Travel: Galle, Sri Lanka

I went to Sri Lanka last week for a wedding.  It involved two hideous 5 hour red-eyes in a 3 day period and a good wallop of guilt, as we left the kids at home, but it was worth it.  Not only because I got 3 nights of uninterrupted deep sleep (helped by the copious amounts of alcohol ingested) but also because Sri Lanka.. What a revelation! We went to a place called Galle, which is part city/fort built by the Portuguese and Dutch during the colonial period.  A Unesco heritage site, it is incredibly cute with a very nice pedestrian zone to walk around in and see the sites.  Quaint hotels, shops and restaurants.  And the food!  I am married to an Indian, but I had to admit to him I found Sri Lankan food to be better. (He threatened divorce when that sentence passed my lips.) So if you have been thinking of going to Sri Lanka, from what I have seen, it is absolutely worth the trip!

PLACES TO STAY

Fort Bazaar - We stayed here, it was very reasonably priced and very cute.  Blog post re Hotel coming up next!

Fort Hotel - Next door and equally cute but with a pool.. Which is a very big plus. 

Amangalla - It's an Aman, enough said.  

PLACES TO EAT

Galle Things Roti - Very good.  Not too spicy for non-indians like me.  Fluffy roti, what more can you ask for.  

Fort Bazaar - Amazing Hoppers (Sri Lankan dhosa/crepe) for breakfast.  

Amangalla - I had a very Sri Lankan roast chicken dish which was excellent.  

PLACES TO SHOP

Spa Ceylon - Very nice spa and bathroom products.  Cute packaging, nice scents, great for gifts.  I bought myself a pre-party rejuvenating face-mask which did the job quite well!

Barefoot - Cute home decor and knickknack shop.  

Om (as in the sign) - more sophisticated home decor shop.  The kind of place you would find in Bali.  A friend of ours even bought himself a statue there! 

Lose Stones - Sri Lanka is known for semi-precious stones and rubies.  We sadly did not have the time to investigate this avenue properly, but I know from friends that they have gotten some very nice stones, very well priced which they then made into jewellery back home. 

SIDE NOTE

While in Sri Lanka, if you have a chance to see or stay at a Geofrrey Bawa hotel or house. Do not hesitate.  They look amazing.