A look back: Sri Lanka 2026
Chapters:
Arrival Day and Tour Day One
Arrival Day and Tour Day One
Group trip: Sri Lanka 2026. This feels like years ago now and am still fully processing it but the block that had been stopping me from writing up a recap is now gone. So, let’s explore it a little together!
The trip started well before I landed in Sri Lanka – in fact, it started as soon as the first sign up reserved her spot and that was last June (of 2025). Wow!
Our timing was absolutely horrendous and I landed in Sri Lanka after about 21 hours of travel to news that the US has attacked Iran.
Two of our travelers were currently in Dubai – and while I don’t have a to-scale map in my memory bank, I do know that Dubai and Iran are just across the water from each other. Not good. They remained very optimistic saying that though their flight for tomorrow was cancelled, there was another already scheduled for the following day.
I’m reading through my messages while wandering through the airport looking for a woman I had never met before so we could start our journey to the hotel. Nothing we can do today or tomorrow so we must venture on.
We find each other, we hug regardless of how sweaty we both claim to be and off we go! We stopped for a SIM card and some cash before finding our driver – Kris. We came to love Kris but this first meeting was a little bumpy and awkward, I blame the travel and, ya know, the news that the US has started a war. Kris actually found us first and welcomed us with his HUGE smile and some flowers. It was very sweet and should have been the obvious first sign to an incredible trip that was to come.
We got to know Kris and each other a little on our drive the hotel. It was just after midnight and we were ready for a comfy bed and lots of sleep. We checked in and got settled. I updated the hotel on the guests who would not be arriving the next night as planned. After that, we went straight to bed and wow, did I crash!
The next morning we met at our agreed upon time and planned to enjoy breakfast together before spending some time by the beach. The official Newberry Tour didn’t start until 4pm that night. Our only set plans for the day was dinner on the beach at sunset and knowing our other travelers wouldn’t join us that night – we were planning a very slow, chill day.
Breakfast was incredible and the first bite made me do a happy dance that for sure embarrassed my travel companion but – this food is for real the best in the world. The spices, the textures, the mixture of all the good things – it was just so overwhelming. We filled up on tea and maybe refilled our places a time or two. I mean, LOOK AT THIS AMAZING SPREAD!
After that, we headed up to our room to get ready for the beach. We headed down and within a few minutes the gentlemen selling goods on the beach immediately b-lined it for us. It seemed my travel companion was interested in engaging with them, but we ultimately decided it is Day 1 and there are so many things yet to see. We wandered down the water, only to realize the sand was FAR TOO HOT. Lol – I can still picture us, linked arms walking down to the water and slowly realizing we had made a horrible mistake! We tried to run back as quick as we could but I was pretty sure my feet had burned off on the return journey and I now was walking on my ankles. Noted for next year: wear sandals down to the water, then take them off! Haha!
The water was cool and refreshing, but nothing as chilly as the Oregon coast I had been to a few weeks before. There were boats cruising around, some traditional boats moving slowly filled with tourists and plenty of people and dogs running around – just an absolute sight to behold.
We headed up to the room to freshen up and then ventured out to town to find lunch, we were not disappointed. That afternoon is blurry but I’m sure it involved great conversations and maybe a nap.
Later in the afternoon I got a message from Kingsley, who was to be our guide for the week, that he was in the lobby. It’s so funny to look back and remember your first meeting with someone – so far I’d met Amber, my travel companion for Sri Lanka, Kris our driver and now Kingsley our guide. Each meeting was exciting and I remember feeling giddy meeting each of them but had no idea just how much we would bond this week and become an unbreakable group of four.
Kingsley and I talked about the other ladies of the trip and make a plan for the following day based on their updated flight time. Amber joined us and we headed down for dinner. We walked through the dining room we had breakfast in and then out towards the beach. It wasn’t completely set up yet, so we stood and watched the cute little chipmunks play with each other and watch as the fruit bats came out to perform their swooping dances for us. The temperature had dropped and the ocean breeze kept the bugs away. It was an absolutely perfect moment standing there together.
While we waited we watched some candles on the beach get lit and some final details being placed out by this gorgeous tent. We talked about how neat it was and how fun it’d be to get to eat out there. Lo and behold – it was where WE were having dinner! Stunning!
Amber and I giggled like little kids as we took in the scenery and the grandiose way that they welcomed us. Kingsley joined us for dinner so we can talk about the week logistics and get to know each other more before being in the van together for the next 9 days. It was course after course of deliciously fresh food and unique flavors. We enjoyed some wine as we watched the sunset and laughed as we heard the local nightlife coming out to play. The next day was a national holiday so people would have the day off and they would not be allowed to drink – it seemed they were all squeezing in the fun of that night and the next night. Our meal was long and full of conversation. There was no denying this week was going to be special but now we just needed to get the other ladies here so we can all experience it together!
Kingsley and I talked about the other ladies of the trip and make a plan for the following day based on their updated flight time. Amber joined us and we headed down for dinner. We walked through the dining room we had breakfast in and then out towards the beach. It wasn’t completely set up yet, so we stood and watched the cute little chipmunks play with each other and watch as the fruit bats came out to perform their swooping dances for us. The temperature had dropped and the ocean breeze kept the bugs away. It was an absolutely perfect moment standing there together.
While we waited we watched some candles on the beach get lit and some final details being placed out by this gorgeous tent. We talked about how neat it was and how fun it’d be to get to eat out there. Lo and behold – it was where WE were having dinner! Stunning!
Amber and I giggled like little kids as we took in the scenery and the grandiose way that they welcomed us. Kingsley joined us for dinner so we can talk about the week logistics and get to know each other more before being in the van together for the next 9 days. It was course after course of deliciously fresh food and unique flavors. We enjoyed some wine as we watched the sunset and laughed as we heard the local nightlife coming out to play. The next day was a national holiday so people would have the day off and they would not be allowed to drink – it seemed they were all squeezing in the fun of that night and the next night. Our meal was long and full of conversation. There was no denying this week was going to be special but now we just needed to get the other ladies here so we can all experience it together!
Tour Day Two
Day two of our Sri Lanka trip started early, mostly because of jet lag. :)
On our second day together, we were beginning our journey around the country. Just outside the city, we noticed endless coconut trees lining the roads. It felt both fun and a little wild and we learned that it was because we were driving through Sri Lanka's Coconut Triangle, one of several "triangles" that make up different regions of the country.
We were headed toward the first stop in the Cultural Triangle, so we hopped into the van knowing we had a long day of driving ahead of us. It was our first real introduction to what it means to get around Sri Lanka and I can confidently say it is not for those with a weak stomach.
That first day on the road was honestly a little terrifying. As the week went on though, we started to understand the rhythm and melody of what was happening around us. But at the time, sharing the road with tuk-tuks, mopeds, motorcycles, taxis, semi-trucks, tour buses and seemingly everyone else in the country felt incredibly overwhelming. The roads are technically two lanes, I think, but after spending nine days in the back of that van, it often felt like three. You drive on the left side of the road (which is already an adjustment) and the center of the road seems to exist primarily for passing. Somehow, despite appearing too narrow, three vehicles can magically fit side-by-side when necessary.
And yes, there will absolutely be moments when you are convinced a semi-truck is about to hit you (facts). You will gasp (we did). You will grab the armrest (or each other). You will look at your travel companion with wide eyes (hourly). And eventually, you will realize this is simply how traffic flows and it’s perfect.
One of the things I love most about working with local tour companies in countries that are less familiar to me is the level of care they provide. Hospitality in many parts of the world is exceptional and Sri Lanka is no different. The van was stocked with an adorable plaid pouchs filled with information about Sri Lanka, details about the company we were traveling with and helpful resources for visitors. There was also a notebook, which I absolutely loved. As someone who journals and writes constantly, it felt like the perfect welcome gift. What better way to encourage someone to remember their trip than to give them a place to record it?
