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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.

Puja (blessing ceremony) at Kataragama pilgrimage site, Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #16/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 14th April 2025

Suba Aluth Avuruddak Wewa! (Wishing you a joyful and peaceful New Year!) Today is Sinhala and Tamil New Year in Sri Lanka, which is not just a celebration of the dawn of a new year, but also that of unity, cultural enrichment and a sense of family unity. This is a family festival, an occasion to exchange presents and eat traditional dishes. Many people return to their original towns and villages to play age-old games and catch up with relatives and friends.

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Kalkudah Beach House, Kalkudah, Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #15/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 11th April 2025

Tucked away in a sprawling coconut estate on Sri Lanka’s tranquil east coast, Kalkudah Beach House is Teardop Hotels’ eighth boutique property, and what a property! Launching on 01 June, it is certainly going to turn some heads and offer another truly luxurious alternative on the eastern seaboard. As of 01 April, The Kandy House is under the management of its owners for the first time and is now known as Adigar’s Manor. However, everything else is the same, from the luxury bedrooms and impeccable service to the gorgeous garden and stately ambience.

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Hill Country tea terraces, Sri Lanka (courtesy of Peter Hale)

TikaWeeks #14/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 31st March 2025

The Pekoe Trail in Sri Lanka has rightly entered the Pantheon of the world’s greatest hiking trails since its launch in late 2023. Winding its way through the spectacular Hill Country, the 300 km-long, 22-stage hiking trail has won many accolades including TIME magazine’s ‘World’s Greatest Places’ list for 2025. Sri Lanka has also been revealed to be the world’s most family-friendly country in a recent report, and Condé Nast Traveler included Sri Lanka on its latest list of the 40 most beautiful countries in the world. So why not visit?

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Thriving agriculture in the Buttala-Gonagan Ara area, Sri Lanka (courtesy of Eco Team)

TikaWeeks #13/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 28th March 2025

One of our partners in Sri Lanka has been doing wonders with an agrarian community in the island’s southeastern Dry Zone region regarding human-elephant conflict. What started out as a bold conservation initiative to protect both human livelihoods and elephant populations has now blossomed into an inspiring story of resilience, coexistence, and renewal. Recent customers travelling through Colombo airport have suggested that the arrivals card is no longer necessary, however, we still haven’t received any official communication that this is the case.

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Sri Lanka Department of Immigration and Emigration

TikaWeeks #12/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 21st March 2025

The arrivals card portal​ for the Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka is still down after a month so please complete a paper copy on arrival at Colombo airport instead. We have no idea why it has been inoperative for such a long time and hope it will be up and running again soon. Today’s unprecedented closure of London Heathrow airport due to a power outage has caused travel chaos with all flights cancelled. We hope power is restored again soon, although the airport will be closed until at least midnight tonight.

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Hindu temple figurines, Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #09/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 26th February 2025

Today is Maha Shivratri Day! This Hindu festival celebrates the power of Lord Shiva, who protects his devotees from negative and evil spirits. The new Sri Lankan government, whose approval rating jumped to 62% this month, has promised to bail out the debt-ridden national carrier SriLankan Airlines to the tune of Rs20bn, which comes with the caveat of ensuring profitability in the future. In other news, a camera system based on AI fitted to the front of trains will hopefully save the lives of many wild elephants.

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Baagu the leopard, Kumana National Park, Sri Lanka (courtesy of Eco Team)

TikaWeeks #08/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 19th February 2025

Who would like to spot a leopard in Sri Lanka without the hullabaloo associated with sightings in Yala? If so, then look no further than Kumana National Park. Previously called Yala East – the main one was Yala West – Kumana is a tranquil wildlife reserve accessed from the east coast. Soon to launch Kalkudah Beach House, also on the east coast, is another exquisite offering from Teardrop Hotels, while luxury boutique hotels specialist Uga Escapes opened its latest property Uga Halloowella near Hatton in the Hill Country late last year.

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Collectors House, Matara, Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #04/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 23rd January 2025

If you are looking for an authentic Sri Lankan beach town experience then seldom-visited Matara may appeal to you and look no further than Collectors House for a place to stay, which is a newly refurbished bijou boutique residence in the heart of the fort district. Also in Matara, 3 Sisters Beach House fronts a spectacular and secluded sandy beach, and it offers an ideal and exclusive villa stay for couples, families or friendship groups.

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Aarunya Resort & Spa, Kandy, Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #03/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 18th January 2025

By the end of December 2024, Sri Lanka had welcomed more than 2 million visitors to its shores, which is a 38% increase on 2023 and the highest level since pre-pandemic 2019. Travellers from the UK remain ardent lovers of the island in third place behind India and Russia. In more news, Vogue toured the inimitable Resplendent Ceylon properties, and BBC Travel has selected Sri Lanka as one of the 25 best places to travel in 2025.

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View of the Pennines from our house near Penrith, UK

TikaWeeks #02/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 8th January 2025

Happy New Year! We hope your festive season was full of fun and joy. Being snowed in up here in The Lakes makes the idea of a tropical holiday to sun-soaked Sri Lanka very appealing and this is the busiest time of year for us for just that reason. Please contact us asap if you are thinking of travelling in the next few months as accommodation is booking up fast. Our first update of 2025 is dedicated to the lives lost and changed forever by the Asian Tsunami Disaster 20 years ago.

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