Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a country with the kindest people I’ve ever met. A country with the most beautiful sunsets, curry so tasty it makes your heart warm, tallest coconut trees and so much more! I’ve visited Sri Lanka twice already and I would sign up to go every year once, it’s just THAT good.

Rich in culture, this island is not so tiny as it seems on the map. You’d actually need around 2 weeks to fully cover all the most fabulous spots of this country. The currency is Sri Lankan Rupees and we exchanged it in Dubai before going because the rate is better abroad.

When it comes to dressing code, Sri Lanka is pretty relaxed when it comes to tourists, of course the only place where you should wear long clothes and keep your shoulders covered are the temples.

I am sharing top 5 places to visit in Sri Lanka, hope you’ll enjoy!

1. Tangalle

Tangalle is a big town in Southern Province of Sri Lanka. It is around 2 hours car drive from Colombo Airport and its famous for its gorgeous secret beaches. We stayed in a Boutique Hotel Retreat named Kirinuga and honestly, if you have any doubt where to stay, I guarantee you’ll fall in love with this place and hospitality right away.

In Kirinuga you can rent a Surfboard, do some Yoga and book famous sightseeing tours! We paid approximately 60 euro for a room with a breakfast that is easy to say the best breakfast I’ve ever tried.

What I want to highlight the most apart from Kirinuga Boutique Retreat, are the secret beaches, which we found many! Just ask Tuk Tuk drivers for a Silent beach and you’ll be stunned by the beauty of it! For a great dinner, check the restaurants named Mango Shade and Rice and Curry.

Here’s a link for the place we stayed - Kirinuga Boutique Retreat.

2. Udawalawe National Park

One of the reasons we chose Udawalawe is because it’s very close to Tangalle, it is only one hour and a half by car, also it is way less crowded than Yala National Park.

We went very early in the morning to avoid big crowd and the heat in the afternoon. So, we left Tangalle around 6:30 AM and arrived around 8:30 AM because we stopped along the way to grab some fresh bananas and coffee.

Guys from Kirinuga Boutique Resort gave us great information for Safari Tickets which we ended up paying 80 USD, considering we were alone in a jeep with a guide. We saw many elephants from very close, buffaloes, flamingos and a lot of rare birds!

3. Galle Fort

Galle is located around one hour from Tangalle and two hours from Colombo by car. It is totally worth visiting because of the famous Galle Fort.

Galle Fort is built in 16th century, it is close to many beaches and rain forests, it is entrance free, you can watch the sunset from the stone sea walls and have a dinner in one of the super cute restaurants by the lighthouse.

On the way to Galle Fort, we stopped by one of the temples because Galle has many and they are worth seeing too!

4. Ahangama

After we said goodbye to Tangalle, which was very hard I must say, we headed off to Ahangama! We stayed in Global Surf Lodge Kabalana for two nights, the Surf Camp has beautiful rooms with attached bathroom that is OUTDOORS.

How awesome is that? The price was quite affordable, around 60 Euros per night with a breakfast, for two people. As soon as you arrive, you get a welcome drink which in our case was fresh Coconut Water.

There are many surf boards for rent, yoga practice and a pool that one can use any time of the day! When in Ahangama, you should definitely have a dinner at Lean@83, cuttlefish curry and shrimps were our choice. The food is insanely good and fresh!

Here’s the link for the place we stayed in! Global Surf Lodge Kabalana.

5. Hikkaduwa

Hikkaduwa is a cute little town in the Southern Province. We used a train from Galle to Hikkaduwa, and it took us 20 minutes to reach there.

The ticket price is around 1 USD and the railway is surrounded by tall coconut trees. We stayed for an afternoon and surfed at the famous Hikkaduwa Beach where we were lucky enough to swim with the turtles.

If you happen to have more time, you should definitely go for a snorkeling and see many exotic fishes! There is a Turtle Hatchery very near and a Botanical Garden where you can learn a lot about Sri Lankan Spices and even buy some!

That’s all folks! Hope you liked it and maybe one day, you visit it as well! If you have some more questions, feel free to reach out to me on my email!