It is Saturday morning and as usual, the road to Kandy is a driver’s nightmare. Despite the rain holding off and the sun trying valiantly to make an appearance, we get to the Victoria Range bungalows in Digana way past lunch time. By now we are hungry, finished listening to all the music CD’s on…

Here I am, on a deck chair, in the middle of a flowing tributary of the Mahaweli, surrounded by jungle swamp, listening to a cacophony of bird call, and enjoying a little piece of nature’s best. I am at Kalundewa Retreat just off Dambulla. Surrounded by 100 acres of manicured paddy fields and spice gardens,…

The River House Balapitiya has to be one of the finest places I have visited. From the service, to the scenery, the accommodation to the activities, this place deserves all the accolades it has gotten, both locally and internationally. A slight detour off the main town of Balapitiya, with perfect directions that were mailed to…

Olanda Beach Villas. The thought of it was exciting enough. This was one weekend that I was determined to enjoy. The sun, sand and sea were pure seduction! Located about 15 minutes past Galle, between Talpe and Koggala, along the Southern coast of Sri Lanka, are the Olanda Beach Villas. Along the way are many…

In the middle of Sri Lanka’s awesome virgin rainforest is a fascinating collection of boulders that seem to have fallen from the sky. These enormous rocks balance precariously atop each other creating a landscape of caves and caverns brimming with mystery and untold stories. In the midst of these boulders is the ingenuity of timeless…

Just past the picturesque town of Digana, almost three kilometres down the Karaliadda road is a handmade sign that leads up to the Polwaththa Eco Lodges. The road is steep and narrow and thankfully proprietor Nihal Elagala had warned me that a four-wheel vehicle was required. My jeep clawed its way up the narrow gravel…

Driving through country roads, past fields and farms is a pleasant experience once you get off the main roads. Most of these roads are bigger and better now, and other than for drivers who seem to momentarily defy Murphy’s Law, the 175 km drive from Colombo to Sigiriya is one to be enjoyed. With concise…

Come April holidays and everyone will want to get away from the heat and the humdrum of city life. Whilst the ersatz ‘cool’ types head to the hills there are others who prefer to really get away and look out for places that are different, affordable and far from the madding crowd. Along the picturesque…