One of the great travails of being a tour operator that specialises in Sri Lanka has been the constantly fiddling of dates involved in making sure that ‘flying direct’ with Sri Lankan airlines actually meant flying direct. Until now, the daily London to Colombo (and vice versa) flight with good times has touched down in The Maldives on 4 days of the week, adding two hours to the overall flying time. While there has always been an additional direct flight on all of these days, they have been at very unsociable hours, either arriving into or departing from Colombo in the middle of the night. This has led to a constant struggle to fit in all the conflicting requirements of the clients with the reality of the dates and times. To the great relief of everyone here at Experience Travel this problem is no more!!
Archive for the ‘Sri Lanka’ Category
Sri Lankan airlines to increase its direct flights from London to Colombo
Sri Lanka Holidays in April 2012
Sri Lanka – April
For several regions of Sri Lanka, April is the ideal time to visit. A dry and moderately warm climate, April offers comfortable travel in the east coast and ancient cities region particularly. The school holidays in the UK, coupled with the decent weather and the Sri Lankan celebration of the Buddhist New Year, make April a popular month. Weather is comfortable, but steadily warmer throughout the month, as the country approaches May, which is notorious for its extreme heat. Among the most popular tourist destinations in April are Nuwara Eliya, a colonial hill station that is popular among Europeans and Sri Lankan socialites. Because of this, hotel bookings for Nuwara Eliya in April are at their most expensive, and lodgings may be difficult to come by. It is recommended that travelers book their accommodations weeks in advance to ensure a place to stay.
In April, Sri Lankans celebrate the Buddhist New Year, a three-day-long celebration from the start of the first full moon of that month, usually around the 12-13th. Travelers can expect jubilant celebration in the form of fireworks, festival music, and delicious traditional meals shared with neighbors. One such shared meal is kiribath, a rice and coconut milk dish that is customarily shared during auspicious holidays in Sri Lanka. As is tradition for the Buddhist New Year, travelers in Sri Lanka should expect to be given rupees as gifts; in the hope the auspicious money will bring good luck. Although the general atmosphere is festive, and many places bustle with celebration, travelers who have come to shop should be forewarned that stores in Sri Lanka tend to close during the Buddhist New Year, as most people travel and visit with relatives. In fact, although the villages and small towns are usually bustling with excitement, larger cities such as Colombo tend to be deserted. In the smaller towns and villages, one can expect to find women playing drums in celebration, children and adults alike playing cricket and Guddu, villagers playing cards and singing songs, all to celebrate the New Year. Small towns such as Ella and Bandarawela are prime visiting locations for April.
Lastly, Easter is celebrated by many in Sri Lanka, particularly by Sri Lankan Catholics and Christians in the coastal region. Although a minority group, Christians in Sri Lanka celebrate Easter devoutly, oftentimes re-enacting Christ’s crucifixion, sometimes for as long as three hours. Afterward, a procession is led to the mountains of Golgotha. Small towns such as Kandana and Nagombo typically celebrate Easter with large re-enactments and processions on the Friday before Easter, known as Good Friday, or on Easter Sunday itself. Specific celebrations differ from town to town.
Sri Lanka’s Colombo – Matara Expressway & Highway open at last!
Sri Lanka has opened its first highway! We have reported the ongoing delays and complications a few times in this blog over the past 18 months, but now the time is right to announce the grand opening! The road was opened by president Mahinda Rajapakse, and whilst some finishing touches are still going on with slip roads and other access roads, the general public are now entitled to pay the toll and drive south.
The road is to be extended to Katunayake International Airport and the centre of Colombo. The project has taken almost 10 years to complete, with a variety of loans and Japanese & Chinese funding & labour assistance. Sri Lanka’s road and rail networks suffered heavily from poor maintenance and improvements throughout the civil war. However this period of peace has seen huge development projects undertaken, with new ports, airports, roads, bridges and assorted infrastructure already massively improved. Whilst being uber-convenient for tourism, the road also promisses to be a massive tool for trade and development in the country.
The expressway runs from the suburbs of Colombo to Matara, (more…)
Sri Lanka Honeymoon Locations
As one of the most romantic destinations in the world – Sri Lanka has too many honeymoon locations to easily fit into one itinerary. At Experience Travel we would always look to talk in detail about your trip and ensure that what we put together is right for the both of you. After all, we would want this holiday to set the tone for your future family holidays with us!
Experience Travel’s Trip Selected by Wanderlust!
We are pleased to say that our ‘Sri Lanka’s North and East‘ tour has been selected by Wanderlust Magazine as one of their 50 best new trips for 2012.
Kandy Esala Perahera Dates Confirmed!!
We have finally been given the dates and details for next year’s Esala Perahera! Yay!
The festival, held in the city of Kandy, is thought to be a fusion of two Peraheras (Processions), the Esala and the Dalada. Dating back to the 3rd century BC, the original Esala Perahera is a ritual enacted to request rainfall from the Gods. The more recent Dalada Perahera began when the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha was brought to Sri Lanka from India during the 4th Century AD.
Trip Advisor – a blessing or a curse!
The great beast lurking around any travel business these days (Google itself of course excluded) is the mighty Trip Advisor. No one in the travel business can ignore Trip Advisor and live to tell the tale. But is Trip Advisor a good thing?
Sri Lanka Holidays in February
Traditionally our biggest month of the year in Sri Lanka, February is generally regarded as the peak month to visit Sri Lanka. The weather is usually good and the sea is generally calm. February also marks Sri Lanka’s independence from Great Britain: a holiday celebrated on February fourth and the national celebration is usually on Parliament grounds in Sri Jayawardhanapura rather than individual towns or cities.
Rafting and Canyoning in Kithugalla
Now I must be honest, I am not really a great connoisseur of ‘adventure’ sports. Out of my friends I am definitely the biggest wimp, jumping out of my seat watching the ‘Scream’ spoof horror movies and avoiding anything that seems potentially limb breaking. So it was with a rather heavy heart that I agreed to partake in this next chapter of my Sri Lankan adventure, being nudged into it by my new bosses.
My fear and reluctance however, was misplaced as the day I spent with the crew at Borderlands, Kithugala was one of the most enjoyable of my trip. Specializing in white-water rafting and canyoning on the Kelani Ganga and its tributaries, Borderlands is the only rafting centre in Kithugala to provide safety kayakers as standard when white-water rafting. The presence of safety kayakers is essential in making sure that the river is safe to raft.
Sri Lanka Holidays in January
One of our busiest months for holidays in Sri Lanka is January. Sri Lanka is ‘in season’ in January – calm seas and clear skies are generally the order of the day and who wants to be in the UK in January?
January is a memorable time for Sri Lankan Hindus, as the colorful Pongal festival is celebrated mid-month. Spanning two days and nearly every Sri Lankan location, the Thai Pongal festival (also known as the Harvest Festival) pays honor to the Hindu Sun God. The first day is celebrated with the traditional Pongal meal, featuring a sweetened rice dish that is first offered to the Sun God. It is customary for the meal to be shared between Hindus and non-Hindus alike, so tourists may find themselves experiencing some genuine Hindu hospitality. The second day of the festival honors the oxen and is known as Mattu (“Cattle”) Ponga. Decorative wreaths are placed around the necks of the oxen and the animals are groomed and washed. Koloms, festive decorations, are also drawn in the yards and floors of houses with flour paste. The Harvest Festival is a celebration of kindness and hope, and as such should offer enjoyment to any Sri Lankan tourist.
