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!

There are always plenty of holidays to choose from, but why not choose your holidays for Sri Lanka and the Maldives this year? These are two of the most amazing places to visit and although within easy distance of each other, they are simply worlds apart. They make a fantastic combination for a holiday and one can easily combine the highlights of Sri Lanka with a four night or more stay on any of the atolls in the Maldives. From September onwards the weather is wonderful and these places are not only perfect for sun bathing and diving as you can combine it with sightseeing and culture.

Holidays for Sri Lanka and Maldives from IndianExplorations.com

Sri Lanka offers an amazing variety of scenery across the country with a lot of varied things to see and do – There is the cultural aspect where you learn about the importance of masks to visiting some of the largest built statues on the island; The chance to take part in an unique safari experience in a 4×4 jeep to find the elusive leopard or on elephant back in the northern safari parks; No visit would be complete without seeing the beautiful sandy beaches of the west coast that are always inviting unless you are limited in time to visit the Maldives of course! There is plenty to see in Sri Lanka including the large Sigiriya rock fortress, the ancient cities that are truly fascinating, temples built in caves, Kandyan dancers, the vast tea plantations and the process of making tea or simply enjoying the finest high tea!

Holidays to Sri Lanka and Maldives with IndianExplorations.com

In season, this island provides fabulous boat trips to see dolphins and even up to three different kinds of whales! This is a remarkable island and a perfect place to spend at least two weeks. The accommodation varies in style from simplicity to super luxurious and this is one of the most affordable islands to book too.

Holidays for Sri Lanka and Maldives from IndianExplorations.com

Maldives offers incredibly silky beaches and there are literally hundreds of islands to choose from. The hotel is incredibly important where you stay as it needs to offer great accommodation, good food, fantastic beaches that are not affected by the tides and of course, great activities like snorkelling, diving and other watersports. There are chalets that offer straight access to some of the most tremendous beaches whilst other bungalows are built on wooden decks above the water where one can simply dive in and have a swim. It is all about relaxing on these atolls with the chance to be as active as you like with the amount of sports available on the water. Snorkelling and diving on the majority of the reefs are simply breathtaking and perhaps also the most popular past times. The seafood available is magical! There will be plenty of choice as most hotels have more than one type of restaurant, but the fresh catch of the day is normally enjoyed most. What better way to end off a fabulous holiday with time relaxing on the beach and savouring the delightful fresh food all with great views and tranquillity.

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