Tika Traveller

Discover Sri Lanka & Maldives From Those Who Know It Best

Blogs from Tikalanka are designed to enhance your knowledge of Sri Lanka and Maldives and keep you up to date with recent developments. We intend to post regular features on travel, news, lifestyle and accommodation as well as guest articles from current and past customers, which will give you first-hand experience of Tikalanka, Sri Lanka and Maldives.

Category: Sightseeing

Maalu Maalu Resort & Spa, Passikudah, Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #10/2024: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 5th March 2024

Imagine coconut palms swaying rhythmically in the fragrant breeze, the shallow, clear warm waters of the Indian Ocean lapping gently onto sun-kissed tropical beaches, and ice-cold sundowners and the freshest of seafood to savour – this is summer in Sri Lanka. Our Summertime in Sri Lanka Tika Taster itinerary is ideal for adventurous couples or families seeking an extra-special summer holiday in the resplendent land of Sri Lanka.

Lunuganga, Geoffrey Bawa's country estate near Bentota, Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #07/2024: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 15th February 2024

As promised, our dedicated Tika Taster to Geoffrey Bawa is now live. The tour is mostly arranged around visits to or stays in his most iconic buildings as well as visits to the ancient sites of Dambulla, Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya to offer you an historical perspective to his work. The 14-day guided trip includes his own town house and country estate, major masterplan projects, hotels, and villas. Your accommodation includes four Bawa-designed hotels to ensure you have the full experience of his design genius.

Ayubowan, may you have the gift of a long life, is the traditional greeting salutation in Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #05/2024: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 31st January 2024

Apologies for the lack of updates over the past couple of months. Sri Lanka has had a dramatic turnaround in tourism since November and suddenly everyone wants to visit the Resplendent Isle. It has become particularly busy for us since the New Year for immediate holidays as well as ones well into 2025, so the future looks bright. Why not travel in May, June or September when there are great deals on hotels and the island is quieter?

View from the lawn, Summerville Bungalow, Ceylon Tea Trails, Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #44/2023: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 31st October 2023

It has been a very successful year for hotels in Sri Lanka. Ceylon Tea Trails is on the Condé Nast Gold List 2023 and featured on the acclaimed BBC TV series "Amazing Hotels" in September. The pioneering eco-luxury resort Jetwing Vil Uyana has earned a coveted spot on Fodor’s List of the Finest Hotels in the World and rated as one of Condé Nast Traveller’s 15 of the best eco hotels. While Travel & Leisure has ranked Fort Bazaar the Best Overall Hotel in Galle fort to soak in and discover the magic of a 16th-century fortress.

Papare - a lively genre of Sri Lankan music - goes hand in hand with cricket (courtesy of Hafsa Adil/Al Jazeera)

TikaWeeks #40/2023: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 3rd October 2023

Despite Sri Lanka’s crushing defeat at the hands of arch rivals India in front of a capacity home crowd in last month’s Asia Cup final, there were still plenty of smiling faces, dancing in the aisles and party music resounding around Colombo’s R. Premadasa cricket stadium. Even at the height of the island’s civil war and during the recent political and economic chaos, cricket has been a unifying force, a soothing balm at the time of crisis.

Lighthouse and mosque within the Dutch colonial era fort, Galle, Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #39/2023: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 27th September 2023

Sri Lanka is definitely making a comeback. With confidence building, 2024 should be a very positive year. Where better to start than the revitalised Galle Literary Festival, which runs from 25 to 28 January 2024. This now fabled event last ran in 2020 and has been attracting authors and visitors from across the world since the inaugural festival in 2015, which takes place in the vicinity of Galle's historic 17th century Dutch colonial era fort.

A rare super blue moon lighting up last night's sky (courtesy of Steve Brown/DC Thomson)

TikaWeeks #35/2023: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 31st August 2023

“Blue moon, you saw me standing alone…” is the classic refrain sung by Old Blues Eyes himself but overnight we had the confluence of a blue moon and a super moon for our second full moon of the month. In Sri Lanka, full moon or Poya day is particularly significant to the Sinhalese Buddhist majority as the Buddha was born, found enlightenment and reached nirvana on the same full moon day. Every Poya day is celebrated throughout the year and each one has a different significance to Buddhists on the island.

A visiting family made welcome at a Buddhist monastery, Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #34/2023: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 24th August 2023

Friendly and welcoming, Sri Lanka is the ideal destination for a fun-filled family holiday! Exotic wildlife, palm-fringed sandy beaches, thrilling as well as easy-going adventures and child-friendly accommodation are a formidable combination for an out-of-the-ordinary family experience. Our revised Family Sri Lanka itinerary is a good starting point to create your own perfect family holiday to "undoubtedly the finest island of its size in the world" (Marco Polo).

Leopard prowling in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka (courtesy of Laurence Pordes)

TikaWeeks #33/2023: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 14th August 2023

With the sighting of a melanistic (black) leopard cub in Yala National Park in March this year, interest in Sri Lanka’s apex predator has surged once more. Also in March, the inaugural Global Leopard Conference was hosted in South Africa. Leopards may be the most adaptable of the big cats, however the leopard’s global population and distribution are in decline. Many of the threats to leopard survival occur commonly across the world where leopards are found, and those protecting them are seeking better conservation solutions.

Tamil tea picker in the Hill Country, Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #31/2023: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 2nd August 2023

Sri Lanka is synonymous with tea and has a long-standing reputation for producing some of the world's finest, with a plantation history dating back to 1862 and an export value of US$2.6bn. The humble beverage has become the island’s pride worldwide, accounting for nearly 14% of total export earnings and ranking among its most prized products. This year is the 200th anniversary of the arrival of Tamils of Indian origin in Sri Lanka and their history is inextricably entwined with the story of tea on the island.

Independent Tailor-made Holidays to Sri Lanka & Maldives