Kaia Murray

What is your favorite landscape? Mountains? Desert? Or how about the beach? Well, if you like beaches the most, then you will probably like Sri Lanka. (Who doesn’t like beaches?) Being an island, it is circled by sandy beaches and blue-green water. But don’t let the beauty of the ocean fool you. Sometimes the ocean can be quite rough. We had to be careful because of currents in the ocean. But despite the danger, Sri Lanka’s beaches are still wonderful places to de-stress.

One unusual thing we saw on the beach by our apartment was fish. Because Sri Lanka is famous for fishing, the beach was littered with dead fish and other sea life. We even saw an eel! We also saw quite a few pufferfish or blowfish. We could also see lots of fish floating on the waves.

If you are staying in Colombo and are looking for a good place to have a cup of coffee or a delicious meal, there are a couple places in Colombo that i suggest you try. For a cup of coffee or a pastry, try the London House of Coffee. They serve pastries, breakfast foods, coffee, and much more. The waiters are very nice and do a good job, and the coffee house is a nice, cozy place to just relax and hang out.

If you are looking for a good place to have a delicious meal, then the Barefoot Garden Cafe is the place to go. When we were staying in Colombo, we went there at least three times. (Which should tell you how good it is.) For lunches, they have excellent sandwiches and milkshakes. They also serve “Full English Breakfasts”, coffee, and many more food items for any time of day. They are a good place for families, and even though the restaurant is outside, they are able to beat Sri Lanka’s humid heat with fans and umbrellas. Besides the restaurant, they also have a store where you can buy everything from any household decorations like table runners and pillows to souvenirs like postcards and little-stuffed toys and dolls. The shop owns a loom, so they make the fabric items like the tablecloths and stuffed toys themselves. (You can actually watch the woman weaving the cloth outside the shop.) Also, in case you have kids who like animals like my sister does, there are turtles in a pond by the store and a cat who wanders around the courtyard.

Also, if your family is looking to have some fun, then there is a park I suggest you go to. It is called Vihara Maha Devi Park and has a large playground with swings, slides, and a small area with fountains. And if one of your family skateboards, then they might enjoy the twisty paths and rails perfect for skateboarding.

Sri Lanka was one of my favorite places to visit, and not just because of the good food or beautiful beaches. The Sri Lankans were very friendly, and it was a fun place to vacation. Because of our apartment near the beach, we were able to go down to the beach frequently, or just hang out in our apartment. And if your family is in need of a vacation, in need of delicious meals, or just wants to spend some time at the beach, then Sri Lanka is definitely the place to go.