Sri Lanka...the time to visit is now!
Sri Lanka, the 'tear-drop' isle in the Indian Ocean is back on the map. The country has stabilised after its recent upheaval and there are no longer issues with food and fuel supplies. After a few challenging years, Sri Lanka is very much open again for tourism but without the crowds and offers excellent value for money. I spent 3 weeks exploring the island this February combining Indian Ocean beach chilling with culture and wildlife. These are a few of my favourite places to stay.
JETWING LAKE DAMBULLA
Jetwing Hotels has a collection of 31 distinctive hotels and villas spread across Sri Lanka with Jetwing Lake Dambulla being an excellent base to explore the Cultural Triangle. This region in the north-central plains of Sri Lanka was known as Rajarata (Land of Kings) but is now called the Cultural Triangle. It encompasses the relics of the Sinhalese Kingdom of Anuradhapura, the later capital of Polonnaruwa and the revered cave temples of Dambulla. Today the caves form the largest and best-preserved temple complex of their kind in Sri Lanka. Surrounded by history and nature, Jetwing Lake blends contemporary, stylish design with a tremendous commitment to sustainability and the environment. Jetwing Hotels' Sustainability Strategy is adopted and actively practiced at all Jetwing properties. The strategy focuses on six key areas; energy and carbon, water & waste, biodiversity, community & culture, family and sourcing & production. There's a very useful Green Directory in every room explaining the six key areas and the way in which Jetwing Hotels embraces them including solar panels and biomass boilers, water conservation and wastewater management and the promotion of local culture #maketravelmatter. I possibly put too much focus on a hotel's swimming pool! but Jetwing Lake Dambulla's infinity pool was a definite winner, 93 m long, giving my regular pool Tooting Bec Lido a run for its money and more than enough space to do my lengths, and cool of at the end of a busy day of culture vulturing. Jetwing Lake is also ideally situated for one of Sri Lanka's must do and most iconic sights - Sigiriya Rock. Rising dramatically from the central plains, you'll need to climb a series of vertiginous staircases to reach the top of Sigiriya (Lion Rock) but well worth it, passing some remarkable frescoes and a pair of giant lion's paws carved into the bedrock along the way.
JETWING YALA
Sri Lanka is an ideal destination for a family holiday, with so much to amaze the whole family for such a small island. Top of everyone's wish list will be the chance to go on safari. Yala is Sri Lanka's most famous national park with the highest concentration of leopards in the world and serves as a tropical habit for elephants, sloth bears and deer, all of which can be observed through a pre-arranged safari. Jetwing Yala, right on the beach and at the doorstep of Yala National Park is a chic and modern choice in a beautiful location or for a more authentic safari experience, choose Jetwing Safari Camp. Located smack next door and using the same facilities. I stayed in the main hotel, families will love the groaning buffet with pasta and pizza for those not so keen on Sri Lankas's spicy food, although Sri Lankans cook up a storm both on the streets and in fine dining restaurants and the food was one of my absolute favourite things during my visit. A little aside, I befriended Fiona Shaw who families will know as Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter film series, in the hotel swimming pool, so who knows you might spot along with the incredible wildlife!
JETWING UVA BEN HEAD VILLA
Sri Lanka's beautiful rolling hill country contains almost endless stretches of tea plantations (Sri Lanka is the world's third largest supplier) and a stay in a plantation hotel is an absolute must, to appreciate the ambience and enjoy tranquil walks. I stayed at a new Jetwing property, Jetwing Uva Ben Head Villa on the Uva Ben Head Estate near Welimada, with just two suites and a twin-bedded room. Sri Lankans are known for their hospitality, welcome and smiles. On discussing my trip, the three things that come up the most from others who have visited the island are the food, the scenery and the people. This cynical traveller was blown away by the genuine warmth of the welcome and none more so than at Uva Ben Head Villa. As a new property the staff went out of their way to look after me. The villa is very private and if you're travelling with friends, I'd recommend taking over the whole villa.
