Here is the first instalment of a two-part blog following my recent inspection trip to Sri Lanka ahead of England’s cricket tour there in March/April 2012. Details of our tour can be found here.

I arrived at Colombo airport at 3.30 am and my Tour of Sri Lanka had begun. After clearing customs, I was transferred by our wonderful ground handlers, Walkers Tours, to Negombo Beach Jet Wing Blue Hotel for the rest of that day and the following night. The Jetwing Blue Hotel is only a 20 minute drive from the airport and is perfect for clients as it comes with a lovely pool area and bar. The open plan restaurant has a variety of choices and leads straight out onto the beach. All the rooms have a sea view and the hotel has a well equipped gym and an impressive spa area.

The next day I had an hour transfer to the city of Colombo and my hotel, the Cinnamon Grand. We have used this hotel in the past for various tours and it is a high-quality establishment with superb facilities. The hotel offers a fabulous swimming pool and 5 diverse restaurants with one offering an authentic Sri Lankan village dining experience. Its proximity to a small, upmarket shopping mall will be a bonus to many guests. For others who miss the "Western" way of life, they also have a Cheers pub in the hotel which proves very popular in the evenings.

My next visit was to the Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium, aka the 'Colombo Oval' or the 'P Sara Oval'. The stadium is steeped in history and was the venue of the first Test Match between England and Sri Lanka in 1982.The walls of the pavilion are adorned with all types of memorabilia including a particularly interesting photograph of Sir Donald Bradman going out to bat on the same ground in 1948, wearing on his head something resembling a pith helmet!

The next morning I was off to Ulagalla in Anuradhapura which, from Colombo, is a 5-6 hour road transfer including a lunch stop. The lunch stop was an important aspect of this inspection visit as it will be where our Cricketer Group will stop on the forthcoming tour of Sri Lanka. There was a wedding reception taking place at the time, which was a bonus as it was lovely to see all the bright colours that the ladies and children wear. After lunch it was 3 more hours by road to Ulagalla and the awaiting check in desk.

A lovely warm welcome awaits you on arrival. The Manager places a wreath of flowers (much like in Hawaii) around your neck and they encourage you to light a "prayer" candle which remains burning throughout your stay and is said to bring one good fortune while there. The property is owned by a wealthy Sri Lankan and covers and impressive 58 acres. The resort offers accommodation in 20 chalets with 18 of the chalets coming with their own private swimming pool. There are a variety of activities on offer including bird watching, horse riding, kayaking, archery and there is even a golf driving range. If none of the aforementioned options is of interest, then guests can simply relax around their enormous pool or in the spa or gym. The hotel offers its signature restaurant for dining with a menu containing a variety of dishes benefiting from both local and international influences. Another interesting aspect is that the property prides itself on being "green" and has the biggest solar power plant in the north of the country.

The next day, we drove to the Cinamon Lodge in Habarana and also paid a visit to Dambulla, where the famous rock caves are situated. It will be a significant stop on our journey through Sri Lanka for the Platinum Group, as it is from here that our ‘flying boats’ will take off from the huge lake very close to the Dambulla cricket stadium. With road transfers taking so long, we have chartered two seaplanes to whisk clients down to Galle in time for the first Test and in so doing seeing the country from a unique new angle.

On route to the Lodge I visited the first capital of Sri Lanka and the architecturally historic Anuradhapura, founded around the 5th Century BC. We also visited Sigiriya (the Lion Rock). The rock was a fortress many years ago used by a son who had assassinated his father - the King at the time – who then fled and built the fortress on top of this huge rock outcrop. It is definitely worth a visit but the climb to the summit of the rock is 1863 steps so is not for the faint hearted! Both our Cricketer and Platinum Groups will have an opportunity to visit these sites. After the visit to the historic sites it was off to the Lodge for check in and the overnight stay. The hotel is not unknown to ITC as we have also used the property on three previous occasions. The property is ideal as it offers a large pool, a relaxed bar area and an extensive buffet for breakfast and dinner each day.

So that’s the first instalment of my Sri Lanka report – more to follow next week.

Richard Nurse – Tour Director
Published: 10 November 2011