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: Culture

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.

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.

TikaWeeks #28/2023: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 14th July 2023

Sustainability has rightly taken centre stage as we strive to combat climate change, but what does it really mean? By today’s common definition, to be sustainable we must balance how we meet human needs with our ability to continue to do so for the foreseeable future without degrading the natural environment. This update outlines the core principles of sustainability with regard to travel and Tikalanka.

Local school children on a well-earned drinks break, AMBA Estate, Ella, Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #25/2023: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 21st June 2023

For a “hands-on village experience” in Sri Lanka there is no better place than AMBA Estate, which is a community-run social enterprise in the stunning Uva Highlands outside of Ella in the southern Hill Country. Based around an organic farm, you will be interacting with villagers in a practical way during every activity at AMBA Estate, whether it is a tea plantation tour, a hike around the valley or artisanal product-making. Come and enjoy the fun!

Golden sand, swaying palms and the clear blue waters of a typical sun-drenched beach in Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #19/2023: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 11th May 2023

When is the best time to visit Sri Lanka? Since the end of the civil war in 2009, there is no ‘best time’ to travel as the entire country is open so you may visit when it is best for you. However, different areas are better than others at particular times of the year depending on the prevailing monsoon season. The Maha monsoon affects the north and east of the island between October and February, while the Yala monsoon arrives in May and lasts until October in the southern and western regions.

A deserted east coast beach of Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #11/2023: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 18th March 2023

Earlier this year The Independent’s travel desk published their dream destinations for 2023 and Sri Lanka topped the wish list. After years of pandemic-related restrictions, this is the first year that travel has the opportunity to return to “normal”, with most countries having opened back up to tourists, without the need for extra testing and paperwork. Previously on the up as a seemingly universally loved travel destination and with so much pent-up demand, Sri Lanka is the place to visit in 2023.

Sri Lanka's beautiful and enigmatic Tea Country

TikaWeeks #10/2023: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 10th March 2023

I am sure you will have heard of the Camino de Santiago in Spain, Peru's Inca Trail or the well-trammelled route to Everest Base Camp, but do you know about the world's newest walking trail? No, well it's Sri Lanka's very own Pekoe Trail, a 300-km, 22-stage network of hiking trails, which winds its way through the island's dramatic Hill Country, an area synonymous with growing tea. Intended to be walked in stages or in full, it was conceived to encourage more visitors into the island's most remote regions.

Laki Senanayake next to one of his sculptures at Diyabubula in August 2020 (courtesy of dailymirror.lk)

TikaWeeks #25/2021: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 25th June 2021

Our latest news round-up includes the passing of one of Sri Lanka’s greatest artists, the environmental disaster that has affected the island in the past month, and a change to the UK government’s country travel listing. Hopefully there will be some positive news again soon…

TikaWeeks #07/2021: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 19th February 2021

Earlier this week, the Government of Sri Lanka announced that the temporary restriction on travel originating from the UK to Sri Lanka has been lifted with immediate effect.This is certainly some good news amid the many downbeat remarks from our own government ministers about the possibility of reopening foreign travel in the immediate future. However, entry to Sri Lanka is still subject to an initial 14 days stay in ‘Safe & Secure’ Certified Level 1 hotels and regular PCR tests.

Independent Tailor-made Holidays to Sri Lanka & Maldives