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 »
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 »
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 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 »
