Sri Lanka Honeymoon, Part 1

If you follow us on Instagram, you probably remember a few snapshots I took from our Sri Lanka + Maldives adventure last month. It was one of our biggest trips yet! With the help of Mr & Mrs Smith, we spent 12 days across 3 different countries.

We all dream of Maldives, so no surprise there. Sri Lanka piqued my interest when I came across Ceylon Tea Trails on Mr and Mrs Smith. After doing a bit of research, this resort destination went up to the very top of my bucket list of places to visit years ago.

Our itinerary was planned around the long flights and keeping in mind we were traveling with our toddler who is 20 months old. Using this info as starting points, we laid out our plan. We were flying with our little one so we chose a flight with the longest layover in Dubai and spent a night each way there. This saves you from buying multi-city tickets and it gives you a day to decompress in between flights, which I highly recommend if you can add an extra day or two to your trip. So we did Dubai, a few places in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

We only had 5 days in Sri Lanka, so we narrowed it down to staying at Ceylon Tea Trails and near Galle at Cape Weligama. Didn’t even scratch the surface of getting a taste of Sri Lanka, but we wanted to keep it simple and down to where we really wanted to stay while visiting. The only way to book Ceylon Tea Trails is by phone, so another vote for booking through Mr & Mrs Smith. It’s become my first stop when I start planning a trip by selecting unique hotels with consistently outstanding reviews everywhere. Plus they guarantee the best rates available online, so I can’t recommend them enough regardless of helping us with lodging.

Ceylon Tea Trails is located in the Hill Country in Sri Lanka and it has a working, Fair Trade tea plantation. The resort is comprised of 5 bungalows (one is opening in 2016) spread over endless hills covered in tea leaves. Each bungalow has its own style and character ranging from 1888 Colonial to 1950s charm, all with beautiful views and settings.

You can get there by car (we don’t recommend driving yourself, but you can get a car with a driver) or a seaplane transfer, both can be arranged through the hotel. We went by car and it was a very long and strenuous 5 hour ride – in hindsight we should have splurged on a swift 30 minute seaplane hop that lands right on Castlereagh lake and arrive in style.

We stayed at the Tientsin Bungalow, which is the oldest bungalow and really our favorite. It’s so private and serene we just felt we had the whole place to ourselves. It also sits at the highest altitude, at 4600 ft above sea level so it can get chilly in the evenings. And parents, we think this was the best one if you have little ones. We stayed at the Fraser room, which has an enclosed private garden and it’s located towards the back of the bungalow — ask for this room if you can, it’s the best one at Tientsin.

While at Ceylon Tea Trails, we went on a tour of the Tea Factory and learned about how tea leaves are picked and processed. The tea here is then sold to the bigger names you might already know and flavor and branded packaging is added.

My secret attraction to this amazing place was the food, which is in experience in itself. Ceylon Tea Trails is easily the most incredible all-inclusive resort we’ve ever stayed at. The chef will discuss a menu for the day specifically catered to your taste and the food is amazing. If you’re planning a honeymoon to Sri Lanka, be sure to consider at least 2 nights here. It’s the perfect stopover if you’re coming from Kandy on your way South. And if you have kids or just want to pack light, you will love to know that laundry service is included.

Mr & Mrs Smith specializes in luxury boutique hotels, so you know honeymoons is their jam. Create a free account and download their app, which you will leave you with a serious case of wanderlust.