how to sell Sri Lanka S
SRI LANKA ESSENTIALS TIME: GMT +5 ½ hours VISAS: US$30,
eta.gov.lk
CURRENCY: Rupee £1 = R210
LANGUAGE: Sinhala or Tamil, although English is widely spoken
CAPITAL CITY: Colombo
TOP TIP: For those looking for a beach and wildlife combination suggest a stay at coastal Negombo, which is perfectly placed for an easy day trip to the Pinnawela elephant sanctuary.
Also, don't 'rush' the Cultural Triangle: suggest at least one or two nights' accommodation in Dambulla, Sigiriya or Habanara.
BOOK IT: Experience Travel offers a 16-day Wild Sri Lanka tour which combines ancient history and natural beauty, for £2,520pp, inclusive of flights, transfers and hotels.
experiencetravelgroup.com
OTHER TOUR OPERATORS:
hayesandjarvis.co.uk coxandkings.co.uk greatrail.com travel2.com transindus.co.uk
SEE:
srilanka.travel
GETTING THERE:
srilankan.com jetairways.com etihad.com emirates.com qatarairways.com
Elephant rides are a popular activity in Sri Lanka
ri Lanka combines all the best ingredients of Asia: a sunny climate, exotic culture, exquisite food, a rich array of historical monuments, and great beaches and mountains. And nearly everyone speaks English.
Furthermore, according to the latest
Worldwide Holiday Costs Barometer, it is the best-value holiday destination in the world (a position it shares with Spain).
Why sell
This island nation is on a mission to attract 2.5 million tourists by 2016. Last year 1.27 million visited, so there’s still a way to go, but demand is growing fast: two years ago the number was just under one million. Such growth can be seen as a 'peace dividend' since the end of the civil war, in 2009. And if you need another selling hook, the England cricket team will this month (December) be in Sri Lanka for a one-day tournament.
Sell to whom So much diversity means there is no shortage of potential markets. Good- value beach holidays will appeal to families, while the mountainous areas should tempt more adventurous adults. There’s a thriving luxury market revolving around small, distinctive heritage properties, particularly around Galle. And its wildlife – big herds of elephants, leopards and whale-watching - will appeal to those who love a safari.
Fishermen on stilts provide a photo opportunity
“There’s so much diversity here that Sri Lanka is effectively a whole continent in miniature”
Sell what
The best beach areas are along the south and west coasts and just north of Colombo. But new resorts are coming onstream on the east coast, particularly at Passikudah and north of Trincomalee. The snorkelling and whale watching is also better here. The Cultural Triangle, in the centre
of the country, links 2,000-year- old cities Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, with the rock fortress of Sigiriya and the cultural capital, Kandy, the last 'Royal Kingdom'. South of Kandy, the landscape rises up into tea plantations, mountains and rainforests, with cooler weather and great hiking particularly around Horton Plains, World’s End and the Sinharaja forest reserve. Wildlife and birdlife is a big draw in
Yala, Wipattu and Minneriya National Parks, with whale watching and turtle hatcheries on the coast.
sellingtravel.co.uk
Sell when The European winter is high season for Sri Lanka. The popular holiday areas in the southwest corner of the island can be affected by monsoon rains from May until August. However, this is the best time to go over to the newly-opening east coast, where the sea will be clear and calm.
What’s new The railway line north from Colombo to Jaffna has been rebuilt and reopened this autumn. New train units mean that selected journeys islandwide are now bookable, although not yet available online. The big new resort is Passikudah, on the east coast, with a dozen new hotels such as Uga Bay, Anilana, Amethyst and Centara. Those behind the very successful
Ceylon Tea Trails have opened a new luxurious heritage property at Weligama (
capeweligama.com), which is sited on a headland on the southwestern shore. Long-established hoteliers Aitken Spence is to open its fi ve-star Heritance Negombo, north of Colombo airport (
heritancehotels.com).
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by Andrew Eames
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