttlefish should also be looked for - again, you could try it curried or devilled, but there are also some great dry-fried spicy options, or slow-cooked stuffed squid.

Meat

• there's not much red meat available in Sri Lanka apart from frozen beef burgers (probably horse) and breakfast sausages (probably quorn). 
• You will find the occasional pork dish, which can be surprisingly good. It is only rarely found in rural areas due to lack of demand. The pork is locally farmed and is becoming a profitable industry in Lanka (albeit small). You are unlikely to find it at the market - try supermarkets (Keels is a decent option in Galle)
• Chicken is the same in Sri Lanka as anywhere - but don't go looking for anything organic or free-range. A bird over the size of 1200g is also rare. The best thing about Sri Lankan chicken is of course the way they cook it. Go into any restaurant and order "Chicken curry", and you are guaranteed the best dish available.

Vegetables

• Grean leafy Gotukola and Kankun are definitely worth a try. The former similar to parsley and usually served raw in a sambal with fresh coconut and lime (usually called Mallung, which translates as 'mix-up'). The latter is usually stir-fried or curried, and is a little like spinach, but slightly firmer and without the chalky phenols.
• Strange looking greens like murunga (drumsticks) are worth a try - when cooked, inside the dry outer is a pulpy sweet flesh that you get at by sucking at the stick like a straw. Snake gourd also should be considered despite its prehistoric apperance. You might see it listed on menus as cucumber curry, and that's what it tastes like when it's cooked (but the "cucumber curry" may also be made from white cucumber - either way, you should try it). Also great stuffed and baked. There are some other kinds of gourd that might tickle your fancy - the bubbly bitter gourd (or its spiky brother the baby bitter gourd) or the ridge gourd, but they have a stronger taste, and may be a little too much for timid palates.
• Yams are a staple, and you'll find plenty of crazy-looking dirty lumpy things in unlimited shapes and sizes. They vary in taste from a potato to a parsnip, and are lovely curried or fried and heavily salted.
• You'll also find plenty of 'normal' fruit and veg. Eggplant and beetroot curries will make you love vegetables you've always hated before. Plenty of carrots, beans, cauliflower and cabbage also.

Fruit

• Firstly, bananas. you get big ones, giant ones, little ones, red ones, green ones (plantains) and banana flowers. The flowers and the green ones are used for curries, the others eaten raw. Best roadside snack in the world.
• Of course there is an array of the standard tropical fruits - mangos (sweet ones are often served with chilli, lime and salt, and the sour green ones used in cooking), beautiful papaya and pineapples the highlights. Look out for rhubarb or pineapple curries on menus - they are savoury and a worthy surprise.
• Some weird and wonderful things you might find include the super juicy, tiny, yellowed indian limes, sugarcane sold by the stalk, mangosteen, breadfruit (which actually tastes like potato), rambutans (a hairy lychee), and wood apple (a super sour tamarind-like wooden skinned fruit that smells like death on the outside. It's mainly used for cleaning, but when sweetened the flesh makes lovely drinks or ice cream)
• Oh, and coconuts. The yellow ones are for the milk. If you want it grated, get the brown hairy ones.

Street food

• Kottu, or Koththu Roti is probably the better known, and available all over Sri Lanka. Translated it becomes "chopped roti", but there's more to it than that. Funny thing is, it could be just about anything, and roti is only part of it. It's a meal in itself - a stir-fry with bread, vegetables, fragrant curry leaves and usually egg. The cheapest dinner in Sri Lanka, and comes with its own show - knives swishing and clacking fast enough to shear a sheep.
• Pittu is the local bread - flat, roti bread, made with coconut. Usually gluten free, as it is made with rice flour. Fantastic with onion and dried fish sambal. Pol roti is similar, but experts may tell me I have that wrong.
• Isso wadey are the prawn cakes you will find along the roadsides - particularly on the Green in Colombo, but also down further south. Ulundu wadey (Ulundu Vadi) usually comes along on the same stall - a savoury, lenti batter, deep-fried donut. Eat them with the spicy salsa, lime juice and salt that the stall handler will probably pop on top withoug you asking.
• Cassava chips are Sri Lanka's gourmet potato crisps. Never in a plastic packet, but bought from behind the glass of a street cart. Slightly sweeter, more caramelly than ordinary crisps. Yum.

