Welcome to Sri Lanka: a letter from our editor

About Welcome to Sri Lanka: a letter from our editor

By the ULTIMATE Sri Lanka Editorial Team

Regional Editor, South Asia: Tara de la Motte

A welcome to the island from our Regional Editor, South Asia: beaches and rainforests, sunsets that set the whole horizon alight, the elephants of Pinnawala and a cup of Ceylon tea in the hills.

Sri Lanka is the teardrop in the Indian Ocean and is often called the Garden of Eden. From its white sandy beaches and swaying palms to lush rainforests and cool tea-growing hills, the island’s landscape is wonderfully varied. You will find elephants, leopards, monkeys and exotic birds in the dense forests of Sri Lanka. Ancient ruins and giant Buddha statues sit among the lush green landscape. Women are seen in their colourful saris, and schoolchildren in whiter-than-white uniforms on their way to school.

Sri Lanka has the most breathtaking sunsets, where both the sky and the horizon glow together, and you have to see it to believe it.

The tea plantations are a wonderful sight, like a giant patchwork against the mist.

This is an island rich in colour and flavour.

The elephant orphanage at Pinnawala

One of the most memorable stops in Sri Lanka is the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, where you can watch gentle giants being cared for, and seeing the young elephants splashing in the water or wandering together is a truly special sight. The orphanage also sells visitors a short, ticketed session bathing an elephant in the river; animal-welfare groups question this kind of hands-on contact, and our honest guide to the sanctuaries sets out both sides so you can decide for yourself.

The orphanage, run by the Department of National Zoological Gardens, offers care to orphaned and injured elephants and a captive breeding ground for them; the department puts its herd at 65 elephants.

Nuwara Eliya and Ceylon tea

The cool, misty hills of Nuwara Eliya are home to some of the world’s finest teas: Ceylon tea. The tea plantations are a wonderful sight, like a giant patchwork against the mist.

One has to drink a cup of Ceylon tea to taste and savour the distinctive flavour that is unique to Sri Lanka.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Welcome to Sri Lanka: a letter from our editor before you go.