finding serendipity in sri lanka
finding serendipity in sri lanka
october 1 - october 7
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you don't make sri lanka happen. sri lanka happens to you. a place of serendipity, it is a rambunctious journey into awe. the people cocoon you with bountiful and authentic hospitality.
the environment enraptures, from waterfalls stowed in verdant jungle, to ancient temples on peaks. it was named serendib more than one millenia and a half ago, and the ability of tripping over happy accidents persists for travellers to this day.
here you learn how to let go and have faith. i arrived with no plans, beyond the first night’s hotel. i sent an unrelated work email from my villa the afternoon of arrival, explaining i was out of office in sri lanka. the reply introduced me to a call, and suddenly the next 6 days were designed. much of this trip follows that serendipitous route and encounter.
itinerary
day one
OH, you’re in for a treat
DITCH the tarmac and head for nearby heartland Kandy
MEET a local family of traditional dancers, a witch doctor shaman and flame thrown in for good measure in their back garden under a fig tree
TIME for tea, at an eccentric bolthole that had to be seen to be believed, with a matriarch overseeing the run-down mansion who has welcomed celebrity after celebrity
SLEEP in a four poster bed in a home built for a King, and become accustomed to Sri Lankan colonial style
day two
SWIM in the infinity pool overlooking rice paddies as chanting from the Buddhist temples floats by as you do
READ in the outdoor library, before a colonial breakfast with a perfect pot of Ceylon tea
POLISH your lens as you’re about to board one of the best scenic train journeys in the world, cutting through tea plantations, jungle and curving by waterfalls
TREK to your own secret waterfall and swimming hole
RESIDE in a traditionally designed Sri Lankan home, where all rooms feed off an inner courtyard with a portal to the sky
day three
BREATHE in the jungle early and go recreate the magic with another swim in the waterfall
DRIVE through mountains, wetlands and past all manner of wildlife – the odd wild elephant included
GAPE at the world’s tallest Buddha sculpture in a hideaway spot that feels both like discovery and pilgrimage
MORE elephants? Correct, as we enter Yala National Park. It’s open air vehicle safari time
day four
WAKE in luxury cocoon tents with plunge pool, as you take breakfast on the balcony overlooking the ocean
STALK LEOPARDS, elephants, water buffalo, eagles, loris and civet: you’ll track some majestic wildlife
FILL your boots at breakfast, food coma approved, as the remainder of the day is you time: pool, hike, eat more, lay out, read
DINE under the stars, engulfed by wilderness, wildlife and water every which way
day five
SEA staring straight back at you? Time to hit the Indian Ocean and spot blue whales and dolphins
HARVEST fresh coconuts at a secret palm lined beach
INLAND we go for a retreat that is built on a Fibonacci principle with villas that are like treehouses
COOK like a local – albeit, a healthy one – at the retreat. Learn how to make a fruit curry that tastes like pulled pork. Down beetroot martinis while you cook
day six
FAMOUS yoga with a celebrity instructor in an open-air shala where peacocks are known to hang out in trees and watch your downward dogs and pigeon poses
MARVEL at the colonial masterpieces of Dutch style in Galle, including forts and hotels and cafes
PROCURE presents (for yourself perhaps) at the markets with a local exposing the best boutiques
day seven