Sri Lanka is often overlooked as a summer holiday destination, with most families choosing to visit the island during the Christmas or Easter holidays. Although Sri Lanka is in peak season between December to April, the rest of the year should not be classed as the country’s ‘low season’: various sections of the island come… Read More »
Taking the Train from Kandy to Ella Sri Lanka’s broad diversity makes it an island like no other. The beautiful beaches of the south, the mysterious mangroves that line the Mahaweli river, the cloud forests of Horton Plains National Park, the unique flora and fauna of Knuckles Mountain Range… the list goes on. Considering… Read More »
The latest walking tour to spring out of Sri Lanka’s capital is fresh, fascinating and highly original. Join SK De Silva, born and bred in Colombo, as he takes you on a journey through Sri Lanka’s colonial past into its vibrant, multicultural present. Discover the various nations that have settled on this extraordinary island and… Read More »
Sri Lanka is preparing for a huge influx of European holidaymakers looking for a safe place in the sun as they shun traditional Mediterranean holidays because of the threat of rising terrorist violence. The collapse in traditional holiday destinations has been quite startling. And to make matters worse The Times newspaper has reported that… Read More »
Finally, the world is realising something that Red Dot Tours has known all along: Sri Lanka is one of the most beautiful, intriguing and addictive travel destinations in the world. In Conde Nast’s first post of the New Year, Sri Lanka was dubbed as one of the hottest places to visit in 2016. This… Read More »
Butterflies Galore Sri Lanka’s wildlife is a bonus for visitors who visit the island on holiday. It’s not just the mainstream attractions like the Yala National Park, renowned for its elephants and leopards, or the bird sanctuaries to give twitchers palpitations, there are also less publicised creatures to amaze the causal watcher. Particularly the country’s… Read More »
Christmas presents Even though it’s hot and sunny in Sri Lanka at Christmas, unlike in Europe, the season is properly commemorated. Midnight mass is celebrated in the country’s churches (some seven per cent of the population is Christian) and, Christmas day being a public holiday, people of all faiths enjoy camaraderie, on the beach or… Read More »
Mining For Gems The mining of precious stones in Sri Lanka seems to be as old as the country itself. The tales of ancient mariners about their visits to the island frequently mention the “jewels of Serendib” telling of “the sapphires, topazes, amethysts, garnets and other costly stones of Ceylon.” One of the many… Read More »
Collecting Ceylon Ceylon ceased to exist in 1972 when the island’s name became Sri Lanka, 24 years after obtaining Independence from Britain in 1948. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the country officially becoming part of the British Empire in 1815, but there are no commemorations of that. However, there are many collectable items… Read More »
Sri Lanka’s rare martial art. An item in a local newspaper has set me on a discovery of a unique Sri Lankan martial art. The report reads: “A presentation and display on Angampora was conducted by the Sri Lankan Air Force Angampora team in Colombo last month, marking yet another significant milestone in history of… Read More »