 

Breakfast

• Hoppers, otherwise known as 'appa', come in three styles - plain, egg, or string. Plain hoppers are like a slightly crispy rice pancake (the batter is similar to dhosa mix) cooked in a concave pan so they end up shaped like a basket. Egg hoppers have an egg cracked in as they are cooking, which ends up perfectly soft-poached. String hoppers are a different breed altogether - a noodle cake made of red rice, and usually served with curry. a perfect accompanyment to either is pol sambola - a red-toned coconut sambol, both sweet and spicy, with far too much heat for breakfast (even though you will never get enough of it) 
• Milk rice (kiri bath) is like rice pudding, but firmer, and less sweet. It's tender and mild, in contrast to the spicy accompaniments. Usually cut into cakes, often diamond shaped.  

Dessert

• Watalappan is my personal favourite, when it's done the way I like it. But the problem is that it's always a little different. With or without sultanas (Sri Lankans call them plums), cashews, various spices, ranging in colour from creamy to taupe, and texture from creme caramel to baked cheesecake. 
• Curd and treacle (Kiri Pani) is a constant that kids will adore. The curd is a yoghurt made from buffalo milk, and can be bought in stores in sweet little terracotta pots. The treacle is a mild, maple-like syrup tapped from the Kithul tree (Caryota urens), the same source for jaggery (the sugar used in watalappan) and a variety of alcoholic drinks including toddy, beer and arrak.
• Other things to look for include uranda (sweet, deep-fried coconut balls), aggala (kithul treacle sweetened, rice flour balls), wellawahum (pancakes stuffed with coconut and cardamom), Puhul dosi (candied white pumpkin), love cake (wheat cake with cashews and sometimes puhul dosi) and aluwa (a sweet rice flour slice sometimes made with cashews and spices)

Drinking

• Tea - it's a given, isn't it? Most will drink Ceylon tea sweet and milky. If you ask for plain tea, it will be black, but also sugared. Richly spiced Masala tea (Indian tea) is also fairly widely available. Most of the tea comes from the hill country further north, but there are some tea factories not far from Galle, which produce a leaf a little broader and denser in flavour than the refined higher altitude product.
• Wine is generally imported. There are some grapes grown in the country for wine production but they are specific varietals suited to the tropical climate, but with inferior taste. There are wine stores in most large villages. Stick to recent vintages to avoid heat-tainted product.
• Local spirits are best avoided. Arrak and toddy are kithul tree concoctions that for the uninitiated may possibly cause blindness, and will definitely cause extreme hangovers.
• The local lagers are Anchor and Lion - it's a matter of taste, but I find the Lion crisper and with a finer bubble, making it very well suited to the humidity. 

And finally, a note on curry. You MUST understand curry to eat anywhere in Sri Lanka. The word refers to any dish with a spiced sauce, and so is as broad as the flavours the dishes can contain. The fundamental ingredients in nearly all curries from the region include curry leaves, rempe, salt and coconut milk, and to a lesser degree you will find mustard seeds. Most meat based dishes will also contain a curry powder and garam masala that will be a mix of many ingredients, the foremost being chilli and pepper. Basically, the richer the flavour of the principal ingredient, the stronger the curry will be, and so if you prefer milder flavours, stick with dhal and cucumber curries. Some would compare the flavours to those found in Kerala. There are definitely some similarities.

