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Mirissa (4-5 days)
Mirissa is a laid-back beach town on Sri Lanka’s southern coast, known for its golden sands, swaying palms, and vibrant marine life. The town also offers great snorkeling, surfing, and some of the freshest seafood around, making it a perfect first stop for both adventure and relaxation.
The best way to get to Mirissa is by train from Colombo Fort station. There are multiple departures per day, and the journey to a nearby station takes approximately 3 hours (we got off at Polwathumodara). From there, you can catch a tuk tuk directly to your hotel.
Things to do in Mirissa:
Feed turtles at Hikkaduwa: The point at Hikkaduwa has turtles you can hand feed seaweed. It’s a great experience, but please don’t pat the turtles.
Coconut Tree Hill: An Instagram hotspot perched 10 min from the beach. Iconic leaning palms on a headland—stunning sunrise/sunset vistas. An absolute must to watch at least one sunset.
Whale & dolphin watching: One of the world’s best spots (Nov–Apr). Tours depart from the harbour—look towards blue and sperm whales, plus playful dolphins
Mirissa Beach & Parrot Rock: Relax on mirror-like sands, swim, or climb up to Parrot Rock at the southern end for panoramic coastal views
Additional Activities in Mirissa:
Yala National Park (2-3 days)
Yala is Sri Lanka’s premier wildlife sanctuary, famed for its high-density leopard population, elephants, sloth bears, and rich birdlife. Visiting early morning or late afternoon safaris offers your best chance to catch sight of elusive big cats and herds grazing under golden light. Besides the wildlife, the park’s diverse terrain—ranging from open grasslands to dense jungle—supports a remarkable variety of species and landscapes.
We arrived at Yala National Park by tuk tuk, which we rented through tuktukrental.com. The drive took approximately 4 hours, including breaks.
You can also hire a driver and take 2-3 hours to arrive at the national park.
We did a full-day safari with Janaka Safari, and saw many animals such as leopards, elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles, monkeys, and many birds and smaller animals. We had a very respectful guide who made sure we kept an appropriate distance from all the animals and stayed quiet at all times to give them room to be at ease. We did not see this from all companies.
Ella (3-4 days)
Ella blends tranquil mountain air, vibrant green scenery, and just the right level of adventure. Whether you trek at dawn, relax with a cup of local tea, or marvel at waterfalls, this hill-country gem offers an unforgettable slice of Sri Lankan highlands life.
We travelled to Ella in our rental tuk tuk, which took approximately 5 hours. You can also hire a taxi or driver, which would take 2-3 hours, or the local bus, which would take 4-6 hours.
To do in Ella
Hiking: there are a number of hikes in the area, including Adam’s Peak, Little Adam’s Peak and Ravana Waterfall.
Ravana Pool Club: We spent a relaxing day at Ravana Pool Club. It is at the bottom of the Little Adam’s Peak walk, so you could pop in to cool off after your hike. There was a minimum spend here to hire daybeds.
Nine Arches Bridge: Snap photos of this graceful viaduct as a train crosses. Nearby, scramble to a hillside bench for iconic railway shots. You can walk across the bridge in between trains.
Pinnawalla (2 days)
From Ella, we caught the iconic train to Kandy (approx 5 hours). We returned our Tuk Tuk rental at Ella station before the train departed. From Kandy, we caught a taxi to Pinnawalla (approx 45 mins). We booked the train online through the below
Nestled along the banks of the Ma Oya River, Pinnawala is best-known for its famous Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, home to over 70 rescued Asian elephants, including calves and adults. It’s one of the few places in the world where you can observe large herds of elephants bathing, feeding, and playing up close.
We stayed at Hotel Elephant Bay, perched riverside directly opposite the orphanage, offers unmatched views of these majestic creatures in action. With amenities including an infinity pool, sun terrace, and balconies overlooking the water and elephants, it’s a serene base for wildlife lovers.
The elephants were generally present between 10-12am, and again at 2-4pm (weather dependent as the river had to be calm).
More activities in Pinnawalla:
Colombo
We returned to Kandy to catch the train back to Colombo, which took approximately 2 hours. From here you can continue to the airport. Ready to book?