One of my favourite regions in the world. I love the humidity. I love the sounds of the different birds – the Asian Koel just makes me feel at home.
Everybody photographs Sri Lanka’s famous Tea Train. Almost nobody asks why it exists. We travelled one of the world’s most beautiful railway journeys after a cyclone had torn it in half, expecting spectacular scenery. Instead, we discovered the story of the people, plantations and colonial history that still shape Sri Lanka’s hill country today.
Twin Waters Resort and Jetwing Vil Uyana couldn’t be more different on paper. One is a simple family-run retreat near Chilaw; the other a celebrated luxury eco-reserve near Sigiriya. Yet both gave us something we never expected. This isn’t a story about price or luxury. It’s about the people, places, and conversations that stay with you long after checkout.
We went to Sri Lanka for 35 days. We came home after 54. In between: a cyclone that destroyed the most famous train line in Asia, six leopard safaris that produced exactly zero leopards, elephants swimming between islands on Valentine’s Day, and a global crisis that grounded our flights home and gave us 17 extra days we hadn’t asked for.
This is the full story. And it’s now a 40-minute travel documentary.
Planning a trip to Sri Lanka? Here’s everything we wish we’d known before we visited in 2026. Honest guide to the best routes, drivers, trains, safari parks with the FAQs that actually matter.
When Middle East airstrikes grounded our flight home from Sri Lanka, we faced chaos, cancelled bookings, and visa nightmares. We also found paradise.
After 54 days in Sri Lanka — 20 of them unplanned — we made one deliberate decision: end the journey properly. Haritha Villas & Spa, a boutique hilltop retreat five minutes from Hikkaduwa, gave us exactly the finale we needed.
Seven private pool villas, a 30-metre infinity pool with views across paddy fields to the coast, and a butler model that puts every other resort service structure to shame. No room service charges, no fixed mealtimes — just a WhatsApp message to Chaminda, and whatever you need appears, wherever you want it.
The food is outstanding. The birdsong at dawn is extraordinary. The spa, honestly, you can skip.
At around ÂŁ500 a night for bed and breakfast, Haritha isn’t cheap — and we give you the full, unfiltered picture on costs, caveats and who this place is genuinely built for. We’ve scored it across all five TripWorthIt™ pillars and included everything you need to decide whether this hilltop hideaway belongs on your Sri Lanka itinerary.
Spoiler: we left wishing we’d booked three nights.
Read the full scored review →
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