Of course, there was also toilet paper, snacks, water, and every other practical item we might need during long drives.
The van itself was immaculate. Honestly, I felt guilty climbing into it with shoes on!
Our drive took us through Gampaha Province, the North Western Province and the Central Province before eventually arriving in Dambulla. As we continued, the scenery began to change dramatically. The coconut trees disappeared, replaced by Buddhist statues, painted walls, colorful flags and signs of daily life everywhere we looked.
The roads wound through towns bustling with businesses, homes, schools and temples. There was so much movement and energy outside the window that the drive itself felt like an excursion.
Eventually, we reached more rural areas, and something unusual caught my eye. Half of the road (and remember, these roads already feel narrow!!) was covered in what looked like carefully arranged dirt. It almost resembled a giant Zen garden stretching down the highway. We learned it was rice. Farmers spread rice across the warm asphalt and let the intense Sri Lankan sun dry it naturally. It was such a clever use of available resources and one of those small moments that reminds you how many different ways people solve the same problem around the world.
We passed shops selling clay pots in every shape and size imaginable. We passed stores dedicated entirely to rattan and wicker baskets. There were dress shops, convenience stores, repair shops and countless businesses serving the needs of their communities. One of my favorite parts of traveling is simply observing everyday life. Looking at what people buy, build, repair, celebrate, and prioritize tells you so much about a place. That afternoon, we checked into a new hotel called Amba Yaalu, which translates to "Mango Friends."
We were absolutely floored.
The design was stunning, and behind the hotel sat a beautiful mango grove that seemed to attract every creature imaginable. Overnight, I heard monkeys running across the roof. At one point, I stepped onto my patio because I heard a strange noise and discovered a mongoose on my second-floor balcony. I still don't understand how it got there.
There were peacocks, chipmunks monkeys and all sorts of wildlife. The entire property felt alive in the best possible way. And no, not because of the people, rather because of the nature.
We arrived early enough to enjoy lunch, which featured the incredible Sri Lankan spread of curries, vegetables and toppings that quickly became one of my favorite parts of the trip. I had an incredible mango curry and what I think was a cilantro-based curry that I still dream about. I genuinely cannot wait to go back and eat both again.
I also knew there were some physical limitations regarding what my travel companion wanted to do that afternoon and she preferred to play it safe. We were heading to Sigiriya Rock, and I knew it involved a challenging climb. What I did not realize was just how challenging. I would absolutely include a disclaimer for future travelers. The stairs are uneve and there are a lot of them. You can stop and rest whenever you need to and people will simply walk around you. There is no pressure to move at anyone else's pace but it is a difficult climb, especially in the heat.
I appreciated that she communicated clearly about what she needed. She chose to spend the afternoon relaxing at the pool and I promised to meet her later. So I headed out with Kingsley and Chris to explore Sigiriya.
The drive alone was stunning. For miles, we passed dense jungle, towering trees and enormous reservoirs. I hadn't been surrounded by this much greenery in a long time and it felt good to be back in nature. Well, looking at nature through a car window.
This was also where we saw our first met a Sri Lankan pup. Dogs are everywhere in Sri Lanka. Some belong to families, some are cared for by neighborhoods, and others are community dogs. Travelers should be prepared to see animals living differently than we are accustomed to in the United States. That difference isn't necessarily a lack of love or care. It's simply a different relationship between communities and animals.
As we approached the site, Kingsley painted a vivid picture of what it would have looked like in its prime. The fortress at the top is impressive but what fascinated me most was learning that the surrounding landscape was intentionally designed as well. There were gardens, bathing areas, gathering spaces and carefully planned features spread across the entire property. The scale was much larger than I expected.
As we walked through the grounds, I realized there is plenty to experience even if you don't climb to the summit. Looking back, I almost wish we had encouraged my travel companion to join us just for the stories and history. But I also appreciate travelers knowing their limits and honoring what their bodies need! The climb began easily enough. The pathways were well-maintained, and there were fascinating rock formations, caves and former monastery sites along the way. Kingsley did an incredible job helping me imagine what life once looked like here. Then we reached one of the most spectacular staircases I've ever seen. It perfectly captured what I think is Sri Lanka's relationship with nature: rather than reshape the landscape they people worked with it. Massive boulders rested naturally against one another, creating a dramatic entranceway that felt both engineered and completely untouched at the same time.
It was beautiful.
We passed a few more sleeping dogs before reaching a midway platform where a television show was being filmed. We waited briefly while they shot a scene and then production staff instructed us to simply keep walking and not look at the cameras.Naturally, that made me want to look at the cameras even more.
Then came the truly difficult section. Several steep switchbacks lead to the top, and it is definitely a workout. Thankfully, there are handrails and plenty of opportunities to pause when needed.
When we finally reached the summit, I was rewarded with something unexpected.
Monkeys! Everywhere!
We explored the ruins, learned how different spaces had been used and admired views stretching across the landscape in every direction. The grand entranceway once used by royalty was particularly breathtaking. Even now, it's easy to imagine how impressive this place must have been centuries ago. The ancient swimming pool had fallen into disrepair and I can't say I was tempted to jump in. The monkeys, however, had my full attention! There were babies chasing one another, adults lounging in the shade, and endless playful interactions happening around us.
Although this wasn't my first trip to Sri Lanka, it was my first time spending significant time in this region. I would soon learn that seeing monkeys regularly was pretty standard here.
Eventually we made the drive back toward the hotel. I couldn't wait to show Amber the photos and videos from the climb, especially the monkeys. The sunset on the drive home was, unsurprisingly, spectacular. Every sunset in Sri Lanka seems to compete with the one before it.
When I returned to my room, I discovered a tiny gecko hanging out inside. Honestly, I welcomed the company.
I found Amber relaxing by the pool but by then I had gotten back too late for a swim. Instead, we made plans to enjoy the pool together the following evening. We headed to dinner, enjoyed another beautiful meal and called it an early night.
Tomorrow, the adventure would continue!
**You may have noticed there was no mention of our friends who were stuck in Dubai. If you remember, the news these first few days was both constant and not really accurate to what those that were actually there were experiencing. We were in constant contact all day, but their flight was canceled midafternoon. With that news we knew that there would be more communication tomorrow but nothing further we can do until then.
Tour Day 3
Day three was going to be a big day. Not just because we were going to see elephants, but because there was hope that our friends might finally be joining us!!
We woke up early and headed off for an elephant safari. The night before, Kingsley had explained that the best time to go is first thing in the morning. There are fewer jeeps, the elephants are more active because of the cooler temperatures and they're usually out snacking before retreating into the forest later in the day to escape both the heat and the hundreds of safari vehicles. And, so, we rolled out early and arrived around 8:30 a.m., climbed into our jeep and set off!
Well... eventually. Before we even left the main area, a peacock decided it had absolutely no interest in sharing the road. It stood directly in front of our jeep and refused to move.
Once we finally got going, Amber and I immediately stood up in our seats to look over the top of the vehicle. We were barely around our first corner when we spotted our first elephant. A huge elephant. Just happily munching away. Its ears flapped lazily as it tossed dirt onto its back and completely ignored the excited tourists staring at it. We sat there for probably ten or fifteen minutes just watching. Then we noticed movement in the grass nearby. The driver adjusted the jeep slightly, and from about forty yards away we got a glimpse of something even better: a baby elephant (omgomgomgomg)! Standing right beside its mama. The little one was copying everything its mother did. Its ears flopped, it wandered around nibbling on plants and at one point it attempted to throw dirt onto its own back but completely missed. The dirt went everywhere except where it intended, absolutely adorable! Looking back at the timestamps on my phone, we stayed there nearly twenty-five minutes just watching them exist.
