Ceylon Tea Anybody?

We were actually planning on going to India but after being unable to decide where exactly to go in such a vast country, we instead decided to go to neighbouring Sri Lanka!

Sri Lanka (or Ceylon as it was formerly known) is an Indian Ocean island located off the south eastern tip of India, nestled between the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.  It measures 435 km by 240 km and has a very diverse landscape, ranging from sandy beaches and arid plains to highlands and rainforests. 

It is most famous for its ancient Buddhist ruins, including the 5^th century fortress of Sigiriya and the ancient capital of Anuradhapura, which dates back more than 2,000 years. However, it is also famous for producing Ceylon Black Tea, which is universally acknowledged as the most superior tea in the world.

This time we flew from the UK with Qatar Airways, via Doha, which takes around 13 hours.  Quite a long flight really but the standards and service on Middle Eastern airlines (Qatar, Emirates & Etihad) are all very good and by varying the airline, you also get to stop off in different countries.

Our hotel of choice for this trip was the Centara Ceysands Resort on Bentota Beach in August.  We decided on a 7-day trip on a full board (b&b, lunch & dinner) basis and this turned out to be perfect for the location.  This basis also included selected local soft and alcoholic drinks, so we never needed to pay for anything really.  Again, this might sound like a very expensive holiday but with plenty or research, some flexibility on dates and some invaluable expert advice from the representatives at 2L Travel, we managed to secure a very reasonable price.

Bentota Beach is on the south west coast and 80 km south of the capital, Colombo, where all international flights land.  A bit further than I would normally like to be from the airport but by booking a transfer as part of the package, it turned out to be a very pleasant 75 minute journey, with just the two of us on board.  We also got a bit lucky with the timing, as apparently, it can take 2-3 hours during certain peak times of the day.

The main attraction of the hotel for us was the fact that it was situated on a sand bar, accessible only from the mainland via a short boat ride, which therefore produced a lagoon on the one side of the ‘island’ with the ocean on the other side.

What further enhanced the arrival experience was the fact that the hotel had an initial reception area on the mainland side of the lagoon.  Here they would greet you with a cold drink and a refreshing hot face towel, before taking your cases and transporting you the 400 metres across the lagoon.  There you were met with impeccably dressed and courteous staff, who again took your cases and guided you towards the main reception area.  They say ‘little things please little minds’ – well this definitely pleased me J

The hotel was beautiful, in a stunning location and set amongst lush vegetation, which lead you out onto the beach.  It had a big outdoor swimming pool, with a swim-up bar (more little things!), beachside bar lounge, tea lounge, various small shops, water activities centre, a large buffet restaurant with outside decking area overlooking the lagoon and a separate (but included in the package) a la carte restaurant (oh, and more than its fair share of native reptiles!).

The food on offer was generous and varied at all times, with options to suit all tastes, and especially those with a sweet tooth.  The outside dining was especially atmospheric in the evenings, with subtle lighting and the sounds of exotic Asian insects.  They also put on live music acts in the beachside bar lounge in the evenings – one of whom bore more than a passing resemblance to Bob Marley! - ‘love the life you live, live the life you love’.

Away from the hotel, I would thoroughly recommend a day trip that we booked, which visited several sites of interest in the area and included our own personal driver for the day.  The local guide picked us up in his taxi at the mainland reception in the morning and the hotel even gave us a picnic to take with us because we wouldn’t be eating lunch with them on that day (what a nice touch).

The main highlight for us was a visit to a local Turtle Sanctuary, which despite the vast array of turtles on show, was effectively run by a committed gang of volunteers who relied heavily on donations to fund their incredible conservation and rehabilitation centre.  They even allowed us to (gently) handle some of the baby turtles and if you’re lucky enough to visit during certain times of the year, you can also watch when they release them back into the ocean.

Another highlight was a small private boat ride on the Bentota River.  Local boat owners hang around the river café and are more than happy to take you on a guided tour of the river estuary, which includes mangrove forests, and uncharted inlets where you are surrounded in vegetation.  The wildlife is in abundance and on our short trip we saw herons, monkeys and water monitor lizards (and they are big!). 

However, the biggest surprise was ending up on a pontoon in the middle of the river, which had been adapted to house freshwater pools of fish that provided you with the Madu Ganga Fish Massage (or ‘fishy feet’ as they are sometimes known).  You just take off your footwear, put your bare feet in the water and wait for the schools of fish to come along and nibble away at the dirt and excess skin on your feet.  I would describe it as a combination of tickly and scary but definitely an experience not to be missed. 

Other stops along the way included a visit to a woodcraft studio, a chance to sample an authentic coconut drink from a roadside family, photo opportunities outside various temples & monuments and a chance to eat our picnic on the coastal path, overlooking the Indian Ocean. 

One thing we certainly didn’t expect whilst eating our picnic, was to be approached by a cow, which was casually meandering down the path.  ‘Do not touch her’, said the guide, “she belongs to the village".  It’s actually the Hindu religion that reveres and worships cows, whereas the vast majority of Sri Lankans are Buddhists, who just believe in treating all animals with care and respect.

Our final stop was a visit to the ancient city of Galle, which houses Galle Fort, the fortified old city which was founded by Portuguese colonists in the 16^th century.  The Fort includes several historic buildings, including the Lighthouse and Dutch Reformed Church, all protected by stone sea walls.  All in all, this was a very enjoyable and informative day trip, which ended with us being dropped off at the hotel in good time for dinner – and at a cost of just £50 ($63) per person, for just 2 people, I think it represented very good value indeed.

Other Sri Lankan highlights, if you can visit for longer, include Yala National Park, where you can see elephants, leopards and much more, Sigiriya (or Lion Rock), which rises 200 metres above the forested plain and a visit to the city of Kandy & The Tea Plantations in the interior.

So, as you can probably gather, Sri Lanka is an amazing holiday destination for those seeking a big adventure, who want to experience a totally different culture, language and way of life.  As with most long-haul holidays, the climate can dictate the best time of year to visit and the price of that holiday therefore changes accordingly.

In my opinion, the best times to visit are the ‘shoulder’ months in between their summer & winter seasons, as the weather during these periods are usually more manageable and the prices at those times are also more affordable.

However, if we were to take away one lasting memory of our trip to Sri Lanka, it would be the people, their friendliness, their values and their inherent happiness.  They really were a joy to be around and to interact with, and at the end of the day, you cannot ask for any more than that in any walk of life.