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To be honest Sri Lanka was never on our travel bucket list, however while planning a trip to the Maldives we had a layover in Colombo, so we decided to extend it and give Sri Lanka a chance.
Upon doing some research we realized that there are a lot of things to see in Sri Lanka, so planning a trip to visit an entire country in just 9 days turned out to be a bit of a challenge, especially when you want to see as much as possible.

Best time to visit
Out of all the countries we've visited so far, establishing the best time to visit Sri Lanka turned out to be the most difficult.
The country is divided in two, so the best time to visit the north part might not be the best time to visit the south part. We read that there are two monsoon seasons, only to later find out that besides that there are also two inter monsoon seasons. At this point we were already confused, but apparently the best time to visit the west and south coast is December - March, while the east cost between April - May. Some would say that the best weather to visit the entire country would be in March. However, no matter the season, the weather in Sri Lanka is always very unpredictable, especially now that climate is changing, so it is really hard to predict when it would be the sunniest.

Visiting Sri Lanka in 9 days
If you will see other itineraries you will notice that ours is a bit backwards. At the moment of the making we had a pretty good reason for this, but at this point I don't necessarily remember why. Just kidding, the main idea is that considering the short time and the amount of attractions we wanted to cram in, this itinerary proved to be the most efficient for us. If you have a little bit more time you can consider doing it backwards or maybe add a few more attractions that might interest you. I know that's something we would do ;).

We arrived in Sri Lanka the night before and we slept in Negombo as it was closer to the airport. To get to Galle from Negombo we took a train, which we exchanged in Colombo as we had a short stop there to buy all the train tickets for our next rides throughout our trip.
When we got to Galle we had our backpacks on, but we were able to leave them at the train station at some sort of a storage area, for 50 LKR per day / luggage.
We really enjoyed the old part of this little town, being a mix of the traditional Sri Lankan town and the lovely dutch charm. We found a lot of cute boutique and original souvenir shops with very unique merchandise. If you plan on getting a souvenir from Sri Lanka this would definitely be the perfect place. In the evening we took a tuk tuk from the train station to take us to Unawatuna for 7$.
Our recommendation in Galle:
Buy something at Embark: this is one of the cutest clothing stores we have ever seen! It has a dog theme, it's very colorful and some of the profit goes to helping the stray dogs of Sri Lanka.

Full disclosure: the main reason we went to Unawatuna was for the famous palm swing, but on our way to finding it we discovered a few cute beaches as well. The best part about the Sri Lankan beaches (the famous ones excluded) is that they are literally empty! You just need to find them!

Best known as a surfing spot, Mirissa's beach, although smaller than the one in Unawatuna, turned out to be a lot nicer.
Here is where we went whale and dolphin watching. The tour operator we chose was Raja and the Whales, which is a very environmental friendly one. We paid 13000 LKR/2 persons, a bit expensive but we ended up seeing a lot of blue whales and many more dolphins.

Although I would not recommend Sri Lanka as a beach destination, Tangalle was by far the best we've seen here. It had a very exotic and wild look, and it was literally empty! We walked for miles and not encountered a single soul there. Pretty epic for a beach!

We left Tangalle in the evening and headed to Tissamaharama, a close town next to Yala National Park from where we were going to start our safari ride.
Just and fyi, we booked our safari ride a couple of weeks in advance just to be sure we get to go on the time and date that we wanted. Usually the tour operators organize morning or evening safari rides, but many recommendations say to go in the morning as that is when the animals are more active.
Our jeep picked us up from the hotel early in the morning, more precisely at 04:15 in order to reach the park by 5.
From the moment we entered the park we were greeted by a huge python that just had breakfast and we could clearly see the shape of a rabbit in his belly.
Many other animals followed: bisons, crocodiles, a lot of peacocks, a mama elephant with its babies and we even spotted a leopard.
I would say that this was a unique and lovely experience, seeing this many animals in their natural habitat and not caged at a zoo.
The safari ended at 13:00 giving us plenty of time to reach Ella while it was still light outside. Here we explored a bit of the town and the famous Demodara 9 arches bridge.

Nuwara Eliya is a cute town with a lot of English influence where you get to explore Sri Lanka's famous tea plantations.
Early in the morning we took the most scenic train ride ever from Nuwara Eliya to Kandy. This is definitely a must as it was absolutely breathtaking riding through pristine tea plantations!

We had a short stop in Kandy as we wanted to visit the Temple of the Tooth, but after the locals tried to scam us twice, including the guard at the temple, we gave up on this idea. Therefore we drove to the Pinnawala elephant orphanage just in time to see the majestic animals bathing.
However I would like to mention that this was an isolated incident throughout our trip and that the Sri Lankan people are more than warm and welcoming.

