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Asia, Sri Lanka, Travel

Negombo, Sri Lanka: Photo Essay

February 20, 2017

Negombo, Sri LankaFor most people, Negombo is a place to sleep on their way in or out of Sri Lanka. However, there are things to explore in the town and beyond. Here is a little photo essay to inspire you to do more than sleep in Negombo!

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Negombo, Sri Lanka

Negombo, Sri Lanka

Negombo, Sri Lanka

Negombo, Sri Lanka

Negombo, Sri Lanka

Negombo, Sri Lanka

Negombo, Sri Lanka

Places shown: Maya Oya River, Negombo Fish Market, Remains of Dutch Fort (now the entrance to the prison), Negombo lagoon, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and Angurukaramulla Temple

Where to stay: Waterland

Asia, Hotel/Accommodation, Sri Lanka, Travel

Waterland in Negombo, Sri Lanka

February 13, 2017

Waterland in Negombo, Sri Lanka

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Eco-friendly and luxury are not usually two words that I use together to describe anything let alone a hotel, but this is Waterland in Negombo, Sri LankaNestled between the Maha Oya River and the Negombo Dutch Canal sits Waterland. Recently, I was a guest of Waterland; however, all opinions are my own.

Waterland is a four villa hotel located about 40 minutes from the Colombo Airport. However, Waterland is much more than a place to stay on the way to and from the airport. It is a destination. 

Waterland in Negombo, Sri Lanka

Birds and Plunge Pools

Another two words not often associated with each other. However, you will find both at Waterland in Negombo. Due to its location on the river, birds of all kinds flock to the river to fish and eat the mosquitos. While I was there, I saw a Kingfisher, White Herons, a Purple Heron and at least one Brahminy Kite. Waterland had provided a picture guide to the local wildlife, which helped me identify what I was seeing.

Waterland in Negombo, Sri Lanka

All this was spotted from my villa pool deck! Each villa has its own private plunge pool. The Deluxe Villa has a larger pool and is more like a small plunge pool! There are lounge chairs as well. This way you can sit in the pool and watch the birds. The first night I sat there for an hour watching the sunset and the birds.

Waterland in Negombo, Sri Lanka

Villas

There is one Deluxe Villa, which offers two bedrooms and three Studio Villas, which is one room. The Deluxe Villa is great for two couples or a family with older children. There are two bedrooms of equal size over two floors. The downstairs contains a living area with television, one bedroom and bath plus the pantry. The upstairs has a large deck with the bedroom off of that. The bathroom is huge; there is just no other way to describe it!

Waterland in Negombo, Sri Lanka

Waterland in Negombo, Sri Lanka

The Studio Villa is not small by any means, and if you are lucky enough to get Villa #3, then you have the best view of the river. The bathroom is smaller, but by no means small. All the bathrooms are open plan and feature rainfall showers. There is not a bathtub, so you will have to do your relaxing in the pool. The bathrooms are well equipped with hairdryers, lotion, soaps and hair care products. What I really like is they were all in dispensers and not in small travel containers. The staff refills them as needed, which reduces waste. 

Waterland in Negombo, Sri Lanka

The villas themselves are decorated in a modern fashion with slate floors and concrete walls in the bathrooms. The beds are set on a concrete platform. There are two international plugs next to the bed! Usually one of my chief complaints is a lack of plugs, but not at Waterland. Due to the floor to ceiling windows, there is plenty of light during the day. The lights at night are a bit harsh, though, and the only soft lighting is the reading lamps by the bed. Since I am not a morning person, I could have done with more shades to draw to block out the morning light. Bring some earplugs if you want to sleep late as the local rooster is up very early! 

Waterland in Negombo, Sri Lanka

All the villas are equipped with solar panels and energy-saving features, such as power is only on when you key is inserted in the slot. Outside the lights are controlled by motion sensors. 

Food

Breakfast was included during my stay and you are offered fruit, curd, juice, coffee or tea, a choice of eggs and toast. I opted to have Sri Lankan scrambled eggs most of the mornings. The eggs were great and had the added spice of curry leaves. One morning I was brought a more tradition Sri Lankan breakfast of coconut noodles, curry, and a coconut mixture. It was quite good, but not a breakfast for me. Lunch is light fare, and I indulged with vegetable spring rolls two days in a row! The dinner selection is not large, but the food was excellent. All meals were served outside. There is an indoor area in case of rain. 

