And so it was that we were spirited aloft with a generous amount of sublimely sweet Singapore Slings on Singapore Air to streak across the placid waters of Bengal Bay into the pell-mell of Colombo city. We soon learned that this wasn’t to be just another Asian escapade but rather an orgy of frequent culinary delights, sublime accommodation and unforgettable cultural experiences. 

Kicking things off our Sri Lankan guide Chan took us off to an elegant, lusciously gardened hotel, the Wallawwa, to rest and recuperate before heading off on a city tour of Negombo town. There we found a rich relic of the Dutch and Portuguese colonial days where colourful wooden catamarans crouch on wide, sandy beaches and a lagoon full of technicolour fishing boats disgorge a harvest of lobsters, crabs and prawns, some of which we were forced to eat for lunch. 

Fully recuperated by ultra-king sized beds we began our grand tour of quintessential Ceylon, beginning with Pinnawela where we got the old baby bottles out to feed cuddly, orphaned baby elephants, before trekking on into the mountains to the exotic Heritage Kandalama Hotel. Our base for three days, it is a place whose unique Bawa design reflects the rocky, mystical aura of the adjacent Sigirya monolith, the remarkable natural shrine of Sri Lankan Buddhism and the eighth wonder of the world. 

Daily excursions included Dambulla’s 2100 year old Cave Rock Temple and giant Buddha and the scenic Minneriya National Park where herds of wild elephants, sambar deer and a myriad of bird species graze and laze beside an ancient reservoir. It was a truly memorable experience and one of the many highlights of the trip, iced by a placid dip in Kandalama’s infinity pool and a candle-lit dinner in a cave.

En route again, we visited the exotic spice gardens of Matale (with a much needed massage using ayurvedic oils and a bottle of red banana pills - good stuff),  a batik factory (from which I escaped relatively cheaply), before winding upwards to the ancient, hill capital of Kandy. This is a world heritage site and mecca to thousands of Buddhists, gorgeously clad dancers and elephants for the annual Pera Hera parade, which we were able to view in the company of the president from the sublime comfort of the Queens Hotel – a stark contrast to the hordes sitting for hours in tropical downpours and heat just for the experience.

With three days of indelible memories we moved to the luxurious houses of Bogawantalawa tea-trail country; the big game viewing of Yala National Park, where tantalizing leopards, elephants, buffalo, bears and monkeys entranced all; the ancient fort city of Gaul and finally Colombo, a quirky mix of ancient and modern where the magnificent Galle Face Hotel was our home until departure.

I could wax lyrical about our adventures but all I can advise is to take the trip yourself next year. It’s good therapy for heart attacks, memories and romance as well.