There's a lot more to Sri Lanka than sandy beaches and vast fields of tea. Did you know it's one of the most diverse places on the planet? The nature is absolutely stunning and when you throw the culture into the mix as well, it's no surprise everyone and their mother is currently planning a trip there. I was fortunate enough to explore the country for two whole weeks over the Christmas break and saw countless of incredible places. It's very hard for me to pick out the best, but here's five experiences you should definitely put on your to-do list if you haven't yet. 

KANDY TO NUWARA ELIYA TRAIN JOURNEY

Train journeys in Asia are quite an experience on their own, but the one from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya is considered to be one of the most scenic. And scenery is what you get! The train takes you through forests, villages, past waterfalls, rolling hills full of lush green tea plantations... It's stunning! So much so you don't even realise you're stuck on train for hours on end. I was happily snapping away with my camera every second of the journey and taking advantage of the open windows and doors, despite my dad's disapproval, haha. I'm still alive, with no body parts missing, and I managed to take a couple of sick shots as well, so I guess we can call it a success.


If you're planning to take the journey yourself - and you should - make sure to book your tickets at least a couple of days in advance at the train station, as they often sell out. You have three classes to choose from, the first two being more touristy, with padded seats and fans, while the third one is a bit rougher and can be crowded. I think the prices start at €2,50 per person. Cheap as chips!

As the journey usually takes over five hours, make sure to take the window seat, bring some water and snacks (sometimes you can buy fruit and fritters straight from your window when the train stops at intermediate stations), and be prepared for delays. The trains break down on a daily basis, so don't be surprised when they announce your train won't be coming for a while. In our case, a while meant two hours, teehee.


YALA NATIONAL PARK SAFARI

When I hear the word safari, Africa is usually the first association I get. Before visiting, I had no idea Sri Lanka has so many animals living out in the wilderness, so maybe you too would be surprised to hear you can spot hundreds of species of birds, monkeys, elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles, deer, buffalo and even leopards!


Yala National Park has one of the highest leopard densities in the world, believe it or not, and some people travel there just to see this magnificent creature in its natural habitat. We were told not to expect anything, though, as some people spend weeks in the park before seeing one, and even then, it might be just a tail hanging down from a tree... But I guess the universe had a surprise in store especially for us! We managed to see it in all its glory, chilling by the trees, not even far away from us. I was gobsmacked. It's something I'll never forget! Obviously, I can't promise you to be equally lucky, but either way, leopard or no leopard, the safari was an amazing experience.

















CLIMBING SIGIRIYA

Sigiriya, also known as the Lion Rock, is a giant stand-alone rock formation listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It used to be the home of the king, and there are still the remains of the palace to be found on top, as well as frescoes and gardens in front.

While I can't say the climb was my favourite part thanks to my dodgy knee and my fear of heights, I have to admit I felt a true sense of accomplishment after winning the battle of those 1200 stairs, and the views from the top turned out to be well worth the effort as well. If the number of stairs freaked you out, don't worry. If I can do it, so can you. Considering my fitness levels are at the all time low, and my knee injury barely allows me to bend my knee, I think I'm the best proof everyone can do it. I actually didn't find it as physically strenuous as I did mentally exhausting. I'm so afraid of climbing up somewhere high my legs instantly turn into jelly and I can't even move. I think that's enough of a proof you are just as if not more capable. There's a lot of resting stops too, so you can go at your own pace and take some photos along the way.

I do have a few tips, though. Bring enough water, because you will sweat out all bodily fluids, and set off early. And by early, I mean at sunrise. Yes, you'll have to get up in the middle of the night unless you want to climb up there when the sun is scorching hot and there's hundreds of people around you attempting to do the exact same thing at the exact same time. The crowds we saw on the way down were insane and trust me, you do want to avoid them.
















CYCLING AROUND POLONNARUWA

The Ancient City of Polonnaruwa is another UNESCO World Heritage Site worth a visit. The ruins span over 4 km, so it's best to rent a bike and cycle it out. You can see the Royal Palace and dozens of temples, which you'll need to be dressed for appropriately to check them out from the inside. I suggest you to wear a top which covers your shoulders and trousers that cover your knees. Alternatively, you can also bring a scarf you can wrap around yourself. I always carry one in my backpack whenever I'm exploring Southeast Asia, because there's gorgeous temples around every single corner.

Before you enter any temple, you also need to take off your shoes, so flip-flops are your best friends when it comes to Polonnaruwa. Unless you want to practise tying your shoes, hehe. And do prepare having your feet burn. The stones are hot, hot, hot! Now that I think of it, it makes sense why all Japanese tourists had socks with them. Maybe I should copy them next time.
















