Exploring Sri Lanka

Having travelled around a lot of Asia already, Sri Lanka has been high on my list for the last few years. A location that has so much to explore, from the cultural triangle with its myriad of UNESCO World Heritage sites, travelling up into the misty, and much cooler, mountain trail through the tea plantations, amazing scenery, iconic train journeys and wildlife experiences like free roaming elephants and the iconic blue whales. I travelled in March/April 2023, and this was a great time to travel, the weather was perfect and there was plenty of atmosphere but without the hustle and bustle of the crowds. Climbing up Sigiriya rock at 5am with barely another soul in site was just an incredible experience, I feel so lucky that Sri Lanka is still quite hidden from the main tourist trail part of me wants to keep it a secret but the other part can’t wait to encourage more people to experience the magic of Sri Lanka. The people were very friendly and welcoming, and I felt completely safe the entire trip, especially when travelling with my amazing driver. Having your own driver is part of the Sri Lanka experience and they will tailor the whole experience about the activities that interest you most. There is no pressure to see or do anything, and they will make suggestions on the highlights that you may want to do in the area, but for me the ease of getting around chauffeur driven everywhere with no stress was just amazing. A land where wild elephants walk down the highways, tea pickers can be seen working up in the plantation hills, stop off points overlooking waterfalls, the drives can be long but there are plenty of sights to behold! The cloud covered hills and mountains towards Ella are just spectacular and of course you can jump on the open-door train and visit the famous 9 arch bridge in this region too. For those looking for a safari experience there are National parks throughout Sri Lanka, but Yala NP on the Southeast has the highest population density of leopards in the world, I was lucky to see one amongst plenty of elephants and other wildlife. The lodge was a fabulous experience and again just a different experience to add to the ever-growing list of things to do in this country! At this time of the year there are blue whales down on the South Coast and I took one of the eco-friendly tours in this area, we were lucky to spot many dolphins and finally one big blue whale. Swimming with them is not encouraged and there are several companies really trying to monitor what happens in this area to ensure that ethical standards are met. Final stops in Mirissa and Dalawella were a beautiful way to finish the trip, waking up to the sounds of waves crashing underneath my balcony was incredible, so much so I changed my flights just to stay an extra few nights, where there is a will there's a way! With the extra time I also got to visit the historic town of Galle, pretty and picturesque and lots of boutique shops and restaurants, perfect stopover before heading back to the airport. It’s a great time to be thinking of Sri Lanka for your next trip, the people are warm and welcoming, there is activity and adventure, natural beauty everywhere and the value in this part of the world at the moment is just incredible. If you want to get lost with someone you love or whether you want some solitude for yourself, I can highly recommend Sri Lanka. I have already planned a trip back to take a more leisurely approach of the South coast beaches in December so an update to follow in the New Year! Please feel free to get in touch if you have any queries as I am happy to offer my advice on this amazing country, and for all my honeymoon couples if you have extra time this is the perfect destination to combine with the Maldives!!! Edit – I have since returned to Sri Lanka and spent the month of December 2023 exploring more of the South coast. I now have even more special places to share with you, from beautiful and secluded beaches to bustling party areas and everything in between! The South Coast has so many different areas to choose from, the beaches here are rugged and beautiful and I would definitely recommend some time here should you be able to fit this into your itinerary.