Food in Sri Lanka
With a lot of Indian influences, Sri Lankan cuisine is delicious and...spicy! Not that this is a surprise!
Must try:
- Roti / Kottu Roti
- All types of curry
- Coconut sambol (caution: it is really spicy)

- Their famous roasted peanuts (which you can buy almost anywhere: on the streets or on the train)

Tips and tricks:
- If you plan on making a combined trip of Maldives and Sri Lanka go to Sri Lanka first. Why? Well after you've seen the perfect turquoise water of the Maldives it is pretty hard to be impressed by the Sri Lankan beaches. We knew that from the beginning but we still chose to start our trip with the Maldives as I wanted to be there for my birthday and boy was it the most incredible birthday a girl could wish for!
- For taking the train ride from Kandy to Ella it is recommended that you buy the tickets in advance, otherwise you risk them being sold out, especially during the high season. Usually these tickets can only be bought in Colombo or Kandy.
- The train doors are usually closed except for the 3rd class unreserved. So if you want to take cool pictures book that.
- In order to have the best views sit on the right side of the train from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya and on the left from Nuwara Eliya to Ella.
- The Indian ocean is usually pretty rough, so make sure you stock up on sea sickness pills.
- If you are on a budget don't hesitate to use the local public transport as it is extremely cheap and somewhat reliable, but be prepared to travel like a local as they are very crowded. If you go by bus...hold on tight!

We did not know what to expect when visiting Sri Lanka, but its beauty and wilderness impressed us.
One thing we can say for sure is that Sri Lanka is not the type of destination where you can just check in at a resort and stay there throughout your entire trip, however it requires you to explore every corner of it in order to see all its wonders.

xoxo,
O

At the end of January we had a short trip to the incredible city of Hong Kong.
While searching for where to stay in Hong Kong we had a few criteria in mind: we wanted it to be close to the hustle and bustle, the metro and maybe a few attractions, but we still wanted it to be quiet so we can get a good sleep at night, considering Hong Kong can get pretty loud.
We managed to find a quiet oasis in this concrete jungle at OZO Wesley.
The hotel is located on Hong Kong island close to the Wan Chai MTR station. This means that from here you are incredibly close to the main attractions of the city.
Although the hotel is located on a busy and popular street, the majority of the rooms are facing a quieter one, which was great for us as we are light sleepers.
Our room was at the 20th floor, so it's needless to say that we had a great view from our window. The hotel was very much aware of that, considering you have a bay window seating area in every room.
The breakfast offered a great variety, from the classic continental dishes to the traditional Chinese cuisine. More than enough to get you fuelled up for a busy day of exploring the city.
There is also a fitness room available on site, if walking 20+ km a day is not enough for you. We've seen it...it's pretty! :)
To sum up, we had a lovely stay at Ozo Wesley and it proved to be perfect for what we needed: location, comfort and a good night sleep.
xoxo,
O

Our trip to Sri Lanka was on a very tight schedule because we wanted to see the most important sights and we only had a very short time, due to this we had to change locations almost every day, sleeping in different hotels or resorts.
In Mirissa we checked in at the newly opened Ubuntu Beach Boutique Hotel by Lantern Collection.
We chose this hotel due to its unique look and mostly for its private beach right in front of it.
The hotel has a very modern and minimalist design that gives of more of a "private house on the beach" vibe.
The place is indeed a bit far from the Mirissa centre but it's a short and cheap tuk tuk drive away, around 2$, but instead you'll have a perfect sleep at night as it is really quiet.
In terms of activities, we found this to be a great place for relaxation, from either swimming in one of the two pools, to reading a book on one of the hammocks or just exploring the secluded and lovely beach. There is also a spa, which we recommend as we really enjoyed our massage there.
We also liked the breakfast here, which tried to put a modern spin to the traditional Sri Lankan cuisine and everything was delicious.
For us this was the perfect place from where to explore Mirissa and we will for sure choose it again if we return to Sri Lanka.
xoxo,
O

   Maldives has been very high on my bucket list, so when we decided to go there for my birthday we wanted it to be perfect. We had in mind the full Maldivian experience, with the lovely over water bungalows and the perfect blue water.
   After a very long and thorough process our choice was the relatively new resort of Amari Havodda.
We went there with the highest expectations and I am very happy to say that this place exceeded them all!
I don't believe I was this much impressed with any place we have visited so far!


