Sri Lanka Tourism Blog

Nature, Culture, Luxury… a Lifestyle!

The newest and most ambitious project of Jetwing Hotels, located within 5km of the ‘8th Wonder of the World’-Sigiriya- is the creation of a truly ‘Lifestyle Hotel’. Sigiriya, located within the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka is famous for its rich history and Sri Lankan heritage. Vil Uyana situated within view of Sigiriya rock, on the flatlands that stretch to the west, integrates into an ancient plan - a plan to irrigate, in the tradition of the Sinhala kings.

The introduction of a wetland on reclaimed agricultural lands within the Dry Zone, provides the unique backdrop for this exciting new property. Inspired from local and rural traditions.

A private nature reserve provides a haven for wildlife and a setting of peace and tranquility. The hotel is possibly the first in the world to construct a wetland system with lakes and reed beds to form a private nature reserve.

This has allowed for the first time in Sri Lanka for rooms to be built over water. Centered around water bodies are parklands and woodlands, designed for leisure; an extension of the ancient practice of planning gardens for pleasure.

A challenge has been overcome, for the conversion of Dry Zone chena lands formed by slash & burn agriculture, to a seasonal wetland (land that is inundated by water for part of the year). The colonization of the new habitats by local fauna and flora has been accelerated by the planting of reed beds and groves of trees.

5 acres of land was used to re-grow paddy using traditional methods of farming and harvesting, providing a new and exciting feature. Rooms have been placed within the paddy fields, thereby giving the guest a unique opportunity of participating in both the farming and harvesting if they wished; yet another first in Sri Lanka! The regeneration of the forested groves create a feeling of ultimate privacy and seclusion in the Forest Lodges, the largest of the Chalets.

The tastefully designed rooms boast space as its hallmark of luxury. Dine in the privacy of your room or ‘under the stars’ or simply relax and pamper yourself at the Island Spa with a range of treatments to choose from.

The many components of the ecosystem will be subject to continuous monitoring. The hotel is unique in building a research facility from inception. Comfortable accommodation will be provided to researchers locally and internationally, overcoming one of the key logistics hurdles to field work. The research center also has a library, a room for laboratory based work and a computer room. The guest will be a participant in the metamorphosis of tourism as a champion of conservation. The environmental awareness will be an important aspect of a new ethos.

As part of Jetwing’s responsibility towards local communities an English teaching program is being held in two Buddhist temples located near Vil Uyana. Namely, Rotawewa and Kimbissa. Unemployed youth now attend these classes where they are trained to read, write and speak English. Halfway through their 6 months training they will receive hotel craft training in a field selected from Hotel Housekeeping, Reception, Restaurant & Bar and Cookery. The objective of the initiative is to make them gainfully employable. Some of them will have the opportunity to join Jetwing while others can look for employment in other companies in Sri Lanka or even overseas.

Whether it is the nature lover in you or the task of ‘finding yourself again’ treat yourself to an experience…come be part of the lifestyle!

This prestigious property is scheduled to be opened in Autumn 2006.

25 Tastefully appointed Chalets set in 3 distinct ‘habitats’:

7 Water Pavilions 1030 Sq. Ft (Dining Deck 200 Sq. Ft)

6 Paddy Field Villas 1030 Sq. Ft (Dining Deck 200 Sq. Ft and Plunge Pool 200 Sq.Ft)

2 Marsh Villas 1030 Sq. Ft (Dining Deck 200 Sq. Ft and Plunge Pool 200 Sq. Ft)

10 Forest Lodges 2100 Sq. Ft (Private Pool)

Spread Over 24 Acres of Land

Location:

169 km from Colombo (About a 4 ½ hr drive)

153 km from the International Airport (About a 4 hour drive)