Eventually we continued on, driving through a landscape full of butterflies, birds and sounds coming from every direction. Everything felt peaceful and alive. About an hour into our safari though things changed. We turned a corner quickly after hearing rustling nearby. I think the driver was hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever was moving before it disappeared into the trees. Unfortunately, our timing couldn't have been worse and our jeep accidentally ended up between an elephant and the rest of its family. The elephant immediately let out a loud trumpet that sounded exactly like something from a cartoon, except when you're standing there hearing it in real life, it's not funny at all, rather it’s heartbreaking.
You could feel its distress. The elephant stomped toward us, trumpeting loudly and all I wanted was for us to move away so it could reunite with its family. I felt awful, I still feel awful. We drove forward and gave them space in hopes that they would reconnect together on one side of the road. Even from farther away, you could hear them communicating with one another through the grass. It was a not so subtle reminder that this is NOT an attraction - these are real animals and real families.
We had spent the morning carefully observing these incredible animals from a respectful distance and suddenly we had unintentionally become part of the story.
About fifteen minutes later, we found another group. This time I had already asked the driver to take corners a little slower, which allowed us to stop well before getting too close. There was a mama and what looked like a teenage elephant on one side of the road and another young elephant hidden in the bushes on the other.
All we could see was its sweet little butt sticking out from the greenery and its tail swishing back and forth!! Honestly, the cuteness was becoming a health hazard.
We sat there watching for another fifteen or twenty minutes as they wandered around eating breakfast. By this point the day was getting warm. We reapplied sunscreen and continued on to what would become our final elephant sighting. In the distance, we spotted another mama and baby pair. They were farther away than any of the others, but the shorter grass gave us a clear view.
At one point, the baby simply wandered over and pressed itself against its mother. That's it! Nothing dramatic or exciting - but so perfect, just a baby wanting to be close to its mama.
After the safari, we finally got the news we had been waiting for: Our friends in Dubai were on their way!! They had managed to get updated tickets, received instructions on when to arrive at the airport and finally had a path forward. We were pumped!! Not only were they coming but we had one more night in the area so we could potentially adjust our plans and make sure they didn't miss some of the experiences they had been looking forward to (da bb elephants!).
So we spent part of the afternoon updating the hotel, discussing logistics, and trying to figure out whether another early-morning elephant safari might be possible. Until further notice, we were simply giddy waiting for our friends to arrive!
Afterward, we headed to the Royal Palace of King Parakramabahu and began our visit inside the museum. The museum does a fantastic job of helping you understand what you're about to see before you step outside into the ruins themselves. There were detailed models showing how the buildings once looked, relics from the site and beautifully preserved artifacts that helped bring the ancient city to life. As we moved from room to room, Kingsley connected everything together and he magically brough each display together to become part of a larger story.
Then we stepped outside into Polonnaruwa Ancient City and WOW!! The scale of it is difficult to explain. The grounds stretched endlessly before you. There were sleepy dogs tucked beneath trees, monkeys darting around the ruins and reminders everywhere that this had once been one of the most important places in Sri Lanka. It was just, so stinking incredible!
Now that we had seen the models inside the museum, we had a better understanding of what we were looking at, well kinda. Time has naturally worn many of these structures down. The wooden portions disappeared long ago and many of the roofs and decorative elements are gone or at least rubbed to soft shadows.
What remains are the foundations, walls, temples and stonework that have been carefully preserved and restored. Some of the walls still tower five or six stories high. My favorite pieces, the moonstones at the entrances, were breathtakingly intricate. Even the trees scattered throughout the site somehow feel just as ancient as the ruins themselves!
One of my favorite parts, though, was that we explored much of the area in our socks. Some sections allowed shoes but before entering many of the sacred spaces, you needed to remove them. There was something unexpectedly comforting about wandering through an ancient city in stocking feet. You could feel the warm moonstones under your feet, you kind of had to slow down because of the gravel and rocks but it also just made me feel like a kid again! Whatever the reason, it made everything feel even more awe-inspiring!
At one point we entered a temple complex that housed an enormous Buddha statue and Amber stopped in the doorway. I thought something was happening, like a medical emergency! She was completely froze, she couldn’t speak, she couldn’t move, I asked if she was okay and I got no response!!!
The statue towered over us, stretching several stories into the air and the scale of it was beyond anything she had imagined. I watched her stand there taking it all in and that feeling of absolute and complete awe is something we kept seeing over and over again in Sri Lanka. This one had done a number on Amber though!
By late afternoon we were exhausted. We had spent the day with elephants, ancient kingdoms, sacred spaces and enough history to fill a J-term class! So when our driver arrived, we happily climbed back into the van but while we grabbed fresh coconuts! Amber and I drank ours through straws (like ‘normal’ people). Kingsley, however, punched a hole in his coconut and drank directly from it. No straw needed! It was actually very impressive! lol
A few dogs wandered over while we sat in the shade, and it turned into one of those unexpectedly perfect travel moments where absolutely nothing special is happening, yet somehow it becomes a favorite memory.
On the drive back, we passed beautiful fields with small huts perched high in trees or mounted on tall poles and we couldn't figure out what they were for. Turns out farmers sleep in them during growing season so they can watch over their crops and scare away elephants looking for a midnight snack!! Honestly, it seemed like a very reasonable concern after the day we'd had ha.
We also stopped at the reservoir again. The day before we had only driven past it but this time Amber got to experience it too. The holiday crowds had disappeared, but it was easy to imagine how the community gathers there to cool off, relax and spend time together. It reminded me a lot of Minnesota summers on the lakes and were reminded we’re not all that different. But then we learned there were crocodiles in the reservoir and, yeah we’re not so same same.
When we finally returned to the hotel, Amber and I kept our promise to ourselves and headed straight for the pool. It was exactly what we needed! I ordered a cold beer and Amber ordered a tamarind cocktail that was so complex and delicious I still don't think I could properly describe it.
Afterward, we enjoyed dinner and reflected on everything we had seen. At one point, Amber leaned across the table and said:
"This is the best day I've had in years."
And in that moment, I knew Newberry Travel was doing something special. **insert cry emoji
Tour Day Four
The bad news? The girls never made it.
They went back to the airport only to discover that the flight wasn't canceled, it simply didn't exist. Despite having physical tickets and despite the flight being searchable online earlier in the day, there was no flight. We were back to square one.
At that point they were understandably overwhelmed, exhausted and fielding messages from everyone who was trying to help. We decided to simply check in as needed and let them focus on getting through each day. The good news was that they reassured us they were safe. Despite all the headlines and news coverage, they said things didn't feel nearly as frightening on the ground as the media was portraying.
So, with no additional updates to act on we continued our day. We woke up early to take in the scenery one last time. It was our final morning at Amba Yaalu, the Mango Friends hotel, and we wanted to soak up every bit of the mango grove, the artwork and the peaceful atmosphere before leaving. We enjoyed breakfast, including a savory Sri Lankan breakfast porridge that was warm and unlike anything I’ve really had before, scruptious though!
Then we wandered around taking photos and thinking to ourselves “How could it ever get better than this?!”
Around 9:00 a.m. we hit the road. We had been told: there a lil hike, there were caves annndddd that’s about it. I had never visited this site on either of my previous trips to Sri Lanka and as a little gift to myself, I intentionally avoided googling it beforehand. I wanted to be surprised!
