The best places in Sri Lanka according to an expert
Listen and subscribe to The Escape Routes podcast iTunes, Spotify or download on Android to hear features director Fiona Kerr on Sri Lanka, the Indian Ocean island that is continually shifting.
The founder of tailor-made tour specialists Ampersand Travel shares his wealth of experience and gives us his guide to Sri Lanka. He tells us the dishes to order in Colombo, leads us to the most classic of hotels in Galle and lets us know where to find the best surf spot in the country.
Your favourite classic hotel?
‘Amangalla – formerly the New Oriental Hotel – in Galle, Sri Lanka. For me, authenticity is when local life is carrying on in its usual way around you, and this Dutch-colonial hotel in the historic UNESCO-protected old town is a peaceful sanctuary right amid the buzz of the Sri Lankan community. Step outside and see all the schoolchildren in their immaculate white uniforms, with perfectly plaited or combed hair, being dropped off or collected by bike or tuk-tuk, then retreat inside to the hotel’s tropical walled gardens and huge inviting pool.’
A great little find away from the crowds?
‘When I am in Sri Lanka and need to escape the crowds, I head to Bentota to stay at Rock Villa. My family have been coming here since before I was born and my first memories of bathing in the sea were here. I remember when it was a private house and belonged to friends of mine. It has now been changed into the most beautiful boutique hotel. The food is some of the best I have had, especially the breakfasts. The gardens are huge, leading straight down to the beach which is invariably deserted. There are train rails running through the bottom of the garden and you need to step over them to get to the sea. For me this adds hugely to the experience. The trains do not come by very often and when they do it’s a real event. The railway is also a blessing in disguise as developers were not able to take over that stretch of coastline, which is why it still looks much the same as it did more than 40 years ago when I was a child.’
Your loveliest travel experience?
‘My first love was Sri Lanka, and four decades later it still is. I jokingly refer to it as a fruity beauty. It is spectacular and incredibly fertile and bountiful. It offers such a vast diversity of landscapes and experiences, plus its people are incredibly hospitable and fun-loving. Sri Lankan food is now also receiving the recognition it deserves. One place that is really lovely is Ulpotha, which is a yoga eco-retreat where you stay in open mud huts. Despite its simplicity, every detail has been carefully considered and it has truly captured the essence of luxury – it’s one of my favourite places on earth. A second would be Thotalagala, a stunning tea planter’s bungalow that has some of the best views in Sri Lanka. Adjoining the estate is Dambatenne, possibly the most famous estate in all of Sri Lanka. Dambatenne is one of the only estates in the world that Sir Thomas Lipton planted himself. The term “Ceylon tea” was coined and Lipton Tea was founded here, which sold its first pound of leaves from the grounds of the factory that still stands today.'
Your holiday look?
‘In Sri Lanka it’s a silk sarong. The weather on the coast there is so warm that clothes are superfluous – the only reason one needs them is to protect one’s modesty. After a day on the beach there is nothing more comfortable to wear. My favourite one is made of black and olive-green silk, which I bought at Barefoot in Colombo.’
The items always in your holiday wardrobe?
‘I have a bright-orange cashmere beanie, which I roll down over my eyes when I want to sleep on a plane. I used to have blue ones, but I would always lose them as most planes have blue seats and carpets and I would fail to spot it when disembarking. My other must-haves include a large multipurpose wool shawl from India that I use as a blanket, pillow, turban, shawl or to wrap precious or fragile finds. Also swimming trunks – I always have a pair in my bag as there is nothing more irritating than ending up on a beautiful beach or by a stunning pool and not being able to swim as you don’t have your bathers.’
Your wash-bag essentials?
‘I push myself very hard when I travel so I always carry sachets of rehydration salts with electrolytes – if it’s really hot and you’re sweating buckets and beginning to feel a little rough, all you need to do is take one and it will put a spring in your step in a matter of minutes. The second would be Eight Hour Cream by Elizabeth Arden – it is an absolute miracle product and it amuses me that people might think it’s a bit girlie. Little do they know that it is a firm favourite with some of the world’s most hardcore and respected expedition leaders, especially for trips to the South Pole and up Everest. The third thing would be sleeping pills – I have some really good ones. I take a lot of long-haul flights and all I need to do is pop half just after take-off and I wake up eight hours later. “Beam me up Scotty!” It’s almost like being teleported – it makes long flights painless and allows me always to hit the ground running.’
If you could have one feast right now?
