My two-country holiday with wild elephants, world-famous tea and the Maldives’ largest swimming pool

A LONG trunk extends into the road.

The elephant steps out from some undergrowth and plods slowly into the oncoming traffic. I wince.

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But surrounding drivers are less concerned, pulling to a casual halt until the lumbering giant disappears into the dense trees on the other side.

Exotic animals can be found in the most ordinary places in Sri Lanka, whether it’s next to the corner shop or on the beach.

That much is true for my hotel, Sun Siyam Pasikudah. Here, muffled bird song from the shrubs outside my window had become my morning alarm, while dull croaks from a resident frog that had set up camp near my bedroom door lulled me to sleep.

The 5H hotel sits on a sleepy stretch of Sri Lanka’s east coast, in the non-touristy region of Pasikudah.

Alongside a heated swimming pool, swaying hammocks and a spa smelling of coconut, there is a small stretch of honey-coloured beach where wild cows will sometimes stroll and friendly monkeys forage for dropped food.

You can get a more in-depth look at wildlife, if you wish, thanks to an extensive list of guest excursions.

That’s what Sun Siyam Pasikudah does best and travellers can dip a toe into proper local life, knowing that undisturbed paradise is ready to welcome them back with a fresh coconut water every time.

In a few days at the resort, I was able to uncover the best that Sri Lanka has to offer, while still grabbing some down time on a sun lounger.

The mighty Sigiriya Rock, famed as the home of the grand King Kasyapa? Tick. The famous temples of Dambulla where intricate frescos have been painted on to ancient rock faces? Tick. An open-truck safari watching baby elephants? Big tick.

However, it wasn’t these tourist must-sees that captivated me the most.

It was the off-grid excursions that gave me a real sense of what this region was truly about. A half-day cooking experience was just my cup of tea. Talking of which, did you know Sri Lanka is famed for the brew? Don’t forget to sample some in the hotel’s Tea House.

Piling into colourful tuk tuks, I was soon whizzing along dusty roads, accompanied by one of the hotel’s chefs, until we reached a rugged market at the edge of Valaichchenai Lagoon, a ten-minute drive away.

Browsing the stalls, laden with heaps of wonky fruit and freshly filleted fish, I felt completely immersed in local life. Each guest in my group was in charge of selecting some ingredients that Chef would incorporate into a traditional cooking class later.

The vegetable stall really caught my eye — vibrant purple aubergines snuggled next to sharp green okra and heaps of misshapen squashes. An hour or so later, we were back at the hotel, diving into fiery bowls of curried beans, tempered okra and prawn curry, all of which we had whipped up ourselves at a makeshift cooking station on the beach.

If all of that sounds great, but you are not much of an explorer (or chef), I’d recommend ordering the traditional Sri Lankan breakfast experience one morning instead.

You will be treated to a never- ending spread of hoppers (a Sri Lankan-style pancake shaped like a large bowl), crispy fried eggs and brekkie curries all laid out in an Instagrammable display across a beachside table.

Or you can elevate your dinner and dine out at sea on the resort’s floating platform, complete with a shack-like bar.

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The glass-bottomed floor meant I could watch out for marine life below while tucking into my egg curry. I was only a few mouthfuls in when I shouted “angelfish”, pointing towards a pink mass of humbug-like stripes bobbing below.

This fishy sighting would have been the icing on the cake if my journey were to end here. But the following day, I was heading for the Maldives where I’d find more than just angelfish in the water.

Shoals of glassfish

The destination is just over an hour from Colombo airport by plane and I wasn’t surprised to see my flight filled with Europeans. After all, if you are coming this far and are not pressed for time, it makes sense to combine two mega destinations.

It does mean shelling out a lump sum in one go, of course. But that will save you money on flights in the long run.

As well as a Sri Lankan site, Sun Siyam has five resorts in the Maldives.

Olhuveli is the largest, made up of three islands in the South Male Atoll, and it is the only one reachable from Maldives’ mainland by speedboat (the others require sea-plane transfers)

The ocean that surrounds nearly every bedroom really is as clear and blue as it appears on social media.

Olhuveli is also home to the largest swimming pool in the Maldives, measuring 210 metres, so there’s no need to worry about over-indulging at the eight restaurants if you are swimming lengths of that.

You can channel your inner Attenborough every day at Sun Siyam Olhuveli. Each guest can pick up a snorkel, flippers and life-jacket for free, to explore the house reef, or use on water-based excursions throughout their stay.

You can channel your inner Attenborough every day at Sun Siyam Olhuveli. Each guest can pick up a snorkel, flippers and life-jacket for free, to explore the house reef, or use on water-based excursions throughout their stay.

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You won’t need to wander far to spot something spectacular. One lazy afternoon, I plodded from the deck of my beachfront bedroom and plonked straight into the ocean, to be met by shoals of glassfish and a puffer fish sheltering nearby.

If you do have a bit of cash to spare, shelling out for a three-point snorkel safari or a manta ray and whale shark excursion will be the best way you could spend it.

You will have to overcome any Jaws-induced fear of the ocean when you plunge into waters teeming with nurse sharks, but will ride on that adrenaline high for years afterwards. The snorkel safari also ticks off turtles and vibrant coral reefs packed with colourful fish.

It’s a wildlife lover’s haven and I was in my element. What could beat this?

Perhaps seeing an elephant stop traffic? Well, I’ve already done that.