PINNAWALA ELEPHANT ORPHANAGE

I'm writing down this suggestion with a caution. If you're looking for a proper orphanage, this is probably not the place to go. Pinnawala started as an orphanage, and all elephants are still either rescued or born there, but the place now resembles a ZOO and is there mainly for the purpose of tourism if you ask me. Unfortunately, I don't know of any other elephant orphanages I could recommend instead, so this is the only place I can comment on. The reason why I'm including it is because I have an unexplainable obsession with elephants. I just love them and feel like a kid in a candy store when I have the opportunity to get up close to them, and this place provides you with just that. You are able to walk up to them, feed them, bathe them... the whole shabang.
I have to say, I didn't get the impression elephants were treated poorly. I enjoyed watching them roam around and having a bath. They seemed happy and I didn't see any getting stabbed while I was there. But a few were chained, which is what I had the biggest problem with. I understand they probably had to be due to safety reasons; however, it still left a bitter taste in my mouth. That and the keepers who are too hungry for money. They take your camera to take photos of you and then pester you for extra money even though everything is already included in the unusually expensive ticket price. A bit of a bitter sweet experience, really. It is one of the most popular and unique places in Sri Lanka that everyone still wants to go to, though. I was looking forward to going and enjoyed my time there, but I'm hoping to find a proper, less touristy orphanage next time.


Now that you've made it until the end of this very long blog post, I would like to invite you to check out my YouTube channel for even more Sri Lanka content. I was vlogging every day of my trip and now put together a playlist of all the vlogs I filmed. I poured my heart and soul into them, so I hope you enjoy them! Just a warning... there's no way you won't want to visit Sri Lanka once you give them a watch. 

I already started witing this post back in May, but for some weird reason, this is the post that came out of it instead. What can I say... I probably shouldn't be blogging at two in the morning. It's clearly not the best idea. Now, before I make another strange turn, let's just stick to the main topic of today's post - traveling.  I always say I was probably born with a gypsy soul. If you ever saw a 5-year-old girl sitting amongst the crowd of 30 year olds at any of the Zvone Šeruga travel lectures back in the day, that was probably me. I lived for his incredible stories and his stunning photos of indigenous peoples. I read every single one of his books back and forth, dreaming about seeing those places with my very own eyes one day. Exploring new countries and cultures always has been and always will be my biggest passion. 

To my disappointment, moving to London, hands down the most expensive city in the world, took a toll on my wallet, to put it mildly, and has kept me away from my favourite thing in the world. I'm ashamed to admit the amount of times I've gone to bed crying because everyone around me seems to be traveling but me. And yes, I do realize I just made myself sound like a complete brat. But hey, honesty is the best policy, they say. If you're as in love with traveling as I am, you'll understand. I try not to complain, though. I know how fortunate I am to be able to live in London, and I'll happily just play a tourist in my own city until I have enough resources to become a serial traveller again. 

Anyway, do you remember how I announced there would be some travel content coming up on my blog soon? You're probably wondering how the hell I'm supposed to write about visiting other countries when it's more than obvious I'm not leaving the UK anytime soon. Well, let me set the record straight. You see, before adulting happened, I was lucky enough to vacation at some of the most incredible places, from Greece and Bali to Dubai and Cali. Thanks parents! Fortunately for you (and me), I remember all my travels in detail, so it won't be hard for me to take a stroll down memory lane and share my memories as well as tips with you guys. 

I'm starting with Australia, the land that swept me off my feet and still hasn't let me down. I normally hate picking my favourite places, because they're all special in their own way, but Australia remains my number one without a doubt. I could write a whole book about why I love it so much, and one day I might as well do, but today I'll stick to my top five 'bucket list' activities you just have to make sure you experience if you ever make it Down Under. 

HELICOPTER FLIGHT OVER THE TWELVE APOSTLES

The Twelve Apostles is a collection of limestone rock stacks along the coast of Victoria, about 275 km west of Melbourne. Millions of years ago, they used to be a part of the mainland, but the ocean and the winds eroded the stone, turning a chunk of the mainland into caves, which later became arches and eventually these magnificent looking rocks, separated from the shore. It takes about four hours to reach them via the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne, so you definitely need to make a day trip out of it, but don't get discouraged by the distance. The beautiful scenery makes the time worthwhile and there's some cute little towns you can check out along the way.

To some people, these are probably 'just some rocks sticking out of the ocean', but to me, they're one of the most glorious things I've ever seen and I made sure to take it all in. I checked them out from the top of the cliffs, took a walk down the Gibson Steps to get to the beach, and even ended up flying over them in a helicopter. Say what?! I know it sounds a bit extravagant, but it's oh so worthy and probably cheaper than you think.

