Slow Island Life in Sri Lanka During England’s Cricket Tour
Slow down. It’s an Island after all.
When you don’t want to spend all your time at the Cricket, here are some immersive luxury holiday ideas in Sri Lanka.
Feel the vibes of village life and the thrill of hidden wildlife gems. Cook up a storm or be a rain forest explorer. Explore stupas at night as the fervour and faith sway your senses or take slow travel by rail and two wheels. Be part of the low carbon footprint travel movement and meander through Ceylon Tea laden mountains.
Each private slow travel experience can be easily accessed from the Test venues as short asides to the England Cricket Tour of March 2020. It’s an island after all.
ESSENTIAL READS BEFORE YOU VISIT:
'Running in the Family’ by Michael Ondaatje
'The Sapphire Widow' by Dinah Jefferies
‘Sam’s Story’ by Elmo Jayawardena
Image© : Nazly Ahmed
PRIVATE: Personalized slow travel itineraries can be curated just for two or a small group of friends, from 2 days to two weeks.
CURATED EXPERIENCES OVERVIEW: Scroll down for more details
The Landscape Artists’ Diaries
An Islander's Life
An Island of Elephants, Faith and Rice Paddies
Last Rain forests of an Island
Ceylon Tea Island Escapes
Low Carbon Footprint Island Glamping
Life, North of the Island
Slow Travel Through the First Royal Kingdom
LOCAL HOSTS AND GUIDES: Each private experience will be hosted by wonderful locals and licensed, community-based expert guides handpicked by Ayu in the Wild.
GIVING BACK: By booking each experience, you will be contributing to specific Ayu in the Wild initiatives to sustain communities and the environment, detailed under each Slow Travel holiday.
WHAT WE CAN INCLUDE: Elegant luxury in charming, handpicked hidden gems where delightful cuisine and personalized service adds to the aura of slow travel. Airport transfers, match tickets and some extra specials at the Test Venues. Private vehicle and an English-speaking Chauffeur. Meals on Half Board basis - dinner and breakfast. Entrance fees to sites. Pick up and drop off at Test venues or in Galle and Colombo.
I Am Sri Lanka – An Island Nook for Every Kind of Traveller
Our Sri Lanka Guide is a little different.
Curated through many decades of exploring this island’s nooks and corners, many times over; each Sri Lanka luxury holiday is not just about sharing the usual and the well written guidebook recommendations of the island’s essential highlights, it’s about feeling Sri Lanka.
I am 103 rivers flowing through beautiful rural villages.
I am the Ceylon Tea mountains.
I am wildlife parks with elephants and leopards.
I am the soft sand on the edge of a blue Indian Ocean.
I am home to blue whales and 33 endemic birds of Sri Lanka.
I am the spices that ignite your senses.
I am the warm-hearted Sri Lankans, inheritors of a heritage thousands of years old.
I am an island, warm all year.
Road-tested, up-to-date and experienced first-hand by the owners of Ayu in the Wild, the wonderful experiences given below are the perfect treat for Cricket fans to slow down during the England Cricket Tour of March 2020, in Sri Lanka but first, let’s take a look at the two inspiring Test match venues.
Quirky and Unforgettable Delights of Watching Cricket in Galle
Galle is a delight. A coastal town that’s steeped in history and never leaves your memory; where, the Arabs traded, the Portuguese conquered, the Dutch rebuilt, the Brits then and now have loved every single cobblestoned pathway. You can wander over the ramparts to watch the locals take their evening stroll and the crazy divers dive into the rock-strewn seas. Never miss a chance to watch the Cricket from the top of the Fort, enjoying an ice-cream and if you dare, chunks of pineapple tossed in spicy chillie! Every local will become your friend.
Eclectic Colombo - Cricket by Day and Cosmopolitans by Night
Colombo is for the curious and the discerning. The Test Cricket must be tempered with gourmet dining in Colombo’s favourite dinner bolt-holes serving everything from divine curries, fusion dining, Italian, Japanese, Thai and Indian. Each day’s sunsets must be savoured sipping sundowners sitting at some of Colombo’s best rooftop bars or at the heritage hotel, Galle Face watching the sun dip into the stunning Indian ocean. The third day of the Colombo Test is a Sunday, and you would be wise to make a late appearance at the match after a lazy Jazz Sunday morning at the artsy Barefoot Café.
The slow travel ideas give below can be curated as bespoke private experiences and added on during, or on either side, of the Test matches in Galle and Colombo. Each Sri Lanka luxury holiday experience can be tailor made for slow travel perfectly curated for every kind of traveller,
The Landscape Artists’ Diaries
Nothing prepares you for the aesthetics. Wake up to views of Frangipani trees. Walk through gardens trod on by celebrities. Breathe in the greens that inspired writers and step on sun dappled grass trod on by famed actors of yore. Wander beyond the extensive gardens manicured with love by one of Sri Lanka’s famed landscape artistes on a slow village walk with a local expert Naturalist. Learn about the endemic flora and fauna, life among the rubber trees and rice-paddies, enjoy tea with your acclaimed host or learn the secrets of hoppers and tea at the local corner shop.
