Sri Lanka

The Cultural Triangle

The ancient cities of the Cultural Triangle were the capitals of successive Sinhalese kingdoms from the 3rd century BC to the 13th century AD. Anuradhapura is the oldest and largest — a city of Buddhist monasteries, colossal dagobas (stupas), and the sacred Bodhi Tree, grown from a cutting of the original tree under which the Buddha achieved enlightenment. Sigiriya is the most dramatic: a fortress city built on the top of a 200-metre vertical rock by King Kashyapa in the 5th century, approached via a staircase through the jaws of a stone lion, with frescoes painted on the rock face that are still extraordinary after 1,500 years.

The Food

Sri Lankan food is one of the most underrated cuisines in South Asia. The rice and curry — a banana leaf covered in small dishes of fish curry, dhal, coconut sambol, mallum (stir-fried greens), and whatever else the kitchen is doing — is the central meal of the culture and available everywhere at lunch for under two dollars. The hoppers — bowl-shaped fermented rice flour crepes — with a fried egg inside (egg hopper) served with coconut sambol for breakfast are one of the great morning meals of Asia. The kottu roti — chopped flatbread stir-fried with vegetables, egg, and meat on a hot griddle, audible from a block away — is the best street food on the island.

Fly to Colombo. The train network is excellent and scenic — the hill country line from Kandy to Ella is one of the great railway journeys in Asia. Three weeks covers the island properly.