CADJU NUTS & CINNAMON

Striking a bold contrast with the rest of Sri Lanka's undisturbed countryside and quiet villages, Colombo is the country at its busiest - as the capital and commercial centre of the island - and most westernised. You’ll start this gastronomic tour through Sri Lanka by flying into Colombo and staying in the grande dame of hotels, the Galle Face. Overlooking the ocean, you can acclimatise with a few laps in the swimming pool or a quick game of croquet on the lawns before heading straight for the colourful and chaotic streets of Pettah, a lively neighbourhood full of tuk-tuks and tropical fruit, where Colombo's multicultural population is at its most evident. You’ll be taken by a guide through the fruit and vegetable markets that heave with sacks of exotic produce and stalls that are decorated with fierce-looking chili ristras. Once you’ve see the raw produce, it’s time to sample Colombo’s cooked delicacies, such as string hoppers, samosas and kottu roti, for a spicy introduction into the country’s cuisine. You’ll also go on a private cooking class to learn a few show stopping recipes, before returning to the hotel to watch the sunset from the cool veranda.

After hectic and sultry Colombo, the lush Tea Country will be just the refreshing tipple you need - and there are few places more evocative to stay than the beautiful collection of colonial bungalows, Tea Trails. Whichever one of these stunningly located properties you choose, you’ll have invigorating views of the hills, lakes, waterfalls, and gardens, and be transported to the days of the colonial tea planters who first came here in 1867. During your stay, you’ll take a tour of a tea factory with a resident planter, listening to the fascinating processing of ‘from plant to tea cup’. You can spend your leisure time hiking the striking pyramid of Adam’s Peak, mountain biking the scenic trails and even white water rafting deeper into the valley, but, the real idea here is to walk the fragrant trails between the colonial bungalows, before enjoying a traditional high tea and G&Ts on the terrace. 

Eulogised in poetry, used in medicine and exported by the boat-loads, cinnamon is an extremely important spice in Sri Lanka. Taking a seaplane to Koggala, you’ll have two nights nestled in the southern coastal hills of this region, discovering just how intertwined the story of cinnamon is with the history of the country. You’ll walk through a vast cinnamon plantation with a local planter and then watch the spice being peeled, which you’ll get to try yourself if you wish. Heading to the luxurious Kahanda Kanda, which is your hotel for two nights, you’ll have a cinnamon-infused lunch after the tour overlooking the surrounding area from the open-plan restaurant. If you want to give your nostrils a break from the spice, you can go scuba diving to an old shipwreck, try spot a leopard on a game drive in Yala National Park or grab a mat and practice your downward-facing dog in the yoga pavilion.

Though this fragrant holiday is coming to an end, it doesn’t mean that the waves of spice or flavours will slow down. From Koggala, you’ll be taken the short distance to Galle, where you’ll stay for three nights at the seaside oasis, Fortress Resort and Spa. Having soaked up the sun along pristine beaches and marvelled at the crashing waves of the Indian Ocean, you’ll be collected by a chef one morning and taken to a local market, where you’ll be introduced to some lesser known ingredients, such as bitter gourd, wing beans and gotukola, before continuing to the nearby fish market to find the freshest catch of the day from the local fisherman.  You’ll then head to Paddy Island, a private property with an open-air kitchen, where you’ll learn how to scrape coconuts, prepare vegetables and make delicious curries. On another culinary tour, you’ll learn about the history of Galle and the Fort before cooking up some traditional Sri Lankan favourites with author and photographer, Juliet Coombe. Lastly, you’ll join an intimate dinner party for an incredible 7-course degustation meal, such as oysters served with rosemary vermouth, yellow-fin tuna ceviche with watermelon and capsicum comfit, accompanied by signature cocktails and plenty of joviality.