We arrived in Colombo after a comfortable 10-hour flight with Sri Lankan airlines. After a welcome drink and snack at our hotel, Cinnamon Lakeside, our guide took us to Colombo Fort where we joined expert Mark Forbes, a native Dutch resident and passionate photographer, on a gentle walking tour through his city of old Colombo. He led us through the streets and recounted stories of the island’s capital.
We began at the Old Dutch Hospital, a colonial treasure and former hospital from the 17th century which is now home to several high-end restaurants and boutiques. We also saw the commercial hub of Colombo Fort, away from the tourist hotspots, but with familiar architecture of the colonial buildings and important monuments whose stories have helped shape the Colombo of today. As the sun was setting on our first evening in Sri Lanka, I was most surprised to see the enormous fruit bats swoop up Chatham Street to roost in the trees in the presidential palace.
We had a welcome cup of Ceylon tea at the Grand Oriental Hotel and took in the magnificent views of the Colombo Harbour. We had just about enough energy left to see the bustling Pettah Bazaar. The bazaar is both a wholesale and retail marketplace, selling everything from trinkets to textiles, from vegetables to electronics and of course, plenty of spices. We ended our first evening with dinner at Ceylon Curry Club at Dutch Hospital.
Next day we were off to Sigiriya area with a top-notch lunch at Water Garden Hotel - in an idyllic location and stunning views towards the Sigiriya rock fortress. Then we proceeded towards the Minneriya National Park.
Located between Habarana and Polonnaruwa, the 8,890 hectares of Minneriya National Park consist of mixed evergreen forest and scrub areas, habitat for elephants, spotted deer, leopards, sloth bears and crocodiles.
Our home for the night was the stunning Heritance Kandalama hotel. The Heritance Kandalama stands on the shore of an ancient manmade lake, at the foot of a rocky outcrop, which once was the home of hermits who sought isolation for meditation in its caves. Designed to blend perfectly with the natural environment and surrounded by forest, built into the cliff, while the overhanging jungle foliage is now an integral part of the hotel design. The hotel was the first in Asia to be awarded the prestigious environmental 'Green Globe 21 Certification' award.
The 5th-century Rock Fortress of Sigiriya was a challenging climb but worth it for the views. It was a military and royal stronghold for the 70-hectare fortified town. At the base of the rock are a moat, ramparts and an extensive water garden. To reach the top of the fortress there are approximately 1,000 steps across uneven terrain.
To help break up our journey we paid a visit to the Matale Spice Garden and enjoyed cookery demo & traditional Sri Lankan lunch sitting by the familys’ rice paddy fields. That evening, we enjoyed a cultural show with performances of traditional dances from the different regions of Sri Lanka. Following this, we visited the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy in time for the evening puja.
In the morning, we made a pleasant visit to the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Garden with expert Mr. Palipana Peradeniya. There is a fine collection of orchids and a stately avenue of royal palms that were planted in 1905, it is the largest botanical garden in Sri Lanka.
We continued our journey, stopping off at the Tea plantations of Nuwara Eliya – a fascinating visit and a chance to connect with the local people there, especially the lady tea pickers who let us try our hands at picking the tea.
We arrived at Cinnamon Wild hotel in Yala in a rainstorm but soon settled in for a magnificent dinner. The Yala Wildlife Sanctuary is home to wild elephants, wild boar, wild buffalo, sloth bears, sambar and spotted deer, monkeys, crocodiles, a small population of leopards.
Animals are given free rein here so an escort back to your room at night is always on hand as it's not unusual to see an elephant strolling through the open-plan reception!
A very early 6am start for our morning game drive. We explored Yala National Park by open jeep - wear something warm! Yala is one of Sri Lanka's largest national parks with one of their biggest attractions being the leopard. Although leopard sightings cannot be guaranteed, the density of leopards is considerable, so much so that Yala is one of the world's best parks to spot these elusive cats. We saw plenty of other wildlife such as elephants, wild boars, wild buffaloes, sloth bears, monkeys, mongoose, deer and crocodiles. Peacocks were everywhere as well as large flocks of migratory and indigenous birds.
Our next visit was to the seaside town of Galle. We arrived at Fort Bazaar and did a Galle fort walking tour, exploring the history. Galle Fort is today a Unesco world heritage site. Historically, Sri Lanka has played an important role in the trade route between Arabia and China. Galle's strategic location, with a natural harbour, gave the town prominence above all other ports on the island.
The fort was designed as a typical 'star fort' and enclosed a 36-hectare site, complete with grand colonial mansions, narrow streets and civic buildings; the walls of the fort even helped limit the damage of the 2004 tsunami.
TOP TIPS:
- Be prepared for cooler temperatures in Nuwara Eliya and Kandy areas
- Remember to take insect repellent and antihistamine tablets with you as difficult to source locally
- Tipping is welcome – the local guides and drivers and hotel staff are kind considerate hosts who go out of their way to be helpful
- Pace yourself – allow some downtime in your itinerary to just sit back and look at the views and enjoy the sunshine.
