Whale shark and manta ray sightings are almost guaranteed ... South Ari Atoll is a spectacular destination for divers and snorkelers. Boasting sun-swept island beaches and sandbars surrounded by tropical blue waters it truly is a tropical paradise ...
The former capital of Sri Lanka, Kandy is famed for sheltering a tooth of the Buddha — the country’s most holy Buddhist relic — along with botanical gardens, temples and an artificial lake.
The Ella to Kandy train is one of the world's best and most unique rail journeys and all this on a shoestring budget in 3rd class! The train gently rocks around steep mountain passes and through lush green tea plantations. The trip takes around seven hours and really was one of our top highlights of our trip!
:-) Food glorious food! When reading and researching our trip to Sri Lanka I came across some great recommendations for Ruwini's Honey Bee Cooking Class. Whenever we arrive in a…
Yala is an experience like no other! Forget whatever you may know about safaris in Africa! There are no rules that apply here, no limit on the number of safari vehicles entering the park or at a sighting - it is a complete free for all! (If this place was controlled it would be PARADISE). This is Sri Lanka's 2nd largest Park and is spectacularly located on the Indian Ocean in the south eastern corner of Sri Lanka. It has the highest concentration of leopards in the world as well as elephants, sloth bears and a variety of other fauna and birdlife. On 26th December 2004, the tsunami waves flooded the middle of the park killing 60 visitors. 35,000 people lost their lives in Sri Lanka. Interestingly enough there were only two water buffalo deaths and no other animal corpses found. Elephants and wild boar were seen running away from the beach with their tails raised three hours before the tsunami struck fuelling the notion that animals possess a 6th sense....
Mirissa Beach is the largest fishing port on the south coast. It is popular with tourists and is the base from where to set off on whale watching activities. In the evening it transformed to many little pop up restaurants on the beach offering freshly caught seafood. It has a good vibe.
Ahangama is quiet with white sandy beaches and is notorious for stilted fisherman posing for photographs. It is situated in the south of Sri Lanka half way between Galle and Mirissa Beach.
Ceylon as Sri Lanka was previously known, and particularly Ella which is is set high in the hills of this idyllic area evokes visions of colonial tea plantations ...this is a place to soak up the peace and quiet and to watch the tea grow... It is a place where the Sinhalese and Tamil cultures co-exist. Learning to cook the local cuisine here is a MUST and it is the starting or end point for the famed blue train rail journey which winds through the tea plantations and mountains passes and must be done in 3rd class to yield the full experience! Don't forget to scale Ella Rock or Little Adam's Peak, go zip lining and visit Nine Arch Bridge as well as the roaring Diyaluma Falls...
Apart from the myriad of landscapes, cultures, climates and food it is the warm, gentle people that make this one of our favourite countries in the world. It is a tropical paradise with white beaches and incredible wildlife and what is more is that it is highly affordable ... we need to go back to continue exploring!
Con Dao Archipelago, also called Con Lon or Con Son, is an archipelago belonging to Ba Ria – Vung Tau province. It is about a one-hour fly from Ho Chi Minh City. Being known as "The hell on Earth," the island witnesses Vietnam's history of the colonial times and the sacrifice of many heroes.
