Araliya Green Hills, Nuwara Eliya Best for . . . food and drink Araliya Green Hills sits in the heart of the country’s ‘Little England’, whose 19th-century colonial buildings and manicured lawns wouldn’t look out of place back in Britain. But the hotel’s cuisine is decidedly international: Glen Fall restaurant specialises in local curries, sambols, string hoppers and kottu, while Marigold serves up everything from Japanese salmon and crunchy veg to beef stews. After they’ve had their fill, clients can retire to sophisticated Horton’s Wine Bar for a glass of port or enjoy a freshly mixed cocktail at the lively High Forest Bar. Rooms: From £132 per night, based on two adults sharing on a bed-and-breakfast basis.
Citrus Hikkaduwa, Hikkaduwa Best for . . . watersports Boutique resort Citrus Hikkaduwa, on Sri Lanka’s south coast, offers
impressive sea views from its rooms, and clients will certainly have their watersports needs met. Activities available from here include snorkelling and glass-bottomed boat rides – the coral shelves on the area’s shallow fringing reef are a prime place for spotting colourful fish, sea turtles and black-tipped reef sharks. Rooms: From £100 per night, based on two adults sharing on a bed-and-breakfast basis.
Ramada Colombo, Colombo Best for . . . city life With spacious, airy rooms, a sports-themed bar and an Indian restaurant, Alhambra, serving top-drawer biriyanis and thalis, Ramada Colombo makes a good base in the Sri Lankan capital. A recently installed Balinese spa complements the outdoor pool, while the new ‘secret garden’, with its fairy lights and sofas, is a secluded haven tucked away from the rest
YALA NATIONAL PARK EXCURSION
As we ride through the expansive grasslands of Yala National Park, in Sri Lanka’s lush southeast, our driver suddenly stops. He’s been alerted to a possible animal sighting, and the way he skilfully reverses down a hidden track suggests it could be something special. It certainly is. As the 4x4s gather in a small clearing, engines cut, we spot a majestic female leopard stretching out lazily across a large rock. We sit watching for 15 minutes as she yawns and seeks a more comfortable resting position before slinking off into the bushes. Leopard sightings in Yala
National Park are not guaranteed,
but with a higher concentration of these magnificent big cats than anywhere else in the world, it’s not a bad place to start. Plus, there are elephants, wild boar, water buffalo and a range of birds, including the Sri Lankan wood pigeon and the Sri Lankan painted stork, to spot as you glide across the plains. Book it: Visits to Yala are included in a number of
Mercury Holidays tours, including the Sri Lanka’s
Parks and Wildlife trip, where guests stay in a nearby hotel before enjoying a 4x4 safari drive the following morning. Prices start at £2,399, with departure dates available in 2023 and 2024.
mercuryholidays.co.uk
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13 APRIL 2023
travelweekly.co.uk
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