Sri Lanka climbs the popularity charts
L OCATED close to the
well-trodden paths of
Southeast Asia, the
Indian Ocean island of Sri
Lanka, with a unique fusion
of history, landscapes
and culture, is luring
travellers to explore. With
its abundance of Buddhist
temples, tranquil beaches,
world-class surf, tea
plantations and elephant
safaris, it is no surprise!
According to Carlos Luis,
leader – air, land and sea
product of Flight Centre
Travel Group, the number of
South African tourists to Sri
Lanka has climbed steadily
over the last few years.
The number increased
by 37% this April alone,
compared with the same
time last year. “Sri Lanka is
outperforming a number of
more established European
and Asian countries
with travellers becoming
more aware of what the
destination has to offer,”
he says.
Whether your client’s
dream island holiday
includes indulging in
intricately spiced foods,
a rough-and-tumble game
drive, soaking in a sleek
pool overlooking the
ocean or hiking through
the mountainous terrain,
this tick-all-the-boxes
destination has got them
covered. Below, experts
highlight some spectacular
reasons to visit the
compact, tropical country.
The food
Cuisine may not be the
first thing that springs to
mind when you think of Sri
Lanka, but Lance van den
Heever-Liebenberg, md of
Marmalade Toast Bespoke
Travel & Destination
Management, says that its
food is some of the best.
A blend of Indian and
Asian culinary techniques,
Sri Lankan food revolves
around curries, rotis
and samosas served in
terracotta clay ‘chatties’.
The capital, Colombo,
and the large central city
of Kandy are both home
to bustling street markets
where you can watch
chefs shred rotis on hot
iron sheets and prepare
local vegetables. The most
popular dessert on the
island is the chocolate
roti – a pancake and
flatbread filled with hot,
melted chocolate – which
is washed down perfectly
with a cup of world-famous
Ceylon tea.
The culture
Sri Lankan culture is
reflected by its art,
architecture and sculpture,
says Carlos. The famed
Cultural Triangle, to the
north of Kandy, is a treasure
trove of ancient monuments,
royal cities and Buddhist
temples that once served
as the crucible of early
Sinhalese civilisation.
A climb up Sigiriya, an
ancient rock fortress, also
known as the ‘Fortress
in the Sky’, does not
only offer the reward of
unbelievable views from
the top, but also much to
discover on the way up,
says Carlos.
Sri Lankans are some of
the most genuine, warm
and welcoming people, he
says.
The train rides
If you do not travel by
train in Sri Lanka, you will
seriously miss out, says
Lance. The island’s train
network is affordable and
easy to navigate.
The most popular trip
is undoubtedly from Ella
to Kandy, but agents
should not oversell it,
advises Lance. Due to the
shortage of pre-bookable
tickets, clients can be left
disappointed when this
part of their trip does not
happen, or their entire
itinerary needs to be
adjusted at the last minute
to accommodate this train
trip.
The tracks from Colombo
down south to Hikkaduwa
and Galle hug the coast,
so passengers can watch
the rolling waves of the
Indian Ocean along palmtree-lined
shores as they
ride in the open-window
carriages. The recently
reopened route from
Colombo to Jaffna is an
eye-opening journey too.
The outdoor activities
While Sri Lanka is best
known for its pristine
beaches visitors should
not overlook the other
outdoor activities on offer,
says Lucinda Tyler, product
manager of Club Travel. The
most popular are surfing
and hiking.
Whether novice or expert
surfer, Sri Lanka’s Arugam
Bay (or ‘A Bay’ for short)
has waves to suit everyone.
With regular swells pushing
up from the south, it is
known as one of the best
surf spots in the world.
Surfers can hire a board
from one of the many
laidback cafés and head
to the aptly named ‘Main
Point’ or ‘Baby Point’, which
run along the bay.
Hiking and climbing
some of Sri Lanka’s
tea plantations and
mountainous terrain are
other fantastic ways to see
the island.
Points to note!
Different climatic regions:
The best weather on the
west and south coasts
and in the hill country is
from December to March,
while the best time to
visit the east coast is
from April or May to
September.
Research the weather
patterns, as Sri Lanka
is affected by both the
southwest and northeast
monsoon.
‘Dry’ hotels and
restaurants: If your client
enjoys a tipple, it is
important to check which
hotels or restaurants are
‘dry’ properties before
booking. Due to stringed
liquor licencing and a
steep sin tax, many
facilities are ‘dry’. When
you can get it, alcohol
is expensive – cocktails
on the beach or at side
restaurants in Galle and
Mirissa cost an average
of R100 to R150 each,
with a pint of Lion beer
averaging between R25
and R35.