We arrived at the Cave Rock Temple of Dambulla and immediately the pathway caught my attention. The walkway was lined with Sri Lankan Buddhist flags, their colors vibrant against the surrounding greenery. As we climbed, Kingsley explained the meaning behind each color and the symbolism woven throughout the flag. We walked and walked until beautiful white structures began appearing alongside the path. Against the green trees and earthy trail, they looked almost impossibly bright.
Kingsley explained that he wanted to start with the cave furthest away and work our way back to the front. I immediately assumed this meant the final cave was the most impressive (I was right, but more on that later!) but I wasn't prepared for just how astonishing every single space would be.
The first cave left me speechless! There was a massive Buddha statues stretched across the room, painted with incredible detail. The walls and ceilings were covered with artwork depicting Buddhist stories, symbolism and history. Every surface seemed alive with color. The lighting somehow made everything feel even larger. The shadows emphasized the scale of the statues!
Kingsley taught us about the position of Buddha's feet, what different hand gestures symbolize, and how to interpret some of the stories surrounding us. We stood there for a long time. Not talking, just staring in awe.
As we continued through the complex, I found myself increasingly amazed by the architecture. The temples seemed to emerge directly from the rock itself! The day before we had seen enormous Buddha statues built into natural rock formations, and now here we were again witnessing humans create something extraordinary while working with the landscape rather than against it, the craftsmanship was remarkable.
I loved that every cave felt different. Some were filled wall-to-wall with statues and paintings. While others felt quieter and more intimate (and super tiny). One cave housed a stupa containing sacred relics, while another featured a single Buddha statue that commanded your entire attention. Just, wow!!
What surprised me most was that none of it felt repetitive, you might think that after several caves the experience would start to blend together. Nope! Each one had its own personality and atmosphere. And without a doubt, each one managed to leave me speechless all over again.
Outside our lil monkey friends climbed through the trees, clearly used to a steady stream of visitors and if anyone accidentally drops a snack, they're ready! We spent some time simply watching them before continuing to admire the exterior of the buildings. Even the doors were works of art.
Beautiful paintings surrounded every entrance and colorful curtains framed each doorway. Pulling those curtains aside before stepping into a cave somehow made the experience feel even more dramatic. Almost like the cave itself was welcoming you inside.
At one point, a ceremony began somewhere nearby and drumming echoed through the complex while visitors gathered to watch. We listened from a distance while watching monkeys leap through the trees.
One thing worth mentioning is that this entire experience is done barefoot or in our case in stocking feet. And once again, I found myself loving that! There's something strangely comforting about walking through sacred spaces without shoes. It feels casual and grounding while simultaneously being completely awe-inspiring. Before leaving, Kingsley told us there was one final Buddha we needed to see and he guided us down a different path down the hill.
At first, we could only see it in the distance. Then it got bigger and bigger and bigger - until suddenly it was towering above us! The Golden Temple of Dambulla is enormous!! I have never seen so much gold in my life. The Buddha itself was stunning but the dragon entrance beneath it? Absolutely terrifying. I'm sure it carries important symbolism but I was simply content admiring it from a safe distance ha
Instead we wandered through the gardens, admired the flowers, met a few neighborhood cats and eventually met up with Kris to continue on our way.
Our next stop was a spice garden! I had visited one on my first trip to Sri Lanka and it was always something I knew I’d have to share with others One of the things that constantly amazes me about Sri Lanka is how much of daily life remains connected to the natural world. The use all of their unique plants and spices to make medicines and some of the most delicious food on Earth! It’s one of the few countries I’ve been to that everything feels interconnected.
Walking through the garden, we saw green peppercorns growing before they eventually make their way into spice jars back home. We watched cinnamon being peeled directly from the tree and learned about herbs and medicinal plants used throughout the country. Even something as simple as coriander suddenly became more interesting when you could see it growing in front of you (and I hate coriander!). Afterward we attended a demonstration, sampled products, and naturally found ourselves wandering through the gift shop.
Lunch followed at a small local restaurant. Everything was delicious because duh. lentils. And were cats. At this point, finding cats at lunch was becoming one of my favorite parts of Sri Lanka!
After lunch, we stopped briefly at a Hindu temple. We had spent several days immersed in Buddhist sites and it was fascinating to compare the architecture, colors, and symbolism. So very different! As we continued traveling, the region itself began to change. We were moving into an area with larger Hindu and Muslim populations and you could see it reflected everywhere. The shops were a mix of different needs, the clothing people wore became more modest and even the landscape was changing as we climbed higher into the mountains.
It wasn't dramatically cooler yet, but there was definitely a shift in the air.
By late afternoon we arrived at our hotel and had a little time to relax before heading out again. We spent time at the pool, caught up on everything we'd seen and continued hoping our friends in Dubai were doing okay.
At around 5:00 p.m., we were picked up for our evening visit to the Temple of the Tooth Relic. And,. surprisingly, The Tooth Relic is exactly what it sounds like.
According to tradition, it houses one of Buddha's teeth, which survived after his death and was eventually transported across countries through a long and complicated journey. Kingsley shared parts of the story as we explored the grounds. And wow! The temple itself is beautiful.
We wandered barefoot through gardens filled with flowers, admired lotus artwork painted across ceilings and walls and explored massive wooden buildings supported by towering beams and intricate carvings. Everything felt grand and deeply meaningful.
As the sun began to set, we witnessed something incredibly special: a family arrived carrying a baby. Pretty standard though, ya? I know. But let me tell you why it was so powerful.
Kingsley explained that for many Buddhist families, one of the first public outings a baby takes is to the Temple of the Tooth Relic. The baby may be three, four or five months old but this is often their introduction to the wider world. Literally their first time outside of their homes!! We watched as a grandmother proudly carried the baby while the mother practically radiated joy beside her and the father followed closely behind. Even without knowing them, you could feel how important the moment was.
It felt like an incredible privilege simply to witness it. To watch a family introducing their child to both the world and their faith, so cool.
At 6:15 p.m., the ceremony began. Kingsley found us a good viewing spot for the drumming ceremony, where musicians played drums and horns while offerings were prepared.
Eventually though, he hurried us upstairs where we were met with two lines. One offered a closer view of the relic itself and the other allowed visitors to enter the larger viewing area.
Naturally, we ended up in the line for the closer view. Oh boy!
At first, everything seemed calm. Then the line started moving and when I say moving - I mean moving! Tens of people suddenly surged forward, all eager for their opportunity to see one of the most sacred objects in Buddhism. We quickly realized though that this wasn't tourism for many of them, it was actually a pilgrimage. This was their faith and you could tell how deeply personal it was.
Meanwhile (derpdaderp), Amber and I were standing there trying to understand exactly what was happening. At one point Amber leaned over and whispered: "What are we even doing?" bahhaha and I had to whisper back: "You know... I'm not really sure. I think we're looking at the tooth."
This is something that can happen in travel, right? You’re so caught off gaurd by what is happening and you don’t fully register the importance of it and you just… giggle. By no means were we laughing at the culture or the religion but rather becasue we were completely confused!
The crowd continued pushing forward until suddenly we found ourselves moving through the viewing area at what felt like sprinting speed! As we approached the viewing window, we caught sight of a stupa far down the hallway. People were moving so quickly that we barely had time to process what we were seeing. Amber goes: "what are we looking at?" and POOF just like that we were past it. I didn’t even have time to say “not sure.”
We later learned that the tooth relic was housed inside the stupa that was far down the hallway. Like, half a block away lol! Kingsley later explained exactly where it was and what we had seen but in the moment it felt like a whirlwind.
A sacred, crowded, beautiful, slightly chaotic whirlwind!
We eventually emerged outside into the evening air. The lights reflected across the water and the temple glowed against the darkness. Just stunning. Sri Lanka does that, just stuns you endlessly, over and over again.
