Travel Diaries: The Treasures of Sri Lanka

A journalist for 25 years, Teresa Machan has written for national magazines and newspapers including The Guardian, The Times, The Independent and The Daily Telegraph. A seasoned traveller, her wanderlust has taken her from Antarctica to Zimbabwe and everything in between. Teresa especially loves travelling solo, and she recently joined Distant Journeys on one of our Exclusively Solos tours – the Treasures of Sri Lanka.

How would you sum it up?

For a small island, Sri Lanka offers huge contrast. The Treasures tour really showcased this variety, with chill time at beaches, wildlife spotting in national parks and a fun scenic train journey into the rolling green hills of tea country. A food tour in Colombo also gave us an insight into city life. Temples and historical sights came thick and fast, but our guide did an excellent job of bringing it all to life.

What should be on the must-pack list?

Comfy walking shoes or trainers, a big lightweight scarf or sarong for covering up at temples, a hat and sunscreen, beachwear and plenty of light, breathable t-shirts. You’ll also need a decent-sized day pack. We were given water bottles upon arrival and were able to refill them on the tour bus. I packed a guidebook for bus journeys, which filled in the gaps around the country’s politics, language and cultural history and gave me an overview of places we were visiting.

Where next?

This trip reminded me of how much I love Asia – primarily for its food, cultural sights, beaches and friendly hosts. I’m considering returning to Vietnam or Japan next.