Yovin Tours

JUMP ON SRI LANKA’S SOUTHERN COAST ROPE SWINGS

To this day, we're still amazed that a simple rope swing could have single-handedly turned a country into a travel 'hot spot', yet that's exactly what happened here in Sri Lanka.

Thanks to a couple of well-known travel Instagrammers, the rope swings on the southern coast went viral on Instagram, and before long every single visitor to the country wanted 'that shot'.

Although a little gimmicky, it really is a heap of fun and, considering the location and stunning tropical setting, is definitely one of the best places to visit in Sri Lanka! The best rope swings are located at Dalawella beach and Mihiripenna beach, just south of Unawatuna, although others can be found all the way along the coast.

HIKE TO THE TOP OF SRI LANKA, ADAM’S PEAK (SRI PADA)

Watching the sun rise from the peak of Sri Pada, or Adam's Peak on the cusp of the Sinhalese New Year, remains one of our defining travel moments.

After climbing the leg-burning 5,500 stairs to the summit, we waited for dawn to approach surrounded by hundreds of pilgrims from all religions. The nearby hill country slowly came into vision, before the sky turned all shades of pink, orange and finally blue. Pilgrims chanted, bells tolled, and tears were shed.

Rising from the famous rolling hills of Sri Lanka's hill country, the summit of Sri Pada (Adam's Peak), is one of the most iconic natural landmarks in the country. It's also home to myth and legend for Buddhist, Islamic, Hindi and Christian faiths; the summit is said to be home to Buddha's footprint, where Adam set foot on Earth after being cast out of heaven, and Shiva's footprint.

No matter whether you're religious or not, hiking to the top of Sri Pada, or Adam's Peak, is definitely one of the best things to do in Sri Lanka.

LEARN TO SURF IN WELIGAMA

The whole southern coast of Sri Lanka is a surfer’s paradise; awesome breaks at just about every corner attract sliders from all over the world.

For beginner surfers like us (we know, we’re terrible Australians!), it's also a great place to learn, with warm waters, cheap boards and easy waves the perfect combination to catch that first wave.

The best place to learn to surf along the coast is Weligama, located around 2.5 hours south of Colombo or 30 minutes from the popular town of Unawatuna. Built for surfers, there are hundreds of surf schools located right on the beach - just turn up, speak to a tout and you’ll be learning your way around a board just a few minutes later.

A 1 - 1.5 hour lesson costs around LKR 2,500 per person, and will teach you the basics of surfing including how to stand up, paddling for a wave, surfing etiquette, and safety. Somehow, we both managed to stand within our first five waves, and the thrill was incredible. We're now 100% converted to surfing.

If Weligama isn't your jam, you can learn to surf in many places on the south and east coast, including Unawatuna, Hiriketiya, and Arugam Bay.

After a surf, go a hang out with the legends at Ceylon Sliders, a boutique hotel-cum-cafe-cum-surf store celebrating surf culture in Sri Lanka. They happen to have some of the best food in Sri Lanka, as well as the coolest staff we've ever met.

ADMIRE THE STUNNING NINE ARCH BRIDGE, ELLA

It's weird to think that a bridge could become such an important place to visit in Sri Lanka, yet the Nine Arch Bridge just outside of Ella is exactly that.

Flanked by verdant forests and tea plantations, the Nine Arch Bridge stands proudly across the valley below. Calling it picturesque would be doing it an understatement, particularly on a misty day when the cloud hangs low in the valley and creates a moody, mystical scene.

Completed in 1921, Nine Arch Bridge is built entirely out of brick, rock and cement, with no metal used in its construction - an incredible engineering feat back in those days. Spanning 91 meters and a height of 24 feet, the bridge is on the famous Kandy to Bandarawela (via Ella) train line, with trains passing around five times a day depending on the ever-changing Sri Lankan train timetable.

There are plenty of epic viewpoints to see the bridge from. The most popular is the actual bridge itself, another is below from the tea plantation (this is private land, so please ask for permission before entering).

For us, the best views were from above, either looking from the forests surrounding the bridge or from one of the cafe platforms in the surrounding hills. Watching the train slowly make its way across the bridge is a wonderful sight!

SPOT LEOPARDS ON SAFARI IN YALA NATIONAL PARK

In our opinion, Yala National Park, which straddles the southeastern coastline of Sri Lanka, is a must-see on any Sri Lanka bucket list.

The 1268sq km park is home to a rich array of dunes, forests, open plains and lush lagoons, which also attracts a huge diversity of wildlife; 44 mammal species (including elephants) and over 215 bird species, to be exact!

Most visit Yala National Park for two reasons: the opportunity to see Leopards and Elephants in the wild. Yala contains one of the largest densities of Leopards in the world, with an estimated 25 leopards roaming Block 1 alone.

If you’ve dreamed of spotting these glorious creatures in the wild, a safari in Yala is absolutely your best chance to witness the elusive cats, while an elephant sighting is basically a given.

We were fortunate enough to see both during our early morning safari, stumbling across a beautiful elephant family at a watering hole, although our leopard sighting was only through a trusty set of long-range binoculars.

As Yala is so popular with locals and tourists alike, the safari routes can get very popular and crowded, especially when a leopard sighting has been reported. We were on safari the first morning that the park was open for the season, and actually got stuck in a 30-minute traffic jam to see a Leopard!

To avoid this, we'd suggest visiting during the shoulder season or joining a safari tour group.

Note: We booked our tour within minutes of arriving in the nearby town of Tissa, as there are plenty of drivers/guides waiting at the station to book passengers for the next day. Easy peasy!