We flew into Colombo and drove roughly 2 hours to Cape Weligama, in Weligama, on the central south coast. This resort was recently just voted ‘28th best luxury hotel in the world’ by Conde Nast Traveler. The clifftop panoramic views of the Indian Ocean and the crescent shaped infinity pool were enough to make you never want to leave the hotel. Afternoon tea and unlimited Dilmah tea were served daily, so that’s where you saw me at 4 pm.
Galle was a quick 30-minute drive where we did some local shopping and went to Galle Fort. We liked it here and enjoyed the history.
We visited the sea turtle hatchery in Habaraduwa and were fortunate to release a baby green turtle into the ocean, a happy and emotional moment that will stay with me forever. We decided to name our baby turtle “Mr Turtle” and watched him swim freely into his new home. Our little turtle was only a few days old and there were eggs waiting to hatch. Most of the larger turtles had been rescued from fishing nets and were taken good care of at the hatchery.
Mirissa beach was beautiful, and even though it was raining and a few of the roads had flooded, we could see why it was such a popular choice for people visiting Sri Lanka. It was fascinating watching the local fisherman perched on their stilts in the water waiting to catch a few fish.
If you know me personally, you’ll know my love for drinking tea, so it’s no surprise we went to a tea plantation. The one we went to in particular was a white tea plantation, and you could only visit by an organised tour. Our guide was lovely and showed us where the tea grows and how it’s dried and pressed ready for everyone to drink. It ended with a tea tasting of every single variety of tea you could possibly think of.
After staying at Cape Weligama for a few nights, we went a little further along the coast to Khanda Kanda, near Koggala Lake and the jungle. The hotel was surrounded by its tea estate and was a real hidden gem. We did a local cooking class through the hotel and used the fruits, vegetables and herbs grown on the estate, and from that we made a selection of local curries. It was great! Turns out we were the only ones staying at the hotel for a couple of the nights we were there, so we had the whole place to ourselves.
We borrowed bikes from the hotel and rode along train tracks to Unawatuna and Wijaya beaches. Surrounded by palms trees dipping into the ocean, hammocks and a few local bars where you can just sit and watch the world go by, these were my favourite beaches. I can’t remember the name of the bar we sat at, but the deck was perfectly located to watch the turtles swim in the ocean from the lounge chairs.
A little further down Unawatuna Beach, is Dalawella Beach, there is a rope swing from a palm tree that is ever so popular. Join the queue and negotiate the 500 Sri Lanka Rupee cost for unlimited swings. It’s located right outside the Dream Cabana Guesthouse.
Ah Sri Lanka, everything about you is beautiful. The people were so welcoming, the beaches endless, the food so flavourful, the tea is perfect. Such an undiscovered country, there is so much to explore and do here, you’ll never get bored. Two weeks wasn’t anywhere near enough time to see the south coast, but we made the most of every minute. It’s not hard to see why it’s on my list of top countries, and I’d go back tomorrow if I could.
