Local highlights
Cricket is a national sport, played on every dusty maidan and patch of grass from Jaffna to Galle; a real highlight of any trip to the south is Galle Fort, where you can wander round the ancient ramparts at sunset, watching cricket games below, or stroll the narrow streets in search of antiques in tiny, friendly shops; local festivals such as Vesak full moon in May and Poson full moon in July, as well as the famous Esala Festival in Kandy in July and August, when Buddha’s tooth is taken out from the temple and paraded through the streets; visiting national parks, sheltering an abundance of wildlife including leopards, elephants, bears and hundreds of species of birds; buying tea, gems, jewellery, spices; fantastic spicy local cuisine, specialising in fish dishes, and delicious ‘egg hoppers’; tea-tasting in the hill country; Sigirya Rock Fortress; the Cave temples of Dambulla; the medieval capital and ruins of Polonnaruwa; the sacred city of Anuradhapura; the west coast beaches flanked by palm trees, including Negombo, Beruwela, Bentota and Galle; the elephant orphanage at Pinnawela; the tea plantations near Nuwara Eilya, a region known locally as Little England; Ayurvedic massage; a warm welcome wherever you go.
Getting out and about
Self-drive hire cars are a possibility, and can be arranged locally or in advance. A more popular option is to hire a car with driver for day trip or excursion. This can be arranged by us in advance or by the hotel locally. Driving is on the left-hand side. Please note that when visiting temples you should have your legs and shoulders covered. So long trousers or long skirts are advised.
Travel arrangements
Sri Lankan Airways operates daily flights to Colombo from London Heathrow. Most flights leave London in the afternoon or evening. Flight time is about 11 hours. There is economy and a business class cabin. In the course of 2012 the business class cabins are being upgraded to fully reclining flat-beds. From Colombo you can also take the Sri Lankan air taxi to regional centres throughout the country. Sri Lankan Airways also operates flights to the Maldives via Colombo, making Sri Lanka and the Maldives a perfect two-centre combination.