STAY.
Tri - Lakeside luxury on the southern coast with stunning stand-alone private villas and an unforgettable infinity pool.
Santani - Sophisticated spa and wellness retreat in the hillside with an insane five star dining experience.
Amanwella - Beautiful Aman property on the Southern Coast with stunning views and great service.
Fort Bazaar - Historic architecture with modern touches in the heard of Galle Fort.
Ceylon Sliders - Surfer's paradise done really well - decor, shop, cafe, hotel, people, yoga - all on point.
Ceylon Tea Trails - Set on an old tea plantation and overlooking the beautiful hills of Hattan.
STORY.
Our trip to Sri Lanka has more of a story beyond recommendations, so here's a snapshot of our itinerary and how we made our way from the small village north of Kandy all the way down to the southern coast.
First Stop. Colombo > Kandy > Santani.
There's no direct flights out of NYC so we flew through Doha and arrived in Colombo 24 hours later. Our first destination was the stunning Santani Wellness Resort + Spa, located on the Nattuwakale Estate around 40 km north of Kandy. The hotel is a good 5 hour drive from the airport, so I would strongly suggest taking a seaplane from Colombo to Kandy. It was really easy - after landing in Colombo we took a shuttle over to the Cinnamon Air terminal and boarded our seaplane. The seaplane experience is also very cool. We had a perfect birds eye view of all different landscapes, and in a short 45 minutes we landed on the water in Kandy.
A driver was waiting for us on the dock and drove us an hour north until we finally reached Santani. Small roads through local villages turned into unpaved paths through the hillside. Definitely a trek, but worth every second. We arrived around noon and stayed for the next two days. Beautiful weather in one of the most secluded untouched parts of Sri Lanka.
The food was incredible. There's no menu. The chef tells you what's on the menu, and you can adjust accordingly. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were 4+ course Michelin Star meals. The first day we really chilled, poolside and did yoga in the afternoon. The second day we woke up early and roamed the hotel's 50 acres of jungle with a private tour guide, hiking all the way down to Hulu River and the hanging bridge. The afternoon was dedicated to the spa - an Ayurvedic couples massage in the open air treatment rooms was definitely a highlight. See Santani for all the detes.
Second Stop. Santani > Kandy.
We left Santani around lunchtime and headed into the historic city of Kandy, spending just one night here exploring the city and immersing ourselves in the local culture. A bustling city quite different from our first stop. We checked into The Secret Kandy, a small boutique hotel, perfect for a one night layover. We did a little sightseeing at the Temple of the Tooth and the Bahiravokanda Vihara Buddha statue and ate some local curry at the Empire Cafe. After a short stop here, we woke up to catch the 8:45am train to Ella.
Third Stop. Kandy > Ella.
We chose the scenic route to Ella: The train. The 7-hour train down Sri Lanka’s Central Province, through the jungle, tea plantations, rainforests and mountains. The change of landscape is quite breathtaking. But, expectations are important - while the journey is certainly memorable, it's not exactly easy.
How to train in Sri Lanka // Tips:
There are two ticket types. First Class is reserved in air-conditioned cars with no windows or view. Second/Third Class is a free for all, unassigned seating but there are windows. The price of first class is $5 and second-class $2. So, the cost isn’t a factor at all. It totally depends if you want the real slightly more chaotic experience and views of the countryside vs. AC reserved seats with no views.
First class also sells out over peak season. We booked a bit late, so for us first class class was already sold out and we experienced the true ride all the way down.
Getting on is super hectic. Be ready to go just as the train pulls in. The train was packed to begin with, all the seats were filled. We stood for a bit until finally finding open space to squeeze into a seat with locals. You meet a lot of people. There are just as many locals as tourists. About 4 hours in we had our own seats right up against the window, and those last 3 hours were beautiful. Mesmerizing. I would do it all over again, but it’s always nice to set expectations. And if you can reserve a seat I would do it just so you have that option as well.
Once we arrived in Ella we took a tuk tuk through the small village and up to our hotel set on the hillside of a tea plantation. Ella is backpacker’s village, so you’ll find a bunch of really cool young people who are traveling the world. There’s lots of local no-frill bars, restaurants and shops. And of course, a bunch of outdoorsy activities – hikes, waterfalls, etc.
