January 31st

Despite my mum’s many warnings—”If you think it’s hot now, maybe we shouldn’t go to Sri Lanka”—we made it to Colombo without any issues!

Upon arrival, we met our guide, Sampath, who would be with us for the next few weeks. He took us to our guesthouse for the night so we could rest up before heading south to Hiriketiya, where we’d spend our first few days.

February 1st

On our way to Hiriketiya, we stopped in Galle, a town with a Dutch fortress, where we caught our first glimpse of Sri Lanka’s stunning beaches, making us all the more excited for the days ahead.

Next, we visited a turtle sanctuary, where we learned about different species and saw many up close. The sanctuary rehabilitates turtles injured in various accidents, sadly often caused by humans.

February 2nd–3rd

We spent our days swimming, trying to surf, relaxing on the beach, and indulging in incredible food. We particularly enjoyed the Mexican food at “The Ruin” right on Hiriketiya beach.

… a lot of food

One of the highlights was a traditional Sri Lankan thali, followed by jaggery (treacle) and cinnamon ice cream at a charming restaurant called “Pranaya Hiriketiya”. It was so good we went back two nights in a row.

February 4th

A 4:45 AM wake-up call had us heading out for a whale-watching trip. While we didn’t spot any whales, we did see a pod of spinner dolphins, which was still an amazing experience!

On our way back, we stopped at Sri Lanka’s southernmost point to visit the “Dondra Head” lighthouse, a truly stunning sight.

February 5th

We were up at 8 AM for a trip to Dickwella, where we met our dive master Prasanthe to explore an underwater museum. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to dive as I was feeling unwell, but I could still see some of the structures from the surface. Watching my family deep underwater was quite amusing!

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