I will never forget my trip to Sri Lanka. I didn’t know much about Sri Lanka before my visit but I can say it was an eye opening experience. I was amazed at how friendly and hospitable people were. Sri Lanka is rich with magnificient temples, ancient ruins, beautiful white sand beaches and tiered tea plantations for miles.
Some tips for your travel:
- We didn’t book our hotels before our trip and we always got a room. Receptionists are so friendly so you can always ask them to call your next hotel and ask if they still have available rooms. They even recommended some hotels.
- Don’t forget citronella oil and something against mosquito bites!
- Don’t drink any welcome cocktails at the hotels. They often use tap water to make ice cubes and you shouldn’t drink any tap water in Sri Lanka. To be sure, brush your teeth with bottled water.
Highlights
- Anuradhapura: In the Mahamewna Gardens in Anuradhapura you can see the sacred fig tree Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi. It is the oldest living human-planted tree in the world. Today it is one of the most sacred relics of the Buddhist in Sri Lanka and a goal of many pilgrims.
- Mihintale is a mountain peak near Anuradhapura. You can climp from the main car park at the summit. There are many steps (1840x) but it’s definetly worthwhile.
- Yala National Park: This national park is the largest in Sri Lanka. You can join a safari and maybe come across some elephants.
- Wilpattu National Park: You will see a lot of birds, deer and apes.
- If you’re a movie lover and adventurer, you should join a river rafting on the river Kwai. For the movie ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’, they build the bridge in Sri Lanka near Kitulgala. The river where the film was set is called the Kelani, which has become a tourist attraction for its white-water rapids. Near the bridge lives the ‘jungle boy’ who apparently played a small part in the movie as a young boy.
- Horton Plain National park: It’s a 9km circular track. The trail takes about 2 to 3 hours and is not difficult to do. A highlight is ‘The Big World’s End’, a stunning escapment that plunges 825m. Early morning is the best time to visit, before the clouds roll in.
- The south of Sri Lanka is a secret surfers’ paradise. You can also do kitesurfing or windsurfing but you should come between November and April, the best months for surfing.
- There is so much more to see: white sand beaches, tea plantations, turtle hatcheries, many many temples to see etc.
Our favourite hotels:
- Villa Rosa in Kandy is a small boutique hotel which offers a slightly different experience. Our hotel chauffeur bought us some lobsters on our way back to the hotel. The hotel cook prepared a delicious sri lankan dinner for us.
- The Safari Hotel in Tissamaharama has modern rooms, a spa and a pool. It’s a hotel with a nice view of lake Tissa. The hotel is only 20 minutes away from the Yala National Park.
- Deco on 44 in Galle is a beautiful hotel centrally located within the fort. The hotel has a swimming pool and a nice rooftop terrace.
