Some readers have given us feedback on this blog, saying that while they love the luxe angle and reviews of top accommodations in Sri Lanka, they would also like more insight into the real, everyday Ceylon. While we might say that this isn’t really what this site is about, as outlined in our first post, we do accept that too much coverage of luxury travel with no relation as to what you can expect outside and around your chosen home might not be a completely realistic representation.

So we are asking our readers to contribute reviews on their experience of Sri Lanka. One email we received is from Prudence Cook- a writer from Australia who served a month’s internship as a journalist with Upali Newspapers.

“It was dark when I arrived in Sri Lanka and, after 24 hours worth of flights and transits, I was tired. I tried to make polite chit-chat with my driver, but neither of us could understand the others accent so I resigned myself to looking out the window sleepily, taking in my first impressions of the country that was to be my home for the next month. All I managed to make out were colourful Buddha’s in brightly lit glass enclosures and silhouettes of soldiers, the shadows playing against their guns making them look enormous.

My first days passed in a slow haze of jetlag and humidity, and a particularly nasty trip on a jagged piece of concrete protruding from the sidewalk. I left a trail of blood all the way back to the hotel and have worn closed toed shoes ever since.

People assume that coming from Australia I should be used to the heat, but I’ve come from Melbourne in the middle of winter and it’s freezing. Where I’m from, we have dry heat that penetrates your skin and send people running for the shade until a cool change comes through in the evening. Here the heat is heavy and sticky all of the time. The only respite comes from a cold shower, and even then, feeling of being fresh and clean is fleeting.

The traffic is perhaps the first thing you notice in Sri Lanka that is entirely different from home. Lanes, traffic lights, road signs and pedestrian crossings are indicators only and not necessarily firm rules. Car horns, unlike at home where a toot is usually followed by a stream of abuse and a rude hand gesture, are simply used as a common courtesy. Although its congested and chaotic, at least the traffic is constantly moving. I’m usually a poor passenger, tensing as cars approach and often clutching at my seat during fast turns, but surprisingly, I’ve remained relaxed in Sri Lankan traffic, even when my driver has to negotiate cows, dogs, tuk-tuks and hair-raising roundabouts.

The public transport too, has left me unfazed. Initially I was nervous as I had heard horror stories from other travellers, and even some Sri Lankans seem surprised that I regularly take the bus, but I don’t mind the sharp corners, the exhaust fumes in my face and the dust under my eyes. The buses here are no more crowded than Melbourne ’s public transport and there’s a slight exhilaration to jumping on and off a bus that’s in motion.

The first question I am always asked by both Sri Lankans, and my friends and family at home is always about food. Luckily for me, I have always been a fan of spicy foods, and the novelty of spice, rice and curry at every meal is yet to wear off. I’m always provided with a knife and fork to eat my dinner, but I find that eating with my fingers allows for a greater blending of flavours and gives you a closer relationship with your food. The fruit here is the best I have ever tasted and it saddens me to think that when I get back to Australia , the mangos, bananas and pineapples will never taste as sweet as they did in Sri Lanka . I don’t think I will find a king coconut or a mangosteen anywhere in Australia , particularly not at the ready, sitting brightly coloured and appetizing on a roadside stall.

Sri Lankans are wonderful people, genuinely interested and happy to help out. Unlike other Asian countries, where asking for directions, or getting someone to take a photo of you will result in you being fleeced out of cash, Sri Lankans will go out of their way to ensure you enjoy their beautiful country. I’ve had a gentleman lead me across several pulsing roadways in order to ensure that I get settled onto the right bus, conversing with the conductor in Sinhalese on my behalf to ensure that I arrived at the right destination.

Perhaps the thing that took the longest to become accustomed to is the concept of Sri Lankan time. I have always been incredibly punctual and impossibly impatient, two characteristics that are only accentuated by the frenetic pace, corporate drive and hustle and bustle of Melbourne city. Here, everything runs late, but no one is fazed by that, it’s just accepted. It took me a good two weeks before I lost my purposeful stride and learnt to amble along at a slow walking pace like my fellow pedestrians, although sometimes I catch myself starting to hurry and stop myself, because there really is no need. I envy the Sri Lankan ability to sleep anywhere at anytime.