CAMELLIA HILLS - DICKOYA
I loved the cooler climate of the highland tea region and Camellia Hills was a gorgeous boutique property, perched amongst tea bushes, high up on a hill near Hatton. Over-looking mirror still Castlereagh Reservoir which spans three miles of the surrounding valley, the hotel has five upscale rooms, two living rooms, a dining room and open terraces that overlook landscaped gardens and a 10m infinity pool. Most visits to Sri Lanka will involve quite a bit of touring the cultural triangle, Kandy and the hill country and Camellia Hills is an idea spot to recharge afterwards, drinking in the mountain vistas of the picturesque hill country, indulging in some fine dining and meeting your fellow guests. Sri Lanka has many remote villas and boutique style hotels that operate more like a house party as you swap travel experiences, naturally over a cup of tea or drink on the terrace in the evening. At Camellia Hills there was also a chance to partake in a cooking class, a tea factory tour, a tea trails walk, a boat ride on the lake, bird watching from the veranda and what did I do instead, climb 5,500 exhausting steps to the top of Adam's Peak! Adam's Peak (Sri Pada) is about an hour's drive from the property. At over 2000 metres high, the mountain has been a focus of pilgrimage for over 1000 years and is well known for the Sri Pada sacred footprint, a 1.8-metre-long rock formation near the summit.
THE FORT PRINTERS - GALLE
Galle Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the best-preserved colonial sea fortress in Asia. The Dutch Fort has fourteen massive bastions, a grid system of streets and is still bustling with life as it did when Galle was the main passenger port. It's everyone's favourite spot to visit with a line-up of little shops selling arts and crafts and cosy cafes, a perfect time-warp for the inquisitive traveller, reminding me a little of two other walled / fortress cities I visited last year, Dubrovnik and Cartagena. I highly recommend you stay within the fort itself, I stayed at Fort Printers smack in the middle and was able to wander at will straight from the hotel and enjoy the sunset from the fortress walls. I was also able to then nip back quickly in the heat of the day to cool off in the hotels charming courtyard pool. A stay at Fort Printers is a step back in history, dating back to the 18th century, the printers building has over the years served as college, later the home of a printing company and has now been restored into an elegant boutique hotel. My room was called "The Headmasters" located on the first floor, overlooking the famed Galle lighthouse with old hard wood floors and exposed antique wood beams. The in-house restaurant is one of the best in Galle.
CINNAMON LAKESIDE - COLOMBO
Most visits to Sri Lanka will begin and end in the capital Colombo, don't be tempted to simply pass through as the city has plenty going for it, especially if you're there like me for Navam Perahera, one of Sri Lanka's biggest and most flamboyant peraheras (processions). Held on the first full moon in February, the parade starts from Colombo's Gangaramya Temple. The Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel, a 5-star resort hotel within the city was my Colombo base. A final word on swimming pools, The Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel has the largest pool in the city, so one happy swimmer. The hotel is also home to Colombo’s iconic and stylish watering hole, ColomBar with fabulous views over Beira Lake and the new brightly lit up Colombo Lotus tower. As one of the trendiest bars in town, ColomBar offers over 116 types of arracks (arrack is a distilled alcoholic drink typical to Sri Lanka made from the fermented sap of coconut flowers or sugarcane). It was here that I savoured “Lantharum”, ColomBar’s signature drink made of local arrack in a smooth blend of cinnamon and tea, served in a lantharuma (lantern) shaped unique glass for a truly unique experience and memorable start to my trip.
If local folklore is to be believed, Sri Lanka was the prototypical holiday destination. It is alleged that Adam & Even took refuge here after leaving the Garden of Eden, exchanging one paradise for another. The island combines, nature, culture, adventure and wildlife with sun, sea, sand and sensational scenery, what's not to like! Also, unlike many other Asian destinations, Sri Lanka's climate really does make it an all-year-round beach holiday destination. It's also a place that Karen and Zoe know well, so if you are still craving a winter sun break or a good value family destination for the Easter or Summer holidays don't hesitate to give us a call or to send us an e mail.
To find out more about Sri Lanka, visit the following Link. Petra travelled to Sri Lanka with Sri Lankan Airlines.
(This blog has been written by Petra Shepherd, Travel Matter’s Communication Officer. She visited Sri Lanka in February 2023. Photo Credits by Petra Shepherd.)