THE COOL LIST
If any country offers a better all-round travel experience than Sri Lanka, then it’s hiding its light under a very sizable bushel. Beach lovers can pick from a host of picture-postcard spots on the Indian Ocean coast. If culture’s your thing, you’ll be falling over UNESCO-listed historical sites, from mound-like Buddhist stupas — or dagobas — dating back thousands of years, to royal capitals, cave temples and colonial fortresses. Time your visit with a Buddhist celebration, such as Vesak, and join festival crowds thronging streets decorated with lanterns. Accommodation spans all categories, from homestays and jungle cabins to opulent honeymoon hideaways. Roaring back Seafood is as fresh as it gets, while local curries pack a powerful punch. And then there’s the landscape itself. The Hill Country, south of the central city of Kandy, is blanketed with manicured tea plantations, but elsewhere wilder tranches of tropical forest are home to an array of fauna, including elephants, leopards and a multitude of endemic birds. If you’re out and about at dusk, you might even be lucky enough to see a shaggycoated sloth bear. Megafauna at its most charismatic cruises offshore — the island ranks among the top whalewatching destinations, and blue whales are a common sight on boat excursions. But why now? Well, the best-documented reason is that the north and east of the country, off limits during the civil war, are now open to tourists. The sustained period of stability is reflected by new and better roads, a number of restaurant openings, and the building of comfortable accommodation in areas where previously rooms were scarce — the latest proof: the new Jetwing Jaffna hotel. Less well-documented is the ongoing development of the country’s national parks. Several areas of Yala National Park — which has the highest density of leopards on the planet — are now open to tourists for the first time, while the Resplendent Ceylon hotel group recently opened the Wild Coast Tented Lodge on its boundaries. But beyond all this, there’s just a general buzz about the country. This November, the 466-room Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo became the latest luxury hotel to be unveiled in the capital; next year will see Sri Lanka host international sporting events, including the World Surf League qualifier and the inaugural Ironman 70.3 FROM LEFT: Leopard competition. Sri Lanka feels like a place in the spotlight, spotting, Yala National and one that’s enjoying the experience. The island has Park; Resplendent Ceylon come a long way since its tsunami and civil war; at last, Wild Coast Tented Lodge the Teardrop of India has lots to smile about. AP bar and restaurant; Tbilisi
SRI LANKA
old town and minaret of Tbilisi Mosque
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IMAGES: RESPLENDENT CEYLON/CHITRAL JAYATILLAKE; AWL IMAGES
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