COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has become one of the world’s preferred tourist destinations for those desiring a breathtaking holiday experience. From endless beaches, ancient ruins, great surfing and lush green mountains to famous tea and food, Sri Lanka allows you to combine an array of unique holiday activities within hours from each other. Here, Susan Eardly takes you on a tour of five unforgettable attractions that one can enjoy when holidaying in Sri Lanka – whether you are a first time tourist, repeat visitor, a Sri Lankan expatriate returning home for the holidays or even a resident planning to go on an exciting day out.
1. Dolphin Watching
Kalpitiya located 130 km north of the main Bandaranaike International Airport, is an exquisite coastal region located in the Western coastal belt north of Colombo. Kalpitiya is a peninsula set in between the deep lagoon of Puttalam to the east and Indian Ocean to the west. It’s a marine sanctuary with a diversity of habitats ranging from bar reefs, flat coastal plains, saltpans, mangroves swamps, salt marshes and vast sand dune beaches. Kalpitiya is one of the best spots for dolphin watching in Sri 
Lanka. Here you can witness massive pods of dolphins in their natural habitat. The Spinner dolphin is the most common. Other dolphins that can be spotted here include Bottlenose, Risso’s and Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins. Watching these delightful dolphins swimming alongside and diving under your boat, riding waves in perfect synchronization and twirling and leaping out of the water in a joyous display, is a magnificent experience.
Whale watching excursions are also available at Kalpitiya while other activities include kayaking expeditions, diving and snorkeling, stand up paddle boarding, kite surfing, cycling tours and horse riding.
2. Elephant Safari
Elephants have been great travel companion since ancient times. Habarana located 210km north east from Colombo is the transit point of the large herds of wild elephants at the National Parks of Minneriya and Kaudulla. An adventurous Sri Lankan safari and a visit to Minneriya National Park to experience the elephant gathering is a truly memorable experience, as you can watch the social dynamic of these great creatures at Minneriya National Park.
During the dry season (August to October) when water supplies start to reduce, more and more animals gather around Minneriya National park due to the reservoir. You can view around 300 to 400 elephants at a time. They are not migrating, they are simply gathering to socialize, bathe, drink, feed and possibly mate. You may also choose to take a jeep safari to Minneriya National Park to observe these beautiful creatures.
Elephant back safari in Habarana is done with no harm to the animal, with less than six people per ride. They are one of the most thrilling safari experiences in Sri Lanka. And this is not just a ride on the largest animal, but it’s an unforgettable experience where people get to interact with the elephants, as well as enjoy a ride through wilderness areas and beautiful sceneries. All elephant back safaris are accompanied by the mahout. A wooden saddle, a basket like enclosure upon a wooden platform is large enough to carry four passengers.
3. Hot air balloon tours
A great way to experience the exhilaration of flight with a bird’s eye view of the area below, a silent ride through the sky, an excursion that has caught on fast with locals and tourist alike is hot air ballooning. Drifting gently over the cultural triangle, or a wildlife park in a hot air balloon will be unforgettable. Actually nothing beats a hot air balloon excursion across the central plains in our opinion. Hot air ballooning tours are available from the north central plains of the island, and as one gets carried away under blue skies and over the landscape dotted with many little man-made lakes, one might even spot an elephant near these tanks, ancient monument. You may celebrate your birthday, propose to your fiancée balloon, or even exchange vows and get married in the air in a hot air balloon! Functioning from Dambulla, the service is available From December to March.
4. Ella Train Journey
The 3 hour train journey from Nanu-Oya to Ella is supposed to be one of the most scenic and beautiful journeys in the country. This route is very popular with tourists and travelers. During the journey the train goes past lush green tea estates, many tunnels, farming fields, villages and various types of forests. There is an endless stream of food and tea sellers walking up and down the train selling delicious Sri Lankan snacks – so you won’t starve.
5. Surfing in Arugam Bay
Sri Lanka is a great place for surfing and has been a popular surf destination since the 1970s. The main attraction is Arugam Bay on the remote East Coast, one of the world’s 10 best surf points. Situated on the Indian Ocean in the dry zone of Sri Lanka’s South-East coast, the Bay is located 220 km East of Colombo. It is a popular surfing destination. The Arugam Bay surfing season runs from July to August when the predominant wind is offshore for at least the first half of the day. Its fantastic waves attract surfers from all over the world.
The writer is a Director of Serene Vacations Lanka (Pvt) Limited. You may contact Susan at susan@eol.lk