Our hotel was an awesome stand alone cabin on a hill - The Secret Ella. Perfect place we called home for the next two days. On our first night we explored the little village. Chill Café was one of our favorite spots. Go up to the second floor with the bamboo covered tiki roof. No shoes allowed, beanbag chairs only and lots of local Lion beer. The second day we went on a hike to Ella Rock. This was such a cool experience, you trek for about 40 minutes on the train tracks until you get to the tea plantations which turn into hills which turn into mountains. The scenery along the way was gorgeous, followed by a beautiful view from the top. We enjoyed Roti, a Sri Lankan specialty (the best soft flatbread) at 360 Ella and relaxed until Dinner. Matey Hut is another local spot for lunch as it closes on the earlier end. On our last day we saw the famous Nine Arches Bridge and then headed out. We definitely could have stayed here one more day too.
Fourth Stop. Ella > Koggala Lake
This was our longest road trip. We had a private car take us from Ella all the way down to the Southern Province. On our way there we stopped at Amba Estate, a gorgeous family run tea planation an hour south of Ella. It was a beautiful, we took a little tour, learned how to make tea and brought a lot of teas and jams back with us.
Back in the car and 5 hours later we arrived at Tri on Koggala Lake.
Tri was a once in a lifetime kinda spot. With only 11 villas, the service was on point and the product was unparalleled. We arrived to our lakeside villa in the evening and had an incredible dinner that evening. The food here was designed for a foodie - the menus were set, changed daily by Chef featuring only locally sourced ingredients.
The rest of our time here was spent by the infinity pool overlooking Lake Koggala with beet martinis and passionfruit mojitos. We took a private boat ride to Cinnamon Island and enjoyed spending some time with the locals.
Fifth Stop. Koggala Lake > Galle
We were really into tuk tuks, so we took one from Tri to the little Dutch town of Galle. The small historic streets are lined with the cutest clothing boutiques, jewelry shops, art galleries, home good stores and restaurants. It has a different feel from other main cities in Sri Lanka - Expect classic dutch architecture meets tropical charm. Although our time was short and sweet - we absolutely loved everything about it. Our hotel was beautiful - Fort Bazaar. Set in the heart of Galle Fort, the 18-room boutique hotel was built around a private courtyard and boasts an awesome coffee bar, restaurant, spa and pool (coming soon!). We enjoyed dinner at Mama's (true family run Sri Lankan curry place), and lunch at Poonies (bohemian style spot hidden on a back outdoor patio). The shopping was also a thing - Laksana, Mimimango, Post No Bills, Barefoot, KK Collection, Exotic Roots and Orchid House are a must. My favorite was definitely the home decor - an amazing mix of minimalistic pieces and loud colorful patterns.
Sixth Stop. Galle > Weligama Beach
Our last weekend was spent along the spectacular southern coast, where you’ll find relatively untouched beaches and villages full of hidden gems.
We called Ceylon Sliders our home for this last weekend getaway. The small boutique hotel goes beyond the rooms; it’s an experience. There’s a café, there’s a shop, there’s surf lessons, there’s yoga. It felt very much like a community – a place with chic minimalistic décor, healthy local food and cool people.
Set on Weligama Beach, it was perfectly located and allowed us to explore nearby beaches to both the east and west.
Our first night we walked down the beach and explored some of the neighboring cafes and bars; Hangtime was a great place to chill, a hostel with lots of young travellers and great food (bring your own beer, they don’t serve alcohol); Soul Café for lunch and W15 for a cocktail on the beach.
The second day we woke up early and headed west to Hiriketiya Beach. This was probably one of our favorite days. We rented $2 surfboard. We spent hours in the water (which is actually so warm). We sipped mojitos and beers on the beach. We ate the best wood-fired pizza. A must do – Beach House. It’s pretty much a hut on the beach with tropical music where you can eat and drink with your feet in the sand. If you have time Dikwella and Tangalle are beautiful beaches a bit further west.
Our last day we had a delicious breakfast – avocado toast and fresh smoothies – specialists of Ceylon Slider’s café. Today we headed east to Unawatuna and Dalawella Beach for a do nothing beach day. Parts of these beaches are completely empty. You can also find the infamous swing at the end of Dalawella beach. Before heading back to hotel we had a quick lunch at Wijaya Beach Restaurant.
Then we took a cab to the airport around 7pm and started our journey home.
- julie anne hartman -