RosieSri Lanka specialist
SRI LANKA expert
When did you first visit Sri Lanka and what was your first experience like?
I first went in my late teens, taking colourful local buses playing Sinhalese music and sleeping in friendly hostels. My trips have upgraded a little since then but the charm still remains!
What’s been your most memorable experience in Sri Lanka?
That’s an easy one. Being proposed to by my now husband at Tea Trails in the Hill Country.
What is your favourite place in the country?
I first went in my late teens, taking colourful local buses playing Sinhalese music and sleeping in friendly hostels. My trips have upgraded a little since then but the charm still remains!
What would be your top recommendation for someone visiting Sri Lanka for the first time?
Allow at least two weeks and see your trip as a journey. Don’t be put off by two- or three-night stays in each place, it will feel like longer. Make sure to have a few days on the beach at the end after your cultural exploration.
What is your favourite place in the country?
One of the things I love the most is the contrasts you get within such a small island but if I was pushed to choose I’d either go for the lush Hill Country region for the stunning scenery and walking, or the Galle coast for the food and fun.
What’s your insider tip?
Travel in the summer months to see large gatherings of elephants in Minneriya, whales off the east coast of Sri Lanka and to benefit from low season trip cost. Most people assume that Sri Lanka is an October to March only destination, but because of the complicated double monsoon summer works well in certain places, which makes it a good option for family holidays.
Why do you love Sri Lanka?
Where to start!? Such friendly people, delicious food, lovely tropical climate and amazing boutique hotels oozing character and charm. The thing I love the most is that there is something for everyone and such a variety of things to do and see within a relatively small island.
Recommendations for Sri Lanka
What’s the perfect souvenir to bring back from Sri Lanka??
Tea or sapphires depending on your budget.
Is Sri Lanka somewhere to go to as a couple or with family?
100% both. I would just suggest a different itinerary and accommodation depending on the family set up and interests, but there is so much on offer for all ages. Because of the plethora of lovely villas to rent along the coast, it’s a fabulous 3G (three generational) holiday option.
What’s one local dish you have to try?
Gosh, so many… hoppers are just so delicious (a rice and coconut crepe that can be filled with egg, coconut sambal, spices and lots of variations) and the fresh fish on the coast (particularly the tuna) is phenomenal.
Is there somewhere you haven’t had a chance to go in Sri Lanka yet that you’d love to visit?
I would love to visit Jaffna and the far north, where the island’s Tamil minority mostly live. And I’m yet to make it to Gal Oya and do a boat safari which colleagues rave about.
What’s one place in Sri Lanka that you could go back to again and again?
All of it, but if I had to choose one, I could get quite comfortable with regular trips to the Galle coast.