JUST one hour into our safari, we’ve hit the jackpot!
“Look, you can just make out its outline,” our guide Dinuka shouts, as he passes his binoculars to me and my boyfriend Andy.
Standing on a grass bank surrounded by water, a majestic elephant comes into focus.
As we approach to get a better look, I feel like I’ve just stepped into a David Attenborough documentary.
This reservoir in Sri Lanka’s Gal Oya Valley National Park is home to an abundance of wildlife – we also spot crocodiles basking in the water, a herd of buffalo, eagles and a host of other birds.
With only four tourist boats allowed out on the water at a time, it feels very much like the nature in this national park is being protected.
And from colonial cities to mountainous tea plantations, vast jungles and sandy beaches, everywhere we turn on this stunning island, there’s wonder to behold.
Valley High
We begin our trip in Kandy, Sri Lanka’s second-largest city and home to nearly 1.5 million people, plus a riot of cars, buses, tuk-tuks and scooters.
Mountbatten Bungalow, a 15-minute drive away from the bustle, was the hillside hideaway of Lord Louis Mountbatten during WW2 and is steeped in history.
It’s also an oasis of calm, with vistas of rolling hills, space for just 26 guests, Victorian trinkets and a swanky infinity pool overlooking the valley.
High tea, £12, is served on the deck and it’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever eaten a cucumber sandwich.
Double rooms here cost from £143 B&B.
Our driver, Nuwan, recommends the nearby Temple Of The Sacred Tooth Relic, as a must-see, and we’re so glad we take his advice.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s well worth the £5 entry fee as we look on in awe at the intricate Kandyan architecture and one of the holiest shrines in Buddhism, which houses the canine tooth of Gautama Buddha (Sridaladamaligawa.lk).
Tranquili-tea
Meanwhile, sitting amid marvellous mountains a two-hour drive away, the Tea & Experience Factory is a hotel unlike any I’ve stayed in before.
With the clouds rolling in, the surroundings are hauntingly atmospheric and, as the name suggests, this is a former tea factory built in the 1800s.
This stylish sleepover still has a small working factory showing how tea is produced, and from picking the leaves to seeing them being ground down in the various machines still in operation, it’s fascinating to find out how our daily cuppa is created.
The hotel also offers free guided waterfall treks with plenty of gorgeous photo stops in the lush landscape.
Double rooms cost from £114 B&B.
Jungle is Massive
Our favourite stop is still to come.
Three days spent at Wild Glamping Gal Oya is nothing short of a dream, and is where we spot the Sri Lankan elephant on our boat safari, which costs £85 per person.
Tents here have air-con, electrical sockets, huge comfy beds and alfresco bathrooms with waterfall showers.
A swimming pool sits in the middle of the camp with a breathtaking mountain backdrop – and with no phone reception, we fully embrace off-grid living.
The Veddas, one of Sri Lanka’s last remaining indigenous groups, work closely with the camp.
The first-known aboriginal people of the country, they were once forest dwellers, foraging, hunting and living in the jungle and caves.
These days, they make up less than 1% of Sri Lanka’s population and are a dying community who wish to teach others about how they live.
Gunabandilaaththo has a very simple life and shows us the ways in which his ancestors used to live, from mud huts to rustling up a traditional meal.
It’s an eye-opening two hours, £30 per couple, and a real honour to learn about his culture.
That night, we indulge in a Sri Lankan lamb curry and rice, £8, with creamy green beans, dal and coconut sambal, and chat about all we’ve learned.
Glamping tents at Gal Oya cost from £191 B&B.
Girl Power
Our last stop takes us to Amba Yaalu, set on the tranquil banks of the Kandalama Lake and the country’s first hotel fully managed and staffed by women.
Sitting next to a mango farm, rooms here look out over a glorious reservoir and the ancient Pidurangala Rock, which from some angles, resembles a person lying down.
Each room comes with an outdoor Jacuzzi bath to take in the views while soaking in bubbles.
Stays here cost from £121 B&B.
Sigiriya (also known as Lion Rock), is half an hour’s drive away and famous for its 200m-high granite column topped with the ruins of a 5th-century royal palace.
It’s a two-hour steep climb, but the views at the top are worth it.
Entry costs £26 (Sigiriyafortress.com).
Once back down on more solid ground, it’s the perfect time to reward ourselves with a Lion Beer, £2.50, from a street vendor and watch as the sun sets on an adventure just as golden.
FYI
Book your stay at Themacollection.com.
Direct flights from the UK to Colombo cost from £644 return.