Located in Hikkaduwa, Chaaya Tranz is named after the genre of music endemic to Hikkaduwa, which is trance music. Much like the music it is named after, the hotel aims to “transport the holidaymaker into an alternate state of consciousness” with it mosaic of colors and atmosphere that is perfect for relaxation and escape.

Hotel Lobby at Chaaya Tranz

Anyone who has visited at the Chaaya Tranza agrees that it offers a superb view, excellent amenities (i.e. a nice variety of restaurants including a pool restaurant), and comfortable well-appointed rooms. However, if you’re aiming for a family suite, make sure to book ahead since they only have 2 family suites available.

Suite Room

The hotel is also not beachside, so don’t expect to see the beach right at your doorstep. However, the distance is not that bad so that a stay at the hotel will still ensure that you get your perfect beach holiday getaway.

Downsides to the hotel that tourists usually mention include the sub par service, although many guests are happy enough with what they get. However, if you are used to really excellent service, then you might agree with guests who find the service at this hotel lacking. Another thing that guests seem to find irritating at the Chaaya Tranz are the endless bills you have to sign. Each time you order something, be it a drink or a light snack, you’ll have to sign for it since they don’t seem to have an automated/computerized system for keeping track of such things yet.

If it’s a good location, good rooms, and an excellent view you want though, Chaaya Tranz will surely please.

Image via ChaayaHotels

One of the favorites accommodations of vacationers looking for some luxurious pampering at Bentota is the Saman Villas. Having the distinction of being the first boutique resort to open in Sri Lanka it is known for being one of the best boutique hotels in the country. In fact, it has been awarded the ‘Best Boutique Hotel in Sri Lanka’ for three consecutive years at the Travel & Tourism Awards and been inducted in the ‘Hall of Fame’. Today it continues to offer a unique and beautiful escape to its guests.

Tranquil atmosphere at the Saman Villas.

One of the best things about Saman Villas is its location, located in the outskirts of Bentota guests are always sure that they will have the most tranquil of stays. The luxe accommodations (26 luxury suites and 1 duplex villa) is also, according to many, not the main draw of the place with their Sahana Spa offering a good number of beauty treatments, massages, and Ayurveda treatments that will guarantee your total relaxation.

The Saman Villas is also pretty complete when it comes to amenities with everything you might want during a vacation, from an infinity pool to a gym. Even better, couples looking for the perfect destination wedding location would be happy to know that the Samsn Villas offer wedding packages that will mean a romantic, and more importantly worry-free , wedding.

Photo via SamanVilla

Nestled in a quiet village, surrounded by lush nature, the view at the Waterfalls Homestay will surely take your breath away with a clear view of the nearby waterfall right from the main veranda. The surrounding view is equally beautiful from all sides of the wrap-around patio as the place is located right in the middle of hill country.

This photo of Waterfalls Homestay is courtesy of TripAdvisor

The house itself also contributes to the very quaint atmosphere, with its rustic mismatch painted look outside and clean comfy feel inside. It especially look beautiful at night, lighted up like a gem amidst the tranquil nature that surrounds it.

This photo of Waterfalls Homestay is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Room rates are more than affordable with the Jungle Room rented out for only 3500 Sri Lankan Rupees (USD 29) per night, the Verandah Room for LKR 4000 (USD 33.5), and the Studio Room for LKR 5000 (for triple occupancy) and LKR 4000 (for double occupancy). With such reasonable rates you cannot expect first class amenities, however they do provide indoor and outdoor dining, Ayurvedic massage services, wi-fi connection, satellite TV, board games, and a very good book and DVD selection. You can say that with such services and amenities, they know their target market and it is people who want a laid back and quiet atmosphere where they can enjoy nature without too much pomp.

If you plan on taking a tour of Ella and going for a hike, there’s no better place to stay than the Waterfalls Homestay. However, families with young children are advised that this place is not the safest location for active children.

The Richmond House Kandy

The Richmond House is a good-sized bed and breakfast inn that makes the most out of Kandy’s geographical features as the Hill Country Capital of Sri Lanka. It is nestled on the side of a hill, which may discourage those who want everything to be easily accessible once they step out of their hotel. However, its relative inaccessibility is more than a fair trade off considering the stunning views afforded by its location. It’s also not that inaccessible either since a short tuktuk ride up and down the hill will take you anywhere you want to go in Kandy.

