Diary of a Real Bride | Escaping ‘Wedmin’ in Sri Lanka
Written by on November 11, 2015.
Tagged under: Dubai Weddings, Hen doo, Real bride, Sri Lanka, diary of a real bride
Escaping ‘Wedmin’ in Sri Lanka
Planning your wedding can be one of the most stressful times of your life, particularly as the day draws closer. This month, our gorgeous real bride diary contributor, Barbaranne Heaton (who also happens to be one of our talented BCME vendor club members, over at House Of Moirai), has managed to get some much needed rest and relaxation on her Hen Do in Sri Lanka. As B’s wedding day is rapidly approaching, it was the perfect opportunity for a fun and girly long weekend…
Ok, so there’s like 6 weeks to go and I haven’t finished my dress yet, or started the bridesmaid’s dresses, or the groom’s outfit, or the flower girl dresses…..aaagh! I won’t even mention all the other wedmin we are yet to do.
So what’s the best way to deal with it all? Go on a mini vacation of course!
My lovely friend and bridesmaid, Jill, got her organising hat on and planned a girl’s weekend away to what is now officially my favourite place in the whole world…Sri Lanka!
It’s not often I get even an afternoon to myself, let alone four whole days, so you can imagine my excitement. We flew with Fly Dubai, and it was only a mere four hour flight later that we landed in the tropical capital city of Colombo.
I hadn’t read up on our destination, as to be honest I didn’t actually know where we were going until we got to the airport. I was just told to pack bikinis, shorts and a nice outfit or two. No heels! I obviously over packed, as you tend to do when you have 30kg luggage allowance and four days in which to wear it.
We stayed at a very beautiful, organic inspired, boutique hotel. The Ceilao Villas’ minimalist design with tropical accents was a little paradise amongst the hustle and bustle of Colombo. I literally walked out of my door into the Jacuzzi pool.
The staff were absolutely brilliant and every morning they served us fresh fruit for breakfast with freshly brewed, organic Sri Lankan coffee. It was our own little haven for the weekend.
There isn’t a great deal to do in Colombo other than party, which wasn’t an issue for us! But we did manage to take in some of the culture and sights of the city. It’s quite a small place, and easy to access through tuk tuks. What’s a holiday without a tuk tuk?! They’re all metered, so there was no risk of being taken for a ride (literally!), and in my opinion it’s the best way to see a place. I really loved the colonial accents combined with the more modern style of architecture that punctuated the city. The British have famously ruled Sri Lanka, along with the Portuguese and the Dutch, and you can really feel the mix of cultures and influences. Every other car was a vintage, beaten up Land Rover Defender!
On one of the days, we decided to do something a bit more touristy and hopped on a 6am train (yes, really that early) bound for Kandy. This unique city is surrounded by mountains and tea plantations, and is famed for its Buddhist sites. Hiring a tuk tuk driven by the very entertaining ‘Tuk Tuk Kandy Man’ (really, that was his name. He even has his own Facebook page!), we set off, ready to take in some culture. It was the best 15 AED we spent all holiday. Kandy was a wonderful, beautiful place to visit and with only 5 hours to see everything we even managed to fit in a spot of lunch over looking the city. The train journey was a breeze too, and the views as you made your way into the mountains were breath taking.
To compliment our tourist treks we were also massaged into a blissful state, shopped at Paradise Road (Best. Place. Ever.), danced and sang our hearts out to Michael Bolton and laughed until our stomachs hurt.
My only complaint was that we couldn’t stay longer. Sri Lanka is definitely a place I would recommend any bride-to-be to go with her girls and spend a few days just taking life in.
I’ll be back next month….wait a minute, that’s December! Eeek!
x B x
Don’t forget to log on next month to see B’s final bridal diary post before the BIG DAY!
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