Our return to Sri Lanka happened pretty spontaneously. Earlier in the year, we’d visited Sri Lanka and even though we crammed a lot into a week, there was still so much more I wanted to see. So, while planning a trip to Asia, we thought, why not swing by Sri Lanka again?
Since we were already close by, it didn’t make sense to head back to London to catch a direct flight. We joined the trip from where we were, arriving late at night in Ahungalla, where we stayed at the Heritance Ahungalla hotel. After a warm welcome with a lamp-lighting ceremony, which was new to us in Sri Lanka, and a quick dinner, we crashed into bed, ready for a good night’s sleep. The next day, after enjoying some Sri Lankan hoppers for breakfast, we started exploring our surroundings for the next few days.
The Heritance Ahungalla is a sprawling colonial-style property right on the beachfront—so close you can see the ocean from the pool. This place was quite different from our last visit, which was near a river rather than the beach, but it brought back memories of that trip.
After wandering around, I planned for a laid-back day, lounging by the pool and enjoying some cocktails, only breaking for lunch. This was a stark contrast to our former Sri Lanka adventure, where our days were jam-packed from dawn until dusk. This time, it felt amazing to just relax, savor the beach, and soak in the natural beauty.
Dinner was supposed to be a barbecue by the beach, but the rain had other ideas. Instead, we moved indoors and indulged in a mouthwatering multi-course meal, followed by watching a traditional dance show, which I highly recommend if you haven’t experienced it yet.
The show wrapped up with an exciting display of fire acts. Afterwards, we headed to the bar, spent the evening chatting and laughing, helped along by a few bottles of wine, before calling it a night. Easygoing days like these are the perfect way to kick off a vacation!