To close out the adventure, Amber leaned over and said: "That was the weirdest fucking thing I've ever experienced." Then we laughed and giggled uncontrollably. Kingsley did too a little though! We knew we had witnessed something so special but it was so completely different from anything we had ever encountered before!
Travel does that, and we love her for it! It places you in situations that challenge every expectation you had and sometimes the only way to process it is to laugh, ask questions and keep learning. The Temple of the Tooth Relic was absolutely one of those experiences!
We headed back to the hotel that night and enjoyed another incredible dinner.
Tomorrow, we would wake up in an entirely different part of Sri Lanka!
Tour Day Five
We were officially halfway through the tour and it was starting to look like our friends in Dubai were not going to be able to join us. They had even done an interview with a local news station but I'm sure they were going absolutely stir-crazy.
Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka, we had a pretty good idea of what our day would entail. We knew the activities we were doing, but this is one of the things about travel that has always fascinated me.
You can spend months planning a trip. You can read every itinerary and you can look at every photo or even just zoom in close on google maps. But when you book something called "Batik Techniques of Sri Lanka" or sign up for a cooking class, you really have no idea what you're about to experience. Because so much of it depends on the people and the conversations between everyone - and how everybody gels together. There is something about physically being somewhere that I have never been able to fully imagine beforehand no matter how much research I do.
On our drive, before getting out of town, we got to see school children heading to class and people commuting to work. The city felt different from the places we had visited so far. So when we started our morning driving into the rolling hills around Kandy, I was stunned by the scenery and it’s absolute beauty! Tea fields began appearing in the distance, the roads twisted through the mountains and the landscape became increasingly breathtaking!
Eventually, our driver Kris dropped us off at the end of a gravel road. And naturally, the gravel road went straight uphill! So we started walking. We were joined by another guide from the company Kingsley works with, and together we made our way through the countryside. Along the way we passed homes under construction, gardens and one of the most adorable tuk-tuks imaginable!
Honestly, it felt like the most quintessentially Sri Lankan thing I had seen all week.
We continued climbing until we spotted an adorable pink house tucked into the hillside, like come onnnn! It wasn't very large but it was surrounded by beautiful plants, colorful fabrics, and batik pieces hanging from the trees and drying in the breeze. It immediately felt special.
We met the artist, Chandani, and she welcomed us into her studio. Before she even began explaining anything, Amber and I were already distracted by all of the artwork hanging on the walls - the colors! The patterns! The craftsmanship! Everything was stunning and everything was hand made by Chandani!
Once we calmed down, she began walking us through the process. This style of batik uses hot wax, which was completely different from anything I had encountered before. I was familiar with block printing batik from a previous career, but I had never worked with hot wax techniques. Likely because it can’t be mass produced, each piece is made over hours and hours and with layers and layers of wax.
The process starts by placing a design underneath a piece of fabric and tracing it lightly. We each selected a design and began tracing. We both had a sweet lil elephant and space to freehand. Amber immediately looked like a professional! I, meanwhile, was doing my best.
Afterward, we moved into the working studio and the main table was fascinating!
It looked ancient in the best possible way. It had clearly been used thousands of times.
The frame was covered with thumbtacks and underneath sat layers upon layers of hardened wax. The design allowed excess wax to drip through instead of pooling on top of the artwork. Then she demonstrated the actual wax application.
The tool looked deceptively simple (it was absolutely not!) A small container held the hot wax, and a tiny lever controlled the flow. Depending on how much wax you released, you could create large shapes, thin lines, tiny dots or intricate details.
Watching her work made it look effortless (again, it was not!). She outlined much of our artwork while teaching us different techniques, then encouraged us to try for ourselves.
Thankfully, she handled the larger sections. Amber and I focused on the smaller details, which ended up not being actually small because the wax would just blooooob out. lol
We proudly held up our finished wax designs before moving on to the dyeing process.The portions covered by wax would resist the dye while everything else absorbed the color.
Before dyeing, we crumpled the fabric slightly to crack the wax.This allows color to seep into the tiny cracks and create those beautiful, organic lines that make batik so distinctive.
After several dye baths and a little time drying in the sun, she explained that we were doing a simplified version of the process. Normally, the fabric would hang for days before additional layers of wax and dye were applied! Unfortunately, that also means much of the dye would eventually wash out if we cleaned it at home but there was no way I planned on testing that theory.
Once the dyeing was complete, she rinsed away the excess color before dipping the fabric into extremely hot water to remove the wax. Watching the designs emerge felt like magic! And, poof, suddenly all of our work came to life! We hung the finished pieces in the trees to dry and settled in for snacks. There were bananas, tea and sesame treacle roll-ups, which may have been my favorite snack of the entire trip. Seriously, I could have eaten twenty! I mean, I probably at 4 there and then put 4 more in my pocket for the car ride.
As we sat together, we learned more about the artist's life, including how she had recently lost her husband and had started offering these experiences as a way to support herself. The more we learned about her work, the more impressive it became. Some of her finished pieces were so intricate that I genuinely could not understand how they had been created with the same tools I got to use today. Truly impressive craftmanship!
Eventually, after perhaps one too many snacks (oops!), it was time to leave. We bought a few treasures to bring home and said our goodbyes. Honestly, I'm already excited to return next year and see her again!
Next Up? A cooking class!
Kris dropped us off at another gravel road. This time, however, we transferred into tuk-tuks! The reason quickly became obvious, the area had experienced severe flooding several months earlier and there was still significant storm damage. Landslides, fallen trees and damaged roads made larger vehicles impossible but our tuk-tuks cruised right through! The ride itself was half the fun.
At the top, we stopped at a small market and our chef walked us through the produce - explaining vegetables and ingredients that were common in Sri Lankan cooking. Everything looked unbelievably fresh! We selected several ingredients to make a few different curries we wanted to learn how to make and then continued on to his family's home.
There, we would be cooking alongside him, his father, and his brother-in-law. And wow, what a cool setup!
Tables were covered with colorful spices, vegetables, garlic, greens, jackfruit and every ingredient we would need. For each recipe, they assembled a separate plate of spices so we could clearly see exactly what went into the dish. I took approximately 4,000 photos convinced this would somehow help me recreate everything at home and, well now, I can confidently say that owning a photograph does not magically provide access to fresh cinnamon bark, cardamom pods or years of culinary expertise. Ha! Oops!
Then it was time to cook! Mortar and pestle in hand, we started grinding spices and preparing ingredients.
The chef cleaned garlic
The brother-in-law chopped vegetables
The father managed the fire
Even Kingsley joined in!
Amber and I were not trusted with the sharp knives, which honestly felt like a fair decision
At some point during the class, I discovered a fluffy doggy!
And that was nearly the end of my contribution. Ha!
While Amber continued being productive, I spent a suspicious amount of time petting our new furry friend. :)
Ze fluffy assistant!
About an hour and a half later, everything was simmering away on the stoves, so we headed downstairs, grabbed something to drink and waited while the final dishes finished cooking.
Then they brought everything down - each in it’s own cute little pot. The colors and smells of all the curries was just absolutely incredible. Intoxicating even! For this meal, we had promised Kris and Kingsley that we would practice eating with our hands, which is traditional in Sri Lanka.
It slowed the entire experience down, you couldn't rush without just picking up your plate and pouring it in! It turned lunch into a conversation rather than simply a meal. By the end, our fingers and nails were beautifully stained from the spices! Amber looked absolutely lovely in her red dress, so naturally we had to stop for an impromptu photoshoot before leaving.
The walk back down the hill was steep, but eventually we made it back to the van and our trusty driver, Kris! Our final stop for the day was a viewpoint overlooking Kandy and timing couldn't have been better! Birds filled the sky above the lake, children were getting out of school and the city buzzed below us. Everything appeared to be so alive down in the city - but up from our viewpoint we could hear the birds and that was about it. It was so peaceful just watching life unfold.
