Shipwrecked coins,” says the toothless man in the faded blue baseball cap, pulling a small plastic box from his pocket as he walks towards me on a wide bastion of Galle Fort. “Dutch, British, Portuguese.”
For an island barely the size of Ireland, Sri Lanka has been fought over more than most. And what a prize! Gems as big as fists. Lush valleys rich in tea leaves and spices rising up to Adam’s Peak and its strange flat top, which—depending on your religion— is said to be the footprint of Buddha, Adam from the Book of Genesis or Shiva. And all on an island ringed by coconut palms that dance and dip above the glinting, aquamarine Indian Ocean.
Most recently it wasn’t marauding Europeans tearing the country apart but a bitter nearly 30-year civil war between the Sinhalese majority government and the separatist LTTE. Much has been written, since the war ended in 2009, of the newly opened-up parts in the north and east, of their beguiling beauty still edged with a hint of darkness. But the south, with its astonishingly pretty beaches of honey-coloured sand and the crumbling grandeur of UNESCO-listed Galle town and fort, has been drawing visitors for decades longer. Now a band of passionate expats and freshthinking locals are creating a renewed buzz along this stretch of coast.
I first visited Galle five years ago. Quiet, dusty streets criss-crossed between the lighthouse—once white, now smudged pink after years of being windwhipped by rose-tinted soil—and the Sun and Moon Bastions of the fort, which overlooks the Galle International Stadium. Today, there’s a hum of activity along these recently paved roads. Peeling mansions have been done up as smart villas to rent. There are curious shops—Stick No Bills (www.sticknobillsonline. com) for kitschy retro travel prints; KK the Collection (+94 91 721 2391) for cutlery and local ceramics— and an expressway has cut travel time to and from Colombo from four hours to nearly two.
Esta historia es de la edición April/May 2017 de Condé Nast Traveller India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición April/May 2017 de Condé Nast Traveller India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
TOP RESTAURANT AWARDS 2023
The ranking of India's 50 most exciting restaurants was revealed at a glittering ceremony at the Taj Lands End, Mumbai. Returning after a three-year hiatus, the event was a true celebration of the industry and the brightest stars of the fraternity showed up to support and cheer each other on!
ON THE GO
Our pick of the most stylish finds and travel related news
TANGIER RISING
THE CREATIVE VISIONARIES OF MOROCCO'S OFT-ROMANTICISED PORT CITY ARE TELLING A NEW STORY.
BRUSHES WITH NATURE
On the snowy Japanese island of Hokkaido, a rich seam of creativity and craftsmanship is deeply rooted in the physical world-and in a sacred Ainu tradition that has survived here for centuries
KOLKATA: A WINDOW TO THE FUTURE
In a city filled with colonial nostalgia, a a new restoration story and fresh approaches are changing the narrative, one building at a time.
VICTORIA BECKHAM
From Paris to Portofino via Los Angeles, the fashion designer shares the places and personal stories that have inspired her first fragrance collection
SHOPPING IN SEOUL
South Korea's capital may have grown into a pop-culture powerhouse, but its artisans are keeping ancient craft traditions alive.
POSTCARD FROM COLOGNE
Rimowa's Emelie De Vitis on her favourite places for espressos, botanical cocktails, relaxed dinners, art, architecture, and history in the German city that she and the cult luggage brand call home
DEEP DIVE DUBAI
Residents know there's more to this diverse emirate than meets the eye. The ones who shaped it share their favourite spots.
Winter Wanderlust
Embrace the best of the season with these standout winter experiences.