PRIVATE TOUR FOR: Maximum 2 adults who loves the outdoors, nature, architecture and food.
WHEN: Ideal to add on to the England v Sri Lanka Test Cricket in Galle or en-route from Galle to Colombo for the second Test
DISTANCE FROM: Galle-1 hour 30 minutes | Colombo-1 hour 45 minutes
HOW LONG: Minimum 2 days
GIVING BACK: By booking this experience, you will be contributing to the Trees For A Purpose Campaign of Ayu in the Wild
INCLUDED: Private vehicle and an English-speaking Chauffeur. Accommodation. Meals on Half Board basis - dinner and breakfast. Entrance fees. Pick up and drop off at Test venues or in Galle and Colombo
An Islander's Life
Spend a few hours in the humble home of a small-scale rural pottery artisan helping him create pottery in his traditional home-made Kiln that will be just enough for his daily income. Cook like the locals with a Jungle Farmer and immerse in the silence of al-fresco dining under a tree. Enjoy a privately guided safari in Yala National Park, with an expert Naturalist bringing to life the biodiversity of the island and Sri Lankan wildlife. Explore some beautiful stupas at night gleaning insights into their thousand-year-old structures, traditions of poojas and of faith if an island.
PRIVATE TOUR FOR: Those who love culture, Sri Lankan wildlife, meeting locals, learning the art of Sri Lankan food and craft.
WHEN: Ideal to experience just before or just after the Test Cricket in Galle
DISTANCE FROM: Galle-3 hours and a bit | Colombo-4 hours 30 minutes
HOW LONG: Minimum 3 days
GIVING BACK: By booking this experience, you will contribute to community based safari drivers, local craft artisans and farmers - and is part of Ayu in the Wild’s purpose-driven policy to sustain rural livelihoods.
INCLUDED: Private vehicle and an English-speaking Chauffeur. Accommodation. Meals on Half Board basis - dinner and breakfast. Privately guided safari in Yala National Park. Pick up and drop off at Test venues or in Galle and Colombo.
An Island of Elephants, Faith and Rice Paddies
From visits to an ancient and rarely visited rock-carved Buddhas – a site that’s significant especially after the Taliban destroyed the Bamiyan Buddha statues of Afghanistan; to Rice-Paddy soft treks for nuances of harvesting. Enjoy private guided safaris to learn the amazing behaviour of elephants and guided 2 and ½ hour treks to mountain summits where waterfalls begin or farmers till the soil. Epic views and some wonderfully Sri Lankan insights into rural lifestyles and challenges faced by locals.
PRIVATE TOUR FOR: Those who love mountains, soft treks and to learn about Sri Lankan wildlife - especially elephants.
WHEN: Ideal to experience on either side of the Test Cricket in Galle and connecting with the 3rd day of the Test Cricket in Colombo.
DISTANCE FROM: Galle-3 hours and a bit | Colombo-5 hours
HOW LONG: Minimum 3 to 5 days
GIVING BACK: By booking this experience, you will be contributing to Ayu in the Wild’s purpose-driven policy to sustain rural farmers and Trees For A Purpose Campaign.
INCLUDED: Private vehicle and an English-speaking Chauffeur. Accommodation. Meals on Half Board basis - dinner and breakfast. Privately guided safari in Udawalawe National Park and Yala National Park. Pick up and drop off at Test venues or in Galle and Colombo.
Last Rainforests of an Island
Walk among streams lined by willowing trees, through hilly paths that lead through tea estates and into the green hued world of Sri Lanka’s rainforests. Explore varied trails inside the Sinharaja Man and Biosphere Reserve with an expert bird watching specialist searching for the mixed-species feeding flock or the Ceylon Frogmouth, and take a leisurely 3-4 hour treks learning about the fascinating smaller wildlife and beautiful rainforest foliage.
PRIVATE TOUR FOR: Those who love to explore the wonderful world of Ceylon Tea in indulgent luxury.
WHEN: Ideal to experience between the first and second matches in Galle and Colombo.
DISTANCE FROM: Galle-2 hours and 45 minutes | Colombo-3 hours 30 minutes
HOW LONG: 2 days
GIVING BACK: By booking this experience, you will be contributing to the Trees For A Purpose Campaign of Ayu in the Wild
INCLUDED: Private vehicle and an English-speaking Chauffeur. Accommodation. Meals on Half Board basis - dinner and breakfast. Privately guided treks inside and on the borders of Sinharaja Rainforest. Leech Socks. Pick up and drop off at Test venues or in Galle and Colombo.
Ceylon Tea Island Escapes
Take a slow train ride towards the Golden Valley of Ceylon where the finest Ceylon Tea is produced. Be a tea-connoisseur for a moment on a comprehensive sunrise tea tour (pre-breakfast start at 6.30 am) exploring the sights, aromas and sounds of a factory in the throes of manufacturing that perfect cup of Ceylon Tea. Walk through every process from plucking to tea-tasting enjoying the heady buzz being a part of an island’s famed tea heritage (not available on public holidays and Sundays). Later, be part of a traditional Hindu blessing within the rural tea-plucking community.
