09/02/2025
Happy Sunday everyone 🤍
This week I thought I would reshare Helens incredible blog that she wrote about her time in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is quickly becoming a top destination for lots of out customers and it is so easy to see why!
Check out the blog below 👇
This time last year I had just returned from a trip of a lifetime to Sri Lanka…
One of my bucket list trips and I’m here in Sri Lanka, the ‘Jewel Of The Indian Ocean’ the journey was always going to take a while, I’m 9467 miles away from home!
We flew on a direct flight from LHR with Air Sri Lanka taking around 11 hours making the journey pretty easy.
We landed to a celebration of traditional dancing and music - it was absolutely wonderful watching the laughter and smiles of these performers and at once I understood how important their traditions and cultures were to them.
After a quick refreshment break at the Jetwing Blue we started our amazing adventure- heading first for a stay at Uga Ulagalla and Sri Lanka’s Cultral Triangle.
The Triangle is home to five of Sri Lanka's nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the cave temples of Dambulla; Sri Lanka's first ancient capital Anuradhapura; Polonnarawa, the second ancient capital; the Sigiriya rock fortress and sacred Kandy.
The temple district is very impressive, its incredible how these sacred buildings have been preserved for hundreds of years, the colours are still so vibrant, every temple claims its own history and amongst the bustling crowds paying their respects there is a beautiful underlying peacefulness that can’t be ignored.
One of the most memorable experiences of my life has been climbing Sigiriya and making a few friends on the way to the top 🙈
The story around this rock is fascinating: Kings, Queens, Monks, Crossed Lovers, Army’s and sadly ends with someone having their head cut off!
The photographs just don’t do it justice (or me any favours 😜) it is a magical place and a life long memory.
In the heart of the island is Kandy, the undisputed cultural capital of Sri Lanka and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As any city does, over the years Kandy has grown, but this doesn’t make it any less characteristic. The surrounding hills, river and low-rise streets lined with characterful Kandyan and colonial-era buildings preserve a certain old-fashioned charm and small-town atmosphere.
In Kandy you can visit the impressive Temple of the Tooth, this is the country's most important religious shrine housing the legendary Buddha's Tooth. Another must see and a great place to relax for a while is the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens,(styled on London's Kew) - the flowers all over Sri Lanka are amazing, you’ll definitely notice the so many of the flowers we have at home (the plants in my garden are no competition 😝)
We had very limited time in this area and didn’t see Habarana or Minneriya National Park, one of the best places in the country to see wild elephants, if I came back again I would definitely add this to my tick list, plus the imposing Dambulla Rock which houses the most impressive and best preserved Buddhist cave temples in Sri Lanka. While there are more than 80 caves within the complex, it is the five crammed with over 150 statues and decorated with fine murals that are the main attraction. Apparently the steep climb is worth it the caves the views of the surrounding hills and Sigiriya are as spectacular as the caves themselves.
Every corner you turn in Sri Lanka gives you another WOW moment and staying in the beautiful Norwood Bungalow at the Ceylon Tea Trails in Hatton was the cherry on the cake for me. I loved every second! I don’t think I’ve stopped eating for 48 hours, the food has been incredible, I even tried a traditional Sri Lankan breakfast and it was delicious 🤤
Most of us have seen the photos in brochure of the tea fields reaching for the skies, but being here in person is something else - I was actually reduced to tears - the panoramic views, the tranquility, it really is being in the midst of a film set.
My trip has been full of eye opening experiences and a tour of Dilmah Tea factory was another - Who knew tea could be so interesting! I had literally no idea about the history of Ceylon Tea, how much work went into making the finished product, and my fact of the day: there is only one type of tea tree, it’s the process used that makes the different types of teas that we see on the supermarket shelves - amazing!
There are no word to describe the scenery surrounding us, and when we were treated to cruise along Castlereagh Lake so we could take it in from the bottom of the hills, it hit home even more - just wonderful. Hiking the trails and taking a guided kayaking tour are also available here, I hope one day I can comeback and experience these activities.
This is probably one of the, if not THE most beautiful place I have ever seen. The colours of the tea trees, the flowers and foliage are so vibrant that they look like they’ve been painted.
Sri Lanka is more than I could have ever dreamed of…
I’ve always fancied a bit of a road trip and this one was epic…
Sri Lanka is broken into 3 relief zones: Wet, intermediate and dry - The 200km journey took us through every one of them, we drove over the highest points of the country and ended at one of the lowest, the changes in the landscapes were awesome!
I was really sad to leave Hatton and Ceylon Tea Trails, but we said a fond farewell and started our next adventure, our first stop to be Nuwara Eliya (Little England) - this place is a so charming…
This cute little town is nicknamed “Little England” because of it’s colonial style buildings, well tended hedgerows, pretty gardens and horse racing. There is loads to do here - have a promenade walk around the lake, a coffee and cake at Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya hotel or maybe take a hike to the highest point in Sri Lanka!
The scenery changes gradually as we move through the ‘wet zone’ towards the ‘intermediate zone- passing cloud tipped mountains, dominant vegetation and beautiful waterfalls we head towards the town of Ella. I loved the vibe of this town, lots of cafes and restaurants and very popular with backpackers and adventurers of all ages which gave it a really bustling feel! A couple of must do activities here are: Climbing Adams Peak - mountain villages, long grades and a feeling of being on top of the word! We didn’t have time to do that 😰(phew!) but we did walk along the rails of the Nine Arches Bridge, Demodara - famous for its beauty. The bridge is 25m high and a huge 91 metered long - pretty spectacular. If you don’t fancy walking to it from the centre of Ella (about 1km) jump in a Tuck Tuck, it’s great fun! We visited the 98 Acres Resort and whilst we were there, the views from all the rooms in this hotel are amazing and it’s a great spot for families with teenagers or young adults as it as great access to the town and activities- including the Flying Ravana mega zip wire 😱
Top Tip: Take the train from Kandy to Ella - it’s a spectacular journey and will add something very special to your trip!
