We did a loop around mid/south Sri Lanka and it took 9 days. Here is our Itinerary (Colombo~Kandy~Ella~Yala~Galle~Colombo):
*Flew into Colombo and spent the night since we arrived at midnight. The driver picked us up at 8:30 a.m. and drove us to Kandy, our next destination, which took us 4 hours. We made a stop at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage which was about the mid point between Colombo and Kandy. We stayed in Kandy one night and the next morning took the train to Ella, which took 7 hours. Our driver bought the train tickets because it was difficult to purchase on-line and many suggest buying them that day; however, if you want first class, they sell out quickly. The train was beautiful but long and the cost for first class is 17 usd per person. The seats in first class were very comfortable and it was air conditioned; however, 3-4 hours into the trip, we opened the windows because the mountain breeze was better than the AC. We spent 2 nights in Ella and then drove to Yala, which is the 2nd largest national park in Sri Lanka. It took us exactly 3 hours to go from Ella to Yala and we spent 2 nights in Yala. To end our journey, we went to the beach in Galle for our last 3 nights. It took us 4 hours exactly to go from Yala to Galle and it was a perfect way to relax and end the vacation after all of the driving and moving around. After 3 nights in Galle, we drove back to Colombo, directly to the airport, which took 3 hours because it is the only part of the trip where there is a newly built freeway. Details of the trip are below……..
- COLOMBO (we didn’t spend any time in Colombo so I only have our hotel information. It was suggested to not spend too much time in the big city since there is so much more to see in this beautiful country)
Hotels:
*Gateway Hotel Airport Garden by Taj- This place was great, I love Taj hotels but wasn’t worth it for us since we didn’t get there until 1 a.m. and left at 8:30. The breakfast was really good and they have a pool and great service, so if you stay more than one night, it is worth the money. Also the Cinnamon Grand Hotel is recommended.
On our way from Colombo to Kandy we stopped at the Elephant Orphanage. It is crowded and hot but you can get close to the elephants and then have lunch on the river and watch them play in the water. Again, Sri Lanka is a bit more expensive than we thought, the entrance to the orphanage is 25 usd per person but it is a great stopping point between Colombo and Kandy. We got there @12:30 and stayed till 2:30 (they go into the water around 1:30/2:00……….
- KANDY (Kandy is nice for one night but you don’t need much more time. It is really only a stopping point to get to Ella, you can skip Kandy and drive 8 hours from Colombo to Ella but we enjoyed Kandy)
Hotels:
*Hotel Suisse: This was a 3/4 star hotel and very inexpensive. Since Kandy wasn’t one of our destination spots, we decided to go for an average hotel and save our money for nicer hotels in the other areas. Hotels can be quite expensive in Sri Lanka. It was clean, had a pool, good location and nice breakfast, so it was good enough for the short 1 night stay.
*Other hotels in the area that are highly recommended if you want to splurge a bit more are: The Secret Kandy, Threva Residency and The Elephant Stables. All have great reviews on tripadvisor and I have friends that have recommended these hotels.
Sights:
*Temple of Tooth– There isn’t much to do in Kandy but walk around the lake and visit the Temple of Tooth, which is located in the Royal Palace and houses the relic of the tooth of Buddha. Don’g forget to cover up (pants and shoulders). There is a 6 pm Buddhist ritual with drumming where you can view the tooth from afar and give an offering of a lotus flower.
Food:
*The Empire Cafe & the Bamboo Garden are good!
- ELLA (There isn’t much to do in Ella, the town is very small, but hiking, visiting the waterfall and a tea plantation are definitely worth your time!)
Hotels:
*98 Acres– I would highly recommend staying here, it has spectacular views, it’s at the base of Adam’s Peak, walking distance to the Green tea factory and has a pool and a nice restaurant with amazing views. Also the rooms and bathroom are large with a huge deck overlooking the tea plantations.
*Chamodya Home Stay– If you are looking for a more affordable option, our friends enjoyed this quaint place. Also Mountain Heavens is recommended.
Sights:
*Little Adam’s Peak– This is a nice little hike that takes about 1 hour round trip and begins from 98 Acres. The views from the top are breathtaking. It is an easy hike, good for all ages. There is a more difficult hike that may not be recommended for kids that is Ella Rock.
*Rowana Waterfall – We took a tuk tuk from the hotel and it took 15 minutes. This waterfall is beautiful, don’t forget your suit because you can swim in the pools.