    Getting there:
   Considering the resort is pretty far away from Male we had to take an one hour domestic flight from there, followed by a 10 minutes speed boat ride.
   However this was carefully arranged by the resort. Upon arriving in Male we were greeted by a very friendly resort employee who took us to the private airport waiting lounge where we had a nice buffet breakfast. Everything went smoothly from this moment on, and they made sure we reached the resort as scheduled.

   The island:
   For someone who has dreamed of the Maldives for so long, seeing this tiny island of not even 1 square kilometre surrounded by the most perfect turquoise water was a jaw dropping moment!
   Although it's a small island, you only get to see other people during one of the meals, any other time the island feels secluded.
   The island itself is surrounded by a lush reef full of exotic colourful fish, tortoises, lobsters and even small reef sharks, making this place ideal for snorkeling.
   The resort has several types of accommodation, from garden villas to beach villas to of course the incredible overwater villas.


   Our overwater villa:
   We felt like the whole Maldivian experience would have not been complete without staying in an overwater villa.
   The villa was perfect in every way: newly decorated and spacious with all the amenities you could desire. The bathroom with its outdoor shower was another big plus for this room. However la piece de resistance was by far the private deck having the most incredible view of the ocean.
   Waking up in the morning and jumping in the perfect water was truly a great experience.


   The food:
   The food was absolutely delicious at Amari! We had full board included, which was more than enough for us, considering we are not big alcohol drinkers. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all buffet style with a lot of Asian influence, seafood and continental dishes. A little bit for everyone.


   Activities:
   Even though it's a small island, the resort offers a lot of possible activities ranging from scuba diving, snorkeling, kayak and ski jet renting, private boat tours to secluded islands and dolphin watch cruises.
   Having the reef only a few feet from your villa will have you in the water snorkeling for hours every day...and you will absolutely love it! We've never seen such a large variety of marine life before! Needless to say that the resort will provide the snorkeling gear throughout your entire stay.
   The resort also has an infinity pool with a great bar area for socialising, a tennis court and a spa for relaxing, just in case snorkeling took its toll on your body.

   The staff:
   One of the things that made this island unforgettable was the nice staff. From the moment we got to the island we were met with smiles, warmth and kindness. Everyone there went above and beyond to cater to our every need. Their attention to details was also spot on and we really loved our bed decorations, mostly the one they made for my birthday.


   Overall we had the most amazing experience at Amari Havodda and it was for sure the best birthday a girl could wish for!


   Check out also our short video we made on the island:


xoxo,
O

Click HERE for the English version.

Nu am stiut niciodata ca imi doresc sa vizitez Israelul, pana cand Cris a decis sa ma surprinda de ziua mea cu un weekend in Tel Aviv. Nu am avut nici cea mai vaga idee la ce sa ma astept dar am fost foarte impresionata sa descopar un oras modern si cochet, si cu foarte multe de oferit.

Cand sa vizitezi Tel Aviv:
Tel Aviv este cel mai bine de vizitat primavara si toamna, atunci cand vremea este placuta si ideala pentru a te plimba prin oras in timpul zilei. Verile in Israel sunt extrem de fierbinti si poate fi destul de neplacut sa vizitezi orasul pe o arsita ingrozitoare.

Cum sa ajungi in Tel Aviv:
Wizz Air are foarte multe curse din Romania direct catre Tel Aviv, inclusiv din Timisoara, Cluj sau Bucuresti. Daca sunt luate din timp biletele pot fi destul de ieftine, chiar si sub 200 de lei de persoana.


Sunt foarte multe lucruri de facut in Tel Aviv, ca sa nu mai zic de multitudinea de excursii pe care le poti face de aici, ca de exemplu la Marea Moarta sau Ierusalim. Noi am stat doar 3 zile, deci nu am facut chiar toate excursiile posibile deoarece am vrut sa exploram cum se cuvine orasul, dar daca planuiti o excursie mai lunga e bine de stiut de posibilitatea acestor excursii.

Plimbare pe promenada
Pot sa spun sincer ca nu asa mi-am imaginat Tel Aviv-ul, nu stiu exact ce mi-am imaginat, dar in mod singur nu m-am asteptat sa gasesc o combinatie intre Los Angeles si Barcelona. Nimic mai frumos decat sa te plimbi aici sau pe plaja in timpul zilei, dar si seara cand locul devine foarte colorat si animat.


Strazile vechi din Old Jaffa
Complet diferita fata de atmosfera moderna de pe promenada, aceasta parte a orasului va va arata o cu totul alta fata a orasului. Old Jaffa a fost partea mea preferata deoarece pe langa faptul ca e bogata in istorie are si un iz romantic.


Boulevardul Rothschild
Aceasta este cea mai renumita dar si veche strada din Tel Aviv, care in timp a ajuns un adevarat centru cultural, culinar si perfect pentru petrecerea timpului liber.

