I recently returned from a fantastic 10-day luxury tour enjoying the stunning landscapes, rich culture, and meeting the friendly people of Sri Lanka, with the bonus opportunity to stay in some amazing luxury accommodation!
I flew from Sydney direct to Colombo with Sri Lankan Airlines. The crew were fantastic, and the flight went smoothly. Immigration in Colombo was quite quick, you need a visa to enter Sri Lanka which must be done before travelling. There are multiple money changers at the airport so you can exchange Australian dollars to Sri Lankan Rupees which is handy to have for any smaller purchases and tipping.
I was met with a warm greeting from our Prestige Tours representative Shahmy, who was also our guide throughout the tour, and transferred to the coastal/fishing town of Negombo- about 25 minutes from the airport. Colombo City is around 45 minutes from the airport so Negombo is a great place to stay when you arrive late in the evening from Australia.
We stayed the first 2 nights at Sentido Heritance Negombo Hotel, a fantastic 5-star beachside hotel. The resort style pool with swim up bar was perfect to cool down and relax. Our ocean facing room was well appointed with balcony or terrace (ground floor). Buffet breakfast was excellent with views overlooking the Indian Ocean. There are a few dining options at the hotel and some restaurants outside the hotel within walking distance.
Prior to our main tour we took a tuk tuk tour of Negombo! This included a visit to the fish markets which was a sight (and smell) to behold, but very interesting. We stopped by the Dutch Canal and then joined a small boat to Negombo Lagoon where our boat captain set up a little table and chairs in the shallow water and we had a fruit picnic! We gave extra fruit to the monkeys that live on an island in the mangroves, it was so much fun, they came from everywhere!
The first day of our tour we had an early start travelling Negombo To Kandalama visiting sights along the way. Our transport was a luxury minivan with air conditioning and large windows. Very comfortable for travelling the long distances in Sri Lanka.
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was so special. It is heart-warming to see these orphaned elephants being cared for. A highlight was lunch over-looking the river where the elephant walked down for a swim and being able to interact with them.
Next stop was Dambulla Cave Temple. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site dated back to around 80BC. It is the largest and best-preserved cave temple in Sri Lanka with many Buddha statues carved and built in the caves. There are a lot of steps to get up to the caves but well worth it as the temple itself and the views are incredible once at the top. There were lots of monkeys on the way also- Sri Lanka has monkeys everywhere!
We stayed in Kandalama which is a great base location as it sits at the heart of the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka and close to five UNESCO World Heritage sites including Sigiriya Rock and above mentioned Dambulla Cave Temple.
Heritance Kandalama. We had 2 nights at this unique hotel, which blends seamlessly with the environment as it is built into the rock and surrounds. It is absolutely stunning, with three swimming pools. You can also view magical sunsets overlooking Sigiriya Rock and beautiful lake! The rooms are luxuriously designed and deluxe rooms feature rain head showers and spa baths overlooking the lush jungle below. There is a buffet dinner if you choose the half board option which was very good with every imaginable cuisine- curries (of course), seafood BBQ, local delicacies, salads, desserts forever, everything!
Tip: Keep balcony doors closed at all times, the monkeys are cute but will come in to your room and steal from your fruit bowl! You may even need to hide your fruit as they are relentless!
The next day we visited Sigiriya (Lion) Rock – Wow! Sigiriya Lion Rock is an ancient rock fortress. A massive column of rock which is so steep that its top overhangs the sides. It rises to an elevation of almost 200 metres from ground. The site dates back to the reign of King Kashyapa (477-495 AD) who chose this site as his new capital. He built an impressive palace right on top, accessible only through the mouth of an enormous carved lion.
It was a tough climb for me physically, I have a fear of heights, plus there were a few monkey obstructions along the way, but I was so happy I did it. Breath taking views and an amazing sense of achievement once up there! How on earth they got up there back in the day to build it I have no idea! The history behind it is so intriguing.
Next, we travelled from Kandalama to Kandy.
In Kandy we visited the Temple of the Tooth, a significant Buddhist temple within the Royal Palace complex. This is one of the most important Buddhist shrines in Sri Lanka and is said to house the tooth of the Buddha and is a pilgrimage for Buddhists from around the world.
Royal Botanic Gardens Kandy is worth visiting also, very beautiful. Over 150 acres! We explored by Golf buggy which I would strongly recommended, especially in the heat of the day.
