7 Best Things To Do: Sri Lanka
Heading to Sri Lanka? I'm sharing my top 7 things to do on this incredible island!
Last month I spent 3 bloody GLORIOUS weeks in Sri Lanka on a solo trip of a lifetime and I've been meaning to share some tips from my trip, but I honestly don't know where the last few weeks have gone!
Anyway! I thought I'd kick off my Sri Lanka content with a "7 Must things to do" on the island, on the way home from the airport when Ben asked me what my favourite part of the trip was, I struggled to answer, it was so hard to pinpoint one thing as the whole trip was just so incredible; I had SO many highlights so I thought I'd round up my top 7 in case you're visiting any time soon!
1: Go on safari with Camp Leopard at Yala National Park
Located on the South East of Sri Lanka, Yala National Park is a must-visit on your trip, I was told by a few people not to visit Yala, but to go to Udawalawe national park instead (I can't give any advice on Udawalawe as I didn't visit), but I am SO glad that I booked Yala.
What to expect from Camp Leopard?
I booked the two-night tour with 3 guided safari drives package (you can get 10% off of your booking with my code below) with Camp Leopard, I was recommended Camp Leopard through a friend and oh my GOD I am SO glad I booked with them because they absolutely made the trip so magical from start to finish.
Included in the price is your accommodation, all food and guided tours (plus you'll meet the LOVELIEST staff at Camp Leopard who will make your whole trip so memorable from start to finish!).
My favourite part about Camp Leopard was that we visited Block 5 (Yala National Park is divided into 5 blocks, most tour companies will take you to block 1 as it's the most densely populated with animals), we visited block 1 once, and block 5 twice - block 5 was by far my favourite as the scenery was stunning, plus there was only 3 other jeeps in the whole block so it was super peaceful and relaxing!
On safari we spotted a tonne of Peacocks, Water Buffalo, lots of lovely Elephants, a crazy amount of birds, a rare siting of a Sloth Bear (SO cute!), Deer, Crocodile, Jackals and a beautiful 18-month old leopard, we spotted her in block 1, with only 2 jeeps parked next to us, we watched her for 2 hours and it was so majestic - a memory I'll cherish for a lifetime!
Where to stay? Camp Leopard, Yala National Park
TOP TIP: Use reference "HAYLEY" or "FROCKMEIMFAMOUS" for 10% off of your booking at Camp Leopard!
Left: Having the time of my life on solo safari! Right: A beautiful (and rare) Tusker Elephant waiting outside Block 1 for us at 6am!
Left to right: A stunning sunset across Block 5, the incredible food at Camp Leopard, our Jeep for safari!
2: Spend the morning / afternoon at the Elephant Freedom Project
Spending the afternoon at the Elephant Freedom Project was maybe *just my favourite thing that I did on my trip to Sri Lanka! It was such a magical experience and one that I'll never forget!
What to expect from Elephant Freedom Project?
Located in Kegalle, between Kandy and Colombo (just under 2 hours from the airport), the Elephant Freedom Project was the first place I visited on day 2 of my trip in Sri Lanka. I came across the project on Instagram and I'm SO glad I did!
The project homes to orphaned elephants saved from the logging and tourism industry, you can book a slot to spend either a morning or afternoon with the elephants, wash them, feed them and walk with them in their natural habitats.
An experience that I'll never forget and one that I'd highly, highly recommend! Tip: Wear trainers for the walk, take a hat & pack some bug spray.
Price at date of publishing this post: 14,000 LKR (approx. £36), I also decided to spend the night at the homestead as I'd done the afternoon slot, which cost approx. £10 and included dinner, the rooms were basic but the home, food and family were lovely - highly recommend staying!
Where to book? Elephant Freedom Project
3: Experience a yoga & wellness retreat at Sen Wellness Sanctuary
I spent 3 nights at Sen Wellness Sanctuary on a yoga & wellness retreat, joined by roughly 15 other wonderful, like-minded people - this was the perfect place to relax and reset in the middle of my 19 day trip!
What to expect from Sen Wellness Sanctuary?
Located in Tangalle on the south coast, Sen Wellness Sanctuary is a must on your visit to Sri Lanka, as I was travelling around a fair bit, I decided to slot a 3 day wellness & yoga stay at Sen into the middle of my trip so I could be in one place for 3 nights, relax and reset a little before heading on to explore the south coast.
With twice daily yoga, Ayurvedic diet & medicine, 90 minutes of heavenly treatments every day (BLISS!), a lovely pool to relax around and a beach front location - Sen Wellness Sanctuary is the perfect spot to be present and soak up some zen vibes in Sri Lanka - I'd highly recommend!
Where to book? Sen Wellness Sanctuary
*I was kindly gifted a 3-day stay at Sen Wellness Sanctuary in exchange for some social media content but I wanted to share it on my blog too as I had such a wonderful stay and would highly recommend it if you're visiting Sri Lanka!