The Cinnamon Lodge and Nature Odyssey in collaboration with the John Keells Social Responsibility Foundation recently opened a Butterfly Garden at the Cinnamon Lodge, Habarana. The objective of the project is to develop an ecologically rich plot of land as an ideal habitat to attract butterflies; simultaneously creating awareness among guests, schoolchildren and other visitors about butterflies and biodiversity.The garden currently comprises about 300 plants that attract a wide variety of butterflies. Situated on a ten acre block of land at the Cinnamon Lodge farm, the Butterfly Garden was declared open by Director, John Keells Holdings PLC, Sumithra Gunesekera in the presence of renowned butterfly specialist Dr. Michael van der Poorten, Head of IUCN Asia’s Business and Biodiversity programme Shiranee Yasaratne, staff of the Cinnamon Lodge, schoolchildren from the area and other guests. The consultant on the project is the renowned butterfly specialist Dr. Michael van der Poorten, who has been studying butterflies in Sri Lanka for many years.

He recently discovered a species of butterfly that is new to Sri Lanka, the Orange Migrant (Catopsilia Scylla), which is found in Asia but has never been recorded in Sri Lanka before.“We are trying to promote the development of habitats in which butterflies can live and sustain stable populations”, said Dr. Van der Poorten. “It is important to make people aware of the resources that butterflies require in different habitats.

Two of the most important resources are food for the caterpillars (larval host plants) and food for the adults (usually nectar plants).”A total of 244 species of butterflies are are found in Sri Lanka, including the recently discovered Orange Migrant by Dr. van der Poorten. Among them, 20 species are endemic to Sri Lanka. A total of 66 butterfly species are considered as nationally threatened, according to the IUCN 2007 National Red List.

Among the native butterflies of Sri Lanka, one in four species is believed to be nationally threatened, due to loss of natural habitat, decline of food plants and environmental pollution. “We are encouraged that corporate entities such as John Keells are engaged in the conservation of threatened species to help save Sri Lanka’s vanishing biological heritage. Retaining viable populations of species in their native habitats is an essential conservation response for ensuring the long-term survival of these species. John Keells is doing just that, and IUCN is privileged to be a partner in this process,” said Head of IUCN Asia’s Business and Biodiversity Programme, Shiranee Yasaratne.The project will be sustained by Nature Odyssey (a member of the John Keells Group and an inbound tour operator specialising in nature and adventure) and the Cinnamon Lodge under the guidance of Dr. van der Poorten, while IUCN will collaborate in its development by means of advice and literature.Director, John Keells Holdings, Sumithra Gunesekera said, “My congratulations to Nature Odyssey and Cinnamon Lodge for such an original, yet simple way of making a difference to our environment. We often take butterflies for granted, never realising the part they play in our ecology. Dr. van der Poorten’s contribution has been priceless. My sincere appreciation to him for the effort and passion he has put into this work. I also hope that all visitors to the butterfly garden will come away more enlightened and interested in these amazing creatures. Conservation, we believe, begins with awareness and education, and this is exactly what we hope to achieve through this project.”

By: kirthi hulangamuwa

While crossing the Yoda Ela on a narrow bridge to the precincts of Minneri Devalaya a devotee is awe-inspiring with reverential sentiment -triggered by anticipation.A stone’s throw from Elahera town nestled on a picturesque setting over a vast stretch of paddy fields and bewitching Ambanganga, there stands a shrine room dedicated to Minneri devio. The deity is supposed to be the deified form of king Mahasen, builder of many tanks among which Minneriya ranks foremost. Legend has it the king held his council with the ministers and yodayas (giants) on the very spot where the devalaya stands to day on the bank of the Yoda ela. Power of the overlord reverberates in valleys and plains, forests and households of the district of Polonnaruwa.

An archaic Bo tree that is believed to have sheltered the king and his retinue stands beside the shrine. Though not a huge edifice with pomp and ceremony this solitary monument unfolds volumes of lore and legend. For illness, dispute, distress and the like this simple yet magnanimous place of worship proved a panacea, they say. An offering is made to the deity soon after the harvest with the participation of the whole farming community. It is a fulfilling of a vow made to their protector and benefactor for granting the favours of a bountiful harvest sans famine, disease and drought.

