I was born in Sri Lanka and spent much of my childhood visiting family and friends. You would think by now I would have seen it all, but Sri Lanka is a country that keeps giving. Last year I was incredibly lucky to spend 10 days in Sri Lanka and even got to celebrate my 30th birthday there.
It is hard to pick highlights from a trip that had so many. Here are just a few:
On the first night we had dinner at Culinary Ceylon, one of the best food experiences and one that I wholeheartedly recommend. The hosts at Culinary Ceylon unfold stories of Sri Lanka’s past with every course they served bringing the food to life. Seven courses later, I was so excited about the food I was going to be eating on the rest of my trip.
Mosvold Villa, it turned out to be the same villa that my family and I had holidayed in years ago and I loved going back to it. Everything I loved about the property remained. The expansive, yet a very private beach in front of the villa, the very relaxed atmosphere, and the incredible cocktails. I saw my birthday in at Mosvold Villas where I had birthday cake for breakfast.
Whale watching in Mirissa, we took off early in the morning on a private Catamaran. It was not long before some dolphins joined us on our journey and then the magnificent whale sharks. I think it must have been my birthday luck. We had breakfast and lunch onboard with some cold beers to go along with it. On the way back to land we stopped off for a swim and a paddle. It was the perfect day out in the sun.
Boat safari in Gal Oya National Park reservoir. Unlike any other safari in Sri Lanka, we were the only people there and the only sound you could hear was the sound of nature. The reservoir had small islands dotted along, where the famous swimming elephants go in-between. We went on the sunset cruise and there was an abundance of birds everywhere you looked. I never thought I would get into birding, but the enthusiasm of the safari guide of Gal Oya Lodge quickly caught on with all of us. We were very lucky to see three swimming elephants as we stopped on an island for a spot of team.
Walking through the tea estate of Ashburnham Estate to the private waterfall. Nothing beats a swim in the waterfall and then some delicious lunch afterwards. I loved how hidden away and low key the whole experience was. There were no other guests, just us. Ashburnham Estate itself was another highlight, an old bungalow now turned into a boutique hotel. There is a familiar atmosphere to it, you feel very quickly at home.