Eventually we headed back to the hotel, it had been a long day. Whew!
Without any additional updates from Dubai, it was difficult to know exactly what the next few days would look like.What we did know was that tomorrow we would be leaving Kandy behind and heading deeper into Sri Lanka's tea country and if our friends somehow managed to make it out of Dubai, there was still hope they could join us at the final hotel!
Tour Day Six
Today was going to be a driving day. Womp womp.
We knew that going in, so we settled in for another delicious breakfast before packing up and preparing for the long journey ahead. We had a few stops planned before making our way into Sri Lanka's tea country, and honestly, they ended up being some of my favorite moments of the day!
Our first stop was an antique store. I have met a lot of interesting people while traveling but the owner of this shop may have been one of the most unique people I have ever encountered! The store itself was absolutely stunning, every corner seemed perfectly curated. There were antiques, artwork, furniture, trinkets and treasures tucked into every available space (and even where there wasn’t!). And the owner wanted to tell us about all of them, every single one :) ! We spent an incredible amount of time wandering through the shop as he proudly showed us piece after piece. Each item came with a story, a memory or a fascinating explanation - and there was tea and snacks of course!
At some point, I think he would have happily talked to us for another three hours but eventually, Kingsley stepped in and gently rescued us so we could continue our journey. We left with a few small treasures, including a thoughtful gift from the owner, and headed on our way.
Our next stop was the Royal Botanic Gardens. I know that for some people a botanical garden might not sound like an adventure, but I could not disagree more. We spent the next several hours wandering through the gardens while Kingsley pointed out plant after plant that is native to Sri Lanka. Some were familiar but mostly they were not haha.
The more we learned the more I realized how incredibly unique this island truly is! Sri Lanka is considered one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. Despite its relatively small size, it is home to thousands of plant and animal species and of which exist nowhere else on Earth. More than 3,000 flowering plant species grow on the island and roughly a quarter of them are endemic(!!!). Nearly half of Sri Lanka's freshwater fish species and more than 90% of its amphibian species are found nowhere else in the world. Isn’t that incredible?!
One of the reasons for this is geography. Sri Lanka developed as its own ecosystem for long periods of time, allowing plants and animals to evolve independently. The result is an island packed with species found nowhere else.
And suddenly so many things about Sri Lanka started making more sense! Don’t you think? Its incredible wildlife, the unique crops, its gem industry, how biodiverse the whole place is?! Its conservation efforts now seem like an absolute must, it's irreplaceable. We wandered through towering trees, enormous bamboo groves, flowering plants and gardens that looked like they belonged in a storybook and after spending several days in and around Kandy, it felt wonderful to be surrounded by so much greenery.
Then we encountered the monkeys. And by monkeys, I mean a lot of monkeys - like maybe 30? Or 40?
Enough monkeys that everyone nearby immediately noticed haha One particularly brave monkey began walking directly toward a woman standing nearby. She had a bag hanging off her shoulder and the monkey seemed very interested in it. The closer it got, the louder she became: "Go away! Go away!"
She repeated it over and over while the monkey continued walking straight toward her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Eventually she began flailing her arms and yelling even louder! Honestly though, I’m not sure what I would have done either!
Then she turned toward us and announced: "I have a banana in my bag." And while I realize real life is not a cartoon, I think we can all agree that carrying a banana around a group of monkeys is probably not the best strategy! Kingsley handled it perfectly though, he reassured her, helped calm the situation and gently reminded everyone that food and wildlife are generally not a great combination. bhaha! Eventually though, the monkeys moved on and the banana survived and we continued our walk.
Eventually, Amber and I made our way back to the van and that's when Kris surprised me! At some point over the last day, he had noticed how much I loved the sesame candies we had the day before and without saying anything, he had stopped and purchased an entire bag for me. An entire bag!! hahaha
It was such a small gesture and yet it perfectly captures who Kris is and why I’d never travel Sri Lanka without him! The guides throughout this trip consistently went above and beyond, but this was one of those moments that really stuck with me <3
Then it was time for the long drive. If you look at a map, the distance doesn't seem particularly dramatic, maybe forty or fifty miles. What the map doesn't adequately show is that those miles are spent winding up and down mountain roads for hours.
But, this was originally the portion of the trip where we planned to ride Sri Lanka's famous train through tea country. You've probably seen photos of it before, well I had put it in tons of marketing photos not realizing what the future held.
Unfortunately, severe flooding had caused significant damage to portions of the railway infrastructure. Officials were still trying to determine how best to repair sections running through the mountainous terrain and by the time we arrived there simply wasn't a timeline for reopening. So we drove instead! Thankfully, Kingsley and Kris knew exactly what they were doing. Both Amber and I can be a little sensitive on winding mountain roads, so they came prepared with ginger drinks, ginger snacks, citrus to smell and frequent stops to enjoy the scenery. Honestly, they thought of everything.
As we climbed higher and higher into the mountains, the landscape transformed, the air cooled (whew, thank goodness!) and he roads narrowed. Eventually, we arrived at our hotel: The Argyle. The property was beautiful but it also sparked an interesting conversation. The hotel felt incredibly British, the decor and the food especially. Even many of the names and references throughout the region seemed rooted in Sri Lanka's colonial past and I found myself wrestling with that a little. Not because history should be ignored, quite the opposite!
Understanding history is incredibly important, but it felt strange being surrounded by reminders of British colonial influence while standing in a modern Sri Lanka that is now owned, operated and shaped by Sri Lankans themselves. The tea estates are no longer owned by colonial powers and the people working, managing and building these communities are Sri Lankan. And yet so much of the tourism experience still centers around that colonial imagery, it wasn't necessarily good or bad, just something I found myself thinking about as we moved through the region.
We settled into our rooms, and I immediately fell in love! This was our first hotel with a mosquito net draped around the bed, which made the entire room feel like something out of a storybook. There was a little elephant folded from towels waiting on the bed and flowers were delicately strewn across the room. The view outside was absolutely breathtaking and it just felt so cozy and comfortable.
Meanwhile, I wandered around the property with my camera chasing sunset photos - the sunset did not disappoint!
Eventually, we made our way down to dinner. The menu was full of British items, but I knew there had to be some Sri Lankan dishes somewhere! I askedd for a traditional dinner to see if they had anything - and sure enough, the secret menu unlocked for us! Dinner was wonderful, the company was wonderful and although things remained quiet from our friends in Dubai, we had all begun accepting reality.
At this point, their goal was no longer to join us in Sri Lanka - their goal was simply to get home safely. And honestly, that felt like the right goal.
Tour Day Seven
Today was all about tea, but before anything - we must eat! It was just another day of ordering so many tiny plates it all fits on the table while Amber and I giggle uncontrolably. haha
We were heading to the Labookellie Tea Factory, one of the largest tea factories in the area, and even the name itself reminded me that we were definitely in a part of Sri Lanka that felt much more British and Scottish than I had anticipated before this trip. The drive wasn't particularly long, but the roads were winding, climbing higher and higher through the hills.
Eventually we arrived and immediately spotted a few people we had seen at breakfast - we probably could have just carpooled! ha
Once everyone arrived, we were divided into groups and began our tour of the factory. We started with the freshly harvested tea leaves and learned how they move through the drying process before eventually making their way to the factory floor. While visitors aren't allowed directly onto the production floor, we were able to overlook the machinery and watch the various stages of tea production from above. It happened to be the weekend, so not every machine was running, which honestly made me happy. There was something nice about seeing the factory operating at a slower pace.
