I recently traveled back to beautiful #srilanka, for my third time, it's one of my favorite places to visit when I feel I need to disconnect and be around nature, wildlife, good energy, and culture. It's a great place to surf, snorkel as well as a hike, or just sit and chill in a cafe and watch the hustle and bustle of town life passing by, it is so full of life and literally is a country with everything, I am able to recharge, find my self, feel thankful and gratful.. its a bit of soul food, each place has its own energy and vibe and if your anything like me I like to get around the country I'm visiting and Sri Lanka is perfect for this. So I have listed a few places below that I highly recommend if you have a chance and/or are traveling to Sri Lanka in the near future.
The Southern parts of Sri Lanka, which is around a 2 - 4 hours car journey from the airport in Colombo, and if you want to be among the waves and long sandy, palm tree beaches visit #Hikkaduwa, #Galle, #Mirissa, #Unawatuna and #Tangalle, you can also coastal hike, visit the small busy towns and be among the culture, do Yoga, visit the turtle hatcheries, or just simply sit in one of the stunning beaches, restaurants or cafes and watched the sunset or of course you can surf your heart out, either way it’s such a great way to feel the country. I was so lucky and got to see Turtle eggs wash up on the shore as I was chilling on the beach .. it’s just out of this world and to come across something you literally may only see once in a lifetime, just blew my mind, this is why I say, you come to Sri Lanka if you want to be among nature ... it’s just everywhere and it’s an amazing feeling.
#Ella ... now this is a must-see place, I am so in love with this green town in the mountains. The hiking here is insane and just so worth it, hiking can be a bit challenging but here there are so many different trails for everyone and it’s just beautiful from left to right, with waterfalls and fauna, if you like that jungle feel with monkeys swinging from tree to tree and mountains views then this is a place for you, and a bonus is that it also houses the famous 9 Arch Bridge and rail track which is magnificent, you can even jump on the train here and ride to the main town #Kandy (it’s a bit of a journey though...) but the views are scenic the whole way and if you have plenty of time it’s worth it as you get to see Sri Lanka from a different perspective. #Ella has plenty of tea plantations which is great to check out as Tea has come to be a principal crop in Sri Lanka, and the quirky little town Ella has lots of cool stores, cafes, and bars … it’s great to wind down there.
Now, if you do have a bit of time, the town of #Pottuvil and #ArugamBay beach is absolutely stunning, both situated in the dry zone of Sri Lanka's southeast coast, it’s a 6 -7-hour car journey from the airport but I found the more convenient way to get there is to spend some time in the South first then head to Arugam Bay and maybe then on to Ella to break up the journey. I was so lucky to stay in a villa on the beach and this place was just pristine ... palm trees and hammocks in the garden and just a step out onto the beach, it was out of this world, the staff really took care of us, they were the friendliest people I think I've ever meet .. full of smiles and this is where I tried the famous Sri Lanka breakfast, egg hoppers (you must!). Arugam Bay is a tiny place and the real reason to go here is to surf, it is home to a famed point break that many regard as the best surf spot in the country, and I would defiantly recommend a visit.
I spent a short time in #Sigiriya which is located towards the North and again a great place for hiking, I visited the famous Sigiriya Rock which was super fun to climb and a mega trek to the top but, once you reach the views are just wow.. watch out for the mischievous monkeys ... they steal.
Colombo and Negombo are great if you like the hustle and bustle of the towns and some of the hotels are amazing and are beachfront giving you time to relax, I do like the busier towns/cities as it gives you the experience of the everyday hustle but the nature feeling isn’t there so I tend to spend a day or two to at least to visit the Buddist temples and I head out to the more rural areas.
Sri Lanka is known for its magnificent protected National Parks, another thing I just love about this country, is the inner goodness to protect wildlife and animals. I have visited three National Parks out of the many which were Udawalawe National Park, Kumana National Park, and Yala National Park, I actually came to find out that a few are integrated into one another so there is plenty of freedom. All the parks I visited were awesome with lakes, rivers, plenty of trees, grass, and booming with wildlife, I saw elephants roaming wild and free and this was just so magical to witness. - So place at least one of the parks on your bucket list of things to visit.
I literally cannot wait to hopefully have the opportunity to go back again and keep on exploring this wonderful country.
Visit my Instagram page at @staywild_its_a_lifestyle and let me know your favorite places and your experiences in Sri Lanka.
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