Sure Travel Journey Vol 4.3 Winter 2018 | Page 25

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D E S T I N A T I O N
P I C K
Sri Lanka delivers all the charm and colourful
chaos of India, but with the volume turned down
© HOLMES
© HOLMES
Clockwise from top left: The
highlands of Sri Lanka are still
renowned for tea plantations
overflowing with quality tea
leaves.Traditional stilt fishermen,
Galle. Colour, colonial architecture
and a dab of chaos make up the
capital of Colombo. Fresh fruit
vendor in the neighbourhood of
Pettah. The long walk up to the
hilltop citadel of Sigiriya is well
worth the burning thighs.
feel less severe, the trains less overwhelming,
the touts less of a torment. Whether it’s the
Buddhist culture of the country or simply
the size of the island – a fraction of India’s
vast landmass – Sri Lanka offers a more
relaxed taste of South Asia that is easy to
fall in love with.
But few people fall in love with Colombo,
and it’s not hard to see why. On the surface
it’s just another crowded Asian city, where
tuk-tuks drive like cowboys and town
planning is, shall we say… relaxed. Here, as
in many large cities, you’ve got to look for
the charm.
I begin with a wander around the heart of
old Colombo, the area known as the Fort.
The hotspot here is the Old Dutch Hospital;
one of the city’s oldest colonial buildings has
been refurbished and renovated into a hub
for tourists, with calm courtyards and chic
boutiques. If you’re a cricket fan, don’t miss
a meal at Ministry of Crab. Cricket legends
Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene
are partners in what has become the
country’s top-rated restaurant.
The surrounding streets deliver plenty
of interest, from the historic Pagoda Tea
Rooms – ideal for a quick lunch – to the
stately colonial buildings and museums of
central Colombo. My favourite attraction,
though, was the outlandish Sambodhi
Chaitiya, easily the oddest Buddhist temple
I’ve encountered. Resembling a Tintin rocket
about to blast off from the harbour precinct,
striking murals adorn the interior walls of its
stupa, and it offers excellent city views to
boot. It’s also free to visit.
MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE //2 5