How exciting! Now that the northern parts of Sri Lanka are opening up to tourism, my husband and I have been invited back to see areas that we didn’t get the chance to visit on our last trip.
Sri Lanka is unique in that it has two monsoon seasons, affecting different areas of the country – so it enables everyone to visit all year round by choosing the areas you visit – all of which are fascinating.
The last time we went was during November when the weather is best on the West and South Coast – continuing right through until April. This time we will be going in September, so are visiting the sunny north and East Coast to see a completely different part of the country.
Kalpitiya on the North West coast will be our first stop – known for its Kite Surfing as well as whale and dolphin watching. We’ll take the opportunity to visit Wilpattu National Park whilst there, which attracts thousands of water birds as well as leopard, bear, deer and elephant.
Making our way across to the East Coast we’ll visit Trincomalee; a natural deep water harbour steeped in history, having attracted great seafarers like Marco Polo and Ptolemy – long before us! Here we’ll make the most of the beautiful beaches and wonderful hotels which I’ll take the time to have a look at on your behalf – someone has to do it!
Travelling further down the coast to Passikudah, situated on one side of a narrow peninsula, the area is renowned for its breathtaking white sands of the sickle-shaped beach.
Before turning for home we’ll be passing through Sigiriya, staying at the fabulous Vil Uyana (the luxurious ‘floating hotel’) and hopefully catching the captivating sight of the Elephant Gathering; as this is the time of year when many elephants group together in Minneriya National Park looking for water.
Whatever you desire in an exotic location, Sri Lanka has it – from wildlife to whiling away time on a beach, from pampering to plantations of tea and from cultural history to eclectic cuisine – just chose your own menu!
We’ll finish our trip in Colombo as, like many, we have never stopped here. There are now some amazing boutique hotels in the centre which we would like to check out for future reference.
