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We arrived into Colombo via Dubai and the flight was approximately 4 hours from here. We were picked up at the arrivals hall by our driver. We were to drive 2 hours south to the resort of Bentota. Sri Lanka hasn't got the best road network, but to me it just added to the fascination of this small Island. We were delayed by a burning building in Colombo, so we had to literally go round the houses to get back on to the main Colombo -Galle road. We finally arrived at our small hotel in the early hours. We were greeted by a young lad who showed us to our room and offered to make us a cup of tea.

We awoke to blistering heat, it's another hot day. We decided to stay in a very small hotel, and we later discovered we were the only guests. Our hotel was 150 metres from the sea, which was quite wild and choppy at this time of year. If you visit from November through to March, the sea is calm and the beaches wider. But on first sight of our own deserted beach, I was quite impressed. Breakfast was fruit, toast and omelette, very tasty too.

This small area of Sri Lanka has hardly been affected by the 2004 Tsunami, but not far down the coast it's a different story. Sammy, our local guide took us on a short journey to a Turtle Sanctuary and showed us some of the devastation caused during that unforgettable boxing day. The hatchery (one of many on the coast) is very interesting and it's wonderful to see day old turtles and learn how the locals are protecting them from their predators, mainly birds, small animals and fisherman. The guys at the hatchery will offer the fisherman a dollar per egg, this is way above what they get for the eggs at market (turtles are a delicacy in many parts of the world). At the Hatchery we saw turtles from a day old to one that was about 40 years old. He is kept at the hatchery because he is blind and has only one fin.

The next day, we risked life and limb. We had Sissi as our tuk -tuk driver for the day. We were heading south to the tourist centre of Hikkaduwa. Driving in Sri Lanka is like a cross between death race 2000 and wacky races. We pass lorries, cars, tuk-tuks, many mopeds and various wildlife, including dozens of dogs and cows roaming free. This journey summed up what I loved about Sri Lanka. It's quite manic, but so very colourful and charming. The journey took us about 2-3 hours. The affects of the Tsunami are clear to see. We stopped at a monument to pay our respects and Sissi translated the writing on the memorial stone which stated how many lives were lost in the area; well over 2,000 people. It was very moving. Hikkaduwa wasn't that interesting, however it was out of season, but the sights to and from this holiday hot spot more than made up for it.

We were always on the go in Sri Lanka, it's a country where there is so much to see and we only had 5 days to see the sights. We visited the nearby Bentota Beach hotel. It's in a lovely spot and is a sumptuous hotel, with fantastic grounds and a fabulous pool. The next day we decided to go on a river trip and Sissi came along for the ride. Leslie was our skipper in his covered motor launch. We meandered downstream, Leslie pointing out the Kingfisher and water monitors. A young lad stopped us to show off his small crocodile, and asked us to pose for pictures, earning himself a few dollars for his entrepreneurial foresight.

We stayed in Kandy visiting the temple of the lost tooth, after we had the most fantastic time at the elephant orphanage in Pinnawala. We also had the chance to ride an elephant, which is great fun. On the way to Pinnawala we stopped at a tea and rubber plantation, which was well worth a visit.

My summary is, Sri Lanka is full of beauty and intrigue, if you can be bothered to look. The people are amazingly friendly. It's one place I will definitely be going back to.