Perahera Season Next month, August, the world famous Perahera takes place in Kandy. It’s a 14-day event open to the public as spectators, beginning on 17 August culminating in the glorious evening Perahera on the night of the Full Moon, Saturday 29 August and followed by a less elaborate day Perahera on Sunday 30 August.… Read More »

Every year Red Dot Tours presents awards for the top 25 places to stay in Sri Lanka, as voted by you. Based entirely on the customer feedback we receive, these awards are given at the start of every year to our outstanding accommodation. Our list spans a mix of boutique hotels, villas, retreats, resorts, and even… Read More »

New Rail Museum Passengers on trains heading from Colombo to the hill country are astonished to see smart, but ancient, classic locomotives alongside the platforms at Kadugannawa Station, 16km before Kandy. Hill country trains stop at that station but expresses to Kandy rumble through so passengers only get a glimpse of Kadagannawa’s link with trains… Read More »

      Red Dot has always been a company which promotes choice for our customers. We are also a company with a strong set of values: we have always been committed to campaigning for responsible tourism. We take our responsibilities to the environment, local communities, local wildlife, customers, partners, and employees very seriously.  As… Read More »

The beach is back “The beach is back!” As soon as the pumping and gushing of sand over the exposed rocks at Unawatuna was finished, these words buzzed around Sri Lanka, and Unawatuna in the island’s south was back in business.     Once acclaimed as one of the 10 best beaches in the world… Read More »

Holiday Month April is holiday month in Sri Lanka. Whenever a public holiday falls close to a weekend, Sri Lankans love to make the most of it and visit friends, the hill country, and the beaches. Friday 3 April is a holiday, being a Full Moon Poya Day, which makes for a long weekend. Then… Read More »

This month: a brief account of a fascinating place, steeped in history but contributing hugely to modern Sri Lanka’s prosperity.   Unknown Sri Lanka: China Fort It’s not a fort and the connection with China is conjecture, but China Fort is a vitally important part of Sri Lanka’s economic prosperity as well as a fascinating… Read More »

The other day, Red Dot CEO Miguel Cunat was approached by a client with a simple but rather specific question: “We are a family of five. Two parents in their 40s with three young boys aged 5 – 11. We consider ourselves active travellers who are really into local experiences. When all the tourists go left,… Read More »

Greetings to fellow travellers and visitors to Sri Lanka with train news. By train to Jaffna Following the election of a new president in Sri Lanka in January, several changes are obvious to the frequent visitor to the island. One of interest to travellers is the lifting of restrictions on foreigners going by train to… Read More »

January in Sri Lanka brings some exciting events this New Year.   Is it safe? Yes, Sri Lanka is a safe country for tourists to visit. In January, though, there are a couple of high profile events during which visitors would be smart to observe the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s advice of “avoid any… Read More »