After the tour, we moved into the tasting room. Amber and I sampled several teas and ended up enjoying a full cup of one we found particularly intriguing, along with six smaller tastings. Since neither of us drinks much caffeine, we appreciated having a few lower-caffeine options to choose from. We were slightly disappointed there weren't any flavored teas available to sample, mostly because we already knew we were leaving with boxes of tea for friends and family back home!
Tea is one of Sri Lanka's most famous exports and learning more about it gave me a deeper appreciation for the landscapes we had been driving through all week. The endless rolling hills covered in tea bushes weren't just beautiful, they represented generations of work, history and livelihoods for those in the area.
As much as I enjoyed learning about the tea itself, I found myself continuing to think about the complicated history behind it. The tea industry expanded significantly during British colonial rule after coffee plantations across Sri Lanka were devastated by disease in the late 1800s. Entire regions were transformed into tea estates and places like Nuwara Eliya were intentionally developed as retreats for British colonists seeking a climate that reminded them of home and it felt like the higher we climbed into tea country, the more obvious that history became.
After our tour, we headed into Nuwara Eliya for lunch. We had been told we were visiting a particularly famous hotel but nothing quite prepared me for what we found. As we pulled up, it looked less like a hotel and more like a grand British estate! It was stunning! Black-and-white checkered floors stretched through the entryways. Elegant rugs climbed the staircases, secured with polished brass rods, intricate woodwork covered the walls, chandeliers hung from ornate ceilings and flowers filled nearly every room! It was absolutely over the top! One reading room even featured stained-glass ceilings that cast beautiful colors throughout the space!! It was decadence at its finest.
But, also, Amber and I spent the first several minutes quietly wandering around like two people who absolutely did not belong there! haha The entire experience felt so British that we might as well have been transported to London.
Over the previous week, we had explored ancient Buddhist temples, spice gardens, local homes, sacred cities and family-run businesses. Then suddenly we found ourselves surrounded by architecture, traditions, and aesthetics that felt distinctly European. Nuwara Eliya felt different because it was designed to feel different. The city was developed during colonial rule as a hill station where British officials could escape the heat of the lowlands. They built homes, gardens, clubs and hotels modeled after what they had left behind and now, more than a century later - much of that identity remains. Again, not good or bad - just noticable and it gave me a lot to thinka bout.
Lunch was equally British! For the first time all week, neither Amber nor I asked for the secret Sri Lankan menu. I think we were both feeling a tiny bit homesick.
After lunch, we headed to one of the most charming places we've visited all week: the Nuwara Eliya Post Office! The building itself was adorable: red brick, traditional architecture, flower gardens and a very steady stream of visitors lining up to mail postcards home! So, we joined them :).
What I loved most was how wonderfully old-fashioned the entire experience felt. There was a little water stone? (I dunno, never seen it before!) to moisten your stamps, counters where you could carefully address your postcards and a proper mailbox waiting to send your note across the world! In a world where most communication happens instantly, there was something incredibly satisfying about slowing down long enough to send a handwritten postcard. Don’t you agree?
Afterward, we spent some time wandering through town. We weren't really shopping anymore - between the batik workshop, antique store and various markets, we had already found the keepsakes we wanted to bring home. Instead, we simply walked and talked and people watched, said hi to a few dogs and cats. Just enjoyed the simple pleasure of being somewhere completely unknown without an agenda.
At one point, we spotted a giant Buddha statue sitting in the middle of what felt like a four? five-way, maybe six-way intersection (!!). We figured crossing multiple lanes of traffic to visit it was a perfectly reasonable decision, ha! We were rewarded, the statue was beautiful and grandious! It sat slightly elevated above the city, we were rewarded with wonderful views of the bustling streets below! So, we just sat up there chatting and watching the world go by: birds soared overhead, people hurried through town and traffic moved in every direction. It was a delightful way to spend our last little bit of time in the city.
Eventually, we made our way back to the hotel. The trip was beginning to wind down and tomorrow we would start heading back toward the coast so there was something comforting about having a slower day. We decided what we needed for the rest of the day was some pool time, relaxing and enjoying each others company.
That evening, we once again requested the secret Sri Lankan menu. At this point, they knew it when they saw us coming! Once dinner arrived we immediately began adding all of the various toppings and accompaniments to our plates. Each restaurant and hotel had their own versions of each of the traditional toppings, my favorite was pol sambal. And theirs was SPICY! I mentioned this to Amber, who is a little more sensitive to spice than I am. And, I guess without really saying it, I said it as a bit of a warning. Regardless, she scooped some onto her plate and confidently took a bite! Within seconds, her eyes widened, and then the face - you know the face, the “oh shit” face! She began fanning her mouth dramatically while making little "oooooh" noises and desperately searching for relief. At first I giggled and then realized that she was maybe really uncomfortable! I asked if she needed some curd to cool her mouth down and she nodded, but before we could even turn to wave down a server - there was one right there!
"Is everything okay?"
"I saw you going..." she said while perfectly mimicking Amber fanning her face and blowing air from her mouth. BHAHAHAHAH!!!
At that point we completely lost it! The staff member kindly offered curd and treacle to help cool the spice, which Amber happily accepted. And for the rest of the evening, every time one of us remembered the interaction, we'd start giggling all over again. hehe
It was such a small moment but it perfectly captured the warmth and hospitality we'd experienced throughout Sri Lanka! People cared and genuinely wanted to help.
After a long, calm, beautiful day, it was the perfect way to end the evening.
Tour Day Eight
Today was Amber's last full day in Sri Lanka. Her flights lined up best for a midnight departure, so breakfast felt a little bittersweet. For more than a week, we had been sharing meals, processing unexpected challenges, laughing until we cried and experiencing one incredible place after another together. Now suddenly, we were heading back toward the coast and preparing to say goodbye.
We packed up and started the drive down from Sri Lanka's tea country. As our van pulled out the staff of the hotel lined up to wave at us and sprinked the car with flower petals, it was very sweet. Once we were on the road and as beautiful as the mountains are, I won't pretend I wasn't happy to be heading back toward sea level! The roads were still winding and buses passing us at incredible speeds was still terrifying.
Partway down the mountain, we made an unexpected stop! We pulled up to a small roadside shop that honestly looked closed. The windows were dark and the doors were shut but Kris walked up and knocked on the window anyway. A few moments later, someone popped up from inside! Turns out it was his cousin, because of course it was haha! The entire interaction was delightful, we got to meet part of Kris's family, they sent us on our way with snacks and it was genuinely fun to watch them interact together.
One of the things I loved most about Sri Lanka was how often these little human moments happened, just people being people.
Eventually we got back on the road. While we had been stopped, all of the traffic we had previously passed managed to pass us again. Dangit! Which meant we got the exciting opportunity to pass everyone a second time while making our way down the mountain. We eventually stopped again at one of the most beautiful juice shops I've ever visited.
Perched above a river, the little café offered incredible views of the water below. Amber and I ordered fresh juice and found ourselves lingering longer than expected. Across the river, we watched a husband and wife prepare their small boat before heading downstream together. And I have to say, it may have been one of the loveliest places I've ever encountered a restroom.
Travel is full of unexpected superlatives!
As we continued driving, the landscape slowly began to change. The lush green hills started giving way to flatter terrain, the air got warmer and the trees looked different. And before long, we found ourselves back in one of Sri Lanka's most important agricultural regions: The Coconut Triangle!
Stretching across parts of the western and northwestern portions of the country, this region produces a significant portion of Sri Lanka's coconuts and coconut products. Palm trees seemed to stretch endlessly toward the horizon as far as the eye could see. There was something comforting about seeing those endless coconut trees again and it felt like we were coming full circle.