Sunset at the Richmond House

Aside from the picture perfect views, The Richmond House is best known for its beautiful rooms, especially the suite room on the top floor with its four-poster bed, full-length balcony, and separate patio with sun loungers. Each of the 8 rooms in The Richmond House are also equipped with its own A/C unit, 32-inch flat screen TV, hot/cold water, bathtub, en-suite telephone, and private balcony with a wonderful view.

Room rates for The Richmond House range from USD 55 to USD 110 per night.

Photos via TheRichmondHouseKandy

One site that you shouldn’t miss if you like going to religious sites is the Temple of the Tooth. The Temple of the Tooth is one of the holiest shrines in the Buddhist world. It is named thus for the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha, which is housed in the temple and kept in a golden box that is put on display for tourists and devotees.

Temple of Tooth

A visit to the Temple of the Tooth is not all about the single relic though with building itself and the rest of the complex all a throwback in time. You’ll surely appreciate the unique architecture and the history of the place, actually all being part of the Royal Palace in Kandy, the last royal residence of the Kingdom of Kandy in Sri Lanka. Of course, the palace is no longer inhabited by royalty, but a peek at the Temple of the Tooth and the adjacent National Museum of Kandy (also located in the palace complex) will still give you glimpses to the luxurious world of old.

Stepping out of the temple, you will still find yourself with plenty of place to go and see in Kandy, with Kandy itself being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You won’t be hard pressed to find luxurious places to stay such as the grand Kandy House or the more eccentric Helga’s Folly.

Photo via HelloTravel

The Mirissa Beach is 2 minutes from Talaramba Reef by tuktuk.

Talaramba Reef is one of the rare beachfront vacation rental properties you will find that has a huge tropical garden featuring local tree species. The garden is a really nice quiet place to meditate and is the perfect setting for the two villas – Villa Sulanga and Villa Vatura – located in the property. Both villas can accommodate a large group of people with 4 bedrooms each, featuring fourr-poster beds and en-suite bathrooms. The villas are both designed to let the light and the air in, with meals taken in a verandah overlooking the garden, and huge lounge areas that con comfortably seat a huge crowd. Beautiful french doors and Sri Lankan furniture and art pieces complete the simple yet luxurious feel of the villas.

Garden and Pool Outside Villa Sulanga and Villa Vatura

The main difference of the two villas is perhaps in the target market, with Villa Vatura being more child-friendly with a TV room and a pool specially designed with a shallow end for toddlers. Villa Sulanga’s pool is deeper, and with a bar area in the living room, obviously focuses more on catering to the needs of adults on vacation.

Note that if you interested in staying in Talaramba Reef for your vacation, it will set you back anywhere from $400 to $1500 per night, depending on how many villas you rent (Yes, you can rent just one or both.) and the season when you book it.

Photos via Talaramba Reef Website

The unparalleled service that each guest receives at the Asian Jewel Boutique Hotel is credited by everyone to its owners, Dale and Tanya, whose love for their small establishment has seemingly rubbed off on their staff resulting in hardworking pleasant workers that seem genuinely happy to cater to the needs of their guests.

Each of the 5 guest rooms in the hotel are also pretty well appointed and kept really clean, with all of them having a private balcony that offers unique yet equally beautiful views of the scenery. However, only one of the rooms has a bathtub, so make sure you ask for the Luxury suite (Jasmine) if you want to relax in a tub. But since they provide really beautiful baby cots (which is always a plus for me), then I guess the lack of the bathtub in the Family suite is something that I’m more than willing to overlook.

This photo of the baby cot at the Asian Jewel Boutique Hotel is courtesy of TripAdvisor

This boutique hotel also works just like a bed and breakfast, although there’s no buffet breakfast with everything you eat cooked to order. This means that the inclusive breakfast is always fresh, which is more than you can say for most bed and breakfasts, whose “free” breakfasts usually involve cold greasy meals.

This photo of a breakfast table at the Asian Jewel Boutique Hotel is courtesy of TripAdvisor

What’s even more impressive about the Asia Jewel Boutique Hotel is perhaps the price, with its Deluxe rooms priced at only $110 for twin sharing, and its Family suite (2-bedroom suite) priced at only $170 for a family of four. With such reasonable prices in such a beautiful place, it is no wonder that the other category in which this hotel scored really big time (#3 in Asia) is the Top 10 Bargian Hotels category.

This photo of the Luxury suite at Asian Jewel Boutique Hotel is courtesy of TripAdvisor

The Buckingham Place in Sri Lanka may sound like old-world grand but it is actually the opposite being contemporary in design. This is not surprising since the hotel is named not after the Buckingham Palace, but after owner/manager Nick Buckingham. Although the hotel is not as grand as the palace itself, it does not mean that it does not deliver in terms of luxury.