When ordering curry on the south coast or almost anywhere in Sri Lanka, remember that it will usually be a meal in itself, rather than a singular dish. Chicken curry for instance will usually include steamed rice, then at least four side dishes, the most common of which are eggplant curry, green beans or cucumber,  yellow dhal and a fresh raw sambal. Some venues are starting to evolve to the tourist demands however, and you will often also find Rendang and Thai curries - these are more likely to be singular dishes. If you ever see Lampreis on a menu, grab it - this is the original deal, translating as lump rice, it actually includes a range of several curries with rice in the middle, then cooked in a huge banana leaf. Lovely.

So - enough to work on? Sorry about the epic post, but it's a cuisine that really merits a little knowledge before launch (or should I say, lunch). There is simply too many great things you just might end up not eating.

 

Where's your slice of South West Sri Lanka? Part 2

Part one showed three areas of the west coast, now we're going south, deep south. I'm going to show you three distinct areas of coast, all within three hours drive of each other, but each remarkably different. We're going to start at the bottom this time, and work back up to where I left you last time.

Tangalle and Dickwella

This stretch along the southern tip is the best place to tune out. The galle highway is quieter, narrower, and winds its way over hills and through semi-jungle, scattered villages and past fields of rice powdered with white egrets. Hotels, guesthouses and villas tend to be isolated from the township, and so although the villages bustle, there's an easy escape in the home base.



Why you'll love the Tangalle area

• A couple of pretty good temples if that's your kind of thing: Mulkirigala Cave Temple in the hills (hundreds of stairs!) and Wewurukannala Temple closer to shore.
• Long vacant bays all to yourself (comparitively, anyway)
• A smashing five-star retreat in Amanwella
• Plenty of nature to be found in Tangalle Lagoon, on the beaches (turtles in Rekawa Beach), Bird sanctuary at Kalametiya, and not too far for a day trip to Yala National Park.
• Great market at Dickwella
• Less boozy backpackers and more hippies, hikers and nature lovers. (This may or may not be a good thing)
• Many would say this is REAL Sri Lanka, less touched by the tourist dollar.

What you'll hate

• It takes FOREVER to get there (unless you get the rickety sea plane from Colombo airport to Dickwella Lagoon) - it's a good three hours past Galle.
• There's no tuk tuks directly outside your accommodation to take you to different restaurants at night (because you're isolated).
• Some places are scary-isolated - down one-lane dirt tracks, over blind hills, through jungle. Again, this can be a good or a bad thing, depending on whatever paints your wagon. And your neighbours...
• It's a little rough around the edges, and luxuries are harder to come by in some places.
• Not as cheap as you'd expect - it's almost like they're trying to keep the tourists out.

Stay

• Amanwella if you can afford it, particularly if you don't like being completely isolated. Still quiet, but not spooky if you get my drift. Very luxurious and great food and wine.
• Little Pumpkin Cabana or Moonstone villas if you're looking for a more budget option
• The very well regarded Buckingham Place for something in the middle.
• Thalassa - a huge villa on the most beautiful beach with its own cooking and massage team, or
• The Last House - a super sleepy back-block location but smashing Bawa designed villa that can be rented as a whole, or suite by suite, or even taken over for weddings.

Eat

• ShaSha's - a tiny beach shack cooking the daily catch. You can have it cooked any way you like as long as it's in red sauce. You can drink anything you like as long as it's Lion Lager.
• Surya Garden in Tangalle if you need a break from the curry and want to eat Italian food.
• Villa Maya for the traditional fare, or some onsite cooking lessons (and a good winelist), and a look at the jungle behind the beaches.
• Turtle Bay - a little further east, but if you go for dinner, you might also catch a turtle procession afterwards. Has an onsite bio-dynamic garden to feed you with. Nice.

Welligama et al.

This place is all about the water. It's the hub for all those who want to see the most beautiful of the beaches the South Coast has to offer, and partake in the activities that subsist on it. Just on from Welligama Bay is Mirissa, which captures the hearts of all who find their way there. It's also just short of Matara, one of the largest towns on the south coast (behind Galle), which links the Southern coast to roads that will take travellers on beautiful roads north to the center of the island, or over to the Eastern coast.

