Sri Lanka in depth and Dubai in brief

I was about to fulfil my ambition. I left the UK on a cold winter’s day and arrived in Sri Lanka to my joy to 30-degree heat (it can get warmer than this too!)

I had decided to spend the first few days in Colombo, the economic capital. Many visitors do tend to skip Colombo when visiting Sri Lanka but although not at the top of the highlights, I had the time and I was keen to throw myself into a city that has a lot of variety. From the coastal train line to Mount Lavinia and onwards to the hustle and bustle of the market area of Pettah, which also mixes in nicely with the colonial charm of the areas of Galle Face and Fort. Your own car/driver/guide is a good way to get about much of Sri Lanka in a comfortable way and it’s an instant link into local life.

The people of Sri Lanka are particularly friendly and welcoming and do appreciate an ayubowan (hello) from visitors that they meet (although most do speak English). Make sure you give the local spicy food a try - Cheese Kotthu is a particular favourite of mine.

A few hours inland from Colombo is the ‘cultural triangle’ made up of Anuradhpura, Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa. Each are recognised by UNESCO and are beautiful and evocative of Sri Lanka’s rich cultural past. The ruins at each are dramatic and atmospheric but beyond even this there is also the chance to see wild elephants on a safari in Minneriya National Park.

I had also taken a brief tour of Wilpattu National Park for my chance to see a leopard (seen but at a fair distance) but no elephant sightings at Wilpattu. Getting to see so many wild elephants at Minneriya National Park was a privilege. Getting to see the wild elephants can sometimes be very easy as they gather around the tank (large Sri Lankan often ancient man-made lake) but depending on the season they roam freely between different National Parks in the area making them a bit more difficult to see. The wildlife safaris often give you the opportunity to see some other animals and a wide variety of birds such as the colourful jungle fowl, peacocks, eagles and many others. So with all these ticked off I explored the wonderful ruins around Anuradhpura and Polonnaruwa. People come from far and wide to experience the cultural triangle and you’ll find a lot of Sri Lankan people on a pilgrimage to these sights too.

Perhaps the most well-known part of the ‘cultural triangle’ is Sigiriya or ‘lion rock’ as it is sometimes known. The palace ruins that are on top of the rock have far reaching views to the mountains further south and the plains to the north. On the way up the rock you can visit the overhanging cave with the famous racy Sigiriya frescoes and also pass through the huge lion’s paws staircase.

On the way from Sigiriya further south to Kandy I stopped to visit the very atmospheric cave temples at Dambulla (yet another place recognised by UNESCO) and the spice gardens of Matale.

Kandy is the cultural capital of Sri Lanka and a visit to the famed temple of the tooth is a must along with a walk around the peaceful lake right in the centre of town. Along with being surrounded by the lush green tropical hills this gives the town a completely different feel to other major cities.

From Kandy you can wind your way up the mountains to Nuwara Eliya to visit ‘little England’ for a taste of tea and a taste of home. The tea plantations are vast and I enjoyed some great views along some interesting walks with the odd waterfall or two to visit as well.

Winding your way down the mountain is a great experience as well as I left behind the refreshing cool mountain weather for another bout of the heat as I headed towards the beaches on the South and West coast.

All the beaches are different though invariably palm fringed and some are especially conducive to a great sunset and a long walk.

The walled fort town at Galle is an up and coming haven of boutique hotels and artistic shops to mix in something different with the exotic beaches on the coast.

My time in Sri Lanka did unfortunately have to come to an end but coming home via Dubai and a visit to the world’s tallest building the Burj Khalifa gave me an exciting end to the trip of a lifetime.