If you’ve already clicked through Katie Hagerty and John Falkenberg’s festive wedding (which actually started with a fiesta!), you know that these two love an adventure. And so, after tying the knot in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, it’s only logical that they wanted to go somewhere equally as exotic for their honeymoon. Ultimately, they decided on Sri Lanka, the small island south of India known for its breathtaking scenery and rich cultural history.
“We wanted to take the opportunity to go somewhere unique and tropical. There are fantastic surf breaks along the coast and multiple national parks where you can go on safari,” explains. “John is not one to sit in a chaise lounge for long, so this seemed like the perfect place to pack in a lot of action while still feeling like we were on our honeymoon.”
The Falkenbergs spent two weeks in Sri Lanka and traveled over the holiday break in December. They had a packed itinerary on the docket, but kicked the trip off with a little R&R after a long flight from L.A. to Colombo with a stay at the Wallawwa hotel, where the massages were a highlight. From there, they headed out Kandy to visit the Temple of the Tooth and took a train ride to Hatton. “We stood the entire time hanging our heads out the windows and taking in the views—it was so incredibly beautiful!”
In Hatton, they stayed at the Ceylon Tea Trails, which both agreed was their favorite hotel of the trip. “The property has five bungalows, which are restored colonial era tea planter residences and all have their own unique flair,” says Katie. “Ours oozed 50s character, and I couldn’t help but feel like Betty Draper from Mad Men.” During their three nights there, they stopped by the Dilmah Tea Factory, where John picked up a newfound appreciation for tea time.
From there, they continued on to Yala National Park, where their hotel, Chena Huts, was surrounded by animals. “We had an incredible encounter with a leopard and saw lots of elephants,” notes Katie. “Monkeys loved to play on our roof and wild boar frequently ran underneath the deck of our hut. It was such a unique experience!”
The last week of their trip was spent at Cape Welligama, a hotel on the beach. “We were a bit unlucky with the weather as there was a low-pressure system swirling over the island, and we were a bit disappointed that we couldn’t surf,” admits Katie.“But, we made the most of it with lots of cocktails from the craft gin bar and endless hours of chess!”
