THE PEARL OF THE INDIAN OCEAN

Somewhere in between the Maldives and India lies a small island, which is the beautiful setting of my last vacation.

After hearing countless stories from my Sri Lankan bf of the pristine white beaches, the picturesque 'upcountry' of waterfalls and rolling hills, and all the exotic animals, my expectations of this trip were huge. Sri Lanka did not disappoint. 

Now that the civil war has ended, development, especially in tourism is spreading throughout the country with the likes of Shangri-La opening up it's doors in the capital. The new Airport-Colombo city and Colombo-Galle highway has more than halved the travel time,  and in turn opened up the stunning beaches all along the south coast. 

8-night trip 

:- starting Colombo (1) - Galle - Tangalle beach (2, 3) - Udawalawe National Park (4) - Tea Trails (5, 6) - Kandy (7, 8). 

Contact info@totalholidayoptions.com 

**due to limited time, we did not visit the full 'tourist triangle' (incl Sigiriya Rock Fortress and Dambulla temples, Adam's Peak) so they will be on the cards for next time!

CHILL

Rivaling sunsets and beaches of the Maldives and surf like Bali, but a quarter of the price and far less people, I now know why Sri Lanka is on the Top List of Hottest destinations for 2014. As we wanted to visit the turtle hatchery on the way from Colombo to Galle we took the old road, which took double the time of the highway but the coastline scenery made up for it. Stretches of undeveloped beaches, some areas still in recovery from the devastating tsunami, a few more built up areas with old beach hotels....but nothing quite as stunning as the Amanwella. Aman-anything is pretty much a win. 

Amanwella (5*) ~ approx USD$500 - $800 / night (depending on season)

http://www.amanresorts.com/amanwella/home.aspx

Inspired by Geoffery Bawa's 'tropical modernism' architectual style, this small 30 all-pool-suite property has inarguably nabbed one of the most beautiful stretch of beach on the island. The suites are spread apart giving ultimate privacy in your private pool. The hotel's dog, 'Nero' that wanders about the grounds, was just one of the small touches that made this luxurious hotel so relaxed and friendly.

Not to mention, they sure know how to put on a wedding! (if anyone is in need of some destination wedding inspiration ;) )

EXPERIENCE

Luxury tented camping and safari

We arrived at our campsite after 2.5 hrs on the bitumen road, then a quick car switch to a 4WD to take on the dirt roads in Udawalawe National Park. After a lovely lunch by the river side next to our campsite, we set off for an afternoon safari. Our sunset timing was perfect. Not only did it make for a romantic drive, but all the animals came to life. Elephant herds crossed our path on their daily trek to their local water hole to bathe and cool off, flocks of birds circled the skies finding a place to rest their wings for the night, and crocodiles stretched out on the lake banks trying to catch the last rays of sun. 

I'm not really into birds, but if you are, this National park is where you want to be! There are over 433 species of birds on this tropical island. 

My tip:

- if you're half blind like me, take a pair of binoculars, I didn't, and so unfortunately I missed a lot

- if you're female wear a sports bra, you'll need the support after 4 hrs of seriously bumpy 4WD-ing

If you aren't as lucky as us and don't manage to see many or any wild elephants on safari, visit the Pinnawala Elephant orphanage, approx 1.5 hr drive outside of Kandy where disabled, deformed and orphaned elephants are looked after. Don't miss the baby elephants 1pm bottle feeding, and 2:30pm afternoon bathe down in the river.

Tea Estates

After a windy 4 hr drive from the National Park, the temperature dropped and the dusty plains turned into lush greenery and waterfalls. We had arrived in beautiful Nuriya Eliya, where tea bushes were as far as the eye could see. Green is said to be the most calming colour, and with this many different shades all around, you will feel instantly relaxed. 

Most accommodations along the tea trails will include a half day tour of their tea factory where you will see for yourself exactly how many people/hours (with such precision) all goes into making that perfect cuppa. From witnessing the manual labour that the tea-picking woman endure, to the different stages the leaf goes through to get graded (bruise/wilt --> chop --> sift), the competitive tea auctions up in Colombo and finally the intricacies of tea tasting....