In distress - be it prejudice or prudence - peasant farmers make a vow at the shrine in the simplest form of tying a ‘pandura’ on the trident (thrishula) believed to have been used since Polonnaruwa era. Coincidence or not, mere chance or otherwise several incidents of assistance by the deity are recorded. Incurable diseases, family disputes, long overdue law suits, drinking habits etc. are made good. Wisdom and tradition twist interminably with phenomenal results granted for the benefit of the peasantry. In my ramblings in the wilderness over thirty years, mostly alone, I have stumbled upon few similar hallowed shrines that attract veneration.

Kapuralas

Inhabitants of the area fled following the invasion of Maga, the disreputable South Indian prince who brought destruction and misery to the monarchy of Polonnaruwa in 1214. Jungle tide rose over the sovereignty. There are few families who braved atrocities perpetrated by the aggressor. A long line of kapuralas are hailing from one such family being the hereditary heirs to the devalaya.

Elephants

Leaving the authenticity of the divine power at bay and rendering it more tantalizing, I shall guide the weary traveller to a more promising I territory to watch pachyderms of elephants.

The place: Ihakuluwewa. You travel down the tarred bund of Yoda ela for twenty miles and at Diyabeduma a weather beaten track will take the traveller to the upper reaches of Minneriya tank- where all it happens.

I am meticulously avoiding main thoroughfares which the ignorant travellers use. He goes, probably sees or not and returns crestfallen, mostly. All big games are there: elephants, wild buffalos spotted deer sambur and the like. Approximate habitats are shrouded by a vast canopy of tree tops. Golden sandy beds of dry streams planked by thick foliage on either side create a cool rendezvous for the denizens of Minneriya. They commence their promenade here at the glorious sunset that would leave a nature lover speechless2Assortments of water birds congregate on shallow end while large wings festoon the sky over the glassy liquid.

Wildlife enthusiast is tempted to scan around probably with untrained eyes out of sheer curiosity. Nervous, he may look here, there and sees nothing. You are advised to look into the jungle and not at it as impending dangers appear from nowhere. It had happened to me when I confronted a wild buffalo, the most formidable animal when provoked.

Elahera canal

The canal that replenishes thirsty Minneriya tank is the brainchild of King Wasaba (77 AD). Ambanganga was intercepted at Elahera with hewn stones and earth embankment rendering the imprisoned waters gush through a narrow stone gap ensuring the outflow is incessant and persistent.

Galloping water crashes into the canal below and travels twenty four miles along the foot of Sudu Kanda while irrigating paddy fields below. The gradient of the waterway is said to be one inch to one mile. The canal was navigable during the epic period of King Mahasen. The monarch had sailed up to Oru-Bendi which literally means tamarind tree which boats moored. He is said to have had overtures on a village damsel.

The antiquated tree withstood all weathers till recently. It had seen the rise and fall of many a monarch, prosperity and calamity alternatively until the whole region was succumbed by the irrepressible jungle eight centuries ago. In the 1930s revival dawned owing to the genius of one Man. His name is D.S. Senanayaka.

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Look for all inclusive resorts when looking for cheap cruises deal. You can later worry about getting cheap flights to the place and interim stay at a hotel. Usually there are a few running offers on airline tickets.

In the latest edition of the travel+leasur
magazine has selected Sri Lanka’s Heritance Kandalama Hotel among the best 15 eco hotels (Green Hotels) of the world. Heritance Kandalama has been among the best ten-twenty from the inception and it is good to see they are maintaining their quality even during the hard times.
More about Heritance Kandalama : http://www.heritancehotels.com/HK/index.php

“Indulge yourself with a healthy sunrise breakfast on the shores of the lake” urged the welcome letter from Sarath Wickremasinghe, general manager of Cinnamon Lodge.
After a five hour drive from Colombo to Habarana, we had been guided to our suite by a young man introduced to us as our butler, Nuwan. Instead of Jeeves’s bow tie and tails he wore an orange tunic and an equally vivid sarong. Monkeys gambolled in the vast parkland setting while birds - including a hornbill - chortled in surprise as we walked to our suite. Tall Roystonea palm trees, my favourite of course, guarded the swimming pool that itself adjoined a mini-lake where a small rowing boat was moored by the bank.
We were staying in one of the four Master Suites in the 142-unit resort. My first experience of suites was during my youthful rock ‘n’ roll years when I toured the USA with a band and we had bedrooms with parlours attached. Since then I have stayed in so-called suites that are no more than a standard bedroom partitioned off from an alcove with a curtain. The suites at Cinnnamon Lodge are not those kind; they are more like private villas.

