Our honeymoon was cut short in March and we had to return home early from Sri Lanka. Our travel agent – a local firm – told us this was not covered and we would have to go through our travel insurance to get money back. However, our insurers rejected the claim as we had a … Read more
A British woman who spent £100,000 on her Sri Lankan husband before he was murdered in an alleged blackmail plot three years ago is fighting to recover her money. Diane Peebles, 61, from Edinburgh, was dubbed the ‘British Shirley Valentine’ after she fell in love with hotel worker Priyanjana De Zoysa, who was 33 years her … Read more
Scientists have discovered evidence of the oldest use of bows and arrows by prehistoric humans outside of Africa, in a cave in Sri Lanka. Fragments of arrowheads, made from the bone of boar, deer, primates and other creatures, were used to hunt tree-dwelling animals at least 45,000 years ago. The preserved shards, found in the … Read more
Dawn is still just a smudge of rouge on the horizon, but at the port of Mirissa on Sri Lanka’s southern coast, an unusual daily challenge for locals is under way: how many tuna can you fit on a tuk tuk? The rules seem simple: buy as much of that day’s catch as you can … Read more
Q. We’ve booked a holiday to Sri Lanka. What will happen if we cancel? Mary Wilson, via email. A. Abta, the trade body for UK travel agents, says: ‘Customers who are due to travel imminently to the island on package holidays will be offered options of deferring their date of travel, transferring to another destination … Read more
As another year draws to a close, it’s time to spin the globe and think about where we might travel in 2020. The good news is the choices have never been better, as airlines launch new routes, destinations stage major events, and hotels and tour operators create original and enticing experiences. This year the Foreign … Read more
The month began with gin, and it wasn’t long before strange, melancholic headaches became a regular feature. By the third week of this particular month (I’m not saying which), things needed to change. That’s how I find myself at the Barberyn retreat and spa in Beruwala, an unfussy little town on Sri Lanka’s west coast, … Read more