Waterland in Negombo, Sri Lanka

Overall, I would highly recommend Waterland on a visit to Negombo, Sri Lanka, check rates here. It is a great place to unwind and enjoy nature. All this within a short drive to Negombo if you want to see more or visit the beach. 

Waterland

Asia, Guest Post, Travel

Guest Post: 10 Top Activities to Make You Fall in Love with Tokyo

April 13, 2016
Tokyo Activities

Tokyo, as the capital of Japan, is a lovely spot filled with positive vibes, beautiful people and amazing food. Although this city is very face-paced, here are 12 reasons to slow down, enjoy and fall in love!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
10 top activities to make you fall in love with Tokyo
@IG: littlemisshappyfeet

1. The Mainstream Activity

One of the obvious reasons why people travel to Tokyo is for the Tokyo Tower. No trip is complete without a visit; I can assure you. Even if you are a budget traveler, there is no excuse for you to miss this must-see attraction, well, at least, take a photo at the foot of the tower! Of course, if money is no issue, go up to the top for the killer view over Tokyo!

2. Anime and Manga / Cosplay spotting 

Are you a fan of Anime and Manga? If you are, congratulations, you’ve come to the right place. Akihabara is definitely your kind of heaven. Come visit the maid café to learn a spell that makes your food tastier after chanting it!

10 top activities to make you fall in love with Tokyo

IG: @littlemisshappyfeet

3. Visiting the famous Landmarks

Sensoji (Temple in Asakusa), Nihonbashi (Literally Japan Bridge) and many more. Be sure to upload as many photos as you can to Instagram!

4. Let the Tokyo Skyline inspire you

Skytree is the place to go for a phenomenal view of Tokyo skyline, especially at night when the lights are all up! Entrance costs 2060JPY to 350m and another 1030JPY to 450m, expensive, but the incredible vista is well worth the money.

10 top activities to make you fall in love with Tokyo

IG: @littlemisshappyfeet

5. Savoring cute desserts!

Tokyo is famous for producing cute desserts! Some worthy mentions include Dojima Rolls, Tokyo Banana, Mochi Ice, Cupcakes….

Related: Japan Unique Ice Cream You Should NEVER Miss! 

10 top activities to make you fall in love with Tokyo

IG: @littlemisshappfeet

6.  Bring out the child in you in Disney SEA! 
You’ve heard of Disneyland and Disney World, but have you ever heard of Disney Sea? This 176-acre Disney theme park is located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, just outside Tokyo. My favorite palace of all is the Mermaid Lagoon.

7.  Visit a Market

Visit a Market. They say in order to fully immerse in a country’s culture; you must either eat like a local or buy like a local! Even if you want to do something more touristy, visit Tsukiji market. Kind reminder, keep your stomach empty for those delicious tamagoyaki (Japanese omelet), unagi and scallop skewers. Fast if you need to.

10 top activities to make you fall in love with Tokyo

IG: @littlemisshappyfeet

8. Self Discovery: are you a Shopaholic? 
Ginza is definitely a heaven for those who are looking for big brands with a slightly cheaper price compared to their home country. At the same time, it can be hell for the one paying it.

10 top activities to make you fall in love with Tokyo
IG: @littlemisshappyfeet

9.  Immerse in the Culture 

Meiji Shrine/ Tokyo Daijingu/ Yasukuni Shrine is the place to go if you are into culture. The Shrines are holy places so be sure  to follow 2 of the most important guidelines below:
1.Before passing through Torii Gate, bow because it means that you are stepping into the house of the Gods. Be respectful.
2. No one walks on the center path; you should walk at the side because it is believed that the center space of the path is for Gods.

10.  Experience Cafe Culture in Harajuku

Asians should know an app called LINE quite well. It features cute stickers of a rabbit, bear and duck. And now that those characters had gone viral, there is a Line Store in Harajuku, dedicated to Brown, Cony and Sally! Be sure not to miss Harajuku Crepes when you are in the area!

(BONUS) Hachiko
Have you watched the movie Hachiko, the loyal dog? If you haven’t done it, I suggest you look it up online right now! The statue of Hachiko stands proudly in Shibuya, where the loyal dog once waited for its owner to come back from work.

Want to know more about Japan? Visit: Miss HappyFeet !

Blog link: http://www.misshappyfeet.blogspot.com

Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/whatyoulovewhereyoulove/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlemisshappyfeet/

Twitter: @Vivianleewx

About Vivian: Malaysian expat living in Russia. 23-year-old 5th-year Medical student, freelance writer, magazine columnist and founder of Miss HappyFeet.