Long-form heritage travel writing from across colonial Sri Lanka — researched on foot, written slowly, illustrated with the buildings and landscapes that still stand.
Bridge on the River Kwai Sri Lanka| Many people know The Bridge on the River Kwai as one of the greatest war films ever made. But not everyone knows that thi…
Sri Lanka’s history does not end at its shores. Some of its most emotional chapters lie beyond the island, hidden in quiet places that many travellers pass w…
The Man Who Helped Bring Old Ceylon Back Into View When travellers visit Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa or Sigiriya today, they see grand ruins, restored monum…
A Forgotten Chapter in Sri Lanka’s Written Heritage Sri Lanka is a country with a written heritage that goes back thousands of years. Long before printed …
A Rare Film Moment in Ceylon The image shows Gregory Peck at Gadaladeniya Temple, during the shooting of the 1954 film The Purple Plain. The caption ident…
Kurunegala Sri Lanka| Kurunegala is one of Sri Lanka’s most familiar inland towns, yet it is rarely treated as a heritage destination. Many travellers pass t…
A Royal Journey Through Old Ceylon Queen Elizabeth II in Ceylon| In April 1954, Queen Elizabeth II arrived in Ceylon, the island now known as Sri Lanka, d…
Matara is often treated as a quick stop on the way to Mirissa, Dondra, Weligama or the deep south. But for travellers interested in colonial Sri Lanka, the c…
Matale Sri Lanka| is one of the most rewarding inland towns to explore between Kandy and Sri Lanka’s northern cultural routes. Many travellers pass through i…
Hammenhiel Fort is one of the most unusual colonial landmarks in northern Sri Lanka. Set on a small rocky island between Kayts and Karainagar, near the entra…
A Lost Railway Through Sri Lanka’s Tea Country Today, travellers heading to Nuwara Eliya usually arrive by road from Nanu Oya, winding through cool mounta…
Exploring the Story of One of Colombo’s Historic Colonial Buildings Bristol Building Colombo Fort| In the heart of Colombo Fort, where old streets still c…
A Quiet Heritage Corner Inside Galle Fort Historical Mansion Museum Galle Fort| Inside the historic streets of Galle Fort, one of Sri Lanka’s most atmosph…
A Striking Image from Colonial Ceylon This remarkable old photograph is titled “Local Council Members in Ceylon circa 1880 | Colombo, Western Province.” T…
A Photograph from the Early Days of Ceylon Tea Some old photographs do more than show a place. They open a doorway into a vanished world. This remarkab…
Exploring One of the Earliest Tea Estates in Sri Lanka Hapugastenne Estate Racecourse| For many visitors to Sri Lanka, a cup of Ceylon Tea is simply part …
Dutch churches in Sri Lanka|For travellers who enjoy stepping beyond beaches and wildlife to discover the layers of history that shaped a destination, Sri La…
Among Colombo’s modern skyline, busy streets, and bustling commercial districts stands a historic building that quietly preserves generations of stories. St …
Some journeys to Sri Lanka begin with a flight ticket. Others begin with a small piece of card, faded at the edges, carrying a view of Colombo Harbour, a mis…
English ancestors in Ceylon|For many English families, Sri Lanka is not only a tropical island of beaches, tea estates and ancient kingdoms. It is also Ceylo…
Nuwara Eliya paintings| has always looked like a place made for painting. Mist sits low over the hills. Water reflects the sky. Tall trees frame quiet roads.…
Hidden within the misty folds of Sri Lanka’s eastern hill country, Maha Uva Estate in Halgranoya is one of those scenic plantation landscapes that seems to h…
Tangalle sri lanka| is usually introduced as a beach destination. Travellers know it for long sandy bays, coconut palms, quiet resorts, turtle beaches, blue …
Gampola sri lanka| is one of those Sri Lankan towns many travellers pass through without fully noticing. It sits between Kandy and the deeper hill country, c…