4: Ride the scenic train from Kandy > Ella
You'll most likely have seen pictures from this train ride; dubbed the worlds most scenic train journey and one that is WELL worth your time (and the small price tag!). Ride the 7-hour train from Kandy to Ella!
What to expect from the train ride?
I booked onto the 11am train (they're notoriously always delayed and ours was 40 minutes delayed), I'd 100% arrive for the departure time of your train, but just be expectant that there could be delays!
The train ride takes roughly 7 hours for the whole journey from Kandy > Ella, I'd read lots of reviews to just do part of the journey to witness Nuwara Eliya which is recommended the "prettiest" part of the ride, whist it was SO beautiful, I have to say that I was blown away for pretty much the whole ride (from an hour out of Kandy the scenery is stunning the whole way), so if you can fit it into your itinerary I'd recommend doing the whole journey!
You can buy your tickets in advance (over 30 days), and at the station too (most people say you can pick up 2nd / 3rd class tickets on the day), but I didn't want to risk it as I only had one day that I could travel on as I needed to be in Ella that evening. I actually booked my tickets through Viator here, it cost me around £18 and the tickets are usually only around £2-£7 depending on class, but as I booked my trip to Sri Lanka only one week before I left I didn't have time on my side and wanted to guarantee my seat, it was still well worth every penny of the £18!
Where to book? With Viator Here
*Top tip: Book 2nd class as 1st class has air con so the windows don't open which is the best part as you want to take pictures out of the window! 2nd class was super comfortable - I really enjoyed it! Also don't forget to take water & snacks as it's a long journey - there are people serving samosas and local snacks on the train too which are delicious!
5: Stay at Santani Wellness, voted one of the worlds top wellness hotels!
I spent two glorious nights at Santani Wellness, located just one hour from Kandy and voted as one of the worlds leading wellness hotels; if you're looking for some delicious food, yoga and relaxation; then Santani Wellness is the spot for you!
What to expect from Santani Wellness?
Located overlooking the UNESCO Knuckles Mountain range, the located and design of this hotel is simply stunning, it reflects nature beautifully and has such a calming effect.
Santani Wellness encapsulates luxury retreat at the highest level and it took my breath away from the moment I arrived. With no food menus, the chef talks you through food options for each meal, providing both a local Sri Lankan and Western option - I mostly opted for the local cuisine and the food was out of this world. I loved getting dressed up of an evening and having a solo dinner date with my book by candlelight, the hotels restaurant is so romantic, whether you're with a partner, friends, or on you're own you'll have a meal to remember, every time.
Santani Wellness offers twice daily yoga included with your booking, I took part in two classes over my two days, I did one morning and one afternoon session and loved both. Santani really is the spot if you're looking to unwind in nature, enjoy some delicious food and relax - I had had the most incredible experience and would love to return one day!
Where to book? Santani Wellness
*I was kindly offered a media discount for my stay at Santani but wanted to share some extra content as I loved my stay and would highly recommend the hotel!
6: Hike to the Nine Arch Bridge and Little Adam's Peak in Ella
I spent two nights in Ella (which I absolutely LOVED), I spent one morning hiking to the Nine Arch Bridge and Little Adam's Peak with two lovely girls that I met at the Homestead I was staying at. You can do both in a few hours then we spent the afternoon relaxing at Ravana Pool Club!
I'd highly recommend spending one day in Ella doing both hikes followed by the pool club to cool down and relax after - the hikes aren't too strenuous - Little Adam's Peak isn't hard it's only around 10/15 minutes - there's a fair few steps towards the top but lots of places to stop and rest if you need to). Nine Arch Bridge was a little trickier (but again not hard so don't be put off), it's just that there's a few different routes to take and some can be a fair few steps / a little steep but again take your time - the views are so worth it!
7.) Explore the south coast
I spent the last 7 days of my trip exploring the south coast of Sri Lanka (I honestly think you could spend a month just on the south coast alone and it wouldn't be enough - there's SO many beautiful spots), I'm going to dive into this deeper with a blog post on the south coast, but for now - here's my top spots!
My favourite areas? Tangalle, Ahangama, Weligama and Hirriketeya
My favourite beaches? Goyombokka (my favourite!), Tangalle (silent beach), Ahangama, Hirriketeya
Where to eat? La Playa - Hiriketeya, Bahia - Hiriketeya, Aga Surf View - Tangalle, Morena Boutique Hotel - Midigama, The Slow - Mirissa, Shady Lane - Mirissa, CACTUS - Ahangama
My favourite hotels? La Playa - Hiriketeya, Morena Boutique Hotel - Midigama, Into the Blue - Tangalle
There we have it - my first guide to Sri Lanka (sorry on the delay!), I have so much content I can't wait to share with you all so keep your eyes peeled!
Have you been to Sri Lanka before? What did you think? Will you be adding any of these recommendations to your itinerary?
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