Sri Lanka? It deserves the hype
Rachel Cranshaw can’t wait to get back to one of the last places she visited before lockdown hit
The news that Sri Lanka will be released from red-list purgatory on Wednesday is hugely exciting, particularly for travellers who want action as well as sunshine on what might be their first long-haul escape in quite some time.
Though travellers are currently required to stay in a quarantine hotel on arrival while awaiting a PCR test result (see panel), if this is relaxed then a visit to the South Asian country is well within imminent reach. Sri Lanka had been riding a wave of hype until coronavirus hit, and for very good reason. I can attest to this, as it was among the last long-haul destinations I visited prepandemic in November 2019. Tourists were returning after the Easter terrorist attacks of 2019, drawn to the country’s brilliant beaches (including Hiriketiya and Arugam Bay) and an interior rich in temples, tea and tropical greenery and vibrant cities.
And then there is the food. Sri Lankan cuisine is fast gaining popularity on the trendy London restaurant scene: Hoppers (hopperslondon.com) – named after the bowl-shaped pancakes (plain or egg) eaten for breakfast – now has three sites, and there are also Kolamba (kolamba. co.uk) and Paradise (paradisesoho.com) in Soho. From national dish “rice and curry” to kottu roti – chopped-up roti stir-fried with egg, veg and/or meat to resemble noodles – everything I ate in Sri Lanka was memorable.
It’s a cliché, of course, but this is an island that really does have something for everyone. It’s also not the kind of country you visit to stay in one place. The southwest coast has become a hotspot for wellness; Cape Weligama (0094 117 745 730; resplendentceylon. com/capeweligama) offers a devastatingly beautiful clifftop infinity pool
that Instagram-addicted teens who dream of influencer-friendly destinations such as Tulum in Mexico will love. Meanwhile the old city of Galle will provide a more restful sanctuary for their parents.
Inland, the Hill Country, the mountain area where the country’s tea was and still is grown, is a popular stop, but another less obvious way to spend a few days is in Yala National Park.
While many more acclaimed wildlife destinations are out of reach, “safari light” here rather comes into its own. Don’t obsess about seeing the elusive leopard; look at the bigger picture. Bird watchers will want to bring their binoculars, but there are also plenty of elephants. Driving slowly along right up next to one, close enough to see every wrinkle, is one of those travel experiences I truly cannot wait to get back to.
Exodus Travel’s 16-day Discover Sri Lanka group tour costs from £2,699pp including flights, accommodation with breakfast and one lunch, travel by private bus and activities. There are at least two departures per month in 2022 (020 3993 6058; exodus.co.uk)