‘I’d go to The Gallery Café in Colombo, the restaurant in the former studio of the hugely influential architect Geoffrey Bawa. It’s been around for more than two decades and has always been fun, creative and buzzy. I’d start with a chilli-tamarind Margarita (fearsomely moreish), then continue with gazpacho (the best I’ve ever had), followed by either a black-pork curry and rice with all the trimmings or a pan-fried seer with coconut risotto and curried apple sauce. Pudding would be Chocolate Nemesis – a lightly baked mousse with pecans and whipped cream. The owner Shanth Fernando (Sri Lanka’s Terence Conran) is there most days, and that’s probably why it’s consistently recognised as the best restaurant in Sri Lanka’s capital.’
Getty ImagesYour favourite place in the whole world?
‘This might be surprising as my favourite country is Sri Lanka, but my top destination is Franschhoek in South Africa, in the heart of the Winelands close to Cape Town. It has the best sunsets I’ve ever seen and fynbos-covered mountain sides that you can wander around and get completely lost in. It reminds me of all the things I cherished most while growing up. The koppies (small rocky hills) take me back to the Costa Smeralda in Sardinia; the vegetation and distant views recall the Sigiriya in north-central Sri Lanka; and when it’s stormy and the clouds rest on top of the mountains I think of the Scottish Highlands which I would escape to for the weekends while at university.’
The best shop?
‘Paradise Road is a wonderful homeware store in Colombo created by my friend Shanth Fernando. The shop is a feast for the eyes, located in a beautiful old mansion overlooking the town hall. There is a joyous sense of whimsy, and most objects bring a smile to your face, be they doorstops, table mats, tablecloths or vases. I drink a lot of tea and have been on the lookout for the perfect mug for the past 25 years. I finally found mine here – it is a fine white-china mug, a little larger than average and beautifully rounded so that it feels most pleasant and comforting when you hold it with two hands. I use these mugs every day and they are always a pleasure to drink from.’
A song that reminds you of holidays?
‘“Last Night a DJ Saved My Life” by Indeep – two summers ago, quite by accident, I was playing this on a loop at Hideaway in Arugam Bay, a laidback and perfectly run little gem with the most delicious food in one of Sri Lanka’s best-known surfing spots. I was so relaxed and content I just let it keep on playing, getting more and more into it each time I heard it. I suddenly realised that I could not be happier. It is always bittersweet when this moment of realisation happens, as one recognises that it is fleeting and the acknowledgement of it somehow brings it to an end, but on the flipside I can still remember it perfectly. It may have only lasted a few moments but it made the whole holiday worthwhile.’
- Destinations19 spectacular beaches in Scotland
- Eating & DrinkingThe new London restaurants to try in April 2024
- Eating & Drinking31 best things to do in London this weekend: 3 - 6 May 2024
A place you fell in love?
‘Shortly after my partner and I first met he joined me on a very intense research trip to Sri Lanka. I had nine days in which I needed to inspect about 60 hotels. On the rare occasion that I have done such trips with a friend or partner, they normally choose to sit in the lobby while I inspect the property, but he accompanied me on every visit, examining and exploring things in as much detail as me, or more. We would then chat about the pros and cons of each hotel for hours. When we reached Kahanda Kanda, a hotel that is a stone’s throw from Galle, we were really looking forward to a walk through the tea plantation that afternoon. When the time came, it started to rain. He thought we would have to cancel or postpone, but instead, I put on my swimming trunks and suggested he do the same. It never crossed his mind that this was an option as the rain in the tropics is warm, unlike in Europe. It was incredibly romantic and it was the moment that we realised that we were in love.’
An organisation that’s making the world a better place?
‘I love sharks and get incredibly distressed when I read about the needless and cruel massacre for their fins. Globally, fewer than 100 humans get attacked by sharks a year, and of those cases only four or five are fatal. It is estimated that humans kill more than a hundred million sharks a year. As they’re an apex predator, this has messed up ecosystems. I really admire Andy and Marit Miners, who founded Misool eco resort in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. In 2005, and with the help of local communities, Misool started building a sea reserve that now protects 300,000 acres of the world's richest reefs. In October 2010, the team successfully petitioned the regional government to protect sharks and rays across the entire one million acres of Raja Ampat. Rampant shark-finning for shark-fin soup and unchecked destructive fishing had been destroying some of the most important and biodiverse reefs on earth. Comparing data from 2007 and 2013, on average the biomass increased by 250 per cent over just those six years – in some key sites, recovery surpassed 600 per cent. Their work is truly inspirational.’
Like this? Now read:
This Sri Lankan beach town is the latest nomad hotspot