The warmth of Sri Lanka is present from the moment you step on to their national carrier, with the crew’s palms pressed in a “namaste” welcome, ushering you into a world of peacock-coloured gowns.
It’s a 10-hour flight from London, where my family and I are travelling from, and just over four from Abu Dhabi. And that warmth of SriLankan Airlines is more evident when you arrive in the embracing tropical heat and a people who are unfailingly courteous.
Sri Lanka is an emerald gem. Verdant, certainly, not only in its lush landscape but in its multi-ethnic people who, despite their lower incomes, appear to welcome all that life throws at them.
In 2019, it was hit by the ISIS Easter bombings, followed two years later by the constrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic and then a financial crisis of the now-collapsed former government.
Those were severe blows, with the country’s annual 2.3 million foreign visitors, accounting for 12 per cent of GDP, plummeting to a mere few hundred thousand in 2021. But a suggestion of Sri Lanka’s resilience – an innate attraction – is that the tourism is returning.
Not in droves as yet, but that will surely happen if the current political climate remains sensible while natural and man-made shocks remain dormant.
A family adventure across an emerald island
Travelling as a family always comes with its challenges, as two teenagers and a child will testify, but not for a single moment do we experience any threat or danger.
In a two-week journey, spanning great swathes of the country, the only remote peril comes from sharing a swinging suspension footbridge with a large family of boisterous Macaque monkeys.
In Sri Lanka’s North Central Province, about 182 kilometres from Colombo, we skim the edge of Minneriya National Park’s broad, shimmering lake. We pass small herds of water buffalo gently grazing on the shore. Driving for an hour through forests of rosewood and ancient weera trees, where overhanging branches create an enchanting aura of the unexplored, we reach a large clearing, where in the distance a herd of 26 elephants nuzzle together.
Males, females and playful youths drink water through their trunks and sweep the grass in graceful swishes, engorging great mouthfuls. One tusked pair have a mock fight while another dashes a good few metres, showing the scope of their immense power, size and speed, before all melt back into the bush. These are just a handful of the herds that can number up to 700.
Sigiriya rock magic
We return for a welcome dip in Cinnamon Habarana Village’s diamond-shaped pool before contemplating the climb up legendary Sigiriya.
From afar, Sigiriya is a granite rock that stands far above the surrounding forests whose canopy hides a 5th-century palace of carefully crafted pools and stone walls.
The ascent begins with endless stone steps, trodden by visitors for 1,500 years, leading up to a staircase that clings to the sheer rock face and ancient wall art featuring partially dressed noble Sri Lankan ladies.
At the foot of the final ascent lie two giant carved lion’s feet, a place for ancient worship that now merits an Instagram stop.
Passing through the formidable paws, we begin the final ascent up the last 100 metres of steel staircase, zigzagging up the cliff.
The nerve-racking ascent is rewarded by a plateau and astounding views of the jungle, lakes and rivers that appear unchanged since the days of the dinosaurs.
Ancient swimming pools make you wonder how people from 1,500 years ago might have contemplated their place in the world.
Secrets of Kandy
Bustling Kandy, a large city in the centre of Sri Lanka, contains the sacred shrine of the Buddha’s tooth, well recommended for an alternative cultural experience. The delightful Mahaweli Reach Hotel is cocooned behind high walls and green terraces that lead down to the river, with the steep city hills framing the background.
Initially there are teenage groans at the prospect of visiting the Royal Botanical Gardens, but these are soon stifled amid the long limbs of the mahogany trees that lend themselves to climbing or the astonishing California-like avenues of high palm trees.
In addition to 4,000 different plant species, it also holds a gem of a corner where scores of trees have been planted by dignitaries ranging from Queen Elizabeth II and her grandfather George V.