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Uga Riva 

The perfect 1st night stay on arrival - just 7 rooms set in a tropical garden just 40 mins drive from the airport. Arrive to a warm welcome and feel totally at peace after travelling. Listen to the sounds of nature and sip a cocktail at the bar. The rooms are spacious and traditional. It is a tranquil oasis.

Uga Jungle Beach 

We travelled via cinnamon air to this hotel which made what would have been a 6 hour drive take about 1 hour.

Jungle Beach is an amazing open tree house style hotel set far away from any other hotels or commercial properties. The rooms are spacious and luxurious stilted bungalows set in the jungle - I was in a beach bungalow which had a private walkway to the beach. Not powdered white sand, but still a lovely beach and great to swim at or relax. we did a private yoga class one morning. The food is fantastic but I loved spotting the animals in the trees when walking through - the friendly giant squirrels, Cute Loris, cheeky monkeys and more... I loved listening to the sounds of the jungle whilst falling asleep.

Whilst staying here we were taken out in Tuk Tuks to learn about local village life - we saw a crocodile, a mini temple, their local store, a cashew tree and learned about life growing rice on padi fields.

Uga Bay

This was about a 3.5 hour drive down where we past by lots of padi fields cows and dogs all roaming the streets. When we arrived we were welcomed with sri lankan rituals into a wonderful small beach resort with a view of a stunning infinity pool. This resort has an outstanding beach with white powder soft sand and calm, warm aqua green waters - perfect for bathing in. There is a lovely cocktail by which we made use of when there was a sudden storm.

Our rooms are spacious and either ground floor or 1st floor ocean view and there is also some 2 bedroom villas which are fabulous. The dinner was delicious and all served to us, the breakfast was buffet style but plenty of choice of traditional Sri Lankan or international options. 

In the morning we were collected from the beach in a little speed boat and taken out to go sailing and snorkeling before breakfast. 

Chena Huts

Next we made a 6 hour journey down to Yala where we would get to go on Safari. Uga Chena Huts have an amazing location right on the beach, but this is not somewhere to swim - the waters are wild and the landscape is natural and stunning. we were escorted out on a beach/bush walk and were told so many facts  about the local landscape and creatures who live there such as elephants and Jackels  to the smaller creatures who have a huge impact on life there such as the termites. 

We had an amazing traditional dinner on the beach and went to sleep in our huge jungle huts - these were massive! I had my own sitting room corner, bath and shower, fully stocked mini bar a massive comfortable bed and my own pool on my private decking. It was a totally wow room and they can easily fit in up to two extra beds for families.

we met the next morning at 6am to go out on safari in Yala - Chena is one of the closest hotels to the park so it is quick to get there. We were shown some beautiful birds such as the green bee eaters, king fishers, storks and hornbills and then we found some beautiful elephants, crocodiles and buffalo.

we came back for breakfast and to relax by the pool and then went back out at 3pm in search of leopards - which we found thanks to our experienced guide. Yala is a national park so can get busy with lots of vehicle's wanting to see the same animals, but our guide was very patient and quick thinking and helped us get the best experience.

We had an amazing experience here and I would recommend to anyone looking for a high end Yala safari.

Uga Prava

Next we broke our journey to Colombo by stopping for lunch and a site tour of Uga Prava - this is  situated in a buzzing little coastal town perfect for surfers - big waves and strong currents so not suitable for swimming here in the south east of the land. This used to be one mansion or beach house but is now an ultra modern 7 bedroom hotel with a 45 metre stunning infinity pool over looking a natural very pretty private beach area. This is an awesome and exclusive place to stay. All of the rooms are unique with amazing views. There are 2 bedroom options great for families. It is really spacious and modern but with a lovely beachy feel. a fantastic exclusive option for a few days.

Galle Face - Colombo

We then made our way to our final destination - Galle Face in Colombo. This is a large 162 year old heritage hotel - the opposite of the modern hotel we had just visited. This hotel is large and grand and like stepping back in time to 1862 when it opened. The staff are so proud of their hotel and love to tell you all about the history and all the celebrities and royalty who have been to stay there over the years - Robbie Williams, Vivien Leigh, Sting, Gregory Peck, Prince Phillip, Scarlet Johanson to name a few. The hotel has a fine dining restaurant a funky wine cellar, a cuban bar and a beach/pool bar overlooking the sea. The rooms are all traditional style - most have a sea view. 

We were treated like celebrities here - every room has fresh flowers and each guest gets a welcome ritual. We enjoyed private dining with the hotel managers telling us stories of their experiences over the years. It was a fantastic set menu and I could not fault the service. 

It is a fantastic hotel for anyone who loves history and tradition and stepping back in time in a colonial style, it is not right for anyone who needs their hotels ultra modern. There are areas like the balconies which could do with a bit more attention but they are doing a great job at preserving something special for those who appreciate it. 

Just 45 mins drive to the airport - this was the perfect last hotel for us before travelling home. 

This was an amazing trip to explore the east coast of Sri Lanka - I need to go back to discover the centre now, but Uga do have a fantastic hotel - Ulagalla which is perfectly located to explore the cultural triangle and also two hotels in the highlands for those looking to learn about the tea plantations and enjoy a very English high tea! The highlands are much cooler than the rest of Sri Lanka so make sure you take a jumper if visiting. There was a train that used to go all the way there but it was damaged by storms, you can still enjoy the last 2 hours of the train for the experience. 

If you are looking to travel to Sri Lanka contact me to organise your trip, with a fantastic balance of culture, wildlife and beach. Check out my social media reels for more footage of these resorts and my experiences in Sri Lanka :)