Notes
From A Small island: Sri Lanka
ABTA Magazine
For a country little bigger than Ireland, Sri Lanka packs an
amazingly diverse tourist experience. Its topography encompasses
jungle, mountains, plains and tropical beaches while its seven
World Heritage attractions include some of the most important
Buddhist sites on the planet. Some consider Sri Lanka a soft
option for those nervous of tackling India but its hardly a
second-best destination that lets you stand in the ruins of
an ancient citadel atop a giant rock, bathe an orphaned baby
elephant or have a chance of spotting a wild leopard.
With tourists unable to marry in the nearby Maldives, a honeymoon
favourite, Sri Lanka sees many foreign weddings, and the great
cricketing country is also well trodden by the Barmy Army. More
recently, the rise of Western interest in Ayurvedic treatments
has given the destination another tourism niche.
Now Sri Lanka has ambitious plans to capture the green market
with the government's Earth Lung project seeking commitment
from the travel industry to help make Sri Lanka 'the world's
first carbon neutral tourism destination'. Travel companies
associated with the country will be asked to reduce their carbon
footprint and join a research community to promote long-term
green practices worldwide.
One of the most remarked-upon features of Sri Lanka is the famously
warm welcome it extends to tourists. They are certainly never
taken for granted in a country that has had more than its share
of troubles. Resorts now show little trace of the 2004 tsunami
but political tensions continue with the end, this January,
of an uneasy six year ceasefire between the government and Tamil
separatists marked by several bomb blasts.
So far tourist confidence does not appear greatly dented by
the violence, with UK arrivals for the first three months of
the year up on 2007. Steve Norris, head of UK marketing for
Flight Centre says: "Sri Lanka has been a growth destination
for us over the last few years and the recent troubles do not
seem to have affected the tourist trade - in fact travel to
the country seems to have increased."
With the North and East generally designated no-go areas by
the UK Foreign Office, tourism is mostly confined to the usually
peaceful southwest and central areas which, fortunately, embrace
the island's major sights. A typical Sri Lanka holiday combines
a beach break with cultural touring to the UNESCO sites of Kandy,
Dambulla and Sigiriya and the tea plantations of the hill country.
NUMBER OF UK VISITORS: 94,000 in 2007,
a nearly 7 % increase on the previous year and the country's
second best tourism year ever. Target of 98,000 for 2008.
UK TOURIST BOARD CONTACT: UK director
Sanjika Perera, 1, Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4WD 0845 880
6333, info@srilankatourism.org,uk,
www.srilankatourism.org.uk
CAMPAIGN FOR 2008: Joint marketing continues
with 25 operators, who pledged approximately £0.5 million
to promote the country during 07/08.
GEOGRAPHY: Sri Lanka lies in the Indian Ocean off south
east India. It has a sandy coastline and an interior comprising
plains and a central highlands. It is lushest in the south.
Beach
Colourful boats drawn up on golden sand, backdrops thick with
wild palms and rows of stilt fisherman silhouetted against the
setting sun give character to Sri Lanka's beautiful coastline.
The most popular tourist beaches are found on Sri Lanka's southwest
corner stretching from Negombo, just above Colombo, to beyond
Galle at the island's southern tip.
Negombo is a popular choice due to its proximity to Colombo's
international airport, just six km away, and is consequently
the island's most developed resort. Bentota, another favourite,
and attractive Beruwela to its north are known for a good choice
of upmarket hotels plus Ayurvedic resorts.
Nightlife is generally low key on Sri Lanka but partly lovers
will enjoy Hikkaduwa which is also good for watersports and
diving and is especially known for surfing.
In the south, near Galle, the family resort of Unawatuna it
is also a popular base for divers, the reef having been surprisingly
undamaged by the 2004 Tsunami. Unawatuna is set in a sheltered
bay, but the sea can be rough elsewhere on the coast, so it's
a good idea to book a hotel with a decent sized pool.
| |
Hayes & Jarvis has seven nights at the
three star Hotel Serendib, Bentota, Sri Lanka, which has
sports and spa facilities, for £799 per person,
based on two sharing, departing November 7 2008. The package
includes seven nights half board and return flights from
Heathrow with Qatar Airways. 0871 664 0246 www.hayesandjarvis.co.uk |
Culture
Compact cultural touring doesn't come much better than in Sri
Lanka with the island boasting no fewer than six cultural World
Heritage Sites.
Undoubtedly the most visually impressive among them is Sigiriya.
The ruins of a 5th century royal citadel - complete with
swimming pool, top this lone giant rock surrounded by jungle.
The steep climb, through ancient water gardens, past rather
risqué frescos and up between the feet of what was once
an enormous stone lion, is well worth the effort, though best
made in the early morning to avoid the heat and crowds. At nearby
Dambulla, a shorter climb rewards you with hundreds of golden
Buddha statues set in richly frescoed caves, in a landscape
presided over by squabbling monkeys.
The classic cultural triangle tour links Dambulla and Sigiriya
with Kandy, home to the revered Temple of the Tooth, and the
beautifully carved ruins of medieval capital Polonnaruwa where
there is an important trilogy of giant Buddhas.
