Most of us have fantasised about leaving the rat race behind and moving to a tropical paradise far away so that life would be like a holiday, everyday.
We imagine a world immersing ourselves into a lifestyle that is stress-free with an idyllic background of sunshine, blue skies, crystal clear oceans, golden sand, perfect temperatures, fresh tropical food and friendly locals at our beck and call.
There are over 14,000 cities, towns and villages in Sri Lanka, yet the tourist trail only leads to around 25 of those places. Tourist towns very rarely represent the real life of a nation so we went beyond the tourist trail in search of what life was really like in paradise.
Less than twenty minutes south of the popular tourist spot of Mirissa on the picturesque A2 coastal highway there is Matara. It is the southernmost city in Sri Lanka and its economy has no dependence on tourism.
Matara built on the banks of the Niwala River is a bustling coastal city with a population of around 75,000 people. The vibrant town is packed with hundreds of retail shops selling just about everything from clothing to cars and anything in between. There are Banks, hospitals, courts, schools, government offices, temples, churches, supermarkets, cinemas, American fast food outlets and a small military base dotted around town.
The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the leaves of the coconut palms sway in the gentle breeze to the sound of the ocean in the background. It is an idyllic picture but the beaches are empty, no one is out chilling in the sun and drinking Piña colada. All the people are in town working in offices and businesses.
Over lunch at an American fast food outlet near the beach, our local contacts tell us about the hopes, dreams and aspirations of the city’s people. It is early afternoon, we emerge from lunch and see that the streets are full of children in uniform, their school day has come to an end in the early afternoon. For many of them it is not the end of education for the day, instead they head off to various private tutorial centres around town for extra tuition with the hope of getting an edge in public examinations that could win them a place at university. None of the kids were heading for the beach, it was still empty.
For the people of the city, education is the biggest game in town, it is the key to social mobility and the path to achieving their dreams. Sri Lankans are not focused on sun, sea and sangria, they dream of doing more and being more. They aim to be accountants, doctors, lawyers, engineers, scientists and IT professionals of the future. They want to be part of the global economy, so they focus on education to get the qualifications they need for making their dreams come true.
Matara has been a settled city since ancient times. The area was once part of the Principality of Ruhuna which administered the region for over a thousand years. Matara had also served as the capital of Ruhuna for part of that time.
The importance of the city which is situated just 12 miles from the main shipping lanes was also recognized by former European powers. They built fortifications, anchored ships off the coast and turned Matara into one of the most important European strongholds on the island.
The city’s association with Europe lasted several centuries and was home to a sizable European population. Matara has two forts, courts, churches, schools, railways and hospitals that were built by Europeans which remain in use to this day.
Places to see in Matara
(2) Star Fort
(3) Pigeon Island
(4) Buddhist Temple
(5) St Mary's Church
(6) Anglican Church
(7) Dutch Reformed Church
(8) Polhena Beach
(9) Dondra Lighthouse
(10) Madiha Beach
TRAVELling should not just be about getting to know the places we visit, it should also be about getting to know about the people who live in the places we visit.
Although Matara is not on the tourist trail, it does have several hotels that cater to both the residents of the area and visitors to the city. Some of the hotels are located near beaches where it is safe for swimming.
For travellers who want to discover the real Sri Lanka, Matara provides an intriguing insight into the lives of real people living life in paradise