Entrance is from a veranda with chairs for lazing while watching wild birds flitting in the trees and tame tourists strolling to their rooms. The door of our suite, number 73, the Cedar, opened into a hall with stairs of polished coconut wood and an umbrella stand, with four umbrellas. Ahead was the parlour, a symphony of polished wood and a club-like atmosphere of which the real Jeeves would have approved.

A wooden, silk upholstered chaise longue guarded the approach to the French windows opening onto another veranda, this one overlooking the park and lake. A huge cement chaise longue, heavily cushioned, defined one end of the room, while solid wooden furniture with mini-bar and pantry cupboard marked the other end. A guest bathroom was beyond. In the middle was a massive dining table for eight guests, and there were books on the shelves and apples in bowls as décor.

Off the hallway was a bedroom for two, with ensuite bathroom and its own TV, while the master bedroom was up the stairs. Entering it was to be transported to the elegance of a Bangkok five-star hotel: an enormous, deep bed piled high with silk cushions and spread with crisp, Egyptian cotton sheets. French windows opened onto a broad balcony, an ideal spot for sundowners. In the bathroom there was a Jacuzzi with lake view, a separate vanity table and twin stand-alone wash basins, and a rain shower.

The Cinnamon Lodge suites seem designed for permanent residence, not for an over-night stay. Unfortunately tourists on a round-trip, racing around Sri Lanka, have no time to stay long at the resort. Sri Lankans are luckier in being able to settle there for a few days while sightseeing in the Cultural Triangle, or simply enjoying the tranquillity of the countryside.

In a way, Cinnamon Lodge is like a resort in the Maldives since it is horizontal and secluded and self-contained. For a holiday it offers much more than a Maldives resort, at much less cost, because of the attractions - elephants instead of fish, jungle instead of sand - as well as privacy and individual attention from a tropical Jeeves.
Ours attended us on demand throughout our stay. He served us when we dined in the restaurant on an eclectic table d’hote menu of innovative cuisine (executive chef, Senaka, even gave us his recipe for Tomato Crystal Consomme). Butler Nuwan also delivered the promised “healthy breakfast” on a table set up especially for us on the lake shore. Hearty is a better word to describe the omelette, bacon, sausages and two baskets of bread all washed down with fresh wood apple juice. Perhaps the healthy touch was the exercise of the walk to get to it.

Cinnamon Lodge is remarkable in retaining an unspoilt character despite its years of existence (it was previously known simply as Habarana Lodge) while, with its manorial suites, positioning itself as an upmarket sophisticated retreat for the cultured and discerning. www.cinnamonhotels.com
more photos : http://www.flickr.com/photos/nishannthe/

Adding an extra touch of nature and concentrating on the local tourist market has helped a hotel controlled by Sri Lanka’s John Keells Holdings to maintain higher occupancy. This year the Chaaya Village in north-central Habarana says it has recorded higher occupancy rates than other properties in the area, despite a 22 percent slump in tourist arrivals in the first eight months of the year.

“There is a downturn in tourism, but we have withstood it better than the others,” Shafeek Wahab, Head of Branding for Cinnamon and Chaaya Hotels and Resorts told Lanka Business Report, a weekly business show.

In June 2006, Habarana Village as it was known before was re-branded as Chaaya Village, making it the flagship for the brand.
For many, the four hour journey to Habrana is unbearable after the 12 hour flight from Europe or other far away destinations but the beauty and the serene atmosphere of the hotel leave many awed.

“I think it’s really nice, it’s slightly different from what I’m used to and it’s very peaceful and quite,” said Len Collins, a guest from Abu Dhabi.

Sri Lanka has seen a slump in tourist arrivals since the middle of last year, but even with low guest arrivals the management of John Keells, went ahead with the re-branding.

