Pearl of the Indian Ocean

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10 MARCH 2004
Kandy and the Hill Country
Nestling in the hills by a beautiful man-made lake, Kandy is home to a sacred shrine that holds Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist relic; the tooth of the Buddha. The relic is encased in the smallest of seven gold caskets, each inside a larger one, and is heavily guarded. Three times a day you can queue with pilgrims to file through the room where it resides in the Temple of the Tooth as, to the beating of drums, a curtain is drawn back to reveal the outermost golden casket. Outside on the hot, dusty, bustling streets of Kandy you can shop for fabulously cheap silk and precious and semi-precious stones.

Or, if you want to escape the hustle and bustle, just a short drive outside the city you'll find the tranquil Botanical Gardens. Here, thousands of plants, flowers and trees flourish, including the incredible 139-year-old Java Fig tree, whose gnarled and winding branches have created a vast canopy covering nearly 2,000 square metres. Heading out of Kandy is the famous Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage. It's undeniably a tourist trap but watching the 50 or so elephants, including babies, being fed and playing in the river is a memorable sight.

South of Kandy lies Nuwara Eliya, a British hill station in the heart of tea-growing country. As the road winds up through the hills the lush, steamy jungle is replaced by vivid green tea bushes blanketing the landscape. And at nearly 2,000 metres above sea level it's noticeably cooler up here. Thanks to its golf clubs, racecourses and country house clubs, including the famous Hill Club, Nuwara Eliya is known as Little England. Visit a plantation, see how the tea is made and enjoy a cuppa; you'll vow never to use a teabag again.

Where to stay: Helga's Folly to the south of Kandy is a quirky bohemian hotel, flamboyantly decorated and filled with brica- brac. The striking Tea Factory, near Nuwara Eliya with stunning views of the surrounding plantations, was built during the days of the British Raj and retains its original facade and industrial innards.

Best of the beautiful beaches
Some of the best beaches stretch south from the capital Colombo on the west coast. Head to Bentota, with its miles of fine beaches, and the historic town of Galle, where the fascinating colonial legacy includes a 36- hectare fort built by the Dutch in 1663 and now a World Heritage site.

Where to stay: Saman Villas near Bentota perches on the clifftop overlooking miles of golden sandy beach and the blue waters of the Indian Ocean. Each of the 27 luxury suites faces the sea and has fabulous bathrooms with outdoor showers. On the hill above Galle, the Sun House and sister property the Dutch House are just yards apart and share the view over the town as well as the same wonderfully airy, colonial atmosphere. The all-white Sun House was built for a spice merchant in 1860 and now houses six rooms overlooking gardens filled with frangipani trees. The more expensive Dutch House was built for a Dutch admiral in 1720 and has just four fabulous suites and a manicured lawn rolling down to the infinity-edge pool situated beneath a giant mango tree.

REPORT: KATIE WILLIAMS