Category: Transport

Fighting the Galle Fort jams

Why Sri Lanka’s famed Fort needs fewer vehicles The Galle Fort is a treasure trove of history, beautiful cobbled streets and well-restored buildings. And amongst these narrow streets flanked with quaint eateries, gem merchants and local art shops, there are also a lot of vehicles that do the rounds. So, if you are someone who… Read More »

INSIDE SRI LANKA A monthly insider’s report by Royston Ellis, August 2015

Tea Time It’s a bit too early to put the kettle on but if you like tea then there are lots of events associated with tea being held in Sri Lanka in 2017. That’s to celebrate tea’s sesquicentennial based on it being 150 years since James Taylor, from Scotland, planted the first field of tea… Read More »

INSIDE SRI LANKA A monthly insider’s report by Royston Ellis, November 2014.

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 »

INSIDE SRI LANKA A monthly insider’s report by Royston Ellis, October 2014.

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 »

The route through the clouds to Pasekudah

For our journey to Pasekudah, which is fast winning a worldwide reputation as one of the jewels of Sri Lanka’s east coast, we took the route from Kandy through the Knuckles range and the challenge of the 18 hairpin bends. The route has been reopened recently after it was closed for road construction and despite… Read More »

Travel times to shorten significantly with construction of Batticaloa domestic airport

Despite being once described by Sir Arthur. C Clarke as “a small universe [that] contains many variations of culture, scenery, and climate as some countries a dozen its size”, Sri Lanka can sometimes be quite tricky to navigate, despite its relatively small size. More often than not it requires an overnight stopover in order to… Read More »

Lanka Challenge 2012 travels to the North

The legendary tuk tuk takes centre stage yet again at the popular Lanka Challenge 2012. The 12 – day three-wheeler encounter that takes competitors who arrive from across the globe on a journey across the island. This year’s event is unlike in any other in the competition’s four-year history with the opening up of the… Read More »

‘Cinnamon Air’ domestic air taxi service by John Keels to be launched

Sri Lanka is known by many for its wide variety of contrasting climates and environments that lie very short distances apart. Despite the short distances, traveling from place to place however can sometimes be a bit tricky due to relatively narrow roads and traffic. The introduction of an air taxi service by Sri Lankan Airlines… Read More »

Sri Lanka bans the transport of tourists in Tuk Tuks not licensed by the Tourism Authority

The Sri Lankan three wheeler, commonly known as the ‘tuk tuk’ has often been considered the best form of travel for locals and tourists for years,  with their ability to creep into the tiniest spaces on busy Sri Lankan roads. The tiny vehicle is considered to be a blessing to passengers, as well as the… Read More »

Etihad returns and SriLankan add new flights.

Some good news for Sri Lanka travelers: Etihad Airlines announced this week that they will resuming flights to Sri Lanka from January 2010. They will be operating four flights per week from Abu Dhabi to Colombo. Flight EY266 will depart Abu Dhabi on Monday, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 2155 and arrive at Colombo’s Bandaranaike… Read More »