Before starting the last part of our journey, we had a quick stop at Ravana Falls, named after a famous King who was named in an epic from India. These are one of the widest in Sri Lanka!
Head phones in, my favourite play list and camera at the ready of we go…
Tropical rain forest turn to dense forests, large foliage are replaced with small leafed bushes, the mountain villages disappear and flat land farms appear! It’s fabulous watching the change and then all of a sudden we could see the Yala Game Reserve with its ‘wild coast’ border! Who knew what the next day would bring….
The early start from Uga Chena Huts was totally worth it…
We hopped into the 4x4 (actually mine was a rather inelegant clamber 🤭) and our game drive at Yala National Park park began!
Yala National Park is huge - this place is a sanctuary for the wild animals living here, 378 square miles free roaming, waterholes, caves and hiding places.
Living here are elephants, leopards, deer, wild boar, water buffaloes, monkeys and crocodiles 🐊 plus some amazing bird life - painted stalks, bee eaters, kingfishers and hornbills to name a few!
Serenity falls over you as you drive through the park, adrenaline pumps through you as you hear the birds calling out their warning signals that there is a threat close by, a possible leopard and we sit quietly the hope we might see it.
My mum loved elephant’s, so tears fell through the smiles when we were lucky enough to see families of elephants roaming and then laughter came whilst watching the cheeky monkeys dancing and leaping in the trees!
Our ranger Jay, was fantastic, so knowledgeable about the animals, how to track and listen to their calls. He also told us lots about the indigenous people, how they lived and about the history of the park.
TOP TIP: Definitely hire a driver and a ranger, you learn and see so much!
This afternoon we visited two other hotels within the national park - Wild Cinnamon some local delicacies for us to try, wood apple and slime apple which was a great experience and at the Wild Coast Tented Lodge, Yala the accommodation at was really unique!
Another game drive this afternoon and a beautiful breath holding moment as we watched another family of elephants making their way gracefully to their next resting place!
We really couldn’t have hoped for anymore and then…
… as we drove along the beach and pulled alongside the Chena Huts, we were in awe: a beautiful elephant, elegantly looking into the restaurant exploring the surroundings and eating fruits from the rosewood tree. She was very comfortable and stayed for ages.
I had never really thought about game drives being part of a trip to Sri Lanka, and yet again this amazing county surprised me.
What a way to end our trip to Sri Lanka. The last two days have been ‘Vesak’ - the day of the full moon in the month of May.
This festival is the most sacred day in the Buddhist calendar as it is the day the Buddha was born.
It’s been amazing watching the celebrations, amazing lanterns lighting up the streets, trucks full of family and friends taking pilgrimages, stalls giving out free juice and ice creams, plus lots of smiling faces!
Our last stop on this fabulous trip has been in the beach resort of Tangalle south coast. This really is a tropical paradise and exactly how I imagined it to be! Large coves, fringed with palms bearing king coconuts (the juice in these is delicious!), blue skies and sparkling sea. We stayed at the Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort, which was lovely! Set in beautiful garden, direct access to the beach and great food choices, we also visited Amanwella - Aman means ‘Peace’ in The Sanskrit and ‘Wella’ means beach in Sinhalese and the resort is exactly that. There are just 30 suites here, all with private pool. Our final lunch was spent at Cape Weligama Resort, Sri Lanka - this hotel is absolutely stunning! Great for families, - with a kids club and family pool, plus and adult only one too. The rooms are beautiful and the views are to die for.
We spent our last afternoon in fortified town of Galle Fort - you are looking for a little bit of history and shopping, this is the place!
Galle Fort is a UNESCO heritage site and was built in the early 1500s by the Portuguese. The architecture here reflects the Dutch, Portuguese and English rule and is quite magnificent.
We visited the United Reformed Dutch Protestant Church which dates back to 1755 and has a spectacular interior. Many of the grave stones had skull and cross symbols on them and dates back hundreds of years this symbol sadly meant that these people had died due to malaria or small pox. This sign was used as a warning for others not to touch or open the graves.
There is also a maritime museum, a clock tower, All Saints Church (this a absolutely beautiful)and a light house - all with lots of stories and history behind them.
As well as the history, a lot of the old buildings have been turned into trendy shops and restaurants. We wondered along the little alleyways and there was a real buzz, tourists and locals mingle together having drinks cafes, relaxing in the shade of the walls or having a match of cricket. The Sri Lankan people are so warm, friendly and very respectful. I loved being in this town, and felt very safe. Another great surprise 🥰
I’ve told you lots about the amazing wildlife in Sri Lanka and the Tangalle continues to be just as exciting. Rekawa Turtle Conservation welcomes 5 of the worlds 7 species of sea turtles and you can take part in a night watch trip here. Plus, seasonally there are Whale watching trips from Mirissa Harbour which lies in between Galle Fort and Tangalle.
So our trip comes to an end and as I write this we are heading to the airport for our flight home! The transfers from Tangalle is about 3 hours which sounds a longtime, however this journey used to take 6 or 7 hours before the new toll road was built. It sounds crazy but even this road is beautiful, we are driving past fields full of rubber plants, cinnamon bushes and tea trees. Colourful peacocks are roaming freely, the sun has come up and the locals are just starting their day - not a bad image to be leaving with ❤️
See you all soon xx
If this blog has inspired you and you'd like to find out more, please4 don't hesitate to get in touch!
Love, Libby x
☎️01943 462209 - Press 1 for The Lounge
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