PRIVATE TOUR FOR: For those who love biodiversity, birds and nature.
WHEN: Ideal to experience just prior to the Test match in Galle or just after the Test in Colombo.
DISTANCE FROM: Galle-5 hours 15 minutes or a drive to Colombo and a flight of 1 hour | Colombo-4 hour drive or a flight of 1 hour.
HOW LONG: 2 days
GIVING BACK: By booking this experience, you will be contributing to livelihoods of rural women who are the backbone of the island’s favourite cuppa.
INCLUDED: Private vehicle and an English-speaking Chauffeur. Accommodation. Meals on Half Board basis - dinner and breakfast. Train tickets. Privately guided tea factory tour and a chance to be a tea-connoisseur. Pick up and drop off at Test venues or in Galle and Colombo.
Low Carbon Footprint Island Glamping
Image© : Anthony Stein / Flickr
African styled private mobile glamping in the very heart of the remote and rarely visited Kumana National Park. One of the best wildlife safari experiences on the island to spot the Leopard without the crowds. Unlike much of Africa, the Leopard is Sri Lanka's top predator and roams freely in the wild. Unlimited safari drives maximize your chances of spotting this elusive predator and so much more on privately guided safari drives with lovely insights into animal behaviour and the ecology with an expert Ayu in the Wild Naturalist. A small team of dedicated staff run the entire campsite - our personal pick for the best wildlife experience on the island.
PRIVATE TOUR FOR: For those who love to explore the wildlife in Sri Lanka.
WHEN: Ideal to experience before the first Test in Galle or between the first and second matches in Galle and Colombo, returning to the second Test match on Day 2.
DISTANCE FROM: Although Kumana NP is in the remote extreme of the east coast, it can be accessed within approx. 4 hours from Galle, and withing approx. 6 hours from Colombo - after the new highway opens up to Hambantota by end February 2020. Alternatively, combine with a flight from Colombo to Hambantota of 45 minutes and a 4 hour 20 minute drive to Kumana.
HOW LONG: 3 days
GIVING BACK: By booking this experience, you will be part of the low carbon footprint travel movement that advocates for responsible travel options with a focus on conservation. Semi-luxury tents with separate tents for camping toilets and showers are set up just for you. When you leave, the camp leaves with you.
INCLUDED: Private vehicle and an English-speaking Chauffeur. All-inclusive glamping with all meals, snacks, a BBQ under the star, and privately guided all day safaris. Pick up and drop off at Test venues or in Galle and Colombo.
Life, North Of The Island
Vibes and rhythms, colours and tastes of Jaffna. Spend a slow travel holiday absorbing the vibrancy of life in Jaffna, meeting some wonderful northern Sri Lankans; women entrepreneurs scaling up their home-based businesses, teachers of traditional Jaffna arts, speech and hearing impaired kids being taught vocational training, home based cooks who pound and grind delicious Jaffna food, and delight in a walk-about at the local markets.
PRIVATE TOUR FOR: For those who love to explore the unexplored Jaffna in the North.
WHEN: Ideal to experience after the Test Cricket in Colombo.
DISTANCE FROM: Colombo-4 hour drive to Anuradhapura and a train ride to Jaffna
HOW LONG: 4 days with an overnight in Anuradhapura. Ideally combined with the First Royal Kingdom Slow Travel journey below.
GIVING BACK: By booking this experience, you will be contributing to the vocationl training of speech and hearing impaired kids.
INCLUDED: Private vehicle and an English-speaking Chauffeur. Accommodation. Meals on Half Board basis - dinner and breakfast. Train tickets to Jaffna. Privately guided experiences across Jaffna. Pick up from Colombo and drop off at the Airport or in Colombo.
Slow Travel Through the First Royal Kingdom
Explore the spectacular 2400 year old archaeological ruins of the sacred city of Anuradhapura on a privately guided walk with the site's most iconic guides. Explore life around the lakes and stupas on an off beat walk bordering one of the world’s grandest monastic cities of the 3rd century BC. Cook up a storm to learn the flavours of Sri Lanka with a Jungle Farmer on the borders of Wilpattu learning about local lifestyles along the way. Enjoy an al-fresco dining experience with that unique flavour of what you cooked over firewood with the humble farming family. Unforgettable! Inspiring! Option to add on private tours across the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka - to Sigiriya Rock, the beautiful Dambulla Cave Temples, Polonnaruwa and Kandy.
PRIVATE TOUR FOR: Those who love culture, meeting locals and learning the art of Sri Lankan spices and curries.
WHEN: Ideal to experience after the Test Cricket in Colombo.
DISTANCE FROM: Colombo-4 hour drive
HOW LONG: 2 days and ideally combined with the Life, North of the Island slow travel journey above.
GIVING BACK: By booking this experience, you will be contributing to the education of the humble jungle farmer’s two daughters.
INCLUDED: Private vehicle and an English-speaking Chauffeur. Accommodation. Meals on Half Board basis - dinner and breakfast. Privately guided tour inside the World Heritage Site of Anuradhapura. Pick up from Colombo and drop off at the Airport or in Colombo.
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