TikaWeeks #22/2025: Sri Lanka update
Posted by John on 29th May 2025
If rafting over cascading rapids, ballooning around an iconic rock fortress at dawn, climbing a sacred mountain for the spectacular sunrise and experiencing a jeep safari to spot a variety of exotic wildlife are high on your wish list, then Sri Lanka is for you! Many visitors only travel to Sri Lanka for the island’s spectacular, sun-soaked and palm-fringed beaches but there is so much more to discover than its sandy shores and exquisite ancient temples. This week’s update highlights some of the less well-known adventures on offer in Sri Lanka.
A recent excellent feature in Lonely Planet by Zinara Rathnayake lists her ‘7 ways to seek out an outdoor adventure in Sri Lanka’:
“Surrounded by an 830-mile-long (1335km-long) coastline and enveloped by thick, mossy tropical forests, the small but remarkable island of Sri Lanka is a nature lover’s dream.
Many travelers flock to its famous beaches, framed by coconut trees and flecked with rocky cliffs, for all the right reasons. Five out of seven sea-turtle species in the world come ashore here to nest and forage. Pods of spinner dolphins playfully leap out of the water. Fin whales – and occasionally the blue whale, the largest animal on earth – ply the surrounding ocean.
Those heading inland can tackle relatively easy, multiday treks through tea estates; rafting adventures on the Kelani River; and bike rides across remote, far-flung islands like Delft. You can even trek through this tropical island’s last patch of wilderness.
Get inspired to gear up and take on these top outdoor adventures in Sri Lanka.”
As I mentioned in last week’s update, Yala National Park is becoming overrun with too many visitors wanting to spot the elusive leopard and some behaving badly – unfortunately, reports of jeep drivers chasing the next leopard sighting is becoming more frequent, too. However, do not despair, next door to Yala NP is Kumana NP, a much better and currently little-known experience only on the radar of the cognoscenti. The best way to explore the park is to stay locally and Kumana Under Canvas offers just that.
Located an hour’s drive from the entrance to Kumana deep inside the park, the camp is blissfully remote – fall asleep to an orchestra of crickets or the bubbling call of the nightjar beneath an unpolluted ceiling of twinkling stars, and wake to a vibrant dawn chorus. Airy, high roofed tents are fitted with comfortable queen-sized beds, fans, solar power and charging facilities, attached dressing area and washroom, and separate on-demand hot water bucket showers. The camp is set up the day before the arrival of guests, often beside the scenic Kumbukkan River. Kumana Under Canvas is a fully mobile semi-luxury campsite designed to provide a multi sensorial safari experience.
Sri Lanka's fabulous 22-stage, 300km-long Pekoe Trail has been garnering attention recently not only for its spectacular views, cultural insights and local stories, but also as a form of therapy for female travellers. The Sisters of the Pekoe Trail was founded by Irstel and Orzu whose husbands, Miguel and Charles, were instrumental in bringing the Pekoe Trail to life. The Sisters of the Pekoe Trail invites women to "Hike, Heal & Connect" by embracing nature and disconnecting from normal life. Shared walks foster connections with trail-mates and "sisters" you meet along the way.
Sri Lanka is home to five of the world's seven endangered marine turtle species including Olive Ridley, Leatherback and the more common Green Turtle. Good places to see them are at Dalawella near Galle, or on Rekawa Beach close to Tangalle with the not-for-profit Rekawa Turtle Watch, where nightly guided turtle viewings give you the opportunity to see turtles in their natural surroundings, although it can get busy. Turtles come ashore anywhere on the island so you may be lucky enough to catch more spontaneous sightings of them elsewhere around the coast.
Tikalanka does not encourage or promote visits to turtle hatcheries, which have a dubious reputation and questionable motivation and do not follow internationally recognised protocols for interacting with wild animals.
Formerly the home of legendary Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, Lunuganga sits in extensive private gardens overlooking Dedduwa Lake near Bentota. The estate was lovingly created over several decades by Bawa as his vision of a tropical garden idyll. The Italianate garden with spectacular views over lakes and tropical jungle together with a simply designed plantation house are one of the lasting legacies of Asia’s most famous architect.
Guided group tours run at 11.00, 14.00 and 15.00 daily for 1.5 hours, or you may like to arrange a private tour for an extra special exclusive experience – self-guided tours are not permitted. However, a visit to the main house is not included due to residential guests, and No. 5 (Ena de Silva’s house) will be shown strictly subject to availability of the entire property on the day and cannot be confirmed prior to arrival. Lunch may also be included in the Gallery Café on site.
As a special treat, you may sleep in a room in the main 1930s plantation house, opening onto lawns peppered with frangipani flowers, or in freestanding buildings with evocative names such as the Glass House, the Gallery Suite and Cinnamon Hill. The three-bedroom Ena de Silva house works well for groups. This property is a national treasure and there is an air of exclusivity to a stay at Lunuganga. Facilities include a view-blessed pool and guided garden tours.
Please take a look at our Adventure holiday for inspiration or our other recommended itineraries for an extraordinary holiday in Sri Lanka.
Categories: Accommodation, Culture, News, Sightseeing, Sri Lanka, Sustainability, Travel tips, Wildlife
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