In addition to my new found patience, I m also learning that personal space, something revered back home, is not only unknown in Sri Lanka , but also unnecessary. Being jostled along is simply a requirement in getting where you’re going and even the slightest hesitation will mean that you miss opportunities. There are no ladies before gentlemen rules, but I don’t mind. If you’re not quick enough, you miss out. It’s a simple philosophy and I think it’s quite effective. It’s kept me on my toes.

I heard many a story from other travelers about bad things can that happen in Sri Lanka , but I am yet to experience any of it. All my experiences, with the exception perhaps of a few close calls in Colombo’s traffic, have been pleasant and I far prefer the company of Sri Lankans to the other travelers I have met, who want everything to be the same as home only cheaper, or expatriates, who enjoy the luxury’s of five star living without ever really getting to know the real Sri Lanka and its people. Sri Lankans have welcomed me into their homes and lives, explaining the ins and outs of their lifestyles and diets, and preventing me from making ignorant faux-pas. Their generosity, kindness and hospitality are something that I hope my fellow Australians can aspire to.

Everything in Sri Lanka, no matter how foreign it is to me, is endearing in its own way; the cows grazing contentedly beneath the perfectly manicured hedges of the roundabouts, the smell of incense and the sound of sweeping coming from the temples of an evening and the man in the faded blue sarong who I pass on the bus every morning who cuts up fish with three expectant cats lined up at his feet. There is an inherent beauty to this land, and something delightful and rewarding can be taken from every little experience.

Sri Lanka has helped me to be more patient, open-minded and accepting and has also planted in me the firm belief that I am capable of doing anything. I won’t miss the mosquito bites, or the smell of rotting trash on my walk to the bus in the morning, but these are minor annoyances that have in no way detracted from my over all experience. Upon my return I think I’ll find that I miss Sri Lanka more than I missed Australia . I’ll come back, hopefully sooner rather than later, there is still so much more I need to see.“

Many thanks to Prudence for sending this! If any of you would like to send us your own experience and perspective on Sri Lanka, please use our contact form

This blog is not one about the news or politics coming amount of Sri Lanka. However, given the recent momentous events that have occurred in the country with the end of a 26 year old Civil War, we feel it would be unnatural not to address it. Apart from anything else, it does of course have a huge impact on the tourism industry in terms of safety and security, which as we explained in our very first post has been a primary reason why many people have decided not to visit the country.

The picture we are using was sent to us by a friend from Sri Lanka and was taken on the final days at the battlefield in Mullaitivu. The inherent emotion is obvious and during our recent trip, such feelings were reflected by every local we talked to. No individual or family has not lost a son or friend in this battle. They are now jubilant and hero worship their President Rajapaksa, who is assured re-election next year. And it is widely believed, despite the many negative stories and reports regarding the humanitarian catastrophe that exists, that tourists will soon return in abundance.

This remains to be seen, although many hotel owners we spoke to feel that after a “period of respect”, Sri Lanka will once again become a choice destination. There have been many views about what really went down with the end of this war. We tend to agree with a rather unconventional, independent view by Atlantic Monthly correspondent, Robert Kaplan:

The biggest takeaway fact about the Sri Lankan war that’s over now is that the Chinese won. And the Chinese won because over the last few years, because of the human rights violations by the Sri Lankan government, the U.S. and other Western countries have cut all military aid. We cut them off just as they were starting to win. The Chinese filled the gaps and kept them flush with weapons and, more importantly, with ammunition, with fire-fighting radar, all kinds of equipment. The assault rifles that Sri Lankan soldiers carry at road blocks throughout Colombo are T-56 Chinese knockoffs of AK-47s. They look like AK-47s, but they’re not.

They’re building a deep water port and bunkering facility for their warships and merchant fleet in Hambantota, in southern Sri Lanka. And they’re doing all sorts of other building on the island.

Now, why did the Chinese want Sri Lanka? Because Sri Lanka is strategically located. The main sea lines of communication between the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, and between the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. It’s part of China’s plan to construct a string of pearls – ports that they don’t own, but which they can use for their warships all across the Indian Ocean.

