Holidays by Design

14/06/2026

🐘 Some mornings in Sri Lanka write themselves.
As the first light breaks over Kumana National Park, this gentle giant wades through a glassy watering hole, unhurried, unbothered, entirely at home. It's the kind of moment that reminds you why wild travel matters.
Nestled along Sri Lanka's southeastern coast, Kumana is one of the island's best-kept wildlife secrets. Less visited than Yala yet equally extraordinary, it offers an intimacy with nature that is increasingly rare in today's world.
A few things worth knowing about this remarkable place:
🌿 Sri Lanka's Elephants are a unique subspecies, Elephas maximus maximus found nowhere else on Earth. Intelligent, social, and deeply connected to the island's cultural identity, encountering them in the wild is a privilege that stays with you long after you leave.
🌿 The Wetland Ecosystem supports over 255 recorded bird species, making Kumana a celebrated destination for wildlife and nature enthusiasts from around the world.
🌿 Uncrowded by Nature: Kumana attracts a fraction of the visitors that busier parks see, meaning your experience here is personal, peaceful, and genuinely immersive.
🌿 Golden Hours: The early morning and late afternoon light in Kumana is nothing short of magical. If you visit, set that alarm. You will not regret it.

Sri Lanka has a way of surprising even the most seasoned traveller and Kumana is one of its finest surprises.

We'd love to take you there. ✨

📍 Kumana National Park, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka

09/06/2026

1,500 years ago, a king built his palace in the sky & the world forgot about it for centuries.
Rising 200 metres above Sri Lanka's central plains, Sigiriya (சிகிரியா) is one of the most remarkable feats of ancient engineering on Earth. Built around 477 AD by King Kashyapa I, this volcanic rock fortress wasn't just a military stronghold, it was a full royal city suspended in the clouds.
Here's what makes it extraordinary:
🔸 The Frescoes: Halfway up the rock, a sheltered gallery holds 5th-century paintings of celestial maidens, painted with mineral pigments that have survived monsoons for over 1,500 years. These are among the oldest surviving non-religious paintings in Asia.
🔸 The Mirror Wall: Polished to such a shine that the king could see his reflection, this ancient plaster wall is covered in poetry and graffiti left by visitors as far back as the 7th century, making it one of the world's oldest collections of public writing.
🔸 The Water Gardens: The symmetrical landscaped gardens at the base are considered the oldest surviving landscaped gardens in the world, complete with hydraulic fountains that still function during the rains today.
🔸 The Lion's Paw Gate: The final ascent passes through a gateway flanked by enormous carved lion paws, all that remains of a colossal lion sculpture that once formed the entire entrance.

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982, Sigiriya remains one of only eight World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka and a place where every step upward is a step back through time.

📍 Sigiriya, Central Province, Sri Lanka
🕐 Best visited at sunrise to beat the heat and the crowds.
Have you climbed the Lion Rock? 🦁👇

Photo by Sander Traa, unsplash

13/04/2021

Wish Everyone a Happy Sinhala and Tamil New Year!

05/11/2020

Good bye and stay safe! ❤

The 120 whales that were stranded along Sri Lanka's west coast at the beginning of the week have been successfully rescued and sent back to sea!

You can always witness these majestic creatures in the scintillating waters of our southern coast, when you go whale watching – a must do experience when you visit our beautiful island!

19/09/2020

Traveling - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a Storyteller.

19/09/2020

Life is like a riding bicycle. To keep your balance, you must ride.

31/08/2020

We Have Moved! 🏢