High cigarette prices:
It is illegal to take
cigarettes into Sri Lanka
and cigarettes are very
expensive to buy. A box of
Marlboro averages around
R75 a box, while Dunhill
goes for around R95.
Club Med to debut first resort in Sri Lanka
Club Med will open its
first resort in Sri Lanka
in 2019.
Located in the southwest
of the country,
just 90 minutes from
Bandaranaike International
Airport in Colombo, the
372-room Club Med Ceylon
will be fit for families,
working-age couples and
corporates.
“The resort will reflect
Sri Lanka’s unique
culture and cuisine,
vibrant traditional colours
and bustling lifestyle,
and will be the starting
point to discovery of the
surrounding breath-taking
landscapes, rich wildlife
and brilliant heritage
sites,” adds Lee-Ann
Morgan, customer growth
marketing manager of
Club Med Southern Africa.
A travel agent’s experience
LANCE van den HeeverLiebenberg
of Marmalade
Toast Bespoke Travel &
Destination Management
shares his Sri Lanka
experience:
“Sri Lanka has been
described as ‘hiding in plain
sight’, with countless travellers
flying overhead to more
popular Indian Ocean Island
destinations.
“The thing to note about
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry
is that it is moving forward
quickly, and with more people
discovering the innumerable
charms that the island has
to offer, the time is right to
explore this incredible country,
before it becomes overcommercialised.
“I was lucky enough to spend
two weeks in Sri Lanka on our
current three-month Southeast
Asia sales trip. My partner,
David and I took the slow
approach to discovering the
country, opting to spend time
learning about the destination,
its people and its culture.
“We explored the flavours
of Colombo – we highly
recommend Paradise Road
The Gallery Café for its worldfamous
dessert menu – and
the history of Galle on the
southwest coast, and spent
days working remotely in
seaside style from The Shack
Beach Café on Dewata Beach.
We also took the time to
explore the tea of the old
world, Ceylon, and discovered
some of the most scenic train
rides.
“It is important to keep
in mind that seats on the
Instagram-famous Ella to
Kandy train trip are hard to
come by, but well worth the
hassle! However, this is by no
means the only picturesque
train ride you can take in
Sri Lanka – we also highly
recommend catching the train
from Unawatuna to Mirissa, on
which you can take amazing
snaps of lush jungle as well
as the raw beauty of the Sri
Lankan coastline.”
Tour operators partner on Seychelles resort
Club Med is taking over
Beachcomber’s Seychelles
Saint Anne Resort and
Spa Hotel.
It is set to relaunch in
2020, and the Club Med
proposal to manage the
property under a new
leasing arrangement with
New Mauritius Hotels will
see the hotel’s capacity
expand significantly.
The hotel currently has
87 rooms, but by 2020
will boast 295 rooms. The
resort will offer families
a full range of childcare
facilities and services,
from Petit Club to Juniors’
Club.
It will be open throughout
the year and is within
the Sainte-Anne Marine
National Park.
Madagascar remains uncompetitive
RICH with intrigue and
legend, Madagascar is a
captivating island that South
African travellers are growing
increasingly interested in.
While travel agents have
observed a spike in enquiries
for Madagascar recently, they
note that the majority are not
converted to bookings due
to uncompetitive prices on
packages and airfare.
Lize Roodt, a Travel
Counsellors ITC, explains
that packages are very
expensive due to the small
number of tour operators
that sell the destination.
“Packages to Madagascar
can be very pricey for what
you actually get – I would say
that the value for money is
not quite there yet. However,
it is a fascinating place,” she
says.
Currently, Airlink is the
only airline offering direct
flights between South Africa
and Madagascar. The airline
operates daily flights to the
capital, Antananarivo, as well
as weekly flights on Sundays
to Nosy Be. During peak
season, Airlink increases
frequencies and capacity to
Nosy Be. Ethiopian Airlines
operates flights from its hub
in Addis Ababa to Nosy Be
on Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Saturdays.
According to Rodger Foster,
ceo and md of Airlink,
another significant reason
why the market between
South Africa and Madagascar
is small is Madagascar’s
political stability. “This is
an ongoing deterrent to
direct foreign investment
and tourism. The recent
plague s`care, albeit quite
dramatised, was a setback
to tourism as well. Ironically,
the listeriosis outbreak in
South Africa had similar
[numbers of] deaths, but did
not get the same publicity,”
he says.
