On this episode of Travel Writers Radio, I had the opportunity to chat about – Sri Lanka – one of my favourite destinations with Graeme Kemlo. I was lucky enough to return to Sri Lanka in March on a famil with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau for the #sosrilanka campaign in a kaleidoscope of curry, tuk-tuks, elephants, dancers, Ayurveda, more curry and dancers and plenty of Sri Lankan hospitality.
Like a jewel dropped into the ocean, Sri Lanka sparkles bright, especially when you have these 10 unforgettable things to do in Sri Lanka. Once named Serendip, then Ceylon, the tear-drop isle might be compact in size, but it heaves with beautiful beaches, UNESCO-listed heritage sites, tea plantations, wildlife, dance, gems, spice, jungles, ancient wonders, Ayurveda and kilo-watt smiles every which way.
With the streets lined with Ayurveda spas, and I thought it was time to take my wellness journey up a notch with a stay in an Ayurveda retreat in Sri Lanka. But I must confess, I was anxious about my stay in an Ayurveda retreat. I really like espressos, I don’t take kindly to being told what to eat and nor do I enjoy the taste of medicine. I wasn’t entirely on board with the vegetarian menu either during my stay at an Ayurveda retreat in Sri Lanka, unlike my neighbour pictured below.
One of the oldest forms of holistic healing in the world, Ayurveda promotes natural beauty, positive health and a long life. Sri Lanka heaves with Ayurveda practitioners, and treatments vary from wandering into a centre for a relaxing massage to an intensive stay at an Ayurvedic retreat in Sri Lanka where you’ll be revived physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Receiving an Ayurveda treatment is a life-changing experience for the body, mind and soul – but be prepared to have your Western sensitivities challenged, as I discovered on a recent trip to an Ayurveda spa in Sri Lanka.
Some of Sri Lanka’s best elephant safaris and beaches can be found in the south of this magical tear-shaped island. Foreigners, burquas, and children bob along to the rhythm of boats along the curvaceous bay of Unawatuna. The scents of coconut oil, incense, diesel, sunscreen, salt, and curry flirt with abandon in the gentle breeze. The idyllic scene is complete with swaying palm trees and sauntering bikini-clad bodies glistening in the humidity.
During Sri Lanka’s Galle Literary Festival in 2011, I was thrilled to meet Candace Bushnell, the author of Sex and the City. To arrive at her Sex in a Sarong party on Taprobane Island, I waded through water – it certainly wasn’t the entrance I had planned for a soiree with the best-selling author during the Galle Literary Festival.
