The Mudhouse – honeymoon. Well, you certainly don’t have to be on honeymoon to stay at the Mudhouse – just of a romantic disposition will do!

The Mudhouse Sri Lanka from IndianExplorations.com

Either way, we would always recommend a stay at The Mudhouse in Sri Lanka. It is one of the most unique ways to start off an  incredibly special holiday in Sri Lanka. Not only to take in the beautiful and natural landscape of the area, but to be able to stay in Sri Lanka’s only modern Mudhouse. This gorgeous eco retreat lies in the forest near the Paramakanda Rock Temple and is about three and a half hours north of Colombo Airport. The drive is easy and once you enter this remote little area, the feeling of being on a stunning honeymoon or holiday starts! It is the ideal place to start off as this is a truly charismatic place  built in the traditional village methods with thatch, wood and of course most importantly, mud! Although there are only three clusters on the property, they are all unique in design and layout. There is a cluster for a family that is mirror image on each side and incredibly large but even comes with a large dining area and a fabulous tree house for the kids. The second area is nearest to the kitchens and was the first mudhouse to be built. There is also an unique little mudhouse, with an open sided thatched area with a bed if you prefer to sleep outside beneath the stars under a mosquito net and there is a small little dining chalet  only a few metres behind.  The lake starts stretching out in front of you!  Then of course there is the honeymoon cluster, which is my favourite little lodge out of the three. It has the most stunning ‘room’ one can imagine and this is the perfect place to start off your holiday.  The suite is raised on a hard mud platform and it is an open sided thatch chalet.  Although rustic, you still have your own private hot showers and flush loos and of course mosquito nets over the bed. Near the bed there is a lovely old fashioned hanging chair that is incredibly comfy and the perfect spot for reading a book. There is another smaller thatched area where you can enjoy a barbeque and an afternoon siesta. This is an ideal place to enjoy the experience of sleeping in the wilderness with no dangerous animals around. It is completely private and the staff will bring you meals and drinks whenever you wish.

Mudhouse Sri Lanka with IndianExplorations.com

Run by local Sri Lankans, it is a wonderful place to experience the delicious cuisine, enjoy some fresh produce and offers a broad variety of wonderful activities. The lake is a gorgeous place to visit and so are the local temples. And if you are feeling adventurous, they have bicycles that you can use to visit these areas or to visit the Anawilundawa bird sanctuary or go on a lovely picnic trip! Sounds pretty heavenly to me!

Luxury Holidays Sri Lanka – this really does tend to sound expensive, but this is a country not only with interesting culture, beautiful sandy beaches, good wildlife and a rich birdlife, but it is affordable! There are a variety of things to do in this stunning country, be it going for forest walks in Sinharaja Rain Forest or ride an elephant into the jungle to relaxing on a beautiful beach or even going whale watching in season. You can spend a day out with the tea pickers and learn how they produce the tea which is fantastic, visit the elephant sanctuary of Pinnewela or go on a safari looking for leopards in Yala National Park – whatever your interests, the list for exciting things to do are endless and you can never have a dull moment! Although this is a poor country, tourism is one of the largest incomes and you will find the people so friendly and helpful wherever you go, making you feel very welcome right away!

Luxurious holidays in Sri Lanka

Whilst it is great to do all the sightseeing and learn more about the culture, some time relaxing at either the beginning or end of a holiday is extremely important and the more time you have the better. Sri Lanka offers luxurious lodges that are inexpensive and I found a lot of my preferred places in the country are easy to incorporate in any itinerary keeping the price reasonable. I could mention ten top places that are imprinted in my memory forever, but one of them in particular is simply fascinating. A lot of the west coast beaches can get very crowded, so it is only natural that when I found my favourite place for ultimate relaxation, I did not want to leave! Aditya is situated on the south west coast along a private, white sandy beach and near the historic Galle Fort – a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is easy to visit whilst staying at Aditya. Galle has beautiful beaches that tend to be less crowded than those around Bentota and it is an eye-catching site to see the traditional stilted fishermen reel in the catch of the day around sunset. For me Aditya not only has the best stretch of private beach, but the fact that it is not a large hotel with no character; instead it is a stunning intimate lodge with colour and passion injected into the place from the locals. Their rooms are luxurious and come with either your own little garden or a balcony with your own Jacuzzi and views of the Indian Ocean! Either way, the rooms are really beautiful with a lot of space, all modern comforts and even the bathrooms are wonderful. If you are on honeymoon or want some quality time with someone, then this is one of the most chilled out places you can find whilst having friendly staff, great service and heavenly food. This all adds to the great time I’ve had here recently and I already can’t wait for my next visit back!

Luxury Holidays in Sri Lanka from IndianExplorations.com