With five resorts in the Maldives and twelve hotels in Sri Lanka the management was keen on using a different strategy to attract guests during volatile times. It is different from the standard beach resort that most tourists expect.

“The advantage we have here is we can cast our marketing net over a wider category,” says Wahab.

Under the re-branding process the hotel was given a new look with mud coloured walls and lines of trees along the long foot paths spreading over the 14-acre property.
Many who visit the hotel look forward to a very tranquil and serene environment, while experiencing some thing memorable. This includes a growing number of local tourists whose patronage helps hotels ride out the downturn in foreign visitors.

The hotel offers various activities ranging from elephant rides and bird watching to climbing Sigiriya, an ancient rock fortress.

One of the unique experiences that guests enjoy is the cuisine from the nearby village.

“Most of the foreigners like the Sri Lankan food and we actually go to the extent of giving them local food,” says Roland, who went on to add that lake fish is one of the favorites among the guests.

With the re-branding the hotel also developed as a training ground for the brand and also for the hotel chain.

Currently, 70 percent of the two hundred odd staff working at the hotel is from the locality, which enables the hotel to extend financial support to the villagers in and around the hotel.

“The ability to attract, recruit, retain and develop staff is not only in Colombo,” Wahab said.

Chaaya Village Habarana was one of the winners of the gold awards for its eco project at this year’s Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) awards.

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There is nothing more rejuvenating than a vacation and that too composed of cheap travel modalities. That means no cruise or casino; just cheap hotels and fun activities and eating and playing around.

England’s cricketers have just started their tour of Sri Lanka, drawing thousands of fans in their wake. Rosanna de Lisle highlights some of the treats that await the Barmy Army.

Sri Lankans never seem to stop smiling, but when the England cricket team last toured their country, in late 2003, they had genuinely good reason to be cheerful.

England’s tour of Sri Lanka starts on October 1 with a one-day international in Dambulla, followed by two more on the same ground and two in Colombo. Sri Lankans like the excitement of day-night cricket and will bunk off work to watch screens on street corners, but it’s the Test matches in December that are expected to draw thousands of England fans.

So here’s our guide to the three Test venues, along with a few ideas for the companion who’s along for the ride rather than the wickets.

If dialing any of the phone numbers from outside Sri Lanka, replace the initial 0 with 0094.

Kandy: First Test, December 1-5

The hill capital was the last stronghold of the Sinhalese kings and still has a majestic air that is not all to do with its fresher weather. Arrive from hot, heaving Colombo and Kandy’s magnificent Temple of the Tooth, its calm grey-green lake and its steep, wooded hills seem to belong to another country.

The ground
The Asgiriya Stadium is carved into a hillside. England usually play well here, helped by the kinder climate. “Kandy tends to produce nail-biting, adventurous cricket,” says Charlie Austin. “The pitch is quicker and bouncier and the Kandy supporters are very vocal - this is Murali’s home town. They take on the Barmy Army and the camaraderie is very good.”

Where to stay
Much the loveliest place is The Kandy House, but its nine rooms are already booked during the cricket. However, there are plenty of larger hotels, comfortable if slightly staid, perched above the lake and river. The best bets are Amaya Hills, Earl’s Regency, Mahaweli Reach, Hunas Falls, Thilanka; from around £50 double b & b. The scenic Victoria Golf Course has a lodge and chalets.

Where to eat and drink
Kandy is not well endowed with restaurants but the most atmospheric place to eat is Helga’s FollyPub Royal (cocktails and dinner, about £10 per person; book ahead on 081 223 4571). Bamboo Garden (081 447 6099), up the hill from the Temple of the Tooth, is a cheap and cheerful Chinese with a terrace, bar and big screen; main courses from 400 rupees (£1·75). The colonial at the Queens Hotel and first-floor Pub, both on the main drag, Dalada Veediya, will be post-match hangouts.

Diversions from the field
The fantastically gilded Temple of the Tooth draws pilgrims from all over the world. Go at 10am or 6pm to see ceremonies; don’t expect to see the Buddha’s tooth relic, which is in a casket.

