FLAGSHIP SRI LANKA

Flying into Colombo, you’ll have one night at The Wallawwa. This boutique hotel is a short jaunt from the airport and the perfect post-flight crash pad. Enclosed tropical gardens, the Wallawwa is a 200-year-old manor house with a large swimming pool, cosy restaurant and shaded verandas, which all combine to make your first night in Sri Lanka a comfortable one. Try your hand at croquet on the lawn, take in the atmosphere on the frangipani-strewn terrace or head to the Z Spa for a jetlag reviver treatment. As you’ll only be 30 minutes form the beaches and fish markets of Negombo, you can head to the golden stretch of sand to clear your head or for an immediate culture shock, walk through Pettah to experience the flash of tuk tuks, the vibrancy of the markets and the friendliness of the locals in Colombo’s lively neighbourhood.

Garnering Sri Lanka’s ancient treasures, the Cultural Triangle offers an intense insight into the country’s fascinating history with its UNESCO listed array of archaeological and geological relics. You’ll fly into Sigiriya and spend three nights in the heart of the area known as ‘The King’s Land’. Staying in Jetwing Vil Uyana, you will have views from your luxurious stilted hut of the famous Sigiriya rock formation; however, during your stay a guide will take you to the extraordinary citadel for a rewarding climb to the top of the 200m high ancient fortress. 

Once you’ve taken in the views, you’ll then head to the mural-lined cave temples of Dambulla to see the mind-boggling statues and paintings of Buddha, created over a period of 2000 years. It’s not all about culture and history, as you’ll be taken to Minneriya National Park to explore the wildlife-packed park by 4x4, spotting wild elephants in their hundreds. Having walked, climbed and driven through Dambulla, you’ll then take to the sky with a hot air balloon ride over the region’s jungle and paddy fields - for a breathtaking view of Sri Lanka’s historic countryside.

From the ancient realms of the Cultural Triangle, it’s time to head to the living-breathing cultural heart of Kandy. Stepping outside of your colonial-era hotel, Kandy House, you’ll be enveloped by this vibrant yet gentle city: where incense fragrances the air, and monks cloaked in every colour of the rainbow pass by serenely with decorated elephants and women carrying parasols. You can explore Kandy’s markets, museums and beautiful orchid houses, before being taken on a tour of the sacred Temple of the Tooth (which reportedly contains Buddha’s tooth). Kandy is also a very creative city, with art around every corner, and you’ll be taken on a visit to a studio, where you’ll be able to meet the eccentric and eminent artist, look through the art collection and discuss his influences, while taking in the views from the veranda – your host is also an avid musician, so if you’d like to hear the intriguing Indian music, feel free to ask for an informal performance. When you start to get hungry, you’ll then be taken to have a typical planter’s lunch, a delicious and authentic home-cooked meal on a beautiful tea plantation.

A collection of restored planters’ bungalows with private butlers, clay tennis courts, tea-inspired cuisine and National Geographic worthy views, the Ceylon Tea Trails are unparalleled. You’ll be taken to Hatton and stay three nights in an elegant bungalow of a very British nature – spending your days enjoying high tea, playing croquet games on the lawn and resting in the colonial rooms.  The bungalows also sit within a working tea plantation, so you’ll get a fascinating insight into both its colonial past and the modern-day production of the finest Ceylon tea. Take an invigorating walk along the tea-trails, past colourfully dressed tea-pickers or climb the Adam’s Peak just in time for sunset. During your stay, you’ll be taken to the Rothchild’s Tea Factory, one of the oldest in the country, to walk through the plantation, observe the crop being harvested and witness how the different types of tea are created.

Flying to Koggala, it’s a short drive to the Dutch colonial peninsula of Galle: a charming little world of its own on Sri Lanka’s south coast, where the gentle people, and sleepy time-warp lifestyle provide a real tonic. For three nights you’ll stay at Amangalla, which lies at the heart of Galle’s 17th fort. The moment you step through its doors you’ll be met with sylph-like staff, a beautiful pool and gardens in the central courtyard, and an excellent Aman spa offering private Ayurveda consultations, warm cinnamon scrubs, and acupressure. Start the day with a complimentary yoga and meditation session on the pavilion, before walking through Galle’s winding streets. You’ll be taken on a guided bicycle tour, passing electric blue kingfishers and big buffalo, to see the green paddy fields of Galle’s surrounding countryside. After working up an appetite, you’ll join Sri Lankan chefs for a 7-course degustation dinner party, feasting on tasty meals, sipping on cocktails and whiling away the evening amongst good company.

Now it’s time to experience what Sri Lanka is best known for: its heavenly beaches. Here you’ll experience the absolute pinnacle of discreet luxury along Sri Lanka’s south coast at the Cape Weligama, sister property to the Ceylon Tea Trail.  Flanked by two pristine golden beaches and surrounded by blue bays, this is the place to completely unwind: relax in Spa villa, swim in the huge crescent shaped infinity pool and soak up the 270-degree views from the bar. If you are not one for a sedentary lifestyle, then you can surf the legendary curls, scuba dive to the nearby reefs, paddle around the coves or take a bike ride into the local village to hang out with the friendly locals. As the sun starts to set, you’ll be taken on a cruise to toast the end of your holiday as you spot whales and dolphins dotted along the coast.