Kadie Tours Sri Lanka

I've recently got back from Sri Lanka after doing one of our  Sri Lanka Multi Centre Holidays. Arriving into Sri Lanka at 7am it was an early start but as soon as I left the airport I felt energized with excitement. I was amazed to see the streets already buzzing with people, either on their way to work or walking to school. Throughout the week I travelled around this stunning Island and was fascinating to see all of the different cultures and sights, where else would you see a giant 10ft statue of Jesus on the side of a road apart from in Negombo – brilliant!

  

I stayed my first night in Negombo; around 30 minutes north of the airport. There’s a selection of luxury hotels, as well as more basic properties situated on the Beach. I stayed at the 4+ Star Jetwing Sea hotel (Above Image - left). It’s recently been renovated; the lobby is a large open plan space which leads down to the restaurant and has spectacular views of the Indian Ocean. I stayed in a deluxe room which is almost twice the size of the superior rooms with a large sunken bath and rainforest shower – very plush! All rooms are sea facing with all mod cons. We also visited their sister hotel, the 5 star Jetwing Beach (Above Image - centre), with more restaurants and located on a nicer part of the Beach it's definitely a superior option.

The following day we drove down the coast and visited the Turtle Sanctuary at Kosgada. Over 3 million turtles have hatched there in 30 years. They’re protected whilst nesting and then released back into the Ocean when they’re just a few days old. It’s not expensive and definitely worth a visit.We then drove through Colombo which is a fascinating city; the architecture a mixture of Dutch, British Colonial and Contemporary Modern.

We stopped for a few hours at the Mount Lavinia Hotel (Above Right) which is around 15 mins drive from Colombo. If you’re doing a Sri Lanka Tour, this is an ideal hotel to stay at for a few days, either before or after your tour. It used to be the Governors house and was built in the 18th Century. It has been extended over the years but has so much character and there are still parts of the property which still have the original features. We also popped in to see the nearby Saman Villas which is ideal for honeymooners, a small secluded resort with various suites, some which include private plunge pools.

    

After the Coast we went to Habarana which is a great base for touring the surrounding area. We stayed at the Cinnamon Lodge which is a luxury property, ideal location for touring and also has ideal facilities if you simply want to relax by the pool or enjoy the spa. From Habarana we visited the Sigiriya Rock (Above Image - Left), it was transformed into a fortress around 470 AD and at the summit there are ruins of the old castle, it’s a good half a day excursion as there are over 1000 steps to climb. Inside the rocks there are various chambers which have various artifacts such as the Mirror Wall and ancient traditional paintings. From here you can also visit the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage (Above Images - Centre).

Next we drove to Kandy; en-route we visited the Heritance Hotel Kandelama which is a beautiful 5 star resort, with stunning views of the surrounding area. From here you can spot a lot of wildlife such as exotic birds, herds of elephants and monkeys. We had a brief stop at the Dambulla Rock Caves to take some pictures of the Giant Gold statue of Buddha. We also stopped at a Spice Market and had a quick tour, which was really interesting - the products were not cheap though!

In Kandy we toured the city, known as the Spiritual Capital of Sri Lanka. It’s home to many temples, most famously the Temple of Buddha’s Tooth. Kandy was the highlight of my trip and I wish we’d had a few extra days there as there was so much going on and it was such a vibrant city. In Kandy there also the Famous Botanical Gardens which was the first place in Sri Lanka to start growing Tea before it was mass produced down further down in the South. We also visited the Millennium Elephant Foundation in Kegalle which is around 24 miles from Kandy.

After Kandy we visited Nuwara Eliya where the scenery is stunning. We commented that it reminded us of the Lake District. You also feel like you’ve stepped back in time, the Architecture being very British in Style. We stayed at the Grand Hotel which is classed as a 3 star hotel, however it is being renovated and the standard you couldn’t fault. The hotel was lovely, in really nice gardens and the food was Fantastic.

Our last day we spent the morning at a working Tea Factory (Above Images - Right), we were walked through the process of producing tea. We also saw how technology is changing the way it is produced with one machine being able to do the job for 10 people which was a shame but it looked a lot safer as a lot of the equipment that is used by the workers looks like it hasn’t been updated in hundreds of years!

Overall an excellent trip – The interior of Sri Lanka is amazing, Kandy and Habarana are such impressive places, with so much culture and sights to explore, with impressive hotels and great pools to relax by during the day. You don’t even need a beach, I could have just spent the whole holiday in Kandy and Habarana. Give us a call if you fancy doing something similar, we can creat your own Sri Lanka Tailor-Made Holiday and it’s a great way to see this country. Don’t just go to the beach as you miss all the best bits.