Sri Lanka Travel Diary: The Good, the Scenic & the Unexpected
We landed in Sri Lanka in the evening via Sri Lankan Airlines and stayed one night at a hotel we found online - Grand Pearl By Ratna. It looked great in pictures, but in reality, it was dodgy, uncomfortable, and not somewhere I’d recommend. Just a heads-up,avoid being swayed by pretty pictures when booking budget hotels!
For dinner, we went to Nuga Gama, a buffet-style Sri Lankan village-themed restaurant. The food was really good, with lots of variety. I’d definitely recommend it for a taste of authentic local cuisine.
Day 2: Colombo to Nuwara Eliya
We hired a driver for the entire trip, which made things much easier. The drive up was very winding, so we took motion sickness pills to manage. Our driver dropped us off at a train station to experience the famous train ride to Nuwara Eliya. It’s known for its scenic views, but honestly, I regretted it. We didn’t get first or second-class tickets, and it was packed like sardines. Maybe with a better seat it would’ve been more enjoyable.
Nuwara Eliya is a popular hilltop escape for locals too,think of it as the Cameron Highlands of Sri Lanka. We stayed at Hill Cottage, which I highly recommend. Big, comfy rooms and breakfast served in the garden. It’s more of a home-style stay, so it can get a little noisy depending on the other guests. We spent 2 nights there.
Day 4: Journey to Ella
We drove around 4 hours to reach Ella. It’s a cute town with lots of cafes, and it gets lively at night. We had some of our best meals in Ella! Our stay was at Planter’s Bungalow, nestled deep in nature,about a 30-minute drive from town. It’s a beautiful, scenic old house. I personally loved it, being a nature lover. But my husband found it dusty and scary. Unfortunately, the dust made both of us sick, so that affected our stay a bit. We were here for 2 nights.
Day 5: Ella Adventures
We headed up to Flying Ravana for some adventure. Because we spoke Tamil, we managed to get a good deal on a tuk tuk ride up the hill.You can hike but it would take about 20-30 minutes. We did zip-lining and then relaxed at Ravana Beach Club, which has a stunning view of the mountains. Later, we chilled at the bungalow, surrounded by nothing but peace and greenery.
Day 6: Down to Yala
We drove down to Yala, stopping at a small village selling palm sugar and curd (a local dessert). The palm sugar was incredibly cheap,about RM3 per bottle!
We checked in at Rock Wild Yala , a 3-storey bungalow with a huge pool. The Indian chef there made us feel completely at home. He took such good care of us, it felt like staying with family. I was even walking around barefoot in the house,it was that cozy!
Day 7: Safari at Yala National Park
Our driver arranged a tour guide for our safari. I was really looking forward to spotting a leopard in the wild for the first time,but unfortunately, we didn’t get to see one. We did see elephants, deer, crocodiles, and other wildlife.
However, the experience was chaotic. The jeep came speeding to pick us up and didn’t even have the shades down. We were hit by flying bugs.I thought it was bees and screamed because my face was stinging. Honestly, the whole experience felt more like a roller coaster ride than a safari.
The park was overcrowded, and the drivers seemed to be racing each other to find animals for their guests,likely for better tips. Compared to my safari in South Africa, this one felt unethical and uncomfortable. It lacked the respect and calm you’d expect in a wildlife experience.
Day 8 & 9 : Relaxing Mirissa
Mirissa ended up being my favourite spot among all the places we visited. The whole vibe there was so chilled out and relaxing,exactly what I needed. Staying at Beach & Bliss made it even better, with the ocean just a few steps away and nothing but the sound of waves to keep us company. The private beach at the hotel was rocky so swimming wasn’t recommended but I saw a cute turtle swimming around.
Day 10 : Back to Colombo
After our time in Mirissa, we headed back to Colombo for a night and stayed at Grandbell Colombo. We actually changed our plans at the last minute,cancelling the hotel we had originally booked for our final night,and I’m so glad we did. Grandbell turned out to be a much better choice, with its modern design, comfortable rooms, and city views that felt like the perfect way to wrap up our trip.
Below is the rough itinerary planned before our trip. However, we did make some changes during our trip.
*Shopping tips
I would not recommend clothing shopping in Sri Lanka as it would cost twice as much as what we can get here in Malaysia.However, we did some gem shopping. I can’t really recommend any gem shops as we got to buy ours directly from a wholeseller (A friend of ours). Avoid any spices store as they would cost you a lot, just get them from the supermarket.
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