This December’s a jolly month in Sri Lanka, even without Christmas. There is some exciting cricket and a Sesquicentennial to celebrate. One Match At Time If you need an extra reason to visit Sri Lanka (as well as for the serendipitous informality of life here), in December there will be five one day international… Read More »
Jaffna Permit Following the news last month of the Jaffna Peninsula being connected to the rest of Sri Lanka by train as a result of the completion of the re-laying of the railway track to Jaffna station after a break of two decades, restrictions on foreigners visiting Jaffna have been re-introduced. It is still possible… Read More »
Best of the West From October to March, the beaches on the west coast of Sri Lanka are the best. Whether you like broad strands of sand to jog along at the sea’s edge, soaring waves to surf as they splash on the shore, intimate coves for private sunbathing, or beaches lined with seafood cafés… Read More »
Colombo Renewal The rejuvenation and expansion of Colombo continues at an incredible pace. Last month I wrote about the opening of the converted old Auditor General’s building by Independence Square into an ornate and upmarket shopping arcade. Now the downmarket area of Pettah opposite the Colombo Fort Railway Station is being gentrified with the conversion… Read More »
Colombo Renewed In colonial days Colombo was regarded as the Garden City of Asia, a reputation it appeared to have lost until the Commonwealth Summit in November 2013 made it necessary for the authorities to clean up the city. Walls around public parks were torn down (with no adverse effects) and revealed once again what… Read More »
Fruit with Attitude This is the month for curious fruit in Sri Lanka, exotic delicacies found only in the tropics. It’s the season for durian, mangosteen and rambutan, a trio of odd looking fruit with attitude, apparently to deter people from eating them. Durian is as famous for its off-putting pong as for… Read More »
From the moment you enter the wooden gates, the gentle breeze and the wide open green spaces just wash you over with a sense of peace and calm that cannot be brushed aside. This feeling would continue even through the welcome by the gracious and smiling hosts and the refreshing drink of thambili and it… Read More »
Rest-houses For a taste (literally) of colonial Ceylon, I go to one of the few rest-houses that remain which are found in towns in the interior of the country. These were originally bungalows developed by the British colonial administration as a network of cheap accommodation and meals for travelling officials. They were usually built in… Read More »
Go East The season to visit the East Coast of Sri Lanka begins this month, May, and lasts until October, as the monsoon storms switch coasts and the sea in the east becomes calmer and the weather bright, while the beaches on the west shrink under rough seas. Trincomalee is the best known… Read More »
Touring Base If you want to see a lot of Sri Lanka independently, Kandy is the best base. This former medieval kingdom (founded by King Sena Sammatha Vikramabahu who reigned 1474-1511 after moving his capital there from Gampola) is blessed not only with the sacred Temple of the Tooth (dating from 1592), but also with… Read More »