Travel diary from Sri Lanka

We travelled to Sri Lanka full of anticipation and with 10 full days to see and do as much as possible. However, we soon realised that Sri Lanka offers a wealth of natural and cultural experiences, so even though we had plenty of time set aside, the great experiences lined up and the list of exciting things to see is inexhaustible.

A few of our greatest experiences, which we have also included in our Sri Lanka programmes, are:

Dambulla Temple, with its five temples carved into the rock walls. Here you'll find a wealth of colour, an exalted atmosphere and beautiful Buddha statues

The Sigiriya Rock, which you even have the opportunity to climb. A visit here is a perfect combination of nature, culture and physical activity

Adams Peak - a great nature experience with good views and some hiking

The historic coastal town of Galle

Safari in Udawalawe Nature Park where you can see elephants, peacocks, water buffalo, crocodiles and leopards. The latter only if you are very lucky

Can you be active in such a hot climate?

Before we travelled, we thought long and hard about whether it was even possible to be physically active in a country where temperatures are well into the 40s for much of the year.

We tried hiking, cycling and the cooler activities of diving and snorkelling.

Hiking:

There are many great hiking opportunities in Sri Lanka in the various national parks. On our trip we did a hike in Horton Plains National Park, World's End in Nuwara Eliya. The national park is located in the mountainous area in the centre of the island and the climate is therefore milder.

The hike was amazing. It offered beautiful views and varied nature with exotic plants and vegetation. The wildlife is also rich. We saw many birds, lizards, frogs and reindeer.

Sri Lanka protects nature in its national parks, so it's forbidden to take plastic with you on your hike. Therefore, bring your own metal water bottles or glass water containers.

Cycling:

We had planned a bike ride from Habarana towards Polonnaruwa - a bike ride of about 40 kilometres. The first part of the trip is on a busy road and the last half on small gravel paths along rice fields and streams.

The tour is done with a support vehicle, so it is possible to interrupt the tour at any time if the heat becomes a challenge. It's a different way to spend a cycling holiday, but it's really enjoyable and our lovely partners cheer you on from the car and offer cold drinks and fresh fruit during breaks.

Turen kan tilvælges i vores programmer og er virkelig værd at tage. Det var en fantastisk oplevelse – både på den trafikerede vej forbi Tuk-tuks og vejboder, hvor mange hilste og smilte til os, da vi cyklede forbi. Derefter på de mindre veje med flotte udsigter og idyllisk landskab, som man nok ikke ville have haft lejlighed til at opleve, hvis man ikke var hoppet på cyklen.

Snorkelling and diving:

There are great diving opportunities in Sri Lanka - the best spots depend on the time of year and we have put the programmes together so that the dive sites are chosen according to the time of travel.

The water is clear and beautiful. And besides corals, beautiful fish and less dangerous reef sharks, it's also possible to see sea turtles. There are many good initiatives in Sri Lanka to protect the turtles, so if you are lucky enough to see one while diving/snorkelling, enjoy your luck from a respectful distance.

April is the month when the sea can be most agitated and if you're travelling to Sri Lanka for diving, you should not choose to travel during this month.