Needless to say, I left with a newfound appreciate of my afternoon cuppa. 

Norwood Bungalow (5*) ~ approx USD$600 / room / night incl full board

http://www.teatrails.com/norwood-bungalow-gallery

Upon arrival, we were served high tea and our dinner order was placed. With only a handful of guest bedrooms and a shared dining and lounge/library area this was the sort of place you left your bedroom door open, no locks, no safes. It felt like home. Well, if home was the British colonial period and you owned the tea estate. I could have sat for days reading all the history books in the sitting room, with small birds fluttering in and out of the room looking for a stray scone and simply just soaking up the atmosphere of times gone by. 

Tea was served with every meal, and even paired with certain dishes at dinner.

For those that love the outdoors, there's plenty of trails and paths that wind around the tea crops to keep you busy for days. If we had had the time, I could have easily spent the whole week here.

Kandy, the cultural and religious centre of Sri Lanka, was historically the only city which could not be conquered due to its strategic location as its surrounded by hills. Each year in July, Kandy hosts the Festival of the Sacred Tooth - a colourful celebration of dancing, music and street parades. If you want to go for this, book well in advance as accommodation in Kandy of all standards sells out atleast 6 months prior.

My tip:

4:30pm        - arrive at the Rangahala Cultural Dance and reserve front row seats

4:30-5:00    - watch the lakeside life and grab yourself some street snacks to watch the 

                         show

5:00-6:00    - see a snapshot of the varied traditional dances, rituals, singing and music 

                        from different parts of the country, finishing with fire eating and fire walking 

                        (reserve aisle seats near the front for the best view)

6:00-6:30    - stroll along the lake side enjoying the sun set until you reach the Temple of 

                         the Sacred Tooth

6:30-7:30pm - see and hear the sound offering ritual, prayer time, lighting candles, and line 

                          up for a glimpse of the replica of Buddha's tooth

Get your timing right, and you'll have a wonderful evening :)

UNDERSTAND

This beautiful island played such a huge part in the spice trade with its' strategic key location and natural harbours, so it has a rich history as it was colonised by the Portugese, the Dutch and the British. The UNESCO heritage Galle Fort,  various heritage buildings, hotels and the tea estates are a modern day reminder of this history.  

My only qualm is the driving distances. For the ballers there are privates seaplanes that will land on various lakes and rivers throughout the country, so you avoid the windy 30km / hr roads. So for us average folk, bring some motion sickness tablets or a few spare plastic bags.

WHEN IN SRI LANKA

Challenge your taste buds, and spice things up! I love chilli as it is, and found my new favourite way to eat them - dried 'n fried in coconut oil and simply served with pappadum's. I was throwing them back like crisps! But don't worry, if you stay in a hotel with mostly foreigners, the spiciness will generally be toned down already if you can't take the heat. I must admit I was quite ignorant to the difference between Indian and Sri Lankan food, especially curries. After this trip, I found the main difference was that most things are cooked in coconut oil or with coconut products, not ghee like Indian food, so the curry is not as heavy and greasy. 

Must-eats:

Egg hoppers and string hoppers with sambal (a mixture of chilli's, crumbled Maldivian fish and coconut) for breakfast

Godumba roti, a flavourful late night street snack, popular post-clubbing. Definitely beats a dirty kebab any day!

Short-eats - savoury, buttery and herbed pastries and roti breads

Cheap and so tasty; perfect for lunch-on-the-go or car snacks for those long drives

For those with a sweet tooth, try the buffalo curd and treacle 

DJ's Restaurant (Don Jerome Codippily) in Kandy for some tasty home-style cooking, no frills, all flavour!

I may be a little biased, but the way I see it is Sri Lanka has something for everyone - beach, wildlife, culture, history, food - and is still such great value.  I simply cannot wait to go back.