Asia + The Middle East

Sri Lanka

A culturally fascinating tropical island getaway

Sri Lanka is absurdly rich and fertile: its smells are those of fruit, spices, tea and coffee, flowers, perfume, and wonderful cooking. Its colours are the honey-gold of the beaches, the intense, almost luminous green of the plantations, and the purple-blue hills in the distance. Warm, open and relaxed, its culture is a cocktail of Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and Muslim influences.

In the last few years, there has been a proliferation of small luxury hotels and gorgeous private villas that we like very much. And while there has been a welcome increase in infrastructure, we can still take you off-the-beaten-track, with specialist nature walks in old tea plantations and wildlife experiences in unspoilt national parks.

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An online magazine by the experts at cazenove+loyd

Read our curated collection of travel notes and stories from our experts, clients and friends on the ground who will give you the inside track on our thrilling destinations.

Travelling by train to Sri Lanka's tea country

Sri Lanka is dominated by its romantic landscapes, undulating mountains, lush forests and cascading waterfalls; a country that exceeds expectation both in terms of beauty and surprise. This is what excited me the most about my recent trip, and spending time in the Tea Country is something I will always recommend.

Hot-air ballooning over Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle

We have never been big ‘morning people’. In fact, we are a family of relaxed mornings and leisurely breakfasts whenever possible. When our fantastic driver and guide, Pria, casually mentioned that our next day’s activity would require a 3.30am wake-up, there was certainly a sharp intake of breath from one or two of us!

Experiencing the best of Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle

Written by Rachel Nicoll, Head of Product

The north-central heartlands of Sri Lanka are home to an abundance of historical sites that make up the famous Cultural Triangle. The hot, dry landscape of this region is scattered with timeworn ruins, sacred Buddhist monuments, restored temples and stunning frescoes.

An insider’s guide to Kandy with cazenove+loyd

Written by Rachel Nicoll, Head of Product

Considered the spiritual heart of Sri Lanka, Kandy is home to the country’s most holy relic, the Buddha’s Tooth. Nestled among hills and forests, the city was once the capital of the ancient kings. Today, it is still made up of an intriguing mishmash of colonial-era and Kandyan architecture.

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Discover Sri Lanka

Galle, the biggest city on the southern coast, is renowned for its pretty Old Town, Dutch Fort and nearby beaches. Its location on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka puts it firmly on the trade route between the East and Europe and it is still fantastic for shopping

Testimonials

Stories from Sri Lanka

What a fabulous holiday! Thank you for all your recommendations. Sisindu T is a gorgeous house set in an amazing tropical landscape that is rich with the sounds of birdsong, croaking toads, monkeys and peacocks. The staff were all very sweet, helpful and discreet – one being a fabulous cook who introduced us to Sri Lankan vegetarian and fish curries. Everything worked beautifully: our guide, Pria, was so lovely and couldn’t do enough for us and our driver was very punctual and drove safely, navigating the crazy Sri Lankan roads. We saw some whales on our boat trip, which was fantastic, and again the boys crewing our catamaran, Lanka Sail, did a great job. So huge thanks to you all for making our holiday so memorable.

Katharine Newman

"We had the most amazing time in Sri Lanka. Thank you for organising, it really was the perfect holiday for us. John says it’s his favourite holiday ever which believe me is quite something as he’s not known for being overly enthusiastic!"

Sarah Peacock

"The schedule you put together worked really well for us. We found we had just the right amount of time at each venue. We are so very happy with the holiday overall and will definitely be in touch again to arrange our next adventure."

Sarah Peacock, John Austin and Sam

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