Sri Lanka Highlights:
Sri Lanka is “on trend” as far as travel hotspots go – and for very good reason. To whet your appetite, we look at a couple of the island’s great hotels and hear about some ideal itineraries. Keep an eye out for a few special deals, too.
From hill country to coast
Tropical Summer
Close to the historic port of Galle, The Fortress blends the colonial architecture of the Dutch and Portuguese eras. Its 53 rooms include two residential suites and come with private courtyards or balconies, and with sea or garden views. There are three restaurants: Salty Snapper overlooking the ocean and serving the country’s famed seafood dishes; White Restaurant offering everything from local cuisine to wood-fired pizzas, and Duo for fine dining. There’s also the T Lounge, dedicated to serving Sri Lanka’s famous tea. The on-site Spa Naturel offers a range of international and Ayurvedic therapies and beauty treatments, while other leisure facilities include a free-flowing pool, fully equipped gymnasium and yoga pavilion, and – for business travellers – meeting rooms with conference facilities for up to 60 people.
Special Offer: The Fortress’s Summer Escape package includes free dinners throughout your stay, an upgrade to the next highest room category available, and one-way airport transfers. Valid for bookings of five nights and above, for stays between 26 July and 31 October 2017. Just visit the “Offers” section of the website.
Family Adventure
Holidays with teenagers need a little twist – something really exciting to engage their imaginations – and the team from luxury travel operator Scott Dunn is sure that Sri Lanka has it all. Tropical beaches, waterfalls, incredible wildlife, tea plantations and fabulous food make it a perfect destination that the whole family can enjoy. Each Scott Dunn itinerary is completely tailor-made, taking into consideration that teens might not be great fans of an endless string of ancient sites and temples! Instead, the “Sri Lanka for Teenagers” itinerary is more about seeing local life, getting out and about and uncovering the hidden gems, with lots of activities to keep them occupied, before ending with some beach time. Spend your days on the lookout for elusive leopards in Wilpattu National Park or learning the art of haggling in the local markets with your private driver guide, before retreating to a luxury boutique hotel for some chill-out time.
Special Offer: Scott Dunn offers a 13-night tailor-made Sri Lankan adventure from $4,500 per person. This is based on a family of four travelling and includes a range of experiences, a private driver guide and return flights from Singapore.
Stylish Suites
Reef Villa & Spa is a luxury seven-suite boutique hotel located just 40 minutes south of Colombo. Set on three acres of lush landscaped gardens with extensive lily ponds and beside a palm-fringed beach, the hotel has an intimate vibe with superb attention to detail and service. The seven exclusive and palatial suites echo Indo-colonial décor and feature 150- year- old, four- poster beds and luxurious private verandas.
Facilities within the hotel include an azure swimming pool and an all-weather tennis court, while beachfront restaurant Summer Breeze serves fresh lobster, crab and prawns with hints of chilli, mustard seed and curry leaves. Further indulgence can be found at the Reefresh Spa, which offers a wide range of luxury treatments.
Reef Villa recently launched an app that acts as a mobile pocket concierge. Guests can view facilities, make table reservations, book spa treatments or yoga, and book accommodation. The app is available on Android and IOS and can be downloaded from onelink.to/reefvilla.
Beach & Beyond
Singapore- based Sri Lanka specialist Action Travel Club offers a variety of holiday packages – from a diving focus to nature trekking and other adventures – as well as bespoke itineraries for a memorable holiday experience. The company is tapping into the fact that travellers are increasingly discovering the exotic, unspoilt charms of Sri Lanka – in fact, figures from their website indicate that tourist numbers have grown from 498,000 in 2009 to well over two million in 2016. So, the best time to think about a trip is right now. From palm-fringed beaches and Ayurvedic spa treatments to wildlife safaris and whale-watching, it really is an island that offers something for everyone – and just a 3.5-hour flight from Singapore.