Crossing a seascape of marshland, sand bars and shallow, blue-green water, the journey over to Mannar Island is a memorable one undertaken by few foreigners. As you cross the great causeway connecting it to the mainland, look out for flocks of flamingos, seemingly afloat the heat haze. The site is replete with mythological associations, being one of the stepping stones over which Rama and Hanuman’s monkey army marched to rescue Sita in the Hindu epic the Ramayana.