Sri Lanka Three Ways

Sri Lanka scores high on our must-visit list, so plan your trip and choose between a charming tea trail retreat, a wild safari adventure, or a relaxing seaside escapade

- Anton D. Javier

It was the tail end of our trip to Sri Lanka when I came across a passage from a 19th century book (reproduction, not original) in my room in Cape Weligama, which perfectly described the country: “It is literally smothered in verdant luxuriance, which heaped, massed, and jumbled together in indescribable profusion; is barely restrained within its natural limits by the envious waves of the opposing ocean.”

Sri Lanka, as you can tell, is teeming with life. Further away from Colombo’s frenzy, the country is a vision of green, with gigantic anthuriums and caladiums, towering coconut trees, and vast fields of tea bushes everywhere you look. All this is framed by the Indian Ocean, offering both residents and visitors access to some of the best seaside views in the world.

But beyond the seemingly endless green and blue hues, a technicolor Sri Lankan adventure awaits if you know where to go. Together with luxury tour operator Lightfoot Travel and Resplendent Ceylon, a company that manages luxury properties in the country, we discovered that Sri Lanka has something for everyone — whether it’s a relaxing stay up in a tea plantation, a wild safari, or a seaside escape.

ESCAPE TO THE TEA TRAILS

Old world English luxury comes to life at the Ceylon Tea Trails, which is located at an altitude of 1,250 meters near Hatton in central Sri Lanka. The property is comprised of five colonial style bungalows built between 1888 and 1950 and is located within an extensive 2,000 acres of tea country. Situated between Castlereagh Lake and Bogawantalawa valley, expect the views from each Tea Trails bungalow to be picture perfect.