The Kandyan Arts Association has dance and drumming every day at 6pm. The British Garrison Cemetery is full of tea planters, whose stories are told by the caretaker. The Botanical Gardens are worth an hour or three. The elephant orphanage at Pinnawela is well known, but you will learn more about elephants, and can ride one, at the Millennium Elephant Foundation up the road.

Senani Silks, near Royal Palace Park, is great for saris. Isini Gems, opposite, is a museum as well as a shop. Waruna Antiques on Peradeniya Road is worth a rummage.

Matale, 14 miles north of Kandy, is famous for its spice gardens and for the renowned batik artist Ena de Silva’s Heritage Centre (066 222 2404). Book three days ahead to have lunch and you’ll be served up to 20 exquisitely slow-cooked curries.

Colombo: Second Test, December 9-13

At first sight, the capital is chaotic and charmless, but beyond the ugly thoroughfares there are pockets of serenity - avenues of rain trees, parks, temples and the odd grand public building.

The ground

The Singhalese Sports Club is Sri Lanka’s Lord’s. There’s no lighting here, so one-day matches happen at Premadasa Stadium. There’s no breeze and the ground can get hot and humid - for spectators as much as players. Leave the grass banks to the locals and find a seat in the shade.

Where to stay

The teams stay at the Taj Samudra. There’s nothing wrong with that, but if you want to wake up in no doubt about where you are in the world, you’d be better off at the Galle Face Hotel. This seafront institution is decidedly worn and the older rooms are probably only for those who wish the empire had never ended, but the Regency wing now has modern bathrooms (double b & b from £47).

For more sophistication, stay at one of Colombo’s new boutique hotels. The Park Street Hotel is a quietly swish conversion of a colonial bungalow (www.taruvillas.com; double b & b from about £140). Casa Colombo packs bold contemporary design into a Moorish palace. The décor is too funky for its shirt, but the MacBook, iPod and personal butler standard to each room make for a cosseting stay (www.casacolombo.com; double b & b from £180).

Where to eat and drink

England fans congregate at Clancy’s, the bar of the Colombo Cricket Club. Bayleaf, an Italian restaurant with a large garden, is also within walking distance of the SSC (79 Gregory’s Road; 011 535 9653). The Cricket Club Café (34 Queens Road; 011 250 1384) is highly themed, with Bradman’s burger and lots of memorabilia on the menu.

The Gallery Café (2 Alfred House Road, 011 258 2162) has great fusion food and, as the former office of the celebrated architect Geoffrey Bawa, even better style; dinner and drinks from £20 a head.

Beach Wadiya serves simple seafood right on the sands. It’s barefoot-relaxed, but you need to book (2 Station Avenue, 011 258 8568).

Diversions

Cricket widows should be consoled by Colombo’s shops. Paradise Road (next to the Gallery Café) sells chic contemporary homewares at prices so tempting you may want to ask about shipping; at Barefoot (706 Galle Road), vibrant, hand-loomed textiles are fashioned into everything from clothes to toys; and Odel (5 Alexandra Place) sells clothes made locally for Western labels, but without Western price-labels.

Galle: Third Test, December 18-22

Dangling into the Indian Ocean like a chunky jewel, Galle Fort is both historic and increasingly hip, as more and more of its 17th-century Dutch merchants’ houses are turned into hotels, villas and shops. Happily, it remains a living, working town and hasn’t become a museum.

The ground

The stadium should be rebuilt in time for the Test, but it’s really only the pitch that is vital: the game can be seen from the ramparts. “It’s like the carnival comes to town - it’s fabulous,” says Olivia Richli, manager of Amangalla, the Fort’s most sumptuous hotel. “There’s a party atmosphere on the ramparts and everyone gets very, very red.” Hats and sunscreen essential.

Where to stay

The teams stay at the Lighthouse, a late Bawa masterpiece that stands dramatically on a headland a mile from the Fort. Two freshwater pools and a superb spa draw non-residents, as does the sunset over the ocean (www.jetwinghotels.com; double b & b from £85).

