10 THINGS YOU MUST DO IN SRI LANKA
Sri Lanka is one of those countries that has been hiding under the radar. This place has never crossed our mind until recently, when we noticed a bunch of beautiful Instagram shots of lush hikes, pink sunsets and spectacular wildlife all geotagged across Sri Lanka. We were convinced!
Over the Christmas break we flew to Sri Lanka with Intrepid Travel to experience their Essential Sri Lanka tour - and wow! Our time here was filled with tea, safari rides, crystal blue waters and memorable train rides.
Keep scrolling to see some of our top must do's during a trip to Sri Lanka, along with a bunch of videos from our Sri Lanka YouTube series for you to check out too!
1. Climb the Famous Sigiriya Lion Rock
This is one of Sri Lanka's many UNESCO World Heritage Sites that are worth visiting. This rock-top fortress dates back to the 5th century when it was used as a royal palace and Buddhist monastery. You will need to hike up the 1,200 steps to get to the top, but the views and ruins are so worth it!
SUBSCRIBE TO FLYING THE NEST ON YOUTUBE
2. Swing from a Palm Tree in Unawatuna
Unawatuna is probably our favourite beach in all of Sri Lanka. Located in the south, this little beachside town is full of amazing places to eat, boutique stores and of course, breath taking beaches.
If you are looking at capturing the popular Instagram rope swing shot head down to Dallawella Beach. To get to the swing head to Dream Cabanas. You will have to pay the owner 500 rupees, but that gives you unlimited swings until sunset!
You can also find our favourite place to eat here in Unawatuna called SkinnyTom's Deli. Here they do amazing coffee, delicious cakes and also serve Eggs Benedict Hoppers, a twist to the common Sri Lankan dish - yum!
SUBSCRIBE TO FLYING THE NEST ON YOUTUBE
3. Train ride from Kandy to Ella
The train ride from Kandy to Ella is considered to be on the most beautiful train journeys in the world, and we can totally see why. The train journey is seven hours long and takes you through lush green tea plantations and incredible mountain views. This is one of the highlights of our Sri Lankan trip and we 100% recommend you experience it too!
SUBSCRIBE TO FLYING THE NEST ON YOUTUBE
4. Hike to the top of Ella Rock
Our favourite hike we did during our time in Sri Lanka has got to be the hike to Ella Rock.
Ella Rock is a famous cliff, located high above Ella's village. It is a two hour hike, and can be pretty challenging at times, but the views from the top are so worth the climb.
The route to trekking to Ella Rock can get a little complicated so our Intrepid tour included a local guide to help us follow the hidden path to get to the top. Once we arrived our local guide took out hot tea and coconut shells from his backpack for us to enjoy while taking in the views, a really nice to touch to an amazing morning!
5. Go on Safari in Yala National Park
Yep, you can go on safari in Sri Lanka (we had no idea either)! Yala National Park is located on the south coast of Sri Lanka, and unlike safaris in Africa, Yala is still not overcrowded, and quite the hidden gem here in Sri Lanka.
Yala National Park is one of the best parks to have a chance to see one of the most beautiful big cats, the leopard. During our safari experience we saw elephants, birds crocodile, buffalo ... however, as it had just rained we missed out on finding these majestic cats in the wild. We now have a reason to return!
SUBSCRIBE TO FLYING THE NEST ON YOUTUBE
6. Visit a Tea Plantation
Sri Lanka's tea is famous across the globe and during our time here we were excited to visit a tea plantation to see how it's produced. Sri Lanka is the fourth largest tea-producing nation in the word, producing some of the highest quality teas.
We visited one during our time in Ella, and was the perfect spot to purchase a bunch of presents for our family back home. We now have a tea stash that will last us all year!
7. Sunrise at Nine Arch Bridge in Ella
If you are looking for an epic Instagram snap you must visit Ella's Nine Arch Bridge for sunrise. This bridge has become famous with photographers due to the stunning, old design of this bridge and the surrounding jungle and tea fields.
To get here we headed into Ella Town at around 7am and asked a tuk tuk driver to take us there. The driver will wait for you while you snap all your shots and take you back into town ready for breakfast.
8. Go on a Street Food Tour in Colombo
One of our favourite things to do when visiting a new country is to go on a food tour. Being taken through the streets to try dishes with the locals is always such an amazing experience. During our time in Colombo we went out on an Urban Adventures Eat, Eat, Repeat Colombo Food Tour and it was fantastic!
Check out our YouTube video below to see all the delicious foods we tried during the tour.
SUBSCRIBE TO FLYING THE NEST ON YOUTUBE
9. Explore Galle Fort
This historic town is definitely worth a visit. With Dutch-colonial buildings, ancient mosques, stunning churches and winding streets - Galle is like no other place we visited here in Sri Lanka. Built by the Dutch in the 1600's, Galle is located inside a fort, walled town surrounded by high walls and overlooking the ocean.
10. Chill out in Marissa
If you are looking for a place to have that beach holiday vibe we recommend heading to Marissa. Here you can find clean, beautiful beaches, all kinds of water sport activities, amazing whale watching experiencers and a bunch of delicious restaurants.
LIKE THIS POST? PIN IT FOR LATER & SHARE IT WITH OTHERS!
READ NEXT: TOP 10 PLACES TO ADD TO YOUR TURKEY ITINERARY
Thanks to Intrepid Travel for inviting Flying The Nest to experience their Essential Sri Lanka Tour, as always all opinions are our own.