Sri Lanka has the beauty to cast a memorable spell

Robin McKelvie enjoys life-affirming experiences in stunning surroundings

Silent in the cool morning jungle air, we wait. Everyone in the safari truck is completely still. Then there she is – a large female leopard. She plucks her two cubs down from a tree and spirits them across the dusty trail in front of us. Welcome to Sri Lanka. Dramatic, life-affirming experiences are something I quickly learn to expect in this breathtaking country of superlatives.

Getting to Sri Lanka is a breeze these days. I flew with Etihad (etihad.com) from Edinburgh, enjoying their awardwinning in-flight service and a quick and smooth transfer in Abu Dhabi. They have proper flat beds in business class, too.

Greeting me on arrival is Chaminda, my guide and driver, who makes sure my adventure runs ultra smoothly.

He works with Indian Odyssey (indianodyssey.co.uk), the UK-based specialists who organised all my hotels, sightseeing and travel around Sri Lanka.

I thoroughly recommend you book a tailor-made package like this to avoid the time- consuming hassles of trying to sort things out locally.

My first stop is the commercial capital of Colombo, a city often bypassed by visitors dashing for the famous beaches.

I’m glad I stay on as soon as I check-in to the glorious Maniumpathy, a grand colonial-style retreat. I find a lot of those in an independent country once ruled by the Portuguese, then the Dutch and finally the British.

Maniumpathy lies in the Cinnamon Gardens district. I take a walking tour of the Fort district, which once bustled with maritime trade as the biggest port in Ceylon, as Sri Lanka was then known. My guide ushers me around the ramble of colonial buildings, my senses going into overdrive at the hectic Pettah market district, before we finally arrive on the cooling terraces of the old Dutch Hospital, now blessed with eating and drinking venues.

It is here that I savour my first delicious meal, something that soon becomes par for the course in a country bursting with fresh fruit, vegetables and aromatic spices. I’m at Ministry of Crab (ministryofcrab.com), a brilliant locally owned restaurant that in recent years has stemmed the export tide of lagoon crabs to Singapore by offering them here in a variety of delicious sauces.

Next up is Kandy, the cultural capital of Sri Lanka. The main religion is Buddhism, and Kandy’s Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is one of the most important places of worship and pilgrimage in the Buddhist world.

Opposite is the Empire Café (empirecafekandy.com) where I sample the national dish, ‘rice and curry’, for the first time. The name is deliciously deceptive as it’s actually a variety of tasty dishes similar to an Indian thali.

It’s time to hit Hill Country now, the highlands where the British kicked off the country’s famed tea industry.

I take the train to Hatton, a lovely experience.

I have two bases in the hills. The first, Camellia Hills, is surreal as I drive there through the Dunkeld Estate and Blair Athol District, learning that Sir Thomas Lipton was a Scot as I go. Recently opened Camellia Hills is a gem, a fivebedroom escape overlooking a lake and the emerald tea plantations.

The second night in the hills is away from the tea plantations among the rice paddies and thick jungles around Koslanda at Living Heritage. My ‘room’ is huge, a homestead with a large open living area modelled on a traditional family dwelling.

A guided hike awaits.

I make more new friends at Noel