A tuktuk at the entrance of the Buckingham Place

The hotel is a pretty exclusive place, featuring just 11 bedrooms and suites all with its own balcony/veranda, bathtub (only 2 rooms do not have a tub), 6ft x 6ft double beds with sprung mattresses and high quality linen, mini-fridges, and picnic menus. Choice suites also feature open air bathrooms and a satellite TV.

Open air bathroom in one of the suites

The atmosphere of the Buckingham Place is also truly tranquil, appearing idyllic even, with a view of Rekawa Beach’s lagoon. The beach right in front of the hotel, is however, more pretty than swimmer-friendly due to big waves and unpredictable currents. Despite this, swimmers need not go too far to get wet since the hotel has its own pool. If you wish to swim on the beach though, you’ll need to walk for about 15 minutes to get to a safer beach.

The beach

With the hotel getting rave reviews for excellent service, my only real beef about the hotel resort is that they have a 10 year-old and above policy, which means that it will be a full decade before our family will be welcome in the place. The policy is something that any guest who relishes the peace and quiet that only resort hotels like this provide, will truly appreciate.

Photos courtesy of the Buckingham Place

The great thing about keeping a travel blog though is that it is also a great way to make money. Travel blogs may abound on the Internet, but equally plenty are the people who are genuinely interested in finding out about your travel experiences so as to make better choices during their own trip preparations. As more people stumble on your blog and read your posts on various places you’ve stayed, sights you’ve seen, and your food choices, the more money you can make from your blog.

In order to get more travellers to visit your blog though, you need a good way to promote your blog. You can always do this by doing SEO, participating in social media sites, and getting links and reviews. All four strategies to blog promotion take some time and effort to produce results. However, there are ways you can easily get links and get reviewed if only you know where to look.

A good way to get your travel blog reviewed and earn links almost without any effort on your part is by submitting your blog for review in sound directories like Blog Search Engine. Instead of putting so much effort in asking for links, all you need to do is pay the basic $14.99 fee to get reviewed, listed on their index, and be given the option of upgrading to a package that can get you even more links from other blogs.

The good thing about this blog promotion approach is that you can just do it one time and forget about it. Even if your travel blog is not primarily meant for monetization, who knows just how much you can make after promoting your blog. At least if you do make some money from it, you’ll end up with some extra you can use to splurge on your next vacation, which perhaps would even be here in Sri Lanka!

What to Expect

Sri Lanka is a small island that offers some of the most beautiful landscape in the Indian Ocean. With a bounty of botanical gardens, pristine beaches and wildlife this is an island that will please almost anyone, but is sure to be a big hit among couples. Historians will also love the fact that the culture is over 2,500 years old and is rich in Buddhist heritage. Of course, everyone will love the weather of Sri Lanka in which you can find perfect beach weather, some where on the island, all year round.

When to Visit, What to Bring and How to Travel

The best part about Sri Lanka is that it’s a warm destination that can be enjoyed year round. However, the tourism board does recommend visiting between November and April, which is perfect for Americans hoping to escape cold, brutal winters. It is also recommended that visitors bring cotton clothing for most of their trip, but clothing a bit heavier is recommended for the hills. It is also frowned upon for women to dress inappropriately when off the beach. You should also remember to bring comfortable shoes and socks if you plan to spend time walking through the beautiful landscapes. Of course, it’s a comfort knowing that transportation is easy to find. Sri Lanka offers car rentals, taxis, railways and buses.

Where to Go

There are a number of wonderful places to visit in Sri Lanka, but there are a few that stand out above the rest. The Ancient City of Sigiriya was declared a World Heritage Site in 1982 and has palaces dating back to the 5th century. Another must-see location is the Sinharaja Forest Reserve which houses an outstanding 60% of Sri Lanka’s types of trees and 50% of their varieties of wildlife. Last, but certainly not least, visitors should consider a trip to Hikkaduwa. The town not only offers beautiful beaches, but several fun activities that are a big hit with tourists from around the world.

As you can see, Sri Lanka is a destination that is sure to please most people. Whether you want to escape the brutal American winters for a warm beach or are interested in wildlife or religion, the island has something to offer almost everyone.

About the Author: Casie Burdex loves to travel, but when she’s at home she works as a finance specialist and writer. She enjoys sharing information about personal finance, loans, Presta, and other finance issues with those concerned about their financial welfare.