Eventually, we arrived back at the hotel where everything had started. :(
And suddenly it hit me: The trip was almost over. Since I was the only one staying, we brought both our bags up to my room and then headed right down towards the beach. Now we knew all the best sunset spots, where to sit to get a drink and watch a gorgeous show put on by mother nature. It’s always so interesting how quickly things become familiar!
We raised one final toast together while watching the sun sink toward the horizon. Then we crossed the street in search of dinner. The restaurant area felt like a little oasis tucked into the city, there was live music playing and a bunch of small restaurants serving different types of food. It felt part food hall, part outdoor market, and part community gathering space. It honestly was the perfect place for a final evening together!
Around 8:30 p.m., Kris arrived. And just like that, it was time! He loaded Amber's bags into the vehicle and prepared for the drive to the airport. :(
I was exhausted, yes a little physically but mostly emotionally. This trip had started with so much excitement! For weeks, we had been sending each other memes, talking about what we were most excited to experience, coordinating flights and counting down the days. The anticipation just kept building.
Then almost immediately, everything changed, flights were canceled, airspace closed, news alerts started appearing and suddenly our friends found themselves stranded in Dubai while Amber and I continued our journey through Sri Lanka.
At the time, everything felt too big to fully comprehend and even now, looking back, it's difficult to process. Amber and I had joked that we had developed a strange version of survivor's guilt and our week together was a clinical worthy example of trauma bonding. While our friends were dealing with uncertainty, stress and constantly changing plans, we were somehow standing in ancient cities, eating incredible meals, and watching sunsets over the Indian Ocean. It felt complicated.
But I think the experience taught me a few things.
First, every trip is a gift and travel is never guaranteed. Flights happen, weather happens, politics happen, life happens. Every journey requires hundreds of things to go right and most of the time we don't even think about that.
Second, travel is an incredible privilege. The ability to cross oceans, experience new cultures and learn from people whose lives look different from our own is something I never want to take for granted.
And third, presence matters. Our friends in Dubai likely wanted nothing more than for time to move faster, they wanted to get home, answers and certainty. Meanwhile, Amber and I were trying to support them while also experiencing the trip unfolding around us.
Travel asks a lot of us. It asks us to be flexible and patient. It asks us to adapt to the new plan when things don’t go as per our itinerary. Sometimes it asks us to completely rewrite the story we thought we were living and yet that's one of the reasons I love it so much. Travel has a way of breaking your heart and expanding it at the exact same time, nothing has humbled me more in my life than one trip that goes off the rails.
But amongst the challenges there are also always so many surprises! And occasionally rewards you with moments so beautiful that they stay with you forever. This trip was no different and I was probably foolish to think that it wouldn’t be! As I watched Amber's car pull away toward the airport, I found myself hoping this would be the strangest group trip I ever host. ha! Not because it wasn't wonderful, it was absolutely, but because next time, hopefully everyone actually makes it to the destination.
The world feels uncertain sometimes, especially now. Travel reminds me that uncertainty has always existed and that the most unexpected things will likely happen.
And yet people continue falling in love, building communities, welcoming visitors, sharing meals and finding joy. And I think it’s that, that is one of the greatest lessons travel has ever taught me: Not that uncertainty disappears - but that life continues anyway.
And for nine unforgettable days, I was incredibly grateful to experience that lesson alongside Amber in Sri Lanka!
Tour Day Nine
I woke up on the final day of the tour realizing I was alone. One traveler was already on her way home. Two others were still stuck in Dubai, waiting for their connecting flights. Their paths home had become clearer over the past 24 hours and they eventually left around the same time I did.
That morning, I headed down to breakfast and was met with one of my favorite spreads of the entire trip. This Sri Lankan breakfast spread never disappoint me: fresh, simple, grounding. I sat with tea, ate slowly and tried to make sense of everything that had happened over the past nine days. Back in my room, I had planned a loose day: beach time, reading, journaling and of course spa time! I needed to create some space to try and process a trip that didn’t neatly fit into actual words or thoughts.
Before venturing down to the beach, I thought about something from a previous visit to Sri Lanka. Years ago, I had made the mistake of spending just a couple of hours in the sun without sunscreen. I rarely burn but the Sri Lankan sun doesn’t negotiate. That one burn gave me my only freckles and I feel like my skin is still recovering (3 years later!). So this time, I took it seriously. Strong SPF, reef-safe, multiple tubes packed for a nine-day trip! I applied it carefully, let it absorb and made a loose list of things I wanted to think through while I was on the beach.
I found a chair under a tree with enough shade to stay protected should my sunscreen melt off me. Next to me sat another woman, completely absorbed in her book and it felt like an easy, quiet setup. No expectation to talk. But, of course, nature had other plans. Squirrels darted between chairs, geckos and little lizards sprinted across the sand and climbed over our things like they owned the place (ok they probalby do). What started as two strangers reading side by side turned into shared laughter over how ridiculous and adorable it all was. We ended up chatting, sharing a beer and then drifting back into our books again. It was simple and perfect in a way only travel days like this can be!
Before she had left, I was gifted a small surprise from Amber, which was incredibly kind - a massage the next day at the spa. Guides and local partners rarely get acknowledged for the extra effort that goes into holding these experiences together behind the scenes, so moments like that matter more than they seem. But, I didn’t just stop at the massage, I also got a facial and some sort of foot soak and it turned into nearly three hours of complete bliss.
I came out disoriented but deeply relaxed, slightly disconnected and in desperate need of water! I tried to regroup back in my room, but my brain simply wasn’t online. So I did what felt most honest: I went to eat. Ha! I crossed the street back to a place we had been the night before. The atmosphere was still magical with live music and people lingering about. I ordered something spicier than usual and had a drink, thinking it would bring me back to life. Instead, it only made me sleepier. I returned to my room, it was quiet and still - that end of trip energy, ya know?
I fell asleep quickly, holding one simple thought: I just want to absorb what just happened, because explaining a group trip after it ends is strangely difficult. You feel the fullness of it all at once: the people you’ve met, the version of yourself you’ve been around them, the shared moments that don’t translate cleanly into words and there’s the exhaustion connected with the expansion.
And while I realize each year I come it will mostly be the same - the same sights, hotels and experiences. I also realize every year will be a once in a lifetime trip with different people, different energy and different life/world circumstances.
And when you’re leading a group, you’re holding space for all of it, from the joy of arrival day, the discomfort in unfamiliar foods, the unpredictability of nature and animals, the moments when things don’t go as planned. Rarely does anyone welcome disruption in real time. That part is human and growth rarely feels convenient. Travel has taught me over and over again that most things don’t matter as much as we think they will, five minutes from now, five days from now, let alone five years. But not everyone arrives in that understanding at the same pace and that’s okay. My role is not just to experience the journey but to help others move through it safely enough that they can soften into it themselves.
And in that, I’ve learned to set aside my own urgency so others can have their experience fully. You notice the small things when you’re leading: someone needing extra snacks for comfort, someone needing time to call home, someone getting quietly overwhelmed by change and you learn to read those signals not as problems but as part of the process. Because discomfort is often just the beginning of something shifting.
I feel honored to do this work. Honored to build relationships with partners around the world who open their spaces to us. Honored every time someone chooses to join a journey that once lived only in their imagination (and mine)! This is what I’ve been building toward for years.
When I first started creating group trips, it was for friends and family. But something changed when it expanded beyond that and when strangers became friends and then community. That’s when it started to feel like a true life’s work: helping people step into something unfamiliar and discover it doesn’t have to feel impossible.
This trip changed me too and I hope I’m never again in a situation where a client is stuck in a war zone trying to get home. Travel doesn’t pause for what we wish though, it continues on as unpredictable and indifferent as ever.
And I’ve learned to be okay with that because that too is all part of this grand adventure.
