Sri Lanka Tour

February 8th

After a much-needed slow morning and packing up from Yakaduru, our driver, Sampath, picked us up, and we set off for the first stop of our tour—the charming town of Ella.

On our way we also got to see a beautiful waterfall and had lunch at this very well organised restaurant called “Cafe Chill”.

Funnily enough, it was Isa’s birthday that day, and her middle name is Ela! To celebrate, we had a lovely dinner at “Ak Ristoro”, where we enjoyed great food and karaoke, even with a violin accompaniment while singing Happy Birthday.

February 9th

We visited the iconic Nine Arches Bridge and had some of the best coconuts we’ve tasted so far!

In the evening, we hiked up Little Adam’s Peak to catch the sunset.

February 10th

A 5:45 AM Sampath took us to the train station. Despite the early wake-up, the journey was smooth and enjoyable.

Upon arriving in Damro, Nuwara Eliya, we explored a tea factory and its plantation, even trying our hand at tea picking.

It was fun at first, but we quickly realised how hardworking and skilled the women are, moving so precisely and quickly under the sun.

February 11th

We had another early morning start at 5:45 AM to visit Horton Plains, where we saw a completely different landscape from what we had encountered so far in Sri Lanka. Horton Plains is at an elevation of 2100-2300 meters and has endemic fauna and flora. We were told that on a clear day you can see the Indian Ocean at a view point called World’s End.

Afterwards, we enjoyed the comfort of the Grand Hotel—a stunning colonial style Hotel where my mum had actually stayed back in the ’80s when she lived in Sri Lanka!

February 12th

A long drive took us back to Colombo to witness the Perahera! After checking into a lovely hotel, we had a few hours to relax before heading out.

The ceremony was absolutely stunning—definitely something worth experiencing at least once.

February 13th

We visited a park to see the temple elephants relaxing after their hard work during the Perahera. My mum recalled that, back in the day, the park used to be filled with elephants preparing before returning to their own temples.

Continuing with the elephant theme, we headed to the “Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage” to watch them bathe in the river—an incredible sight seeing so many of them together!

We then continued our journey to Kandy.

February 14th

In the morning, we visited the Temple of the Tooth before heading to the gem museum, where we learned about Sri Lanka’s rich variety of gemstones and the process of finding and refining them.

Later, we watched a Kandyan dance performance at the Kandy Lake Club, a wonderfully put-together show. To end the day, we were warmly welcomed into Sampath’s home, where he and his family treated us to a most delicious dinner! Thank you Bhagya, Sampath, Ometh and sleepy Imeth!!

February 15th

We explored the “Peradeniya Botanical Gardens” before making our way toward Sigiriya.

Along the way, Sampath took us to the exact centre of Sri Lanka, where we visited a distincive Hindu-Buddhist temple.

That evening, we enjoyed a meal at the “Rastarant“.

February 16th

In the morning, we climbed Sigiriya Rock, where we saw the fascinating remains of an ancient civilisation at the summit. The way they engineered their water collection system and transported materials up the steep rock was truly impressive. The climb involved a lot of stairs, but the breathtaking views made it worth it.

Afterward, we took part in a village experience tour. It began with a bullock cart ride (which my mum got to steer), followed by a tractor ride driven by Isa,

and finally a boat ride across the lake, where my dad helped paddle.

We were welcomed into a Sri Lanken home with drumming and the aroma of fresh food. To fully embrace the experience, we changed into sarongs before learning various cooking techniques, including using a wood-burning stove and making tasty pol sambol. Everything was incredibly fresh and flavourful—some of the best food we had in all of Sri Lanka!

To top it all off, we got to drive a tuk-tuk around, which was great fun!

February 17th

We visited a famous temple near Dambulla, carved into the stone, with beautiful rooms filled with Buddhas. The view was breathtaking, though we hadn’t expected the many steps required to get there haha. As my dad would say, “Sri Lanka is the country of a thousand steps.”