Welcome to the latest edition of EMPT Travel Diaries – a series of entires where I share all of my personal travel experiences and adventures around the world.
This time I’m taking you on a tale of two halves as I look back on my October ‘24 trip to Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
Whether you’re a lover of adventure, culture, wildlife or relaxed island life, this edition has something for you. So make yourself a coffee (or pour a glass of wine) and enjoy a moment of escapism to the Indian Ocean…
The ‘Dream Team’ of the Indian Ocean
Before I fully dive in, it’s worth mentioning that the following itinerary is a drop in the ocean (pun intended) of the many different combinations and durations that can be played around with when planning a trip to Sri Lanka and/or the Maldives.
It’s one of the things I love most about both destinations – there’s truly something for everyone; families, couples, solo travellers, and groups alike.
Myself and my trusted partners are here to help you craft the perfect itinerary.
On this particular trip we were looked after by the brilliant teams at Hummingbird & Uga Escapes, alongside our wonderful hosts; Jo Hilton-Blackman of Elite Travel Concierge & Lisa Darchambaud who represents the Uga Escapes properties.
Let me share our journey…
Sri Lanka – A VIP Arrival
As soon as we disembarked off our overnight flight from the UK (via Dubai), we were met by CIP Fast Track Services and directly escorted to the Silk Route Lounge. Relaxing with refreshments whilst one of their representatives takes care of customs and immigration on your behalf is a game changer – they even collect your luggage! Such a welcome treat and a service I include as standard for all my clients travelling to Sri Lanka.
Arrival logistics taken care of and suitably re-charged, we were joined by our dedicated chauffeur and guide waiting to take us to our ‘home on the road’, a luxurious and spacious minivan, complete with Wi-Fi – a must for a gang of travel agents on the move!
In order to ‘re-coup’ a little, I’d usually suggest spending your first night close to Colombo or Negombo (at a lovely boutique property like Uga Riva), but because we’d arrived in the morning and on a tighter timeline, we headed straight off to our first stop – Anuradhapura in the Golden Triangle.
While the thought of a 4+ hour transfer wasn’t the most appealing after a long travel day, the journey flew by, passing through remote villages, observing the locals selling various roadside wares. Before we knew it, we’d arrived at our home for the first two nights, Uga Ulagalla.
Uga Ulagalla
Sitting on a 58-acre estate and stunning nature reserve – Uga Ulagalla is a former ancestral home turned luxury boutique hotel and a proud member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. A 150-year-old mansion sits pride of place at it’s centre, with the 20 private eco-chalets sprawling out over the grounds. It’s one of those properties where, as soon as you step out of the car, you know you’ve arrived very somewhere special.
After a delicious lunch and relaxed check-in, it was time to head to my villa. I stayed in one of the spacious Pool Villas with separate bedroom and living areas, glass wall overlooking the private pool, terrace and lush gardens – heaven! All the villas are decorated in a similar style, with the main differences being size, layout and location. There’s an option to suit everyone and I’m on hand to make sure you pick the right one for you.
Bags unpacked, showered and changed, we re-gathered for our first activity, a Nature Safari. This 4×4 jeep drive was a great way to discover the local area. With the route taking us past ancient reservoirs, lakes, farmland and through local villages, it was the perfect intro into life in rural Sri Lanka.
Before heading back to the hotel, we stopped at Nachchaduwa Lake. If you’re lucky, you can often spot elephants here but its a gorgeous place to enjoy a sundowner whether they make an appearance or not.
After a jam-packed day, tasty evening meal and super comfy bed, sleep came easy that night.
Golden Triangle Highlights
ANURADHAPURA
Once the capital of Sri Lanka, this sacred ancient city is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. As a popular destination with visitors, I always recommend you plan your visit early in the day to make sure you beat the crowds!
Feeling fresh (at least that’s what I told myself – there was no room for jet lag on this trip), our day began with a trip to visit Anuradhapura.
