What to Do and Where to Go and Stay | Travel + Leisure
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What to Do and Where to Go and Stay

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WHAT TO KNOW

Since publication of this article, a travel advisory has been issued for Sri Lanka; stay updated on current events through the American State Department Web site, www.travel.state.gov.

Visas for most travelers are not required for non-business trips shorter than 30 days.

Immunizations for hepatitis A and B are recommended. Malaria and typhoid are also risks; protect yourself from mosquitoes, and drink only bottled water.

WHEN TO GO

From December to March, temperatures rise well into the eighties; June through October you'll find lower prices and quieter beaches—but also frequent monsoons.

GETTING THERE

From London, fly British Airways through Mumbai. Other nonstop flights arrive in Colombo from Dubai International Airport and the Maldives Airport in Malé.

WHERE TO STAY

Amangalla
The 26 rooms at this two-year-old Aman resort include a 140- square-foot Garden House with a private butler and a traditional Ayurvedic spa.
10 Church St., Galle Fort; 94-91/ 223-3388; www.amanresorts.com; doubles from $500.

Fort Printers
Dutch and English influences abound at this 18th-century mansion, whose five suites are decorated in jewel-toned velvets.
39 Pedlar St., Galle Fort; 94-91/ 224-7977; www.thefortprinters.com; doubles from $145.

Kandalama Hotel
This luxury eco-property is certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Sigiriya, Dambulla; 94-11/230-8408; www.aitkenspencehotels.com; doubles from $150.

Taj Samudra
Minutes by car from Colombo's city center, this 300-room hotel features a geometric pool that complements the property's modern suites.
25 Galle Face Centre Rd., Colombo; 94-11/244-6622; www.tajhotels.com; doubles from $120.

WHERE TO EAT

Barefoot Café & Shop
Textile designer Barbara Sansoni serves fresh seafood and pastas and just-squeezed, sweetened lime juice in a cool, inviting garden shaded by frangipani trees.
706 Galle Rd., Colombo; 94-11/ 258-0114; lunch for two $10.

WHAT TO SEE

Colombo National Museum
Antique furniture, Buddhist bronzes, and royal dress are all on display. There are live puppet shows on weekends in the first-floor Children's Museum.
Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo; 94-11/269-4366.

Dambulla
All five frescoed caves are located 330 to 500 feet above Dambulla's southern road, the Colombo-Trincomalee.
94-66/228-4760.

Galle Fort
The UNESCO-preserved fort, built by the Dutch in 1663 on Galle's southern isthmus, completely surrounds the city's Old Town.

Gangaramaya Temple
In Colombo, near Beira Lake; the resident elephant is a highlight.
61 Sri Jinarathana Rd.; 94-11/243-5169.

Peradeniya Botanic Gardens
Founded in the 16th century, the largest botanic garden in Sri Lanka is 21/2 miles from Kandy, the country's second-biggest city.
94-81/238-8238.

Polonnaruwa
The ruins of Sri Lanka's medieval capital can be toured on foot or bicycle. Several buses make the trip from Kandy to Kaduruwela, the closest bus stop.
Alahana Piriwena; 94-27/222-2121.

Sigiriya
The Mount of Remembrance, originally a king's fortress, sits atop a 560-foot-high rock. Buses depart hourly from Dambulla.
Sigiriya Project; 94-66/223-1815.

Temple of the Tooth (Dalada Maligawa)
Erected in the 18th century to guard the Buddha's sacred tooth, the pink temple is open 24 hours; there are daily prayer sessions, and a museum open to devotees and tourists.
Palace Square, Kandy; 94-81/2234-22226; www.sridaladamaligawa.lk.

WHAT TO READ

Two books by Michael Ondaatje, author of The English Patient: Anil's Ghost weaves a fictional tale of a young woman's return to war-ravaged Sri Lanka; Running in the Family is an autobiography that retraces the steps of Ondaatje's Dutch–Sri Lankan ancestors.

—Sarah Kantrowitz

Copyright © 2008, American Express Publishing. All rights reserved.