RUNNING FOR THE HILLS IN SRI LANKA

After the lockdown, Ambika Muttoo found herself again in a feast for the senses in Sri Lanka

- Ambika Muttoo

Having the choice and freedom to travel again is far too valuable. For a lot of us, stepping out of the country has always been a privilege, and it's even more so now. Escaping to the hills of Sri Lanka restores that vital essence we all have within us, robbed during the pandemic. An easy two-hour plane ride from Mumbai, or just under four hours from Delhi, the island country is ideal for a therapeutic visit. Consider Kandy, in the Central Province, which curls around Kandy Lake. It's nestled amid numerous mountain ranges, including the famed Knuckles and Hanthana. It's also home to the Royal Palace (the last built in Sri Lanka) and the Temple Of The Tooth, which houses a sacred relic - a tooth of the Buddha. Kandy is equal parts charm and bustle; a hill town that's the perfect foil to the many beaches that Sri Lanka is famous for. Further out of Kandy, on a winding, hilly road that's both spooky and fantastical, when you drive at night like we did, is a rare and wondrous place. The Santani Resort and Spa has it all, and it has a host of awards to prove it. It's been on some prime lists from Tatler's Best Spas in The World, to the Greatest Places in The World by Time. Its spa – more on that later – has even won the prestigious Bawa Award for Architecture.