Over the summer holidays, a group of Girls’ Division pupils visited Sri Lanka with World Challenge. Below is a recap of their trip in their own words:
The adventure began with two long flights – plenty of time to binge the latest blockbusters. Even the airport stopover was an experience: Doha had an actual rainforest inside and some of the best ice cream ever.
On our first day in Sri Lanka, we explored Negombo, tried out local supermarkets and had our first Sri Lankan dinner – traditional rice and curry with all the sides. In the evening, we visited the harbour, where rows of colourful fishing boats lined the water.
The next day, we were up at 5am for the famous fish market – busy, eye-opening and unforgettable. Later, we travelled through rainforest, past tea plantations and temples on our way to prepare for the challenge of Adam’s Peak.
The climb up Adam’s Peak on day four was massive: nearly 6,000 steps, a monsoon on the way down and a real character-building day! We all had to pull together as a team. At the summit, we lit incense in the temple and felt a huge sense of achievement.
Our next stop was Kandy: our first big city. We visited the Temple of the Sacred Tooth and saw the relic of the tooth of the Buddha, explored buzzing markets and tucked into dosas for lunch. The day ended with a private performance from Sri Lanka’s most famous traditional dancer and his students – just for our group. We also were lucky enough to do a private dance class with him which was amazing.
Next came camping in the Knuckles Mountain range. Everyone had a role – cooking, preparing food, setting up camp. We ate under the stars, surrounded by fireflies. The hike the next day gave us incredible views across the mountains and we finished with another home-cooked curry and an early night.
Days eight to ten were the most meaningful part of the trip: our volunteer project at a primary school. The students welcomed us with flowers and over three days we cemented, painted, planted and transformed their grounds. We also played cricket with the children, shared a traditional lunch made by the village and received a moving Buddhist blessing from the principal. Saying goodbye wasn’t easy but the charity surprised us with gifts of traditional Sri Lankan artwork, plus a birthday cake for Ms Xerri!
We then travelled to Galle, a historic city inside a Dutch Fort, where we had a chance to explore independently. We walked the old ramparts, shopped in the markets and joined a cooking class to master Sri Lankan curry. The next day brought yoga in the jungle, a hidden beach and a local dinner to round off our time there.
Our final stop on day fourteen was Negombo. After a quick bakery visit and some downtime by the pool, we all came together on the beach for a sunset walk: an unforgettable way to end the adventure.
The wo weeks contained countless memories: climbing mountains, camping in the jungle, working with a community and exploring a whole new culture. It was challenging, rewarding and one of the best experiences of our lives.
Photos from World Challenge 2025:
