Our Honeymoon Travel Guide to Sri Lanka
We chose Sri Lanka as our honeymoon destination on the search for adventure, surf and relaxation. We didn’t expect to fall in love with the country as much as we did and couldn’t recommend it more highly. If you like friendly people, good food and nature add it to your list of places to see.
We travelled in April 2019 it was hot, but bearable and just before peak-season which meant it wasn’t overly busy.
We used taxis to get around, everyone is on Whatsapp so you can look up the suggested prices and negotiate via text. Try to get a comfortable, air conditioned car. Some of the trips are long and a little scary.
We stayed in Negombo for the first and last night of our trip.
We hope this inspires a trip to beautiful Sri Lanka, we promise - the photos don’t even compare to the real deal!
AL + IMO
Infinity pool overlooking the plains at Heritance Kandalama
SIGIRIYA - 3 Nights
ultimate honeymoon luxury
Accomodation: Heritance Kandalama
We were told by several people that this was a MUST STAY while travelling to Sri Lanka for our honeymoon… and what a perfect place to wind down after our wild DIY wedding which took so much planning! What we loved about our first stop was how comfortable we were doing nothing. It’s all lounging in fluffy white dressing gowns, ordering room service, bubble baths with monkeys playing outside the window. We didn’t know what ‘turn down service’ meant until we stayed here… it’s lush. If you ask Al his favourite thing about Heritance Kandalama he’ll fondly reminisce about the buffet, no I’m serious he could talk about it for days. Luckily it’s delicious because the hotel is very secluded so you do have to eat all meals at the hotel.
Hot tip - during the breakfast and dinner buffet, choose to sit outside - it’s a much nicer ambiance and we sadly only discovered this on our last day.
“we didn’t know what ‘turn-down service’ meant until we stayed here”.
Heritance Kandalama, is an eco resort built by Geoffrey Bawa in the early 90’s. The building is designed to cool naturally with wind-flow and is over 1km long. The hotel has been built into the the side of the cliff-face and over time the jungle has grown over it. When Geoffrey Bawa would stay in the hotel he’d always choose room 507 - a corner room with views over the lake, Sigiriya and Kandalama Rock “the elephant”. Also happens to be the room we were given.
We woke up to monkeys on our balcony and epic sunrises over the mountains. The infinity pool was a favourite, especially the one built over natural rock.
If you’re planning a honeymoon to to Sri Lanka - we would highly recommend treating yourself.
Heritance Kandalama
Heritance Kandalama
Room Service
Activities
Have an indiana jones moment and Climb Sigiriya
Sigirya - an ancient rock fortress - "the eight wonder of the world. We climbed 5k / 40 floors in 32 degrees. The "city of gods" was built 1600 years ago by King Kasyapa - it took 11 years to build. The capital and royal palace was abandoned after the king's death. It was used as a buddhist monastery until the 14th century. The kingdom was swallowed up by the jungle and was rediscovered by archeologists in the 1890's. The story is wild - you should read up about it!
Hot Tip - Ask your driver to stop off for some street food - the vegetarian samosas were my favourite lunch snack.
Sigyria
LOUNGE BY ONE OF MANY POOLS AT THE HOTEL, read & lap up the view
This was by far my favourite thing to do here, I couldn’t get over the view - it was like nothing I had ever seen before. The sunrises and sunsets during our stay were phenomenal and from the infinity pool you could watch water buffalo make their way around the plains.
Take a Guided nature hike from the hotel
ELLA - 5 NIGHTS
ADVENTURE, FOOD & MAX-RELAX
ACCOMODATION: COUNTRY HOMES ELLA
I couldn’t stop walking walking out onto our balcony and taking the same photo over and over again - the landscape in Ella truly takes your breath away. The family who owns Country Homes Ella are so beautiful, welcoming and super helpful, they’ll arrange all transport for anything you need. Breakfast is included (and delicious), they set it up on your balcony to enjoy as the mist rises from the mountains. They also brought us dinner one night as a wedding treat which we thought was so lovely and kind.
“I couldn’t stop walking walking out onto our balcony and taking the same photo over and over again.”
View from our room - Country Homes Ella.
Enjoying a tea on the deck.
View from our room.
Activities
Hiking
On our first day in Ella we arranged a full day of hiking day, we chose to go with a guide which was amazing. We started the by climbing Ella Rock - which is challenging but rewarding! Our next stop was the Nine Arch Bridge which you’d recognise from every Sri Lankan travel guide. Our next stop was lunch, we were taken to a restaurant totally off the beaten track - it was the best food we’d has so far so we asked the chef if he’d do a cooking class with us - he agreed and we did it the following night.
After a post-lunch nap we met our guide again and climbed to the top of Lipton’s Seat to watch the sunset. The one thing about Ella is that I have never in my life experienced a landscape quite like it. Huge mountain and valleys.
ELLA ROCK
Top of Ella Rock.
Ella Rock
Ella Rock
Ella Rock
nine arch bridge
Walk towards Nine Arch Bridge
Sri Lankan Rice & Curries
Lipton’s Seat
Liptons Seat
Liptons Seat
Liptons Seat
Sri Lankan cooking classes
The food in Sri Lanka is hands-down some of the best we’ve ever eaten - we did two cooking classes while in Ella and we took note from most places we ate - everyone was very forthcoming with their recipes and happy to show us how they made things! On our drive from the West to East coast we picked up a coconut grinding machine - since coming home we’ve made made many Sri Lankan curries, rotis and coconut sambol.
Hot tip - book cooking classes in any country you visit, it’s a great way to meet locals, learn new skills and gain an understanding of their culture and cuisine.
Cooking Class
Chase waterfalls
Hike up Diyaluma Falls - Sri Lanka's second highest waterfall. Big walk = big reward.
Diyaluma Falls
Arugam Bay - 11 nights
Surf, eat, sleep, repeat.
ACCOMODATION - SURF N SUN
We were in Arugam just before the season started so not much going on in the town and it’s super out of the way to anywhere else in Sri Lanka - we went there purely because we love to surf. It took us a few days to get used to slowing right down but once we got into the groove we really loved it. We arranged with Bonza surfboard shop to pick us up every morning at 5am to take us to Whiskey Point to surf which was great for both Al and I (he is far more advanced than me). We’d come back to the hotel for breakfast and then we’d head to the point - Upali Beach Resort ... Al would surf the reef break and I would just lounge on the sun beds and read. We’d then have an early lunch and retreat into our hotel for the entire afternoon .... It would be really hot outside and everything closes. Lots of Netflix and chilling.
Our stay in Arugam Bay was exactly what we wanted. If you want to slow right down and indulge in afternoon naps this is a great place to do it.
Hot tip -If you do stay in Aruam Bay in April we suggest booking a room with air conditioning.
Surf
This was the main reason we chose to travel to Arugam Bay. We arranged with a local surf shop to be picked up every morning at 5am and taken to Whisky Point by TukTuk to surf at sunrise.
Next we’d eat breakfast at our hotel then head down to Main Point. Al would surf till midday and I would lounge around and read at Upali Beach Resort.
After much sun and surf we’d have lunch on the way back to our room and spend the afternoon napping and staying out of the heat.
Sunset adventures
Once the sun lowers and the heat subsides it’s the perfect time to head out an adventure. We experienced some of the most incredible sunsets during our stay.
A highlight was a hike up Elephant Rock. We sighted elephants, water buffalo and many native birds on our way there.
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We’re a husband and wife duo, building our dream life one DIY project at a time. We are proudly self-taught, furniture-makers, business owners, designers and stylists.
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