Sri Lanka with Audley Travel

Sri Lanka has to be one of the best destinations of all time. Travel through the jungle, mountains, UNESCO heritage sites, tea plantations, and paradise coastline.... this tropical island has it all.

Day 1

After travelling the 11.5 hour journey from Heathrow, we arrived in Colombo. We were greeted by lots of smiles and I soon realised how friendly this country was. Sri Lanka is closed currency so you can only get Sri Lankan rupee‘s when you arrive. You can exchange easily at the airport or use an ATM. We met our guide, Oshi, and our drivers who will be with us throughout the trip.

We were transported to The Wallawwa, a lovey heritage property and part of the Teardrop Hotel Group. It‘s set in beautifully maintained gardens and despite being only 30 minutes away from the airport, feels like a secluded hideaway. The rooms are well appointed, modern and of a good size. The rest of the resort maintains the charm associated with a classic Sri Lankan estate property. Happy hour is between 5-6 where selected drinks are complimentary. They also have a lovely communal pool and a spa for your post travel massage. We stayed on a half board basis where you can order 2 courses from the Asian Fusion a la carte menu. We opted for the mud crab curry, impressive but hard work as we got the whole thing..shell and all.

Day 2

We had a classic Sri Lankan breakfast of Hoppas and fish curry before heading back on the road. Our journey took about 3.5 hours as we made our way into the cultural triangle. We arrived at our home for the next 3 nights, the Water Garden Sigiriya.

This is a modern hotel surrounded by lakes and water streams at the foot of Sigiriya Rock Fortress. There are 30 villas most with private plunge pools. As they are quite spread out, there is a buggy service to assist you getting about or you can hire bikes. Make sure you keep your doors shut as the cheeky monkeys will be in. There are many activities that can be booked during your stay with the guest service team. Pair food with Arrack (Sri Lankan alcohol made with coconut flower stems), a visit to Pidurangala and see the sunrise or sunset, bird watching or a kayak jungle trail.

Tonight we had dinner at the hotel restaurant where you get the choice to sit in or outdoors. The chef prepares cuisine from around the world and with an exciting twist of Sri Lankan classics.

Day 3

Today‘s experience was a tour of the local village, Habarana. We picked up the bikes and headed on our journey through the village to visit the locals. First up, Shanta who was on his way to the temple when we bumped into him. He took us back to his house where he lives with his Mum. He gave us a demonstration of him playing his drums (gadabaraya) and told us how they were made. Then put on his wesdress (traditional dancer dress), which symbolises the lotus flower, and is worn when he performs at weddings. Next stop was at a local dance school where we learned some local dances and watched the children‘s routines. If you ever visit Sri Lanka and do this tour, take some Haribo sweets as they were delighted. We then stopped at a Samanti‘s hut and she cooked us fish caught fresh that morning and made us traditional tea served in coconut shells. Finally we stopped off at Baby Nona‘s house. Baby Nona makes antiseptic healing oils from seeds of the butter tree and provides it to the Ayurvedic hospital. This was a great way to experience local life and immerse yourself fully in Sri Lankan culture.

Tonight we had dinner at the Jetwing Vil Uyana hotel. A quiet, tranquil location right in the heart of the farmland around Dambulla area of Sri Lanka. The dining room is located on a lake - with views of many birds and wildlife. The rooms all feature teak flooring and a balcony, they are spacious and overlook the paddy fields.

Day 4

Our day began with a visit to the rock fortress of Sigiriya, a world UNESCO Heritage Site with the summit at 360m above sea level. We set off early to beat the heat and miss the crowds. The fortress was used as a royal palace for a short time but later occupied by monks. The climb is challenging in places, but there is the help of a banister and totally worth the 360 degree views of the surrounding jungle and faraway temples.

In the afternoon we visited Minneriya National Park. This is one of the best places to see elephants in the wild in Sri Lanka, with herds of up to 350 elephants. It connects 2 national parks and provides visitors the opportunity to see these gorgeous creatures in their natural surroundings. Migration is August, and best time to visit June to September. The national park is also home to water buffalo, crocodiles, monkeys, leopards (although rarely seen), sloths and deer.

Tonight we had dinner at the Aliya Resort and Spa. Here you can find 96 rooms with stylish elephant inspired interiors, spacious en suite bathrooms with a stand-alone bathtub and luxury bath amenities. We had a huge Sri Lankan buffet where we could see chef cooking in the traditional kitchen and sunset cocktails.