Sri Lanka defeated, more or less completely, a 26 year-long insurgency. They killed the leader and the leader’s son. But there are no takeaway lessons for the West here. The Sri Lankan government did it by silencing the media, which meant capturing the most prominent media critic of the government and killing him painfully. And they made sure all the other journalists knew about it.

The Tamil Tigers had human shields by the tens of thousands, not just by the dozens and hundreds like Al Qaeda. They put people between themselves and the government and say “you have to kill all the people to get to us.” So the government obliged them. The government killed thousands of civilians…The U.N. is investigating whether as many as 20,000 civilians have been killed during the last few months.

It was the only insurgent terrorist outfit that had a navy and air force…They had a few planes that they used for bombing missions over Colombo. Not even Hezbollah has either of those, and Hezbollah is the most sophisticated Islamist terrorist group in the world.

We at Ceylon Luxury pray for the Sri Lankan people- that there will be peace, harmony and prosperity in future years. They have waited a very long time and certainly deserve a chance to heal as a nation now.

On our recent visit, we only visited the South (kids were in tow!), but the end of this war does now open up various areas in the North renowned for their beauty, most notably Trincomalee and Jaffna.

More on these after our next visit….

Welcome to Ceylon Luxury! Sri Lanka (or Ceylon as it was once known) is considered by many to be the most beautiful country in the world. Stunning beaches, breathtaking mountain views, lush tea plantations, tranquil lakes, tropical forests and the list goes on….

The country lies next to the Maldives, which arguably has the best beaches of any country, and Kerala, the Southern state of India, which is also becoming an increasingly popular travel destination. Sri Lanka has a colorful past and is full of many natural resources, most notably its tea, coffee and spices. It is a predominantly Buddhist country (Theravada- early Buddhism) with an ancient culture that can still be seen today in many of the wonderful temples, monuments and sites. Sri Lanka was colonized by the Portuguese, then the Dutch and finally the British before achieving independence in 1948. This rich and diverse history lends itself to a very unique culture which one can see in the architecture, arts and crafts. Sri Lanka is also a home to ayurvedic medicine, which makes it especially appealing for those Westerners who believe in holistic health techniques.

Couple these facts with the most charming, kind and hospitable people you are ever likely to encounter on your travels and you have a paradise just waiting to be visited.

However, owing to the continuing problems with the civil war in the North of the country, where government troops battle Tamil Tiger rebels, tourism is at an all time low in the country. Despite the reality of it being perfectly safe to travel to Sri Lanka in the central and southern regions, the constant bad news coming out in the media is keeping the mainstream tourists away. The situation wasn’t helped in December, 2004 when the Tsunami hit the West Coast of Sri Lanka very severley and the country has yet to properly recover from this terrible disaster.

Ironically, this situation of negative publicity has opened up a different area of travel in Sri Lanka- one of luxury. This niche is filled by the discerning traveler who can afford to spend that little bit extra and doesn’t pay attention to the worries of the mass tourism industry. Furthermore, this type of luxury traveler is rather attracted by the exclusivity and personal touch that one gets by being one of the special few. It’s like a “private club” growing in the middle of Asia and the “who’s who” are being catered for by those who know how to provide service in style.

Out of this rapidly growing luxury travel market in Sri Lanka are being born the most luxurious and exclusive boutique hotels, villas, private islands, spas, restaurants, shops, specialty tours and many other aspects of luxe travel.

It is this area of luxury travel in Sri Lanka that this blog is about. We want to share first-hand with readers our knowledge of traveling the country in style and hope that we can convert a few to visit this unique island paradise. We will be reviewing and featuring every aspect of luxe travel in Sri Lanka, whether that be the hotels, private villas, restaurants or tour companies. And we won’t be just regurgitating what you can find elsewhere on the web, as we actually know Sri Lanka intimately and regularly visit the place ourselves!

Finally, we’re not out to make our millions from this blog and so won’t be filling it up with spammy affiliate links and ads. Having said this, we are probably able help you if you are serious about visiting the country as we know many of the hotel owners, etc- so can likely get you a good deal. Therefore, do contact us if you would like our help or advice.