It actually wasn't on our itinerary. It was a total spur of the moment, YOLO kind of decision, and I'm thankful to my mom for forcing me into it. I sometimes need a bit of a push, haha. Even though I'm not at all afraid of flying, I just wasn't sure about it, because I'd never been in a helicopter before and the fact that it was tiny had me thinking it was gonna be a very bumpy and nauseating ride. It turned out I couldn't be more wrong and had the time of my life! We took the shortest, 15-minute flight, which now costs 145 AUD per person. Not too bad, huh?

WATCHING THE SUNSET AT ULURU

From one rock to another! This is the last time I'll be talking about rocks, I swear, but we just can't go past the world's second largest monolith and Australia's best known natual landmark - Uluru. Standing right in the middle of the Outback, it's listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is sacred to the local Aboriginal people. It's a very spiritual place and you can definitely feel the energy even if you're the least spiritual person out there. It's a place you just have to experience to fully understand the core Australian culture and to get a real taste of the Australian Outback.

If there's anything in the land of Oz that you need to get used to as soon as possible, it's the vastness of the country. Uluru is 470 km away from the nearest town, Alice Springs, which is where my family was based on the last leg of our trip. The idea of going on a self-organized road trip in the middle of nowhere was out of the question, so we booked a one-day bus tour with a local tourist agency, which surpassed our expectations.

Even though it took 6 hours for us to get there and then 6 hours to get back, I personally didn't mind it. We were able to squeeze in plenty of sleep; we stopped a few times to have some delicious food our hilarious multi-tasking tour guide had with him; and observed the desert, kangaroo skeletons, and an occasional snake crossing the road.

Before we made it to Uluru, we stopped at Kata Tjuta, another jaw-dropping rock formation close-by. We went for a short hike, but I only managed to get half of it done, because I drank the whole bottle of water in 15 minutes and was still dying from thirst, so I decided to go back to the bus before my body collapsed. I'm not being a drama queen, ok? It was hot. We had about 45°C, and even though I consumed liters of fluid, I only needed the toilet once. In the whole day. I think that explains everything. I was quite happy about that, though. Let's just say I don't like to be joined by a room full of bugs while I'm trying to do the business.

Anyway, Uluru was our main and final stop of the day. After we spent the day learning about the Aboriginal culture, admiring the ancient rock paintings, and exploring the area, we made our way to the spot where the above photo was taken. We had a picnic and watched the rock change its colour while the sun was going down. Yes, it was as glorious as it sounds!

CUDDLING WALLABIES AND KOALAS

Australia has amazing wildlife - snakes and spiders aside - and me being obsessed with anything that has fur and four legs, I made sure to get up close and personal with some of my favourite little creatures. The best place to go is the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Queensland, a short bus drive away from Brisbane. It's one of the very few places where you can actually hold a koala, hand feed wallabies and get to know the rest of the Australian wildlife. I fell in love with the place and would quite happily work there if they let me. Imagine cuddling koalas and wallabies all day long! The dream! I miss the adorable baby and not-so-baby wallabies and my Wooloomooloo (the name of the koala I got to hold) so much! Even if his belly made my top stink like hell, haha.

LEARN HOW TO SURF AT SURFERS PARADISE

Another Queensland gem is the Gold Coast and its Surfers Paradise. Yes, that's the actual name of the place. There's skyscrapers, there's beaches, cute surfers... Paradise on Earth, I tell you! Since I only spent one afternoon there, I couldn't get any surf lessons and ended up just throwing myself into the waves (and later running away from the stingers) instead, so that's one thing I haven't technically crossed off my bucket list just yet, but if I ever go back, I'm doing it! Compared to Bali, where I decided not to give surfing a go due to safety reasons, the lessons in Surfers Paradise seemed completely harmless and right up my alley - small waves, relaxed, basic... I'm sure I'd get away without any injuries even with my dodgy knee.

WATCH SYDNEY'S NEW YEAR'S EVE FIREWORKS

Need I say more? It's not every year that you celebrate the new year's eve in Sydney, so when I found out I would, hunting down the best possible spot became my mission. I spent weeks researching the best vantage points and even had to get a relative of mine who lives in Australia to purchase me some tickets. Not to brag, but I think I did a pretty damn incredible job. There was a closed picnic style event organized in the Royal Botanic Garden, right next to the Sydney Opera House and in front of the Harbour Bridge. It's called Lawn with the View, and THE VIEW is exactly what you get. What you also get is a picnic hamper full of yummy food and enough space to sit on the lawn and enjoy the night without getting pushed around by drunk people. Bingo! Oh, and in case you're wondering if the fireworks really are as amazing, I can assure you they are. But you know what's even better? Waiting for the new year in short sleeves. I wish I could do it every year...

Here you go! This sums up my top five Australian bucket list! How many of you have made it until the end of this very lengthy post? Do let me know in a comment below if you did! Please. I'd really like to know who read the whole thing, haha.