Yala

Yala was amazing! Jetwing Yala...wow what a place!  Upon arrival we were welcomed with  much needed refreshments and proceeded to our room.  Our room was very spacious with a big bathroom that had a rainfall shower with a partially open ceiling.  We had a very large balcony over looking the beach and the pool.  Jetwing Yala is perfectly located with the Jungle in front and the beach behind! We arrived just in time for an early dinner, and had to deal with some rude tourists that didnt know how to behave at a buffet.   However, we had our first Arrack (a local whisky) based cocktail (arrack, passion juice, mint, sugar cane syrup) kinda like a Lankan Mojito and we were able to get a few chuckles at their expense.
 The next morning we had a very early start (430 AM)  to go on our much anticipated Yala Safari.
 Nuwan (our tracker) picked us up from the hotel and we began our bumpy (Indiana Jones style) off roading, super cool safari.  The leopards were a no-show,,,what a bust! Our highlight was watching an elephant behind some trees eating, he was only a few feet from us and we were all excited (except for mom, who was nervous and anxious to move on. lol)
When we got back to the hotel we had a late breakfast (best hoppers at Yala) and enjoyed the hotel pool and beach.  The boys had their own personal lifeguard that even offered to get in and swim with them. However, this time I was nervous as the sea looked a bit rough.  Thanks to Hiran for setting us up for a relaxing Yala Beach day.
Later, we met the executive Chef and he wanted to know if we had any special requests for dinner. We had an opportunity to ask for any cuisine we desired, but we chose Kotu Roti LOL!! Hey, it was the best we ever ate!
We had an adventurous and unforgettable stay in Yala, Sri Lanka. A special thank you to the their staff, as they were very professional and hospitable!
We love you Yala and hope to be back someday.

Jetwing Lighthouse Galle...then road-trip to Yala

We had breakfast Wed morning and Checked out of the Lighthouse. We were off to explore the coastal towns between Galle and Yala.  We stopped at Closenburg Beach, one of the oldest Resorts in Galle and a place my Dad remembers from his childhood.  It was a charmingly beautiful colonial style hotel built on a bluff overlooking a gorgeous stretch of calm waters.   

We then set out to Unuwatuna Beach to swim in one of the 10 best beaches in the world (according to a local magazine) It didn't disappoint!  Warm, clean waters allowed us to play on the beach for hours before we got back on the road.  To our surprise we passed a beach with those famous stilt fisherman, and we got to do some "fishing" of our own!!!  So much fun and so many laughs with those locals.  

We also stopped in a beach city called Tangalle....More beautiful beaches and scenery.  Tangalle is also the city where the former President of the Island grew up, in fact we passed his home.  

Just before reaching Yale, we stopped in a town called Hambantota. My grandfather was stationed there for a few years, and the town brought back memories for my mom.  We stopped at a little food stall( #10), to buy some Kaluh dodole and Sauw dodole (Sri Lankan sweets).

We arrived at our hotel, Jetwing Yale around 7pm!