BARE DAMSEL X SRI LANKA

BARE DAMSEL X SRI LANKA

6am alarms courtesy of a variety of exotic birds. Lounging under the palm and cashew trees. Engulfed in nature. Yoga as the sun rises. Nourishing your body with homegrown, home cooked flavourful dishes. Permanent sweat droplets. A warm and friendly welcome everywhere you go. Thunderstorms instead of a movie. Getting swept away by the salty waves with your best friend. Fresh seafood and cocktails on the beach that costs less than £10. Elephants, sloth bears, leopards. Fresh coconut water everyday. Tuktuk rides at 3am. Dancing to the barefoot guitar player in the surfers bar. Buying handmade treasures at twilight markets.

Our kind of heaven and we found it in Sri Lanka. This is where our collection 'EXOTICA' was born. We stayed on the outskirts of Galle for a week where we rejuvenated our spirit and bodies in eco lodges. A tropical haven for unwinding and being at one with nature. We stayed at Kaju Green. As seen below.. 

 

This hotel can be found on airbnb and booking.com. We highly recommend staying here but only if you're a fan of nature, and don't mind some little creatures visiting you - as all of the lodges are open at either side. This place had the best food we have ever tasted and it was all cooked by one woman, you could taste the love that went into the dishes. All locally grown vegetables and fruits, you left breakfast and dinner feeling nourished. 

Here's a few things we recommend doing whilst in or around the city of Galle - 

- Bring home a little bit of Sri Lanka with you and take a cooking class!

- Go jewelry shopping in the town. Sri Lanka is known as the cradle of treasures for its precious, natural gemstones. 

- Visit or volunteer at the Sea Turtle Farm. This organisation rescue turtles who are in danger of losing their lives to the fishing industry. 

- Swim at Unawatuna beach. Golden sands, a magical variety of sea shells and women selling some unique pieces on the beach. We couldn't resist the shell jewelry.

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For the second part of our trip we moved onto Madiha just outside of Matara. Surfers paradise. A peaceful village with healthy cafes and restaurants. Close to Pollenha beach where you can spot big sea turtles. 

We stayed in a beautiful tree house that overlooked hundreds of palm trees and had an ocean view. Open up the windowed doors and you're lulled by the sound of the India Ocean. Araliya Cabana - Madiha Hill (Can be found on Airbnb) as seen below.. 

 

The aesthetic of the tree-house was perfect for our new collection 'EXOTICA'

A few things we recommend doing whilst in this area - 

- Take a surfing lesson. Madiha surf point is one of the best places for surfing in Sri Lanka

- Visit Kurulu Bay (Picutred below) for a spa day. One of our favourite spots. 

- Try the nearby brunch spots. Our favourtie was blanc also known as @blancoriginale on Instagram (Pictured below) Organic plant based food and absolutely delicious. We loved the vibe of this place.

- Explore the fortnightly twilight market at The Doctors House, whilst listening to the live bands. Stay later for the party to pick up. 

- Ride the train to Ella, witness some of the most beautiful sights in Sri Lanka. Not only that but you can dangle your feet out from the carriage (health and safety has not made it here yet)

- Visit Yala National Park (Pictured below) - This isn't nearby but its definitely worth the travel. The park is home to leopards, elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles and many more. 

 

 

There is so much more to do in Sri Lanka but unfortunately we couldn't fit it all in. We will for sure be back to finish our exploring. Please don't forget to try the local food, we were blessed with local food in our hotels so got to try a variety. The Sri Lankans are very hospitable people and take pride in inviting people to their homes. There were many occasions on which we were invited to dinner or given fruit from families for our longer trips. 

I guarantee if you visit you will fall in love just as we did. 

 

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