Two weeks of pure bliss across the south coast

Sometimes words can’t justify the beauty of a place. For that matter, pictures also fail until you experience a compelling destination like Sri Lanka, where everything seems picture perfect. With Beaches, trees, wildlife, and luxurious beach resorts. Sri Lanka spoils you with its exotic beauty.

My road trip across the south coast of Sri Lanka was one of the best vacations that I had ever been on, so I couldn’t NOT share it. Check it out below:

Day 1-3: Unawatuna

As soon as we landed in Colombo, we hired a car and headed straight to Unawatuna for the airport, it took roughly three hours.

Unawatuna is one of the most popular areas of Sri Lanka for tourists. It is a star for its beautiful u-shaped beach, and great little restaurants.

My favourites were La Boheme for scrumptious sourdough pizza and SkinnyToms deli cafe for a lovely brunch - but you’ve got to go there early if you want to get a table as it’s first come first serve.

Located just a ten-minute drive away, lies Habaraduwa sea turtle hatchery, the largest turtle hatchery in Unawatuna region.

Day 4: Mirissa

Our next stop was Mirissa, approximately one hour away by car from Unawatuna.

Mirissa has some of the best marine life in the whole of Sri Lanka. It’s especially famous for its blue whale population, which can be seen from the end of November until March.  

Aside from whale watching, it is also known for it’s nightlife which ranges from romantic candlelit dinners to wild ragers on the beach - there’s something for everyone.

We brought in the new year at Salt, a beach hotel cum restobar. If you’re looking for a wild night out - this was the most happening spot that night.

Day 4-6: Yala National Park

Sri Lanka is one of the few countries in Asia where the population lives side by side with free-roaming animals. The highlight of my trip was my stay at Yala, a 2.5 hr journey from Mirissa.

Yala National Park is Sri Lanka’s most popular wildlife park as it has one of the highest leopard densities in the world. The best time to visit is from February to June during the dry season.

If you are looking for a romantic getaway with your special someone, I cannot recommend Wild Coast Tented Lodge more. It was the most magical place that we stayed in. The hotel is part of the international Relais and Chateaux chain, known for it’s fantastic food, which did not disappoint. In fact, it was the best food we ate during our entire trip.

Safaris are included in the all-inclusive package at the resort. We got to see almost every animal at Yala National Park, including Julius the leopard, after he had just devoured a wild boar. We also saw an elephant with tuskers, which is extremely rare in Sri Lanka.

Day 6-8: Lake Koggala

2.5 hours from Yala by car is the stunning Koggala Lake, one of the largest natural lakes in Sri Lanka.

We stayed at Tri for an eco-friendly, scenic lakeside escape for a bit of R&R.

When not lounging by the picturesque infinity pool, we indulged in a boat trip around the lake to Cinnamon Island, a cherished memory from the trip. Located just 20 minutes away by boat, Cinnamon Island is where Sarath and his family live, there are no other inhabitants on the island. It is here, that they have grown cinnamon, Sri Lanka’s most famous spice, and other fruits for over 5 generations.

Day 8-9: Galle Fort

A short one hour drive away from Lake Koggala is Galle Fort, a 17th Century Unesco World Heritage Site built by the dutch and in my opinion, the crown jewel of the Galle area.

When we visited Pedlar Street (the main street within the fort), it was lit up with fairy lights. We enjoyed the most amazing gelato while a man busked romantic songs on his saxophone as the sun set. It was pure magic!

We loved the romantic vibe of the place so much that we turned our day trip to a one night stay at The Fort Printers, a recently renovated modern hotel in an old printing factory, which gave Amangalla (Indian traveller’s most popular choice) a run for their money!

While we were here, we enjoyed great food at the local restaurants. My recommendations of where to eat are below:

• For Japanese food made with local seafood, you’ve gotta try The Tuna and The Crab - My partner said it was the best crab he ate on our trip

• For a fine dining experience that is recommended highly by Quintessentially, italian restaurant Aqua Forte is AMAZING

• If you’re feeling a slice of pizza then Aqua Pizza (also by the same owners) is right next door

• The bar at The Fort Printers is absolutely STUNNING and they make the most fantastic Espresso Martini. Their restaurant is often fully booked, but if you stay there, you’re guaranteed a table

• For the seafood obsessed, especially local lobster, Pedlar's Inn Cafe looked amazing (I’m allergic to seafood and there’s not much else so we couldn’t eat there)

• For Gelato there are multiple places on Pedlar Street, but my fave was Pedlar's Inn Gelato - Though my partner preferred Il Gelato

• For date night vibes, I really liked Amangalla as they have a live band playing romantic songs in the evening

• For al fresco dining - The Merchant hotel has a beautiful courtyard, however it does not serve alcohol - BYOB only

Day 9-10: Khalutara

We decided to break down our journey back to Colombo with a stop in Kalutara, only 1.5 hours by car from Galle.

We stayed at the huge Anantara Kalutara resort, a thomas cook favourite. The food was as expected from an all in-inclusive resort, however, the real win here was the activity centre and spa.

If you’re an adventure seeker like me, you will appreciate the rock-climbing, zip-lining & abseiling that they have on-site which is not only fun for kids, but adults too!

Day 10-12 Colombo

Colombo is approximately one and a half hours from Kalutara and the airport is approximately a further half an hour from the city.

We stayed at two different properties in Colombo, one rich in political history and one uber modern.

The first night was spent in S.W.R.D Bandaranaike’s home. S.W.R.D Bandaranaike became Prime Minister in 1956 and he was shot on the verandah of his home, Tingtagel. In 1960, his widow, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, became the world’s first female Prime Minister, and then the longest-serving Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. Their younger daughter Chandrika, progressively became Chief Minister, Prime Minister and then Sri Lanka’s first female President in 1994. Their home designed by famous Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa is now the luxury boutique hotel called Paradise Road Tintagel.

Our second night was spent at Jetwing Colombo Seven, part of one of Sri Lanka’s most famous hotel chains, Jetwing. We were drawn to this hotel as they have an infinity pool on the roof and the chain is renown for its customer service. I recommend having sunset drinks on this rooftop as the view is spectacular.

To end our trip with a bang, we had to visit Ministry of Crab, made famous from Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants List. Clearly by the name, this is a strictly crab restaurant. It has limited other options, so for someone with a seafood allergy, I unfortunately had to eat elsewhere. However, my sea-foodie partner LOVED it!

Want to know more about our Sri Lanka trip? Drop a comment below. Alternatively, follow: @tanyaadvanii on instagram for more Sri Lanka travel tips!