Explore Sri Lanka’s best bits with a focus on ease and enjoyment. Photo / Getty Images
This is how you can tackle Sri Lanka as a mature traveller when you want both adventure and a comfortable ride, writes Sue Halliwell
The flower seller stepped into our path as our small bus began its winding mountainside descent near Sri Lanka’s Ramboda Falls.
Clutching a fulsome bunch of local blooms and waving furiously to get our attention, what followed was a short but extraordinary interaction that for me became a metaphor for my experience of his country as an older traveller.
READ MORE: First-timer’s guide to Sri Lanka: What to see and do
Beyond each hairpin bend he would magically reappear, his blossoms intact. That his winning smile found our women passengers was no surprise, but how he cut five steep, rain-soaked corners without calamity and at such speed in jandal-clad feet, remains a mystery.
By some superhuman feat, he and his grin were still there to greet us after the final bend. “Pull over!” we instructed our driver, and all nine of us clubbed together to purchase his magnificent bouquet.
This delightful interaction occurred midpoint in an organised tour of Sri Lanka that I was enjoying with my significant other. Both now over 65, we pursue our love of adventure travel in greater comfort, and booked a 12-day, small group tour of Sri Lanka’s must-sees to get a handle on the customs, culture, cuisine, currency and climate before going it alone. It was a good move.
At slightly over half the size of New Zealand’s North Island, the “Teardrop of India” or “Pearl of the Indian Ocean”, as Sri Lanka is variously described, is not large. However, its rich soup of sights, sounds, smells and tastes can be almost overwhelming, especially for the newly arrived whose entry point is the hectic, spice-infused city of Colombo.
That said, Colombo’s sensory mix was for us also a great introduction to the culture, cash and cuisine of the country — and to the traffic. Here, for the first of many times, we would bless our decision to let someone else navigate Sri Lanka’s chaotic roads, starting with our tour bus driver.
Ours was a comparatively inexpensive Inspired Vacations tour, but there are many other options, although I obviously can’t vouch for their quality of accommodation, meals and interpretation as I can for ours. It travelled a popular tourist route from Colombo south to the intriguing fort town of Galle and Sri Lanka’s southern coast. Yala National Park followed and our first two wildlife safaris, and then the charming town of Ella and entry into the lush — and cooler — high country.
We hiked Horton Plains National Park before taking a magical train ride through jungle and tea plantations, and falling for the falls and a certain lad’s smile in Ramboda. From there we would explore the colonial grace and Buddhist significance of Kandy, immerse ourselves in the antiquity of Unesco World Heritage sites at Polonnaruwa and stately Sigiriya Lion Rock, marvel at Dambulla Cave Temple and mix it with the elephants of Minneriya National Park before returning to Colombo through the coastal city of Negombo.
At each stop our accommodation, activities and transport were arranged, and if we wanted it, our meals. Our interactions with residents would further our practice of important etiquette, and our patient Sri Lankan tour guide would grow our understanding of his country through a knowledge as broad as our flower seller’s smile.
Yes, as mature travellers we were sold on an organised tour as an effortless introduction to Sri Lanka, and we weren’t alone.
Tourism has become a major focus for Sri Lanka as it recovers from the financially crippling pandemic years, with Central Bank of Sri Lanka research showing tourism earnings for the first six months of 2024 up 78% on the previous year, and tourist numbers up 62%. Hope is definitely high, although the government is aware work still needs to be done on improving infrastructure and sustainability — especially around plastic waste — for that trend to be maintained.
We now felt ready to maintain our own tourism push with an independent adventure. Our interests leaning towards natural Sri Lanka, we narrowed our options to the sweeping east coast beaches of Trincomalee and nearby Nilaveli, and the leopard stronghold of Wilpattu National Park in the west.
Our hopes were also high, although we hadn’t fully appreciated the impact of July’s east coast heat on older bodies. With top temperatures in the high 30s most days, we adapted by sightseeing in the fresh of morning before retiring to our hotel in the heat of the day, emerging only for dips in the Indian Ocean. We had pre-booked our accommodation and were grateful for our foresight in choosing ocean-front rooms, although we had neglected to ensure all had airconditioning.
We would surface late afternoon for another swim and to watch the local fishermen haul their enormous nets on to the sand. Drinks and dinner followed at a beachside restaurant, from which we could observe the fascinating double act these beaches perform as local workspaces and tourist entertainment.
From Nilaveli Beach we travelled back across the island to Wilpattu National Park, a taxi journey of 153km costing NZ$95. While younger folk may happily brave self-driving or tuk-tuks, we used taxis for all our independent travel, developing a relationship with Lanka Taxis in particular and finding them cost-effective and comfortable.
Wilpattu National Park delivered three wild leopard sightings and lower tourist numbers than we had experienced in other national parks. Often, it was just us and our fabulous Wilpattu Safaris driver and guide looking for animals in the jungle — our happy place, and primarily what we’d come to Sri Lanka for.
Our last evening in the country followed, and a chance to reflect on our entire adventure over a delicious, home-cooked Sri Lankan meal delivered by our accommodation hosts. The flower seller soon came to mind, and his metaphor. Like him, we had spent much of our journey navigating five tricky bends, which for us as older travellers comprised Sri Lanka’s customs, culture, cuisine, currency and climate. The reward came at the end of our metaphorical run where, through the contribution of many — including the animals — we received the full Sri Lankan bouquet at Wilpattu.
And, whatever your age, it doesn’t get better than that.
SRI LANKA
Fly from Auckland to Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport, Sri Lanka, with one stopover with China Eastern, or fly Air NZ or Qantas in partnership with Sri Lankan Airlines.
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Some domestic regional flights have been affected.