A huge part of Addis Army life is touring to watch England cricket away and I have written before about how disappointing the next few years look as a result of the World Test Championship and the total ripping apart of the traditional touring schedule.
England are next in Sri Lanka in January – February 2026, an appallingly long time made worse by the fact that it’s only three ODIs and three T20s. It’s not just that England aren’t going, either: the whole future tours programme makes sad reading: Sri Lanka are hosting Ireland for one test in April 2023, Pakistan for two tests in July 2023 and Afghanistan for one in January 2024. Then it’s New Zealand for two tests in November 2024 and Australia for two in January 2025. There are a handful of limited overs tours in between these but the bottom line is it’s sad times for cricket trips to Sri Lanka which is in more need of tourism than ever since the end of the civil war in 2009.
Family Tractor (me, PC TinTin, plus a nearly-four year old Jos and six-month old Emilia) descended on the cinnamon isle for a three week trip last October. Addis Army members have enjoyed numerous trips to Sri Lanka in the last fifteen years, including watching KP’s devastating Colombo century in 2012 and Freddie and crew winding up stranded in the jungles outside Hambantota in 2014. It was also the site of the Saint’s most famous Mount Lavinia kangaroo court. But I digress into happy memories.
The point is that we had some maternity leave time and for me as a teacher, the only chance to travel long haul in term time until I retire. Our trip coincided with the T20 World Cup which at least meant we had plenty of opportunities to engage with local fans as we watched far more matches than we could have done at home, with the time difference being so much more in our favour.
Sri Lanka has emerged from a major economic crisis with the country essentially on the brink of collapse throughout 2022. By the time we arrived in early October, the fuel crisis was over and although inflation was still painful, it was largely back under some sort of control. Essentially, we were able to enjoy a long holiday, varying from the charms of the Galle Face Hotel to rural home stays, travelling by train, local bus, private cars and auto-rickshaw (tuk tuk) with no hassle or indication that anything had ever been wrong.
Actually, the only indication anything was amiss was the near total absence of western tourists. Fair enough we usually come along for the cricket with a few thousand other Englishmen but we went weeks without seeing anyone other than Sri Lankan diaspora on holiday visits back home. Being such lovers of this beautiful country I wanted to do anything possible to promote it to other tourists who might decide to take their much-needed foreign currency and footfall in. So here follows a summary of our trip and recommendations.
Colombo is seriously on the up, especially with Chinese investment, but the Galle Face Hotel remains the perfect spot to lounge, drink, breakfast and generally wander the halls feeling smug that you’re here rather than in one of the more soulless shells just up at the other end of the Green. Restaurants and shopping are varied and easy to navigate and it’s the perfect base from which to hit the rails out of Colombo Fort railway station.
This trip we skipped Kandy for the new stops of Anuradhapura – essentially a city of ancient temples – and then on to Jaffna which was off-limits until 2009 and not easily accessible until a few years later while railways were restored and new roads built. Ana was quiet and if we hadn’t been there with the children I would suggest it as an in-out job, no more than one or two nights. Unless, of course, you get a nice place to stay (which we did) and get a good driver (we got the best, Lalit, who shall be forever remembered at Tractor Towers). It’s not that easy to find alcohol – lots of restaurants don’t have licenses but a driver will be able to get you stocked up for some pool-side drinks at the end of the day. After the first day charging around the temples (think Angkor Wat but less varied and even less picturesque) we drove over to Sigiriya (equally accessible from Kandy) to climb the famous Lion Rock. If you haven’t done it, it is highly recommended. With plenty of time to spare for the day, we headed to the National Park for a bit of elephant-spotting. Dirt cheap compared to most places and we had the safari park to ourselves in our jeep: ellies galore and plenty of other wildlife, too, so again very much recommended. We probably left Ana at 0530am, were at the bottom of Sigiriya 8.45 after a leisurely road-breakfast, summit 9.45 and back down by 10.45. We drove out for a roadside lunch and were on safari by 12.45. As we drove we noticed the road signs for Trincomalee: this is essentially the east coast Tamil centre and, like Jaffna, had been inaccessible (essentially, destroyed) in 2012 but a new express road made it an easy 2-3 hour journey on comfortable roads. Trinco had beautiful beaches, a wondrously kitsch temple and would usually be full of surfing tourists in Uppavelli just outside town. Again, it was dead quiet but such an incredible place to relax.
Leaving Anaradhapura by train we got to Jaffna which has numerous boutique hotels, a Jetwing with a tip top rooftop bar (and restaurant downstairs), our own Jaffna Heritage Hotel with beautiful buildings and pool and plenty of other entertainments. Ice-cream parlours are a big deal in Jaffna where again, some accommodation is alcohol free but there are plenty of restaurants and bars where you can get a drink. The Dutch fort is interesting if neglected – representative of the island as a whole, in all honesty. Again, the pace is easy, without a million sights to fit in, so we took private cars up to the surrounding beaches, generally an hour or so away. Not exactly pumping with excitement but clearly these war-torn areas are desperate to show off their beautiful beaches and welcoming people so definitely don’t be put off.
From Jaffna we pitched back down south again, stopping in Colombo for a night to regroup before returning to Nisansala’s place Sunshine Beach Resort at Tallala Beach, just east of Matara. Tallala is often recommended as one of the best beaches in the world and with its beautiful crescent shape and generally gentle waves it is easy to see why. The beach has a few bars which were preparing for the tourism season when we were there but it is also still very much a traditional fishing village with the men sharing in the daily catch at dusk each day. There is an international vet charity a couple of kilometres down the road which draws the western staff down to the beach and Nisa’s fantastic cooking, so there’s always someone to talk to while you enjoy the best Sri Lankan dhal curry you could ask for.
New to us this trip were the additional beaches further east: Hiriketiya was positively buzzing with beach front shacks and the surf looked amazing for everyone trying it out; there was minimal beach-space on the sand with the tideline right up beneath the sun loungers but the surf was incredible for beginners and experts. Unakuruwa was arguably even better: the beach offered a little more but the boutique hotel and restaurant, Aga Surf View was even better. A gorgeous leafy retreat with a varied menu and pool for guests and visitors to use, this gave you a break from the basic feeling of most of the south coast accommodation. The ability to hop on a local bus and travel up and down the coastal road for day trips is just one of the things that makes Sri Lanka so special: you are able to immerse yourself in local custom and travel while still feeling perfectly safe and welcomed, and able to navigate your way around. Having travelled extensively in many parts of the world, the advantage of this cannot be overstated.
We stopped back in Galle en route back home and again enjoyed the bougie atmosphere and accommodation and dining options. The irony is not lost that the most touristy place was actually the least pleasant: with so few Western tourists in town, wealthy Russians avoiding sanctions stood out all the more. But Galle the place cannot be held responsible for its visitors.
While there, we met other western families travelling with children, or working ‘from home’, experiencing Sri Lanka for the first time or, like us, the third or fourth. It is an island that keeps on giving and I can only heartily recommend it to anyone who loves cricket. Make a trip of it, go and watch Ireland or New Zealand or Australia playing there in the next couple of years. Sri Lankans have endured so much and we can do so much to help the island and its people to move forwards.
Sri Lanka, I love you. Until next time. xx