DAY 1. We arrived in Katunayake Airport in the early morning of September 17th and were welcomed by a smiling Hemantha.
Soon we were on the way to Negombo beach for a most welcome breakfast rest, followed by a bit of shopping in Arbico supermarket.
Afterwards the tour to Dambulla started. On the way we made small stops, whenever we spotted something interesting, ex. the first wild monkeys and for lunch at Kurunegalla lake. The wan was very confortable, so some of us had a nap as well.
In the late afternoon we the reached the Pelwehera Village Resort, where the kids jumped into the pool, while the grown-ups relaxed with a drink at the pool side. The rooms were nice, the staff most friendly – and we enjoyed a good dinner buffet before turning in.

In the afternoon, after lunch in a local restaurant, where we learned to eat the Sri Lankan way, we drove towards Kandy. Again we made several stops, ex. to have a freshly squeezed juice, but at last we could check into the Serene Garden Hotel. Here it is possible to have a spacious family room with a large balcony. The teenager of the family was pleased to find a WI-FI connection. Dinner and breakfast at the hotel were very good. Absolutely a recommandable place to stay.

On DAY 3 we visited the Pinawalla Elephant Orphanage, made a very interesting visit to a Spice and Herbal Garden. Only the prices of their product are much too high (but negotiable, it turned out). In the road we met a woman with 2  porcupines, which we were allowed to fotograph for money. In the evening the program was a performance of the Kandy Dancers, fire walking included. Great show.

DAY 6 After a short city tour we decided to leave the wet Nuwara Eliya. A pity, because the place is really pretty and well worth a visit, but the family is hungry for warmth. At Ella it is still raining, so we view the grand waterfall in the rain. Late in the afternoon we arrive in Tissamaharama at the Priyankara Hotel. All warm and happy again! The hotel has nice rooms with balconies, overviewing a paddy field and a dock pond. Only nuisance is the mosquitos and currently construction noise. 

After breakfast we drove down the coast, passed Tangalle and Dikwella to see the famous blow hole (Hummanaya) in Kudawella. The blow hole is natural fountain, caused when sea water rushes through a submerged cavern and is pushed upwards. It is really impressive. A new small museum explains about the natural phenomenon and the big sea creatures in the ocean outside Sri Lanka. 

DAY 10 Sun rise over the Indian Ocean. Catamarans cruise around in the first sunrays on the sea below us. Peacocks and chipmunks puttering around the garden. A glorious morning! We do not feel like leaving, but the tour must go on. We made a short visit to the well preserved Galle Fort, before continuing to Hikkaduwa, where we want to see the coral reef. In Hikkaduwa they built a boot house to manage the boot trafic. There is a lot of loud arguing, before we get on board a glass bottom boat. The coral reef is a sad sight, only a few is alive and species of fish are few as well. Far from the exciting underwater experience it was years back! Apart from that, you see the fish better outside the boat than through the glass bottom. Turtles were nowhere to be seen, although they are still there (or were, last year in a different spot). The short boat trip is hardly worth the money. We drove on, only made a stop at the Peraliya Buddha Statue, a tsunami memorial for all the train passengers and residents of Peraliya, who died in the first wave of the tsunami. Our final destination was Bentota.