High above the everyday rush of Sri Lanka, where mist moves slowly across tea-covered hills, Goatfell Bungalow in Kandapola offers one of the most atmospheri…
Mannar Fort Sri Lanka is one of the most atmospheric colonial ruins on the island’s northern coast. Standing on Mannar Island, close to the causeway that con…
Ratnapura Sri Lanka|Ratnapura is one of Sri Lanka’s most evocative inland towns. Known as the “City of Gems”, it has long been associated with sapphires, rub…
Mansions of Old Kollupitiya: Kollupitiya today is one of Colombo’s busiest urban districts. Traffic moves along Galle Road, apartment towers rise behind old …
Prince Alfred in Ceylon | In the long history of colonial Ceylon, few events created as much public excitement as the arrival of Prince Alfred, the Duke of E…
Bandarawela sri lanka: is one of those hill-country towns that still feels quietly connected to Old Ceylon. It does not have the polished “Little England” id…
Brookside Ragala Road Junction: Some places in Sri Lanka tell their story quietly. They are not famous monuments, grand hotels or restored colonial buildin…
Norton Bridge 0 Mile Post is one of those quiet places. Some places in Sri Lanka do not need grand monuments to tell a story. A small roadside marker, an…
Kalpitiya Dutch Fort is one of Sri Lanka’s most overlooked colonial landmarks. Set on the island’s northwest coast, close to the waters of Puttalam Lagoon, t…
Badulla Sri Lanka: most overlooked hill-country towns. Travellers often pass nearby on their way to Ella, Haputale or Bandarawela, but few stop long enough t…
Old Ceylon Canals; For travellers who search for Old Ceylon, Sri Lanka’s most beautiful stories are not always found in the obvious places. They are not only…
Batticaloa Dutch Fort is one of the most peaceful colonial landmarks on Sri Lanka’s east coast. Set beside the calm waters of Batticaloa Lagoon, it does not …
Mahaiyawa Cemetery Kandy, For most people entering Kandy, Mahaiyawa is a familiar name on a busy road. It is associated with traffic, a railway crossing, sho…
Nuwara Eliya is one of the most distinctive towns in Sri Lanka. Set high in the central hills, surrounded by tea estates, misty slopes and cool air, it feels…
Fort Frederick Trincomalee is one of the most dramatic colonial landmarks on Sri Lanka’s eastern coast. Standing on a rocky headland above the blue waters of…
Kandy is not a colonial city in the same way as Colombo, Galle or Jaffna. It was not born as a European port. It was not designed around a Dutch fort, a Brit…
Jaffna Fort is one of the most powerful colonial landmarks in northern Sri Lanka. Standing beside the Jaffna Lagoon, its thick ramparts, wide moat and weathe…
Colombo is often introduced to visitors as Sri Lanka’s commercial capital — a city of office towers, hotels, traffic, ports, cafés and constant development. …
Galle Fort Sri Lanka is one of the most atmospheric heritage walks in South Asia. Standing on a rocky promontory beside the Indian Ocean, the fort is more th…
Colombo is often seen as Sri Lanka’s busy commercial capital, full of traffic, offices, hotels, cafés and new high-rise buildings. But beneath this modern su…
The Airline That Gave Ceylon Its Wings Long before SriLankan Airlines became a familiar name in international skies, there was Air Ceylon — the country’s …
A Journey Through the Island’s Colonial Railway Heritage Sri Lanka’s British-Built Railway Stations in Ceylon are more than places where trains arrive and…
A Familiar Sight Slowly Disappearing There are certain things from the past that disappear quietly. They do not vanish in a single day. Instead, they slow…
Sri Lanka’s northern landscape is filled with places where geography shaped history. Some are famous, like Jaffna Fort, Delft Island and Elephant Pass. Other…
There are some objects that carry more history than their size suggests. This old “Motor Map of Ceylon”, issued in 1948 to commemorate the introduction of Do…
High above the misty valleys of Haputale, where the Uva highlands roll into blue-green distance, stands one of Sri Lanka’s most atmospheric colonial landmark…