Instead of a traditional walking tour, the plan was to explore on a Anuradhapura Backroads Cycling Journey. Each on our own bike, we set off following our guide through the back roads of the inner city, visiting temples and the world’s oldest tree along the way. However, halfway through, the ‘weather gods’ had other ideas and a torrential downpour meant ditching the bikes to seek shelter in a local restaurant. A couple of fresh coconut waters later, and with no let up in sight, our only choice was to jump in a fleet of tuk-tuks to finish the tour. You have to see the funny side at times like this and we all had a good laugh riding through the city on three wheels instead of two. As they say, it’s ‘all part of the adventure’!
It turns out that safari jeeps, bicycles and tuk-tuks aren’t the only way to explore in this part of the country. Uga Ulagalla is one of the few places in Sri Lanka to have its own stables and riding school. So after lunch (rain subsided), we saddled up and set off to explore the estate. I’m always happiest on horseback and the trails & tracks running through the grounds are well trodden – making them suitable for all riding abilities. A perfect way to spend the afternoon.
That evening, we rounded off our stay with dinner at Kamatha. Set on a pavilion in the middle of a rice paddy, this special and unique restaurant is one of the newest dining experiences at Uga Ulagalla. Showcasing traditional Sri Lankan recipes and world class ingredients, dinner here is an experience in itself and a must (at least once) during your stay. We even got to help in the kitchen!
SIGIRYA ROCK
Being one of the most iconic and famous landmarks in the country, you can’t visit this region of Sri Lanka and not venture to Sigiriya Rock Fortress.
Sri Lanka’s answer to Australia’s Uluru, Sigiriya Rock is an impressive sight and whilst you can certainly enjoy the views from ground level, making your way to the top is what most visitors set out to do.
So the following morning (packed breakfasts in hand), we did just that…
I won’t lie and pretend the climb up the many steps and stairs is easy. It’s definitely challenging in places but the panoramic, 360-degree views from the top are absolutely worth it (as you can see, smiles all round)!
If you do find it tough, there are several stops and platforms on the way up to take a break or even end your climb there.
Time to Head South…
By mid-morning we were back in the minivan, making our way South for an overnight stay at Uga Riva in Negombo. The 180-year-old manor house was the perfect base to spend a relaxing afternoon by the pool and catch up on some rest before continuing our journey the following morning to Yala National Park.
It’s worth mentioning, that at this point in the journey, guests on an alternative route could head to the central region of Kandy and the Tea Country or carry on to beaches of the East Coast.
Uga Chena Huts – Yala National Park
Yala National Park is often top of a clients ‘wish list’ when planning a trip to Sri Lanka. Located in the southeast corner of the island, it’s a wildlife haven and area of stunning landscapes.
Whilst it’s still some distance from Negombo/Colombo, the new highway linking North to South has made the transfer time significantly quicker and by lunchtime, we’d arrived at Uga Chena Huts. Nestled between a tropical jungle on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other – this boutique property, set in 9 acres of wilderness, is one like no other.
Designed with luxury and nature in mind, the accommodation, main lodge and facilities easily rival that of any luxury East African counterpart – with all meals, drinks and daily game drives being included in your stay.
Our first afternoon here, was spent settling into my gorgeous cabin and enjoying a refreshing dip in the privacy of my own pool – a lovely perk benefitting every cabin at Chena Huts.
In the evening, we fully embraced our wild environment with sundowners at the beach, followed by dinner beside a roaring bonfire. And, whilst the elephants may have been shy at Ulagalla, not here…We were lucky to spot this beauty strolling through the sand dunes on his was back from taking a cooling dip in the ocean.
Wildlife at Yala
Similarly to most safaris (wherever you are in the world), we were up at the crack of dawn to head off on our first game drive through Yala National Park. As one of the best places in the world to spot leopards, we set off with our fingers crossed and with luck on our side, it wasn’t long until we caught sight of one – how amazing!
While you don’t get the Big 5 in Sri Lanka, the opportunity to see elephants, leopards, sloth bears, wild boar, water buffalo and a variety of deer and bird species, makes it a brilliant destination to get your first taste of ‘life on safari’.