What you should go for

• Whales and dolphins. The best season is December to March, but you'll see dolphins pretty much year-round. You could even catch sight of a blue whale - awesome. More info here.
• Welligama and just north of it are arguably the best places to surf in the area. The waves are consistent and easily accessible. 
• Photography - this is where you'll see all the stilt fishermen. Go early morning if you want to get a good shot, otherwise you'll only get the fake ones sitting up there for a bit of baksheesh. 
• Beaches are beautiful - sandy for the swimming, and rocky for the photos.
• Tea and Rubber plantations to amble around just behind the palms lining the Galle Highway
• Totally chilled people - this place hits that happy medium with tourists who are super excited to be there, and locals who haven't got sick of them yet.

What you won't like so much

• hmmm. Not so sure - this place is pretty cool. If I have to pick something, I'd say a lack of high-end dining, but seriously, you can ditch the caviar for a week can't you?
• Oh, and there's shortly going to be a hulking great Marriot there. That's probably going to utterly change the vibe, so get there quick.

Stay

• Taprobane Island - it's the only time you'll ever be able to book out an entire island for yourselves. It's not cheap, but very special. Cooks and other servants included, as well as porters to carry your luggage over their heads as you make the tidal trek from shore
• Number One is one of the best on the upper end of the scale if you don't have a big group to hit Taprobane. Beachside, not too big, pretty.
• Palm Villa comes highly recommended by Eaternal Zest's incredibly reliable Drina Cabral - both for its inexpensive rooms and super food (her lanka post is linked).
• Kabalana Beach Hotel is one of the best places for surfers (a super break to paddle to straight out front), but also for families, who will easily fit 4 in their big rooms. The kids will love the roaming tortoises and rabbits - just don't let them bite you though, because you might end getting rabies shots on Christmas day like we did. (the website promotes it as a spa resort - this is a little far fetched, but it's still good value). Those wanting a more budget surf hotel, try Dinu's.

Eat

• Palm Villa as mentioned above. Traditional Sri Lankan food.
• On the beach. There's a range of seafood restaurants along the sandy strip, Mirissa Eye, Sudaweli (no info) and Ocean Moon generally being the most reliable. Plastic chairs, toes in the sand, glass of lager, grilled fish - perfect.
• Dewmini Roti Shop - for, you guessed it, roti. It's a world-famous take-out that must be visited for a quick lunch.
• The Fortress gets mixed reviews, but is probably the best bet for upper level dining in their restaurant 'Pepper'. They also have a great wine room that can be booked privately and 2000-odd wines available. If alcohol is not your thing, you can have a traditional tea ceremony performed for you in their T Lounge. A bit north of Welligama, near Koggola.

Thalpe/Unawatuna Beach

And now, almost back up to Galle, we find my favourite. This is where the Walton family retirement pad will be eventually (along with the other retirement homes in the Drôme, Red Hill and the hinterland of Byron Bay - something that is only waiting until we are billionaires). I've raved about Unawatuna before, so I won't go too heavily into it, only to differentiate it from Thalpe. Unawatuna is hectic, and where you go to play. Thalpe is where you stay - we're talking high-walled luxurious private villa, staff included. Probably a pool, likely beachfront. Lobster fishermen selling the daily catch to you over the sandstone wall. Olive green polished concrete floors, crackled like a chinese 100-year-old egg, reflecting the geometric rows of palm trunks. Margaritas in the hammock watching kids collect sea shells and the sky turns amber. Quiet beach, busy road. Home cooked food to die for. Staff you cry with when you leave. 