Galle’s clutch of boutique hotels - Amangalla and the Galle Fort Hotel inside the ramparts, the Sun House and Dutch House in the new town - are fully booked during the cricket, but will be open to diners and drinkers. Tamarind Hill, a colonial mansion near the Lighthouse, should be open by December (www.taruvillas.com, double b & b from about £110).

There are plenty of cheaper options along the coast, such as Sun and Sand and Thambapanni Retreat in Unawatuna, and Amaya Reef and Cinnamon Gardens in Hikkaduwa.

Where to eat and drink

The best spots for sundowners are the Lighthouse, the Rampart Hotel in the Fort and the Ladyhill (Upper Dickson Road). Dine at the Galle Fort Hotel (091 223 2870), which has terrific pan-Asian food, or the Sun House (091 438 0275), where there’ll be a barbecue for up to 40 in the courtyard and a plasma screen in Dick’s Bar (free tuk-tuk shuttle from the ground). The bars - and beaches - of Unawatuna and Hikkaduwa will reliably rock into the night.

Diversions

There’s so much to see and do around Galle that even a cricket tragic could be tempted to miss a few overs. Wander round the Fort, taking in the Dutch church, temple, mosque, bastions and some surprisingly good shopping (find Barefoot, Elephant Walk, Mimimango and several jewellers on and around Church Street).

Surf at Hikkaduwa, dive at Unawatuna or head into the hinterland to Sinharaja rainforest, Samakanda, a visionary ecological project (www.samakanda.org), or Handunugoda Tea Estate (091 228 6364) which produces some of the world’s finest white tea.
# Red Dot Tours (0113 815 0864 or 01937 842846, www.reddottours.com) is the official agent for the England cricket tour. The company can book all the hotels mentioned above. Its packages are especially good value: Kandy Test, including return flights, eight nights’ b & b, airport and stadium transfers, tickets to all five days of the Test, from £905 per person, based on two sharing. Colombo and Galle Tests, with flights, transfers, match tickets and 16 nights’ b & b, from £940pp. Red Dot is also putting on events for supporters during each Test.

BUILT on the bunds of the 12th century Giritale Tank with a magnificent view of the tranquil blue water dotted with green islands as a backdrop Giritale Hotel has what it takes to be a tourist paradise.

Built in 1974 and managed by Carsons Management Services (Pvt) Ltd., a senior company in Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry, the hotel exudes a rustic charm with the panoramic view of the Giritale Tank and the surrounding forest as an enticing backdrop.

The hotel has 42 rooms of which eight are deluxe rooms, offering star class facilities including TV, IDD telephone facilities, piped music and 24-hour room service. Resident Manager, Giritale hotel, versatile hotelier, T. Ganeshan and his ever-smiling staff treat all guests as VIPs.

This has resulted in Giritale Hotel being popular among ‘repeater’ guests, both foreign and local. The restaurant at Giritale under the guidance of Bar and Restaurant Manager Malika Edirisinghe offers the very best in Western, Eastern, Chinese and spicy Sri Lankan cuisine, prepared by a team of expert chefs. Giritale hotel is popular for family outings, conferences, workshops and for honeymooners due to its romantic setting.

The hotel is offering special discounted packages to Sri Lankans and expatriates. “This is a golden opportunity for Sri Lankan families to spend a memorable holiday in the rustic charm of the Giritale Hotel” RM, Ganeshan said.

The hotel offers Jeep Safaris to Kawdulla, Minneriya and Wasgamuwa National Parks, excursions to Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Dambulla, Kandy and Anuradhapura. Elephant rides, Nature walks, Jungle Tracking, Bird watching, Village Tours and Indoors Games, Cricket, Badminton and Volleyball.

Anna Murphy relishes Sri Lanka’s lush plantations, tasty curries, quaint traditions, lovely beaches - and lack of fellow travellers.

Much of my life I have wanted to go to Sri Lanka. But every time I’ve been on the verge of booking, the Tamils have caused trouble. This year, when I finally bought a flight, things kicked off again. But I went anyway, and am glad I did. Avoid the north-east, the centre of the troubles, and you feel safe.

