Sri Lanka – I have always had this constant craving for travelling and I know there are so many of us out there. Luckily my partner in crime has the same itch and since we have relocated to the UAE it’s so much easier travelling and exploring the new and unknown. This last year we have been to countries and places that two years ago it wasn’t even on my radar and here is one of them, Sri Lanka.

Day one, THE ARRIVAL – Sri Lanka is a 4.5 hour flight from Dubai and that makes it ideal for a long weekend or just a short break. As lately, all our breaks have turned out to be a last minute booking, and while it was peak season, we still manage to find a beautiful location for our Christmas break away. We booked 3 nights in a new boutique hotel in Thaple called THE OWL AND PUSSYCAT. The name & the decor just got me. This beautiful hotel is situated right on the water and the local fishermen right in front of you from sunrise to sunset doing their thing. It’s so relaxing sitting watching them. On our arrival at the airport we took a taxi to the hotel, now this is probably the only negative thing I have to say about the trip, the taxi ride is 2.5 hours from the airport and feels like a lifetime to get to your destination, but once you arrive, it’s all forgotten. Our first day we opted to relax at the hotel, reading, cat-naps and Barry enjoying a surf in the warm ocean. One thing that made my stay at The Owl and the Pussycat was the food! Now you all know I LOVE eating and everything we ate was super fresh and so so delicious.

Day two, EXPLORE GALLORE – We rented scooters from the hotel and headed towards the first beach. So if you’re not comfortable on a scooter, this one is not for you. The road rules work like this… the bigger the vehicle the more right of way you have, so if you’re on a scooter, you’re second last to bicycles. Busses overtake busses, if there is oncoming traffic or not. But this was definitely for us, as we used to ride and once you get the hang of it, its great fun. We also very quickly picked up the road language i.e. hooting front left, right and centre. It was incredible fun. We ended up at Weligama Beach; packed with surf instructors and newbies learning the way. Our lunch stop was at the well know Cape Weligama and boy this place is beyond beautiful. Situated on a cliff side, overlooking the bay. After lunch, we headed off to the lakes as I was dreaming of seeing TRI .

Driving tough the rice paddies and little local neighbourhoods, this is what is was all about. Arriving at Tri, words can’t explain the beauty of this place. We had a lovely chat to Oliver the manager, which he provided us with some tips and inside scoops on Sri Lanka living. Last stop for the day was the TALPE BEACH CLUB for a sundowner.  As this was Christmas Eve we decided to go to GALLE FORT for a Christmas Eve dinner. Hopped in a tuk-tuk, super fun! Galle fort is a beautiful old fort neighbourhood filled with boutique hotels and little restaurants, a must see.

Day three, MERRY MERRY – An island style Father Christmas came to visit us overnight and we celebrated on our balcony with a very untraditional Christmas morning. Not long after we were off again, to the next adventure. This time we were heading to Marrisa beach, about 30 min drives from the hotel. Marrisa Beach was packed with holiday goers, also has an awesome little surf spot and a couple of beach restaurants. On the cards, for the evening we had a Christmas dinner at the hotel, so we headed back. On our way back, we made a pit stop for a Christmas lunch next to the road, which consisted out of a corn on a cob and a fresh coconut with an incredible view, definitely a first for us. The rest of the day was, relaxing, reading, surfing and chilling out. The evening was jammed pack with meals, live band, festivities and even an island-style Father Christmas made an appearance. All and all is was a wonderful Christmas day even tough we missed the family.

Day four, DO WE HAVE TO GO – It was time to pack and hit the road, but of course not without Barry catching his last couple of waves and me stuffing my face with all the varieties of Sri Lankan breakfast. The trip back was long and slow, but we made is and if I can tell you one thing, is that this is the first of many trips to come to this incredible place.

So this was my two-cents on Sri Lanka, hopefully, soon I can share the rest of our 2016 travel with you. Still to come California, Jordan, Bali and Oman.