Why you'll never want to leave

• You'll get totally pampered - most villas have private chefs, people who will shop for you (yes, you can even send them out for wine), access to in-house spa treatments, book shelves filled with old literature and board games, the list goes on.
• Meals are usually provided at market cost rates.
• The beach is surprisingly quiet. Because there are no large hotels and most of the accommodation has its own beachfront, the only other people you are likely to see on your patch are the odd neighbour and locals down for a dip or a fish.
• Thalpe is easy to get to - only 5 minutes drive from the end of the Colombo Freeway, meaning you can get there in under 3 hours from the airport on a good day (4 on a bad one). It's also perfectly positioned for day-trips to all the other beach areas previously mentioned in both this post and the last.
• It's a classy area - no bums, no touts, no drunken Aussie tourists (except people like us locked up safely behind the villa walls), no music blaring all night (except at Cantaloup, and occasionally at Fleurts when there's a private party). 
• But you won't get bored - you can always catch a 300 rupee tuk tuk to Unawatuna Beach when you want some vibrancy.

What will drive you mad

• If it's really hot at night and you have no AC and have to leave your window open, the waves might wake you up. (or the traffic if you are the unlucky one in the roadside bedroom)
• Your private chef will make you really fat, and you'll return home to discover that although you previously thought you could cook, you actually can't.
• You pay for the privilege (nice villas start at about $400US per night, going up to $1500 - fine for a big group, but poor you if you are only a couple). You will also have to tip the staff very well, because they will take care of you better than your own mother.
• If your companions are really boring you may well frizzle in ennui (or drown in margaritas).
• You might not be able to walk to other establishments for a change, because you will be in a very lazy state. You might have to pay for a tuk tuk, and you might need to wait up to two minutes for one to pass.
• You won't get a lot of 'culture', because you will probably only ever leave the villa to eat at another villa, and so the only Sri lankans you will meet are your own lovely personal staff, someone else's lovely personal staff, or the occasional fisherman.

Stay

• If you're going to rent a villa, get in touch with one or more of the following - they will help you decide what is best for you: 

1. For Eco and Tourism friendly offerings only, stick with www.srilankatravelandliving.com
2. For some fab personal service and super knowledge go with www.srilankainstyle.com or villasinsrilanka.com
3. And for the largest section, try www.privatehomesandvillas.com
4. Personally, we have stayed in the charming Villa Tusk and sprawling Kingsleys Pearl and would recommend both. 

• Apa Villa and the Frangipani Tree are probably the better known suite villas - i.e. couples can take just one room - and absolutely stunning
• Budget travellers are probably best staying in Unawatuna at Thaproban House or The Villa, but if you want a feel of Thalpe, then try Shanthi or Jasmine inn, or Sri Gemmnu for a budget ayurveda health stay.

Eat

• At home - you have a private chef, for goodness sake. Ask for traditional sri lankan breakfast, including rice cakes, egg hoppers, sambal with maldivian fish, fresh fruit etc. For the other meals, Devilled prawns are a regional speciality, or just ask for curry, and you will be presented with about 10 small dishes of veggies, chicken and fish. Have curd with local treacle for dessert.
• Apa Villa will take bookings for non-residents. They do a lemongrass soup that made me feel like I was truly alive for the first time (and great curries) - nice wines too. They also have a villa in the hills that is worth a visit.
• If Villa and Wijaya are a couple of secret gems also known for their cuisine - again, you must book, so they get enough food from the market.
• Fleurts (previously known as Nico's and still is according to tuk tuk drivers ph +94776642271) is a french fusion restaurant that could probably do with a larger menu and slightly lower prices, but has a super chef. Not only that, they have a dreamy beachfront pool that you are allowed to swim in. Good place for lunch, particularly if your villa doesn't have a pool. They also party hard some nights here.
• Cantaloup is where to go for a drink and a boogie. Their Sri Lankan traditional curry is excellent, and they also have a (small) pool diners are permitted to use.
• Kingfisher in Unawatuna is where all the locals recommend. Typical beachside restaurant with all the expected, but just a bit friendlier and with colder beer than all the others.

So - together with this post, and part one, I think I've given you not only the reason to go to Sri Lanka, but some good tips on where you might find your paradise. I'd love to hear about any other experiences you've had in the area - please add them in comments. And below, a couple more photos to set you drooling.