At times I felt that I had the island to myself - and what a superb island it is: its beaches are Bounty-advert perfection, its tea country the prettiest I’ve seen, its temples drip with character. The food is sublime and my accommodation was fantastic - and affordable.

You could spend a fortnight visiting Sri Lanka’s sights, but in a convenient cluster near the island’s centre - north of the hill town of Kandy, where I began my trip - lie three of the most remarkable.

At Sigiriya, a slab of rock rears out of the forest like a giant’s thumbnail. Paintings of pneumatic women adorn the stone, with poems alongside that were engraved 2,500 years ago. A royal winter palace once sat on top of the rock.

Just to the south are the cave temples of Dambulla. In the main cave are colourful statues of Buddha, lined up like schoolchildren in front of a psychedelic backdrop of swirls and chequerboard. Locals leave offerings of lotus flowers - pink, white and lilac - or trays of intricately cut watermelon and guava.

A few miles to the east, at Polonnawura, the island’s medieval capital, are the vast figures of the Gal Vihara - four Buddhas carved into the granite in various poses.

Despite the many sights that are ripe for exploring, it was tempting to relax at base. Kandy House, a 200-year-old walauwa (or manor house), is built around a cool courtyard; its rooms furnished with antiques and its garden a manicured jungle. In the evenings I sat outside, admiring birds of paradise, drinking a concoction called a ginger kick and steeling myself for the feasting ahead. Supper was a panoply of curries - beef, okra and, most deliciously, hibiscus - followed by wattalapan, Sri Lanka’s answer to crème caramel.

My next stop was a surprisingly luxurious 1930s tea plantation bungalow, reached by a train that winds among the hills. We crossed slopes covered in a brilliant carpet of green tea bushes, which looked almost like the lawns of English suburbia. The illusion strengthened when we arrived at Norwood, the bungalow, with its Axminster rugs, its well-upholstered sofas and its bay windows overlooking a garden of begonias and hydrangeas. Beyond lay more plantations, the ant-like figures of Tamils - imported from southern India in the 19th century and identifiable by their dark skin and bright clothes - working away with huge baskets on their heads. In the distance rose dramatic peaks.

Visitors can cycle or walk between the four plantation bungalows, but I found it hard to drag myself away from Norwood. This was a place where, should I wander out of my room and ask for a cup of tea at around 4pm I might find myself served a full high-tea, a tottering fine-china tower of scones, ham-and-mustard sandwiches and lemon tarts. Then it was cocktail hour and the staff would press me to accept a Castlereagh Signature - I never discovered what the recipe was, but it tasted lethal. On my pillow at bed time was a bud of tea - the “first flush”, picked in the morning - and between the sheets a tartan-covered hot-water bottle - it can get chilly at 3,100ft.

From the tea plantations I travelled to the fortress town of Galle on the south coast. Europeans and Americans have been buying property there for a song for years, and I suspect that if it weren’t for the effects of the tsunami and terrorism it would have turned into a sort of Marrakesh-cum-Lower East Side.

Galle’s Dutch-built Old Town was largely untouched by the tsunami, thanks to its beefy ramparts. Its streets are lined with charmingly named dwellings - Jasmine Cottage; Ernest House - with pitched roofs that sweep down to verandas. Small wooden gates and fences separate cottages from the street, and front doors are of stained glass. Around one crumbling square are the courthouses, where lawyers sit outside, tapping away at ancient typewriters.

The former New Oriental Hotel, renamed Amangalla and now part of the Aman chain, is right in the middle of it all. These days it is even more glamorous than in its 19th-century heyday and its vast proportions are made more elegant with an array of antiques. If you lounge long enough by the pool in the garden, you’re liable to be offered a bowl of delectable home-made ice cream. The hotel has an excellent hammam, and its barber will provide the closest of shaves while you recline in the original N O H-marked chair.

It was not always so perfect, as illustrated by an entry in a guestbook from the 1970s. “This is the Fawlty Towers of Asia,” wrote one unhappy customer. “If you are reading this when you have just checked in, check out now…”

Today, though, I advise the opposite for this wonderful island: check in as soon as you can, before the rest of the world discovers its charms.