30 reasons to visit Sri Lanka

My lifetime dream of visiting Sri Lanka had finally come true. Last month, my photographer and I were on the island, for one magical week. I have a lot of memories, photos and stories, and more important, I have more reasons to come back. Because one week is not enough to explore and discover the fabulous universe of Sri Lanka.

If you never intended to visit Sri Lanka, you should think to travel to this wonderful, tropical island from the South of India. Why? Let’s see… 1. We had two perfect flights with SriLankan Airlines, from KL to Colombo, and then to Dubai. The airline’s team spoiled us with amazing traditional food, cocktails, Ceylon tea, beers and fruit juices and we took some great pics with them. 2. Colombo is a colonial-exotic city, with crazy traffic and generous people. We choose Cinnamon Lakeside, a 5-star hotel in the center of the city, with a beautiful apartment and a stunning terrace with lake views. Every morning I watched a dozen of pelicans flying and landing on the water – a picture that is not easily to forget. 3. Sri Lanka has the most friendly people in the world. Lots and lots of smiles on the streets, spontaneous conversations, and a magical sense of pride and love for their country. I love that! 4. In Sri Lanka, you became a kid again

and enjoy every moment. 5. The sunsets are from soft pink to purple, and the air is full of sea and Frangipani scents. Magic! 6. Local food and chefs are surprising. From fresh seafood to the elegant cocktails at the club, and to the traditional (comfort) dishes at the restaurants. 7. The Ceylon Tea is one of the best in

the world! 8. The nights are magical, and we enjoyed a boat trip on the lake with food, drinks, and music. 9. Near our hotel we found the largest Casino from Sri Lanka, where you can play even small sums of money, just for fun! 10. Colombo is a hot, mesmerizing city. From the craziness of tuk-tuks, to the kindness of people, from the amazing food to the wonderful colonial hotels, from the heat of the days to the starry nights, we loved everything in the capital of Sri Lanka. 11. If you travel by car, like we did, please ask the driver to stop along the way, to see these wonderful statues and temples of Sri Lanka. 12. From Colombo to Bentota is an easy ride of 2 hours. Here, we stopped at the Bentota Beach by Cinnamon, to refresh and drink a traditional fruit juice. 13. Bentota beach is absolutely spectacu

lar! 14. The hotel (and the island) is children friendly, you will find in here everything you need, very kind people and a lot of activities for little ones. 15. When we left, we found out from our driver – Jagath Chandra (an amazing storyteller) that it was a holiday, so we stopped at a beautiful temple and participated in a Buddhist ceremony. 16. Meditating a couple of minutes under this magical sky is the best thing you can do for your mind and body. The island has a strong healing energy. 17. Back on the road, we saw along the way some out- of- this- world beaches, with white soft sand and turquoise waves. 18. We arrived in Hikkaduwa at noon, and we checked- in at Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon, a wonderful all-inclusive resort, on the beach. 19. For three days, we relaxed in this magical garden, we fed the squirrels, and we listened to the ocean. 20. In our morning strolls, we’ve discovered amazing white beaches. No tourists, just the sound of the waves. Magic! 21. We ate a lot of fresh seafood and other

traditional dishes. 22. In the evening, we went to the Pool Bar to have a drink ( ok, maybe two:) or stood inside, on our sea-view terrace. 23. The nights were for fun, at the

Tranzcend – the main bar of the hotel. 24. After 3 days on the beach, we were just not ready to go. We wanted more of this 25. If you have a long holiday, I recommend you visit Kandy, Mirissa Beach, Sigiriya and Dambulla Cave Temple. 26. Try the divine fruits of the island, the coffee, and the tea. And, please, visit a tea and a cinnamon plantation. The scents are amazing! 27. In the south, you will find the Yala National Park. Take a jeep safari to the park, you will have the adventure of your life. 28. Sri Lanka is a well-known destination for weddings and honeymoons. You can have a ceremony on the beach, in the mountains or a wedding in the wilderness. 29. Before your flight, try the Serendib Lounge at the Bandaranaike International Airport – it’s an exotic, relaxing space with kind and smiling people. You can have food and drinks and even a shower. 30. After an amazing week on the island, we took off into the sunset, had a wonderful dinner in the sky and landing safely in Dubai with memories for a lifetime. (Courtesy The Huffington Post,