Sri Lanka is simply a stunning island for luxury holidays. A family-friendly destination blessed with natural beauty, whether you are seeking a beach escape, a wellness retreat, a wildlife safari, heritage, or a combination of choices.
This is an excellent time to travel to Sri Lanka as economic activities are returning to normal and foreign currencies have appreciated over 55% against the local rupees.
Perfect beaches and much more
They say that some of the most perfect beaches on this planet are found in Sri Lanka. An abundance of natural landscape beauty, rolling hills, waterfalls, lagoons, lakes, birds and wildlife sanctuaries, and pristine rainforests including “Singaraja Tropical Rainforest,” a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Adding to this natural beauty, there are manmade tea plantations in place of tropical rain forests, resembling a thick layer of green carpet covering the hill country almost in its entirety.
The island is well known for its exquisite flora and fauna, including exotic birds and animals, not to mention wild elephants and leopards. There are 26 National Parks on the island, the Yala National Park in the Southeast of the island has one of the highest concentrations of leopards in the world.
The country has no less than eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites to show off. Centuries-old cultural heritage sites, including Buddhist and Hindu Temples, are dotted around the island.
Wellbeing
The island has been practicing “Ayurveda,” an ancient medical practice using local herbs and essential oils, to enhance the well-being of the human mind and body. A highly recommended therapeutic experience to try out when on the island.
The island’s range of boutique accommodations is exceptional. They are art-conscious, beautiful, stylistic, and have a character with a touch of luxury to suit any discerning guest.
Sri Lankan Cuisine
Last but not least it must be said that Sri Lankan culinary dishes can match any cuisine in the world for their subtle and enticing flavours, enhanced by the variety of spices naturally grown on the island in abundance. It is an acknowledged fact that the cinnamon grown here is the best in the world.
To add to the delightful traditional Singhala and Tamil cuisines, which mainly revolve around vegetables and seafood, there are influences of Malay cooking from Indonesia going back centuries. The Arab Traders brought Biriyanies (one-pot rice meal) and Rotties (flatbreads), the Portuguese introduced their pork dish “Pork Padre”, and the Dutch created the “Lamp Rie,” a one-pot meal wrapped in banana leaf and baked. Baking food in an oven is a new concept that was introduced to the island by the European settlers in the 16th century. The island is no doubt a culinary paradise.
