​This summer was our first trip to Asia and Sri Lanka and there was a lot I wish I had known before we went, this post is a little summary of things to know if you are planning a trip to Sri Lanka.  

This isn't the popular way around to do the journey and when I was researching all I could find was posts about travelling from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya BUT train tickets are notoriously hard to book in Sri Lanka and getting them at the train station is pretty chaotic, although not impossible.  If you want to travel first class or observation car then you need to book in advance and as soon as tickets are released - use an agent in Sri Lanka to do this (we used Paradiso Travels or there are specialist agents). 

​We missed the slot for our original plan to travel to Nuwara Eliya but it made no difference really.  The journey back to Kandy was just as stunning and I loved every minute of it.  So don't be put off!

After returning from the south coast area of Sri Lanka, we enjoyed a few days rest in Negombo before setting off again, this time for central Sri Lanka, Kandy and the tea plantations.  We knew it would get cooler but this was a welcome relief after the humidity in the south.

Kandy was such a busy city, it is in central Sri Lanka and at it's heart is the scenic Kandy Lake, it is famous for the Temple of the Tooth.  Our driver took us up to the viewpoint where we could see down on the whole city and have lunch.  In the afternoon we had a private tour of the Temple of the Tooth (organised by Paradiso Travels) - I would definitely recommend a private tour as there is so much to see and our guide was able to explain everything far better than we could have worked out ourselves, it took about an hour a half.  It is very interesting and we learnt a lot more about Buddhism.- and some very wise quotes and stories.

We had planned what to do in Sri Lanka, so when we arrived we spent the first few days relaxing at the Jetwing Beach Hotel in Negombo before departing with our car and driver for the south coast first stop Bentota, onto Galle and Mirissa and finally the Udawalawe National Park to see the elephants.

I've already said in my previous post how important it is to embrace the extensive driving and travelling as part of the holiday, I loved watching day to day life as we journeyed through towns and countryside.  It is fascinating and there is so much to see at every turn.  It is colourful and enlightening, it is so different to how we live here in the UK.