The travel world’s equivalent of fashion’s It-bag right now is a tear-shaped island off the coast of India. It might easily have been subsumed by the shadow of its larger neighbour, but Sri Lanka is so much more than ‘India light’ and has seen travellers flocking to its shores in recent years. There are plenty of reasons to follow them.
Sri Lanka’s tourist appeal was held back by the government’s war, with the Tigers of Tamil and with 2004’s tragic Boxing Day tsunami, but its wonders are now safe and easy to enjoy.
According to Eleanor Milner, director of The Sri Lanka Collection, “There has never been a better time to visit. The only real problem being deciding where to go – the choice is outstanding.”
Colombo’s Mount-Lavinia is known for its ‘Golden Mile’ of beaches.
However you like to travel, Sri Lanka is a delight, but getting a good driver is recommended for road trips as the routes are winding and badly sign-posted and local drivers can be unpredictable. The best drivers will call on their local knowledge and insight to act as tour guides too.
It’s worth lingering in the capital, Colombo, to explore the colonial history with a walking tour and indulge in some retail therapy, but you may want to organise a container to ship your buys home – antique carved wooden doors, chairs and finials are all available for what seems like a song.
Paradise Road stocks more modern design pieces and has restaurants to recharge in between purchases, while Maniumpathy offers spacious heritage accommodation close to the retail action.
Wallawwa hotel has lush organic gardens to relax in.
If, however, you arrive at Colombo Airport frazzled from your journey, jumping straight into a car for the few kilometres it takes to reach country house hotel Wallawwa will salve any stress in an instant.
Greeted with freshly squeezed fruit juice and flowers, you can immerse yourself in the comfort and beauty of Sri Lankan hospitality. It’s a great spot from which to kick off a tour of the Cultural Triangle (or drink deep of Sri Lanka’s ambiance before you fly out).
The Cultural Triangle encompasses the middle of the island, loosely between Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy. This cradle of early Sinhalese civilisation and Buddhism in Sri Lanka is packed with ancient temples, forts and caves.
Wallawwa hotel’s restaurants serves up an array of Asian fusion cuisine.
At its centre is Sigiriya (Lion Rock), the site of a magnificent 5th-century rock fortress/pleasure palace created from a natural volcanic plinth that rises around 180m to command the landscape.
Vast clawed paws are all that remain of the Lion’s Gate entrance façade, constructed to awe and intimidate visitors. Climb the more than 1,000 steps and rickety walkways to reach the summit for the views alone; the summit plateau is over 1.5 hectares and the foundations of the citadel remain. You’ll also pass frescos of full-breasted, wasp-waisted maidens floating on clouds along the way.
Sigiriya (Lion Rock)
The wilder east coast of the country may be hugely popular with surfers, but the west and south coasts hit the soft-sand, comfort-and-service sweet spot. South of Colombo, Galle is
in the centre of the island’s so-called ‘Riviera’, and here you’ll find plenty of pure-paradise beaches to choose from. Stay at contemporary Kumu Beach hotel) at Balapitiya, a turtle-breeding beach near the watersports centre in Benota.
The central Sri Lankan hill country is magical seen from the scenic railway, and is an altogether cooler, greener destination than the coastal regions. This area is steeped in British colonialism and proudly Buddhist, and its neat tea terraces are the reason many Indian Tamils came to Ceylon before being disenfranchised in the country’s independence.
Sigiriya (Lion Rock)’s its imposing entry.
Check into one of the cottages at Kelburne), a still-working plantation with astounding views and a charming authenticity, or go high-end at Taylors Hill, where you can see tea leaves being picked and processed and try health-promoting white tea or silver tip, made from young parts of the plant.
Ideal for relaxation in the south-east is Maya. This 19th-century manor house, lovingly restored to create a luxury five-suite villa, feels like a private paradise and has food so good that guests from the nearby five-star Amanwella Resort drop by for dinner. Small but perfectly formed, the villa offers divine accommodation near Tangalle, complete with spa treatments and yoga and tai chi classes.
Go glamping with Noel Rodrigo’s Leopard Safaris at Yala National Park, where spotting incredible wildlife is just part of the adventure.
Wildlife is still abundant in Sri Lanka’s national parks, which provide exciting opportunities for safaris and to see leopards in the wild. Noel Rodrigo of Noel Rodrigo’s Leopard Safaris explains that because these cats are the apex predator here, they’re bolder and more active during the day than their Indian cousins, who share their space with tigers.
Noel’s tented camp on the outskirts of Yala National Park is a fantastic base from which to explore. The guides have an uncanny knack for positioning their guests in just the right spot; two game-drives per day in the cooler morning and evening offer the best opportunity to see everything the park has to offer and to get into position to take great photos.
Set amid paddy fields, restored manor house Maya has beaches, temples and wildlife excursions all within easy reach.
The staff are also happy to share their passion for wildlife, and this is reflected in the camp’s eco-policy: it participates in reforestation and community initiatives and The Leopard Project (which is involved with the conservation of the Sri Lanka leopard in its natural habitat), and uses green energy and delicious local produce on site.
Mealtimes are also a great opportunity to hear stories from the staff. They all have tales to tell about rare animal encounters in Yala and beyond, and you will too, by the time you reluctantly head home.
Don’t leave without…
Eating egg hoppers
Find them at street stalls and hotel breakfast buffets. This Sri Lankan classic is the perfect healthy snack: a basket-shaped, fermented pancake with an egg in the centre, served with seductively savoury sambals (hot sauces). They’re so trendy they’ve been adopted in London’s Soho at eponymous restaurant Hoppers.
Sampling the local spices and produce
Sri Lanka’s delicious food and Ayurvedic medicine rely on the heady array of spices grown here. Visit one of the many spice gardens to see the plants growing, learn more about their properties, enjoy a culinary experience or enjoy an Ayurvedic massage.
Touring the local temples
The human history here is as rich as the countryside, the country is studded with incredible temples and Buddhism is the dominant religion. Head east of Colombo to Kandy to visit the temple housing and the Temple of the Sacred Tooth relic, see Kandyan dancing and spot the bright and beautiful regional dress.
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