Degusta niste preparate din peste proaspat in Portul Old Jaffa
In timp portul a fost transformat intr-un district de arta plin de restaurante faine, cafenele dragute si galerii interesante de arta.

Excursii de o zi 
Asa cum am mentionat mai sus, am avut timp limitat in Tel Aviv, asa ca am ales sa facem o singura excursie din cele multe posibile. Am considerat ca o excursie la Marea Moarta ar fi cea mai potrivita pentru noi, insa foarte multa lume alege sa viziteze atat orasul Ierusalim sau Bethlehem.
Sunt foarte multe agentii care ofera astfel de tururi, dar noi nu suntem foarte mari fani ai tururilor organizate asa ca am inchiriat o masina si am condus noi pana la Marea Moarta.

Excursie la Marea Moarta
Orice alta excursie ati alege, trebuie sa puneti si Marea Moarta pe lista. Acest loc este de-a dreptul incredibil si mai mult de atat, este unic! Este un sentiment foarte interesant sa pasesti pe sare, iar toate miturile sunt adevarate, plutesti extrem de usor in apa marii. Mai mult de atat, uneori peisajul pare de-a dreptul selenar...


HaCarmel Market
Este fara doar si poate cea mai faimoasa piata din Tel Aviv, cu un aer cat se poate de autentic si o varietate larga de mancare, sucuri naturale proaspete si produse de patiserie genial de bune. In mod absolut produsele de patiserie din Tel Aviv au fost printre cele mai bune ce le-am mancat vreodata oriunde in lume.


Incercati mancare traditionala
Mancarea in Israel a fost foarte buna si au multe locuri dragute unde puteti incerca tot felul. Preferatele noastre:

The Humus Church – Este un “must” pentru iubitorii de humus! Localul arata ca o biserica (cred ca a si fost candva una) si se serveste doar humus, cel mai bun ce l-am gustat vreodata!


Sabich – Inainte sa mergem in Tel Aviv am urmarit emisiunea “Somebody feed Phil”, care recomanda locul acesta. Suntem super bucurosi ca am ales sa mergem! Au un fel de sandvich in pita lor traditionala care imbie o multitudine de gusturi. Ca sa nu mai zic ca e si foarte accesibil ca pret.


Hakosem – pentru un falafel autentic si delicios

Miznon – pentru traditionala conopida gratinata


Weiss Bakery – acestia au niste produse de patiserie facute sa iti lase gura apa

The Container – un loc super cool unde sa bei un cocktail in Old Jaffa Port

Old Man & The Sea – pentru un pranz bun in Old Jaffa Port. Aperitivele sunt delicioase, dar pretul este putin mai ridicat.

Ei bine, ideea de baza este ca oriunde alegeti sa mancati, trebuie sa incercati humus, falafel si patiserii.

Sfaturi utile:

- Pentru a vizita Israel este necesar un pasaport valabil pentru minim 6 luni de la intrarea in tara, iar
viza se obtine pe o perioada de 90 de zile direct la ajungerea in aeroport.
- In Israel, datorita Sabatului, zilele de weekend sunt Vineri si Sambata, asadar majoritatea magazinelor si localurilor sunt inchise incepand de Vineri seara pana Sambata inclusiv. Orarul de la autobuz, tramvai si tren sunt tot dupa un program de weekend, iar unele nu circula deloc Sambata. In cazul in care ajungeti in Tel Aviv sambata (cum este zborul din Timisoara de exemplu), e bine de luat acest lucru in considerare si sa cautati un alt mod de a ajunge de la aeroport in oras, deoarece nici trenul pe aceasta ruta nu circula Sambata.
- Daca vreti sa inchiriati o masina aveti nevoie de un credit card de pe care cei de la agentie vor retine un anumit depozit. Noi am inchiat masina de la Sixt direct din aeroport (dar am avut facuta o rezervare online din timp) si am putut sa o lasam la un hotel din centrul orasului.
- Daca mergeti cu masina inchiriata pana la Marea Moarta e bine de stiut ca pe autostrada nr. 6 se percepe o taxa. Factura se va trimite la agentia de la care ati inchiriat masina, urmand ca ulterior ei sa va retraga acea suma de pe card plus comisionul lor. Sugestia mea este sa evitati acest traseu si sa alegeti altul care nu implica taxe.

Tel Aviv este o destinatie draguta de weekend, mai ales daca vreti sa evadati undeva la caldura, dar fiti pregatiti sa cheltuiti mai multi bani decat v-ati propus deoarece orasul este destul de scump cand vine vorba de cazare si mancare.


xoxo,
O