Sri Lanka

I was recently lucky enough to visit Sri Lanka. It’s a country which has long been on my list of places I would love to visit and I was certainly not disappointed. Our tour was very tightly packed with a mixture of hotel visits and sightseeing which gave me a great insight into the country from a holiday maker’s point of view. It also left me with a wonderful taste of the country, its people and a great wish to go again to enjoy things at my own pace.

Our tour started in Galle which was a rather long transfer after our flight from the UK. The ancient port city of Galle is Sri Lanka’s fourth largest town, with a population of around 80,000 inhabitants. It is Sri Lanka’s oldest living city and a designated UNESCO World Heritage site that retains a unique old-world atmosphere.

We stayed at the Jetwing Lighthouse hotel. The rooms were full of character and the beds extremely comfortable. There was a lovely pool and it was in a great beachside location. Local tuk tuks are very cheap so you can get to the neatest town easily. The restaurant and buffet meal is good, but not outstanding. I did enjoy my stay here and would recommend the property for people wanting to be by the beach.

During our brief stay in Galle we were invited to dinner at The Amangalla Hotel. This is a beautiful colonial property with impressive standards. The hotel is located close to the town and the rooms are very spacious and full of character. It is most definitely a prestigious property! The food was very good although the menu was slightly pricey but worth it.

We were then taken to Pinnewala elephant orphanage en route to our next stay in Kandy. The orphanage was set up to save abandoned or orphaned wild elephants. Nowhere else in Sri Lanka are you likely to see so many elephants at such close quarters. They are controlled by their keepers to make sure they feed at the right times and don't endanger anyone, but the elephants are otherwise free to roam around the sanctuary.

Kandy at an altitude of 500m is the cultural centre of Sri Lanka and was the capital of the last Sinhalese kingdom. It is a particularly relaxed hill station, once captured by the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British. The lake and the nearby Temple of the Tooth, which houses Sri Lanka’s most sacred relic, a tooth of the Lord Buddha, dominate the city. We also visited the beautiful Peradeniya Botanical Gardens with its fine collection of orchids and a stately avenue of royal palms planted in 1905.

Our accommodation was at the Cinnamon Citadel. This hotel was in a beautiful location overlooking the river. The property is in a perfect location for spotting the local bird life and other wildlife with a beautiful pool and public areas. We also visited a number of hotels in this area including the Earls Regency, and Mahaweli Reach – both were fantastic!

Our next scheduled stop was the Mattale Spice Gardens. It is well worth a visit as the tour we experienced contained a wealth of interesting facts from a botanical scientist who told us about his research into the use of plants in medicines.

Our journey continued to Habarana which took us via the Rock Caves at Dambulla. 150 metres above the road and has a history that is thought to date back as far as the 1st century BC when King Valagam Bahu took refuge here. You can explore these and also visit the rock temple on the vast, sloping rock. From the level of the caves there are superb views over the surrounding countryside. Habarana is near the ruins of the ancient empires of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, Somawathiya, Kalawewa, Namal Uyana, Medirigiriya, Pidurangala and Mihintale. Other places of interest in close proximity include the Kaudulla National Park and the Minneriya Wildlife Park.

Our next stop was Cinnamon Lodge, Habarana which was our base for three nights. Service was good and public areas, pool and bar nice. It does need a little money spending, but does have great potential. We visited a number of resorts in this area so just contact me if you need any further information or insight.

Our next stop was Negombo which is the closest beach resort to Colombo and the airport. We visited a number of hotels here too, and stayed at the Jetwing Lagoon. It is a lovely holiday property for couples and families. I have a number of tips and advice so please let me know if you’d like to hear more.

Sri Lanka is a beautiful country with beautiful, gentle and courteous people. Famous for its wildlife, lush scenery and tea plantations, it makes a perfect holiday destination with lots to see and do as well as excellent sandy beaches to relax at the end of a tour. To me, what made the trip particularly memorable were the local people and excellent food. I would dearly like to return and enjoy the warm hospitality, food and see much more of the wildlife which sadly we had limited time to appreciate. As we visited so many resorts and hotels while we were there I’d love to hear from you if you are thinking about visiting this amazing country.