Sri Lanka and the Maldives
The main highlight for me on both trips was the incredibly extensive sightseeing opportunities the island offers; from buddhas and temples at Polonnaruwa, Dambulla Caves and Sigiriya Rock, Tea Plantation, Spice Gardens and elephant orphanages where you can bottle feed the elephants, help wash them or simply take a ride on one! I also visited Kandy and Galle’s cricket ground and took a boat trip along the river on a water safari, however there is still so much to see and do that I plan to revisit again in the next couple of years.
The food in Sri Lanka is hot and spicy (my kind of food!) and the seafood is delicious, a fresh catch from the locals that day! The fruit is in abundance and is so bright, colourful and sweet you could never get enough of it. I was even eating Dahl, a curry lentil dish, for breakfast! But to all those who like to stick with what they know and like, don’t worry because there is plenty of international food on offer too.
In the Maldives I stayed on Bandos Island, a small and fairly low key location. I felt totally at peace here, my bungalow looked out to the ocean yet I also had a private garden and I could still hear the waves lapping the icing sugar sand. I had so many favourite things to do here such as paddling in the shallow water and seeing so much marine life or putting my sunbed in the sea so I could lay and watch the little fish trying to nibble at my toes (not that I was being lazy or anything!)
At night time on my walk to the restaurant I would take my torch to the sea and shine it on the sand where all the nocturnal creatures were scurrying about. I thoroughly enjoyed the water excursions to uninhabited islands for a barbeque lunch where the monkeys would join us for theirs too! Male Island shopping is great for some real designer bargains as well as those not quite so designer items (even more of a bargain though!). I visited other islands for lunch and had amazing snorkeling experiences, though unfortunately I do not dive but I didn’t feel like I had missed out here as my experiences of the surrounding reefs was more than satisfying from the surface.
Overall, I can only describe my visit here as a relaxing cultural and indulgent experience, a fantastic twin centre combination which I would recommend to anyone. From the beach lover to the active hiker, this holiday suits all needs.