In April we celebrated the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.  May brings the most important Poya (full-moon) of the year.  Vesak Poya is so significant that we get a two day public holiday in its honour instead of the usual one. Vesak, also known as the Buddhist Festival of Light, celebrates the triple anniversary of Lord Buddha - his birth, his attaining of Enlightenment and his passing...

Whilst we of course celebrate the arrival of the Gregorian calendar New Year on 1st January - any excuse for a party - the big one in Sri Lanka is the Sinhala and Tamil New Year which falls on the 13th or 14th of April each year. Called Aluth Avurudda in Sinhala, it is without doubt the most important holiday of the year and the celebrations last for many days. Most businesses and shops will be closed for...

In contrast to many other South East Asian countries, Sri Lanka may genuinely be considered a year-round destination. The received wisdom has always been that the best time to visit Sri Lanka is between December and mid-April but that only applies to the South and West Coasts and the myth has arisen because they were the first areas to be developed and promoted for inbound tourism. The East Coast, once...

You may often see us use the terms walauwa or walawwa in our descriptions of large old houses. Walauwa is generally translated in to English as manor house but in reality Sri Lankan walauwas are typically much grander affairs originally being associated with members of the Royal Court in Kandy. Walauwas vary in style, elegance and grandeur depending upon the financial resources of the individual...

The hill station city of Nuwara Eliya was popularised by an English explorer and planter in 1864, who triggered its development from a tiny lakeside village into the commercial and cultural capital of the Central Highlands. Its location in the heart of hill country coupled with its temperate climate quickly made it a favourite sanctuary for British planters and government officials thus earning the...

The hill station city of Nuwara Eliya was popularised by an English explorer and planter in 1864, who triggered its development from a tiny lakeside village into the commercial and cultural capital of the Central Highlands. Its location in the heart of hill country coupled with its temperate climate quickly made it a favourite sanctuary for British planters and government officials thus earning the...

We are all familiar with the Sri Lankan head wiggle of assent; a far more sophisticated affair than the Indian wobble, the Sri Lankan version is more of a subtle figure of eight motion.  It of course means yes!, but to the Western newcomer it can very much look like a head-shaking "no!"  and can take some getting used to. The wiggle is often offered silently but may be accompanied by the...

The stretch of coast from Galle to Matara is characterised by coral reefs running parallel to the shoreline which create areas of protected water between the beach and the reef. These calm, shallow lagoons make wonderful safe areas for bathing.  They also create the perfect conditions for stilt fishing; an activity which is now so synonymous with Sri Lanka that it is surprising to find out that it...

The words "Ceylon" and "tea" are now so inextricably linked that it is surprising to discover that the tea industry in Sri Lanka is barely 150 years old. Even then it was a second-choice crop after the unexpected failure of a hitherto very successful coffee industry due to a blight decimating the coffee plants. The first commercial tea plantation in Sri Lanka is believed to have been created by James...

Sri Lanka is famed for its abundant wild elephant population and taking a safari in one of our many beautiful National Parks is an absolute "must do" for any visitor.  Oftentimes however, safaris have a habit of coming to you as anyone who has ever travelled inland roads will tell you. "Do not feed the elephants" warning notices are, in some parts of the island, the most frequently seen road...