Here our stay was at the Golden Crown Hotel Kandy. A lovely hotel with huge rooms with even bigger balconies! They are undergoing renovations at the moment (OCT 24) to refresh the rooms. The rooms already renovated and new pool area look great.
Then we headed into the highlands travelling from Kandy To Hatton via beautiful scenery and endless tea fields. We hiked through the lush tea plantations, the temperature was cooler at this higher elevation which was nice. We visited New Girigama Tea Plantation which was very interesting and I will only buy leaf tea from Sri Lanka (aka Ceylon) tea from now on, not tea bags as that is the left-over dust apparently!
We stayed 2 nights in Hatton at The Argyle Hotel. This beautiful hotel has a Scottish influence. The rooms were gorgeous with pretty canopy beds and balcony or terrace, most overlooking the pool area and tea plantations in the distance. We enjoyed a lovely high tea here. The restaurant dinner and breakfast were very good also with wonderful staff.
Next was my favourite day of the trip travelling from Hatton to Yala. We joined the local train from Nuwara Eliya to Ella, (then on to Yala in our minivan). The most popular train trip in Sri Lanka is from Kandy to Ella which takes 7 hours. We boarded in Nuwara Eliya (part way) to travel to Ella for a shorter travel time of 3.5 to 4 hours. This part of the route is the highlight and is renowned for its spectacular scenery and diverse landscapes including tea plantations, mountains and cascading waterfalls.
You should pre-purchase tickets with reserved seats for the train. I would highly recommend 3rd class! You can hang out the doors and windows with the locals, it’s a thing, just be sensible and watch for tunnels. First class is the only one with air conditioning but has no open windows. Temperature drops a little as you head through the mountains so it was a very comfortable trip regardless. Our tour guide had organised an esky for us to take on board with drinks and lunch, plus loo paper! Don’t leave a hotel without it in Sri Lanka.
On arrival in Ella we were met by our drivers and headed to our accommodation in Yala which was approximately 3-hours’ drive.
Uga Chena Huts Yala National Park- WOW!
This is one of the most amazing places I’ve ever stayed! It is absolutely stunning, luxurious and so unique! If you feel like a splurge during a trip to Sri Lanka, this is it! Bordering Yala National Park and the Indian Ocean it’s an exotic combination of jungle and beach.
There are 18 private luxuriously designed huts which are enormous. Each has its own plunge pool, free standing deep bath, stocked mini bar, coffee machine etc. It is all inclusive – dining, drinks and game drives escorted by experienced rangers. Elephants and other wildlife are abundant and have been known to pop by huts! The restaurant and bar/viewing deck overlook the beach and at night are set up beautifully with fires and lanterns on the beach. The a la carte menu was excellent and food the same!
From here we enjoyed a game drive in Yala National Park which was excellent. We saw elephants, monkeys, deer, water buffalo, crocodiles, boars, beautiful birds etc. No luck sighting leopards, but Yala National Park reportedly has the highest leopard population in the world.
After our game drive we headed to Colombo with a quick stop along the way at the south west coastal town of Galle. A lively old town with a colonial past made famous by its 17th century Dutch fort, Galle Fort which is a UNESCO world heritage site. First built by the Portuguese in the 16th century but later modified by the Dutch.
Galle is very picturesque and close to some of Sri Lankas most popular beachside towns such as Mirissa, Hikkaduwa & Unawatuna. Our itinerary was mostly inland but I would highly recommend staying a few days in this south western corner to explore the beautiful beaches, history and surrounds.
We stayed 2 nights at The Cinnamon Grand, Colombo which is one of the most popular hotels in Colombo and in a great location. The hotel has many restaurants and a fabulous buffet. The entrance is very grand with a piano bar and live music every evening. Rooms are clean and comfortable. The pool is huge and is in a lovely area with gardens and trees creating a tropical/holiday feel.
We booked in for a special lunch at The Ministry of Crab which is a popular restaurant located in the Old Dutch Hospital a short $3 tuk tuk ride from our hotel. I highly recommend this for seafood lovers!
Over all we stayed in amazing hotels, my standouts were the Heritance Kandalama & Uga Chena Huts, Yala. If you ever get the chance to visit these areas I can totally recommend staying at these hotels for an unforgettable experience. I have many more recommendations, and tips from my trip and can honestly say you would not be disappointed with a holiday to beautiful Sri Lanka.
Huge thanks to Prestige Travel Safaris & Prestige Collection for hosting this fantastic trip. Everything was seamless and the transport was comfortable and luxurious to match the quality of our hotels. Our Sri Lankan guides were excellent and went above and beyond!