Sri Lanka

I was recommended Sri Lanka at the Traverse travel blogger event by hundreds of other bloggers, citing it as the greatest place they had ever visited in their lives. A year on and I was on a plane over there for a 2 week trip. Well, it certainly lived up to the reputation. You can head down to the South to try surfing or relax by the beach. You can stay during the middle and visit both Ella and Kandy with more activities than you can imagine. The only place we didn’t visit was up North, where the temperatures shoot up pretty high. The people are easily some of the nicest in the world, where tourism is starting to grow but it hasn’t been ruined by drunken tourists making them hate us. Of course, it is starting to look more like that in Ella. The train ride from Kandy has been described as the most beautiful and picturesque in the world. You can book a 2nd or 3rd class ticket so that you can get a spot near the open doors and lean out, in order to get a good photo (but do be careful). The devastating terrorist attacks have shaken the nation, but I do hope it doesn’t put people off visiting, as it was such a great place to visit. If you do visit, make sure to have a tour of a tea plantation, such a crucial part of their economy and with the best tea in the world. It has been nicknamed the teardrop of India, due to the shape of the island just off the giant country of India. You should also book yourself onto a cooking class to learn how to make a Sri Lankan curry.