Sun Resort take it back to the beach
SUN Resorts has
introduced Timeless
Memories, a concept
that focuses on ensuring
that each guest has a
memorable experience, no
matter which resort they
stay at.
The concept was created
around seven passion
points: Sun Beach, Sun
Golf, Sun Kids, Sunrise
and Sunset, Sun Mixology,
Sun Memory Labs and Sun
Luxury Moments. Each
passion point features
exciting new products and
services – for example,
Sun Beach features
customisable props and
furniture for lounging,
beach carts offering fresh
fruits and cocktails, spa
treatments, and gourmet
meals for a toes-in-the-sand
dining experience. Sunset
and Sunrise features yoga,
stand-up paddle boarding,
breakfast on board a boat
at sunrise, dining under the
stars and ceremonies with
fire dancers at sunset.
Did you know
Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo serves a number of
airlines, including Singapore Airlines (three hours and 50 minutes from
Singapore) and Qatar Airways (four hours and 30 minutes from Doha)
Book it!
he four-star Mauricia Beachcomber Resort & Spa is offering a special
five-night package from R13 900 pps. The package includes return
flights on Air Mauritius ex-JNB, approximate airport taxes, return airport
transfers, breakfast and dinner daily, kids’ club and land and water sports,
including water-skiing and wakeboarding. One child under six shares and
eats free, and a 15% saving on massages. Valid for travel from August 1
to September 20
New ways of experiencing the well-known
MAURITIUS, the Seychelles
and the Maldives remain
at the top of the list of the
most popular Indian Ocean
islands among South African
travellers.
But as well-practised Indian
Ocean island holidaymakers
may want to explore beyond.
Fortunately, there are many
unconventional things to do
and places to see on these
exotic islands.
Mauritius
In Mauritius, Brenda Mitchell,
director of sales of World
Leisure Holidays, recommends
a guided electric bike ride
to clients who are fitness
enthusiasts, seeking adventure
or nature. “This sweet escape
into the wild is the perfect
opportunity to contemplate the
flora and fauna of Mauritius.
If you are lucky enough, you
might see wild boars, deer or
geese while leisurely riding
your bike,” she says.
There are two rides available
in the wilderness area of
Domaine de Wolmar – the
‘family’ ride for beginners and
the ‘intermediate’ ride for
experienced bike-riders.
Brenda also suggests ‘Carlie
Hiking’, which allows visitors
to explore hidden facets of
the island in a 4x4. “Naturelovers
travel off the beaten
tracks across the countryside
and discover unmatched
views,” she says, adding that
travelling into the forests is
also possible.
Adrenalin junkies visiting
Mauritius should consider
doing a tandem skydive,
says Joanne Visagie, sales
and marketing director of
Beachcomber Tours. After
the 30- to 40-second freefall,
you descend for another
three to five minutes. Joanne
also recommends zip lining
at Casela Park. “There are
various courses available. I
have even done this myself
– there is nothing like flying
through the air and feeling
so alive. Plus, the scenery is
amazing!”
For cultural aficionados,
Joanne suggests a visit to
the Mauritius Photography
Museum. China Town and
Aapravasi Ghat, an immigration
depot for indentured labourers
from 1849 to 1923.
Wine fundis can sip wines
from around the world in
a 175sqm wine cellar at
Constance Prince Maurice,
adds Michele Abraham, sales
and marketing of African
Synergy. “The cellar boasts
some 25 000 exclusive
bottles of wine!”
The Seychelles
The Seychelles is a haven
for nature lovers with its
lush, vibrant beauty, says
Michele. “While the beaches
are unspoiled and simply out
of this world, there are also
other activities and sites
for those who enjoy a more
dynamic break, such as rock
climbing and zip lining,” she
says, adding that you can
take part in these activities at
Constance Ephelia overlooking
Port Launay Marine National
Park, on the beautiful west
coast of Mahé.
In between activities, visitors
may want to grab a bite at
Victoria Food Market, where
they can also shop fresh fruit,
spices and flowers, visit the
giant tortoises on Moyenne
Island or explore Launay
Mangrove forest, says Lucinda
Tyler of Club Travel.
The Maldives
The Maldives is an aquatic
paradise, and snorkelling
at the five-star Constance
Moofushi resort teaches
guests all about the
underwater wonderland, says
Michele. “Here, you get to
snorkel with the resident
marine biologist.”
Those who prefer to stay
above water can experience
the Maldives on a marine
wildlife cruise on board a
traditionally crafted Turkish
gulet, says Sarah Robertson,
owner of Earth Wanderer. “On
this cruise you get to snorkel
beautiful areas.”
