Tea with a Twist

The Kandy Esela Perahera, which is also known as The Festival of the Tooth is a unique religious and cultural event that takes place every year in July. The procession features many dancers, drummers and elephants, who parade through the streets paying homage to the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha which is housed in the Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy.

The Temple of the Tooth Relic, which is known as the Sri Dalada Maligawa is in the sacred city of Kandy. It houses the tooth relic of Lord Buddha and is an important shrine of Buddhist worship. The annual procession known as the Kandy Esala Perahera marks an important day in the Sri Lankan calendar.

Adam’s Peak, which is locally known as Sri Pada, is the fifth tallest mountain peak of Sri Lanka. The “sacred footprint” that is found at the peak is believed to be that of Lord Buddha’s. Many devotees ascend the mountain to pay homage to the sacred footprint during the Sri Pada season.

Galle Dutch Fort is a proud structure that still stands tall and mighty in southern Sri Lanka. Built by the Portuguese over 400 years ago, the fort was fortified by the Dutch, upon their invasion of the island. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, visited and admired by many, all through the year.

Hop aboard a vintage steam train in Kandy, and enjoy a picturesque ride into the heart of Sri Lanka’s charming hill country. The winding railway tracks chart a scenic course through the rolling hillsides of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. Unwind in your air conditioned compartment, as you take in the majesty of the verdant landscape unfolding before your eyes.

Observe the shades of emerald that blanket the horizon, brimming with precious tea crops that are the nation’s pride. Envision the splendour of the island’s colonial heyday, as you tuck into a delicious four-course lunch accompanied by sparkling silverware and fine china. This journey is best begun in the late morning hours and lasts four to five hours.

Visit the Suriyakantha Centre for Art and Culture, and delve deep into the fascinating annals of European and Sri Lankan history. Housed in the Naranwala Walawwa, an 18th century Dutch-style colonial manor house, the centre represents a unique effort between a Frenchman and Sri Lankan, to showcase talent from eras past.

Explore the vast repository of local and European works over the course of two to three hours and understand the richness of Kandyan culture. Observe the various manuscripts, furniture, handicrafts, artworks and photographs on display. Located near the town of Kandy in Sri Lanka’s Central Province, Suriyakantha is open to visits between 08:00am and 04:00pm, throughout the year.

Spend half a day exploring four of Kandy’s famed medieval temples. Join your personal archaeologist on an informative, 3.5 hour coach tour of the Degaldoruwa, Embekka, Lankatilaka and Gadaladeniya Buddhist temples. Feast your eyes on the magnificent Kandyan murals on the ceiling of Degaldoruwa Temple. Witness the wonderful fusion of Buddhist and Hindu culture at Gadaladeniya Temple.

Take in the exquisite craftsmanship of the woodwork at Embekka Temple. Observe the traditional Sinhalese design of the Lankatilaka Temple, and discover the inscriptions carved into the rocks. Setting off in the morning is ideal, as the tour involves approximately 1.5 hours of travel to / from your hotel.

Discover the cultural and architectural legacy of Galle, inherited from the Portuguese and Dutch colonialists from centuries past. Familiarise yourself with its streets, as your experienced tour guide narrates intricately woven folktales, that have been passed down through generations. Observe the local practice of stilt fishing and pay a visit to highlights such as the iconic Galle Fort.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this is the last European-built fortress still standing in southern Asia. Watch with bated breath as daring cliff divers spring themselves off the citadel’s walls and plummet into the waves below. The tour lasts two hours and starts early morning or in the afternoon.

Observe the century-old tea manufacturing process at Ceylon Tea Trails. Meet up with your guide at 09:00am and set off into the estate. Walk in the footsteps of the tea planters of Ceylon’s heyday, as they traversed the leafy inclines in search of ideal pastures for tea cultivation. Understand the challenges involved in the skilled art of tea plucking and learn the secret behind the aromatic black tea blend; only two tender leaves and the bud, are harvested from each plant, by hand.

Study the traditional English machinery used at the Norwood Tea Factory, which dates back to colonial times.

As your 2.5 hours draw to an end, sit back and sample fragrant brews from the factory’s many grades of tea.

Ascend over 5,000 steps to the summit of Adam’s Peak, Sri Lanka’s most venerated mountain. Looming over Maskeliya’s horizon at a height of 2,250 metres, it has been a unique symbol of reverence for more than a millennium, thanks to the gigantic footprint carved into its peak. The Buddhists believe it to belong to Lord Buddha; the Hindus proclaim it to be Lord Shiva’s; while to the Muslims and Christians, it was left by Adam.

You can make the journey to the summit at any time of the year. However, to witness the annual pilgrimage made by thousands of worshippers, visit between December and May. Begin the five-hour ascent at 02:00am and reach the peak just in time to witness a majestic sunrise.