Day 5

Our stay in the cultural triangle has come to an end and it‘s time to head to the tea country. The drive to Kandy takes about 2.5 - 3 hours. En route you will see the lush countryside changing and the land slowly rising. On the way we stopped at the spectacular Buddhist cave temples of Dambulla. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, Dambulla is the largest and best kept cave temple in Sri Lanka with the largest ceiling paintings in South East Asia. Five caves contain around 150 stunning Buddha statues and paintings, some of Sri Lanka's most important and evocative religious art. Buddha images were first created here over 2000 years ago, and over the centuries subsequent kings added to and embellished the art. Top Tips for visiting: You need to cover your knees and shoulders, bring small change to purchase flowers on the way up as a gift for the Buddha, bring socks as the temple has a no shoes policy and lots of water.

We arrived at our next destination hotel, Santani. This is a luxurious wellness resort surrounded by endless green mountain views and tea estate hills. With only 16 simplistic rooms, the resort also has a wonderful spa, partially open air yoga studio and a thermal salt soak pool. The food and fine dining experience at Santani is a highlight. The experienced chefs create personalised menus to suit each guest and and takes into consideration what the doctor orders. Full board comes as standard here and most ingredients come from the surrounding gardens.

Day 6

This morning we went into Kandy to experience the true Sri Lankan food scene while walking through the history of the city. We took in the smell of spices and gave our taste buds a treat. We visited the places the locals love to snack on cassava chips and paper dosa (eaten in the correct way). We headed to the market where we sampled fruits, sesame candy, joined the locals for traditional milk tea and ended with buffalo curd and palm syrup. Admiring the architecture we walked the colorful streets of Kandy, and took a refreshment stop with a king coconut. If you are tired of walking, take a tuk tuk which are parked up at the side of the road. If we hadn't had enough food thorough the day, Santani had prepared us a Sri Lankan 7 course tasting menu. This was delicious.

Day 7

Today was all about what the resort has to offer. 7am wake up call for sunrise yoga before our breakfast. Then we headed back to the spa area for sound healing therapy. As you begin to relax, the sound therapist will “bathe” you in sound waves. The waves are produced by singing bowls, gongs, chimes, rain sticks and other instruments. Effective at reducing stress, taking you into a deep state of consciousness similar to meditation. In the afternoon we took a walk through the plantations, across the hanging bridge and had a dip in the river. Our guide packed some refreshing pineapple and mint juice with a picnic. A few of us visited the wellness doctor and had treatments according to their needs, others relaxed by the pool. OMG the views here are incredible!

On our final evening here Santani hosted a surprise bonfire with cocktails and Arrack Sours are now my new favorite.

Day 8

After saying our goodbyes, we travelled down the winding roads to the beach resort of Balapitiya. This was the longest transfer of the trip and took nearly 5 hours. To break it up we stopped off to meet Janaka, a local artist, to join her for some traditional Sri Lankan mask painting. She explained the significance of the masks and the what the styles mean. Under her watchful eye we got to paint our own and take them away as a souvenir.

We checked in to Kumu Beach, another hotel within the Teardrop group so meant only one thing... Happy Hour! The hotel has just 12 ocean front rooms and we learned more about the sustainability project from the hotel manager. Teardrop's goal is to reduce environmental impact, reduce landfill, reforestation and increasing the female workforce while focusing on the conservation of water and energy. We had a lovely dinner by the ocean with the waves lapping against the rocks.

Day 9

After our whistle stop at the beach it was time to head to Galle. Perched on Sri Lanka’s southwest coast, Galle offers atmospheric low rise streets, a harbour, lighthouse and city walls that give this a real European vibe. The influences are from the Portuguese, who built the Fort, and Dutch who later extended it. The pace here is leisurely and there's the least traffic you will find anywhere in Sri Lanka. It’s got history, beaches and shopping…. Lots of shopping.

We met ‘mama’ who taught us to cook like a local. Shahira is a forth generation resident of Galle and her cooking has brought her fame in the area. Her age old recipes have been passed down through her family and we were so lucky to discover some of her secrets. We were shown how to grind and mix the spices along with her specialty dishes and accompaniments. After our hands on cooking class we sat down and she shared her interesting stories from her families cultural history.

Our last hotel of the trip was at Fort Bazaar within the ancient walls of Galle. Nestled within the historical Galle Fort, the hotel stands out for its prime location, allowing for easy exploration of local attractions. The spacious and elegantly adorned rooms, along with modern amenities, hospitable service were the perfect end to our time in Sri Lanka.

Day 10

It was home time and after a short journey back to the airport we said our goodbyes to our driver and guide, Oshi. This trip takes you on the outskirts of Colombo but you can opt for the coastal road if you have the time before your flight.

This was an incredible trip and there is so much more to see in Sril Lanka so the doors are definitely open for a return trip. Audley Travel did a wonderful job creating these memories for me and as always delivered a great itinerary with their added sparkle.