34 | STUNNING SRI LANKA


www.nitravelnews.com


January 2026


always fresh from the clean waters around the Island, and often at hotels barbecued out of doors at night under the tropical moon.


Religion One aspect of Sri Lanka which adds to


its fascination are the nation's different religious groups. Nearly 70% of the people are Buddhists - the Singhalese, with Hindus - who a largely the Tamils, and the Muslims and Christian religions making up the remainder.


The contrasting,


SRI LANKA - A RESPLENDENT ISLAND


Robin Nowacki recounts his trip to Sri Lanka, where he experienced the breathtaking nature, cuisine, and culture of the Resplendent Island...


BY ROBIN NOWACKI


MARCO Polo, perhaps the first European to visit Sri Lanka, described the former Ceylon as, “undoubtedly the finest Island of its size in the entire world”. Perhaps he was as impressed as I was by the diversity of genuinely wonderful attractions this small island State off the southern tip of Indian has to offer. Resplendent Island


- the English


translation of Sri Lanka, is roughly the size of Belgium and Holland put together, and yet it boasts over 600 Kilometres of mostly unspoilt palm fringed beaches, baked by the tropical sun and lapped by the turquoise Indian Ocean.


Deep within Sri Lanka's interior mammoth archaeological sites are to be found like at Anuradhura which dates back to the time of Christ. Here also are jungles, forests, and vast nature reserves teaming with that most powerful but gentle of animals, the elephant. Elephants are also to be seen put to work throughout the country shifting heavy loads with far more grace than any forklift truck. Or taking tourists for rides like at Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage, funded by the Government, where about 50 young elephants are cared for. A visit to Pinnewala here should be timed to coincide with the elephants highlight of the day when they escape from the heat and all bathe together in the spectacular setting of the local river, their long trunks spraying the cool waters over themselves, their keepers and anyone else who gets in their way. To picture this setting think of the film “Bridge Over the River Qui” - for only a short distance from here the legendary Oscar Winning British Film Director David


Lean made the classic film when in the late 1950’s he turned a small part of Sri Lanka into Second World War Burma. In Sri Lanka there are highlands made olive green by tea plantations where line after line


of tea bushes ring the mountainsides, a


bit like the


contours on a map.


tea they Excursions


to the plantations are popular with tourists who find the


taste


there, being so so fresh, can have quite a kick.


Near the tea plantations is the city of Kandy, which is set besides a picturesque lake, and being 500 metres above sea level, offers a refreshing escape from the heat of the coast. Kandy is home to the Temple of the Tooth which houses one of Buddhism's most sacred relics, a tooth taken from the Buddha himself as he lay on his funeral pyre in 543BC. The Temple in the setting throughout the year for elaborate and spectacular religious ceremonies which are made even more colourful by the bright orange robes worn by both the male and female Buddhist monks. Also near Kandy are the famous Botanical Gardens boasting many rare plants and trees and an especially fine orchid collection. Throughout Sri Lanka the scenery is colourful, dramatic, and exotic, but perhaps nowhere more so than at Sigiriya where a gigantic rock standing 200 metres high dominates the surrounding rain forest. On the summit in 473 AD. Kasyapa, the son of a King built a fortress. Later the caves around


the rock became a Buddhist monastery. Along the West and South West coast of Sri Lanka there are a large number of delightful resorts with quality low rise hotels built straight on to the beach and the rolling Indian Ocean. Cuisine


A traditional Sri Lankan meal consists of a number of dishes placed on the table and shared by all. These are often curried to a range of heat and feature fish, beef, pork and chicken, all tasting like they did in Europe before the advent of factory farming. Accompanying the meats and vegetable and fruit dishes including the wonderful sweet and scour Banana Bloom made from banana bunches when still only the size of the human hand.


Around the coast excellent seafood is to be found in abundance,


differing, and often fascinating style of the architecture reflected in the Temples, Mosques and Churches of Sri Lanka, give an added cultural dimension to this destination. Coloumbo Colombo, the Sri Lankan Capital, is a fascinating and bustling city and well worth a visit. The Portuguese, Dutch and British over the last 500 years have all left their mark and some fine buildings. But today it is the Sri Lankans who are shaping their own future in the shape of a large business centre in the Colombo Fort area of the City. Here are to be found quality five star hotels including international brands such as Hilton. A recommended alternative is the Sri Lankan managed Galadari, which is home to the many visiting international cricket teams.


About a mile from the modern centre is the famous Galle Face Hotel dating back to the 1880s and colonial times, where past guests included Alec Guinness and William Holden (when filming Bridge Over the River Qui) and Trevor Howard, and


even this writer’s mother, Joan


Sayles Barker, back in the 1930s when she travelled POSH by ocean liner to Australia, a journey that then took many weeks. The Galle Face’s magnificent grand veranda with ocean view is open to non- residents. It is the perfect place to while away a hot afternoon sitting in the shade under one of the large rotating fans whilst sipping one of the excellent Sri Lankan beers or the equally impressive local teas. How To Get There.


Sri Lankan Airlines offers a number of


direct flights from London Heathrow to Colombo each week, operating spacious and comfortable Airbus Aircraft on the route, with good food, service, and in- flight entertainment.


Once in Sri Lanka the cost of living, including eating out, can be very good value. Quality goods, hand made from wood, leather and stone as well as semi- precious stones are on offer at knock down prices, especially for those who can haggle well.


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