After a wedding in South Africa, Johnny (our CEO and co-founder) and Katie headed for Sri Lanka to spend their first few weeks as husband and wife – and what a honeymoon it was.
They hiked and cycled their way around the Cultural Triangle, spotted elephants in the national parks, drank more tea than you might think possible, discovered hidden beaches on the South Coast, stayed in some of the island’s most beautiful boutique retreats, taste-tested a fair few curries, and cruised the waters in search of whales and dolphins. And they tell us that wasn’t even everything on offer!
Here’s what they got up to (aside from making us green with envy)…
“We started our trip in the heart of the Cultural Triangle, a great introduction to a country that’s packed with history, culture and of course, temples! Hiking the Sigiriya Rock and cycling around Anuradhapura were our highlights, and each day we returned to Jetwing Vil Uyana and our double storey villa, a spicy cocktail list, five course dinners, and the most heavenly spa treatments.”
“Gal Oya National Park is slightly off the beaten track for most Sri Lankan trips, but boy were we glad we made the detour. We found elephants and beautiful birds on game drives, explored by boat, and picnicked by the Gal Oya River. Home was Gal Oya Lodge, a rustic and totally charming collection of cabins in the middle of the jungle.”
“Safely back from the bush, we headed straight for the pool at the Kandy House, an utterly gorgeous restored manor house, 20 minutes from Kandy. Our favourite hotel on the trip, it’s personal, friendly, the food is delicious – and afternoon tea is served on the lawn at 3pm every day. Heaven.”
“True Brits at heart, our honeymoon wish was to spend some time in the tea plantations and we took the train from Kandy to Hatton to stay at Camellia Hills and enjoy (many) cups of the finest Sri Lankan leaves. The views up here were phenomenal – and we managed to squeeze in a cooking course too!”
“Never to be found too far away from a safari, our next stop was Yala National Park. Famous for its leopards, we did indeed see one of the elusive cats, but our highlight was staying at Chena Huts and driving along the sand to start our game drives, before returning for drinks at the beach bar and dinner under the stars.”
“Next up was Galle and its spectacular old fort. We made the most of the beautiful southern coastline and stayed at the Owl and the Pussycat, a quirky beachside retreat, heading to the Fort for history, chic restaurants and a spot of shopping, but also close enough to Mirissa for the incredible whale-watching.”
“Then, Tangalle beckoned with its blissful beaches and turquoise waters. We stayed at the Amanwella and were spoiled rotten with gorgeous cocktails, to-die-for food (and a very special honeymoon dinner), fresh coconuts on the beach, spa treatments, and the biggest, palm-tree lined swimming pool we’ve ever seen.”
Want to do the same thing?
Newlyweds or not, Katie & Johnny’s trip is a fantastic way to see the sights and sounds of Sri Lanka, the mango-shaped idyll just off the south coast of India.
They took our Classic Sri Lanka trip and added a few twists of their own, like the wild and wonderful Gal Oya National Park and an extended time on the blissed-out beaches of Tangalle.
Or why not combine Sri Lanka with the Maldives? The two combine effortlessly, and you’ll enjoy a spot of culture and that famous food in Sri Lanka, as well as plenty of time on the sugar-sand beaches of the Maldives.
Our final tip? Give yourself plenty of time. There’s so much to see and do, you’ll never want to come home…
