Sri Lanka

A vibrant city, Colombo presents a heady mix of colonial architecture gently merging with traditional Sri Lankan designs. Walking along the clean roads and bylanes take you past such prime structures like the Old Parliament Building, the General Post Office and the old British department store – Cargills & Millers. The Dutch and Portuguese areas provide insight into how life was lived during their heyday.
Ceylon tea shops, restaurants that serve seafood delicacies, sushi bars and street-food stalls vie for attention. The Pettah Market is Sri Lanka’s largest marketplace, with streets categorised according to items on sale, that range from jewellery to vegetables.

A historic city that is well restored, Galle has had its tryst with the Portuguese in the 16th Century and thereafter with the Dutch. This is vivid as one walks around the gateways and bastions. Galle located on the south west of the Emerald Island is surrounded by water on three sides and boasts a Marine Archaeological Museum in an old warehouse.
Coming into prominence thanks to the game of Cricket, the city has a number of boutique craft shops and cafes. Rent a bicycle for a ride to the nearby Hiyare Forest Reserve, a rainforest that will help you see green pigeons and purple-faced langurs.

Located about 500′ above mean sea level, and located almost in the centre of Sri Lanka, Kandy is famed for the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. Kandy is known as the cultural capital of the country. The combination of UNESCO World Heritage Sites -Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa – and the idyllic tea country presents the range of experiences visitors are treated to, in addition to one of the world’s most scenic train rides. Come August and the festivities of ‘Esala Parahera’ (the festival of the Tooth) create an unmissable spectacle for ten days.

To the south of Kandy is the resplendent Hatton. Best reached on a train soaking in the beautiful landscape and cool air, Hatton is about tea trails. The best places to stay here would be converted tea bungalows. Sri Lankan rural life is on full display as one cycles through the green landscapes dotted by tea and banana plantations; it is common to see tea workers weighing their day’s haul at weigh stations.
Scaling the 5000-step Adam’s Peak is a must-do during the day to get a view of large tracts of forests and plains in the region.

The largest, and thus the most popular of national parks in Sri Lanka, the Yala National Park is home to leopards, crocodiles, sloth bears and birdlife. Guided vehicle safaris are a highlight. The dry season of February to June is considered the best time to visit.

If Yala is known for its diverse collection of wildlife, elephants are the main draw at Udawalawe, south of the Horton Plains. The ‘resident’ herd of about 250 elephants are a common sight. Careful observance may result in sighting the wild buffalos emerging from the waters. The nearby Elephant Transit Home houses orphaned and sick elephants can be visited during feeding times.