Like many of the popular locations in Sri Lanka, Yala can get very busy with visitors and jeep overcrowding can sometimes be an issue. It’s the reason I prefer (budgets permitting) to work with lodges like Chena Huts. It gives me great comfort knowing my clients are in the hands of the best guides in the region who do their best to ensure you have the most authentic wildlife experience possible.
The Road to Galle…
It was time to venture on to our final stop in Sri Lanka, Galle. Sitting in the southwest corner of the country, Galle (pronounced ‘gawl’) is one of few walled cities to be found in South East Asia – first built in the 16th century by the Portuguese and later fortified in the 17th Century by the Dutch.
If there’s one thing I learned on this trip, it’s that transfers in Sri Lanka are never dull! A quick diversion away from the main highway and suddenly a day of ‘travel’ turns into a day filled with memorable experiences..
By making a few stops at various points along the south coast we caught glimpses of life on the trains, found some of the best surf spots and even tested out the stilts of the famous Sri Lankan fishermen.
It’s Good to Be Back
It had been about 7 years since I’d last visited Galle, yet it took only minutes to remember how easy it is to fall in love with this charming coastal town.
This time around, I stayed at the beautiful Amangalla. Positioned in the preserved Dutch fort, within the walls of a stunning colonial building, the location is hard to beat. If you’re not familiar with Aman hotels, the brand is synonymous with serene minimalist luxury, cultural authenticity and impeccable attention to detail – exactly what we found at Amangalla.
FUN FACT: Iconic 80’s pop rock band, Duran Duran, filmed scenes from not one but three of their music videos at Amangalla (then the New Oriental Hotel), including one of their biggest hits, Hungry Like the Wolf.
Check-in and hotel site inspection complete, we headed out on an early evening walking tour of the city…
Our incredible guide lead us through the boutique lined streets, past the famous Galle Cricket Stadium, down to Lighthouse Beach – all while telling us engaging and funny tales about life in this city of multi-cultural rule and influence.
As a solicitor’s daughter, a highlight for me was visiting the legal district with its old courthouse and ramshackle solicitors offices.
We rounded off the tour with cocktails at Ropewalk – the world’s first Arrack-specialist bar. This well-known and popular bar is part of Galle Fort Hotel, another great hotel in the city which I (and clients alike) love – especially those who like a livelier atmosphere. Regardless of where you’re staying, a drink (or two) here is a must and it was the perfect way for us to wrap up our time in Sri Lanka.
Maldives is Calling…
I don’t know about you, but upon revisiting this trip, I can’t quite believe how much we managed to cram into just seven days! No wonder I was feeling ready to hop on to the one hour flight to our next destination – the Maldives. Three days of R&R, here we come…
With so many incredible resorts now available in the Maldives, some of my favourites really deserve their own diary edition (something to add to the list) but our Maldivian home this time was the iconic Gili Lankanfushi.
Gili is just a short speedboat ride from Male Airport so perfect for those who aren’t fans of small seaplanes, who don’t want that extra flight or, as a pre or post island hopping stay – Gili Lankanfushi is the ultimate eco-chic retreat.
The original ‘no news, no shoes’ island – villas & residences here are all located overwater and are some of most unique & spacious abodes you’ll find anywhere the Maldives. As one of the first Maldivian properties to introduce a dedicated butler (fondly named your ‘Mr or Mrs Friday’) for each villa, service across the resort is truly next level.
Relaxation was the name of the game here. Think sun lounger cocktails, snorkelling in crystal clear waters, feet in the sand dinners and you get the idea…barefoot island bliss!
A trip to the island spa (where I had a great consultation with Gili’s Ayurvedic specialist) and an afternoon spent slipping down the slide before a long, lazy ‘rosé lunch’ at The Private Reserve (the world’s largest standalone overwater villa) was about as active as it got.
What a way to wrap up an incredible trip, making memories to last a lifetime with a fabulous group of travel friends…
I hope you’ve enjoyed following my journey through Sri Lanka and over to the Maldives. Hopefully, along with the ‘travel diaries’ so far, it has inspired or peaked your interest in some new destinations that may not have been on your radar before.
As always, I would love to hear from you. So, no matter where may be on your wish list, please do get in touch to discuss your future travel plans.
Until next time…
Emma x