For those who have the time, cultural highlights further a field
include Galle (see below) and the religiously significant Anuradhapura
and Mihintale where sights include a tree said to have been
cut from the one under which Buddha received enlightenment.
| |
Kuoni offers an eight night Sri Lanka Highlights
escorted tour taking in Kandy, Sigiriya, Dambulla and
Polonnaruwa plus Nuwara Eliya tea plantations and Pinnawela
elephant orphanage. Prices for August 2008 are from £1175
per person based on two sharing, on a mixed meal plan,
including flights with Sri Lankan Airlines from Heathrow.
01306 747008, www.kuoni.co.uk |
City
Colombo makes an easy add-on at the start or end of a holiday.
This international gateway is short on must-see attractions
but it does boast some colonial architecture and there are bargains
to be found in the department stores and the bazaar district
of Pettah where streets specialise in particular wares. Respite
from the manic traffic can be found with the kite-flyers at
seafront Galle Face Green or in Vihara Mahaderi Park which includes
a botanical gardens and the national museum. The recent opening
of the chic 10 suite Tintagel hotel has drawn Colombo attention
from the luxury market.
At Sri Lanka's southernmost tip, Galle is famous for its World
Heritage fort. The ramparts, surrounded on three sides by the
Indian Ocean, encircle a citadel of attractive colonial buildings
and museums. The city will also be familiar to sports fans for
its International Cricket Stadium.
Hill encircled Kandy is included in many tour itineraries for
the Temple of the Tooth. Inside this lakeside building Buddhists
lay flowers before the multi-layered casket in which the relic
is held, in an atmosphere spiked with incense and beating drums.
Those visiting in July/August can enjoy the extra special spectacle
of the Esala Perahera festival with illuminated elephants, dancers
and thousands of pilgrims in procession.
The famous botanical gardens at nearby Peradeniya are among
the best in Asia.
| |
Gold Medal is offering six nights bed and
breakfast for the price of three at five star The Fortress,
in Galle. The holiday, including Emirates flights from
Gatwick, costs from £879 per person, twin share, (departures
September 1 to November 30 2008), saving clients £160.
For every additional night booked, at £52 per person,
a further night comes free, to a maximum of 10 free nights.
0844 493 4444 www.goldmedal.co.uk. |
Wildlife/Eco
The only animal encounter most Sri Lanka visitors experience
is watching the elephants bathe at Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage,
but with 17 national parks, the island has plenty more for nature
lovers.
It's a little known fact that Sri Lanka is one of the best places
in the world to spot leopards, with Yala National Park boasting
a high concentration of the cats. The Foreign Office is currently
advising against travel to this popular park but there are plenty
of eco alternatives including savannah style Uda Walawe National
Park - a favourite for viewing elephants and birdlife -
and Sinharaja forest reserve which is UNESCO listed.
In Sri Lanka's highlands the air is cooler and the scenery sweeping.
Nuwara Eliya is tea country, characterised by spiral-shaped
plantations and colonial buildings. Hikers will be rewarded
with great views from nearby Horton Plains and Adam's Peak -
a scared mountain topped by a revered giant 'footprint'.
Sri Lanka offers several eco-conscious accommodation options
including the strikingly designed Heritance Kandalama near Sigiriya
which is almost overgrown by its natural surroundings and The
Hide@Kalametiya, from green-minded hotel group Jetwing, which
is located near a bird sanctuary and supports community-based
ecotourism projects.
| |
Travel 2 can arrange a wilderness stay at
any of Sri Lanka's national parks, in tents with fixed
beds. Prices start from £345 per person for two
nights accommodation on a twin share basis, inclusive
of game drives, park fees and all meals. It also offers
butler-attended bungalows in tea country areas from £115
per person, per night, twin share, on an all-inclusive
basis. 0800 0224 302 www.travel2.com. |
Travel essentials
WHEN
TO GO: The main tourist areas of the Southwest and
hill country are driest late October to early March. Temperatures
vary little year-round but the highlands are always cooler.
CURRENCY: Sri Lankan Rupees. £1
= LKR 212.50
TIME DIFFERENCE: GMT
+ 5.5
INTERNATIONAL DIALLING CODE: 00
94
LANGUAGE: Officially Sinhala and
Tamil but English is widely spoken.
HEALTH:
Malaria precautions are necessary in parts of the interior
RED TAPE: visas not required for stays
of up to 30 days.
GETTING THERE: Flight
options include:
SriLankan Airlines: 12 direct flights weekly from Heathrow,
and codeshares with Etihad.
Qatar Airways: via Doha 28 times a week (14 from Heathrow, and
daily from Gatwick and Manchester).
Emirates: 98 flights a week (Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham,
Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow) to Dubai, with connection
possible to 17 Colombo services.
Kuwait Airways: four flights a week from Heathrow via Kuwait
Royal Jordanian Airlines: twice weekly from Heathrow via Amman
First Choice: weekly (fortnightly in winter) from Gatwick.
AVERAGE FLIGHT TIME: around 10.5 hrs direct.
GETTING AROUND: It's safer to let a local negotiate
the crazy traffic. Hiring an air con car or van with driver,
(around 25p a km) is a good option for touring. Chauffer driven
jeeps (from about £25-35 for a 3-4 hour tour) can be hired
at the entrance to national parks.
Train travel is preferable to public buses but long distance
tickets should be bought in advance. Auto rickshaws and taxis
are suitable for local travel.
Return
to top
|
Click here
to read the orginal article, pages 82-88 |
|