*Tea Factory tours- Depends if you like black tea or green tea- the black tea factory is called Uva Halpewatte and is only open for tours in the morning. The tours take about 2 hours. We went for the green tea factory called Finlays and you can walk from 98 Acres hotel. There is a small fee to enter and the entire tour took 30 minutes. At the end of the tour, you can sample a variety of the green teas.
Food:
*Chill Cafe– This seemed to be the most popular place in the tiny, one street town. The Roti is great, it resembles a burrito, stuffed with your choice of veggies, chicken, cheese, etc.. Most of the time we ate at the hotel because it was easy and good. The town is tiny and full of backpackers and hostels.
- YALA (A beautiful National Forest where you spend your days on safari watching animals in their element)
Hotels:
*Cinnamon Wild- I didn’t do much research regarding hotels in Yala because most reviews and friends recommended this hotel because of it’s location IN the safari park. Animals roam through the hotel day and night. The kids thought it was quite exciting that we needed to alert the front desk every time we wanted to leave our bungalow, so that we would have a guide protect us from the wild animals. Also this hotel has a pool, 2 restaurants, a bar and is overlooking a lake filled with crocodiles and water buffalo!! The bungalows are on the small side for a family of 4 but you don’t spend too much time in your room. Some families reserve 2 adjoining bungalows. We met up with friends here and the hotel organized an amazing dinner that exceeded our expectations with buffet tables, candles surrounding the area, our own chef and bar, etc…..it was lovely!
Sights:
*Safari-There isn’t much to do in Yala other than a safari and lay by the hotel pool because it is HOT!! The hotel has their own safari company; however, the price was high…..80 usd per person. So we went with another safari company: Ajith, which gets great reviews on tripadviosr and you can book on-line prior to your trip. The cost is 50 usd per person and there are 2 safaris per day: morning one (5:00-10:00) or early evening (2:00-7:00). We went on both and preferred the late afternoon one because we saw more animals. We were fortunate to see snakes, a leopard, monkeys, water buffalo, amazing birds, crocodiles, family of elephants, wild boar, a pole cat, peacocks and much more!!!!
- GALLE-
Hotels:
*Fortress Resort & Spa– (http://www.thefortress.lk/) This place was beautiful, another SLH (Small Luxury Hotel) that we love……It is high end for Sri Lanka, but the splurge was well worth it. The service and food were impeccable and it was the perfect way to end our vacation with a hotel on the beach. It is a stunning hotel with huge fortress doors and a pool that overlooks the Indian Ocean. The sea along the south coast is rough, so most beaches have red flags and advise against swimming. There is reef directly in front of the hotel but if you walk to your left @ 100 feet there is a designated swimming area where you can see turtles and safely swim. If you walk to your right there is a sand beach where one can swim, but it is more for experienced swimmers. We had a basic room which cost roughly between 450 usd per night and it fit the 4 of us very well with no need for a roll away bed. There are 2 days beds in the room along with a king bed. There are 3 restaurants, a spa and 2 beautiful pools. One of the pools had a tree over it where the kids thoroughly enjoyed climbing and jumping into the pool from the tree. The hotel is a 20 min. tuk tuk ride to Galle.
*Other beach hotels that are recommended in the southern area of Sri Lanka include: The Why House, Paradise Road The Villa Bentota, Stella Beach, Vivanta By Taj and the Cape Weligama.
Sights:
*Wijaya Beach– We took a tuk tuk here from the hotel, which took 15 minutes and it is such a quaint place where there is a calmer beach to swim and there are sea turtles everywhere! There is a pizza place on the beach with a pizza oven and tables on the sand. Very picturesque…..
*Galle-I didn’t realize the Galle Fort is an actual enclosed charming area with shops and restaurants. You can see the dutch and portuguese influence on the streets and the architecture. There are some great shops, including Stick No Bills that sells the 1950’s Ceylon posters.
*Surf- My husband took a tuk tuk 5 min. from the hotel to Midigana and rented a board there and then took the tuk tuk to Kabalana (known as “The Rock”) which is another 5 min. away. He said it was some of the best surfing he’s ever experienced because it had both a left and right break and the force of the ocean was strong.
*Whale Watching and Turtle Hatcheries are among some of the most popular activities near galle; however, we didn’t have time to do them because we were too busy relaxing by the pool and beach.
Food:
*Lucky Fort- This place is in Galle and was voted as the #1 place to eat through tripadvisor. It is a small establishment where the mother cooks and the son serves. Most order the large rice with the 10 samples of curries. It is all fresh, homemade and delicious.
*Kingfisher– A seafood place on the beach that is highly recommended.
*Fortaleza-An old spice warehouse where they serve authentic Sri Lankan cuisine
