23 December 2025

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is exceptionally botanically verdant, renowned for its lush rainforests, rich biodiversity, and world-famous tea and spice plantations.

We first went there 30 years ago, drawn by a holiday and a curiosity about plants, with the aim of bringing that knowledge back to our business which built greenery sets for film and television. The island’s extraordinary range of vegetation – from lowland rainforests to misty highland estates – made it an invaluable reference for our work.

We returned again in March, it was every bit as beautiful as we had remembered.

We stayed in a house designed and built by the renowned Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. Now a small beachside hotel, it proved to be one of the loveliest places we have ever stayed: delicious food, a peaceful setting, and a truly relaxing atmosphere.

We followed this with a three-day safari in Yala National Park, which was both thrilling and spectacular. The experience began with a memorable moment when a full-grown elephant stood in the road, refusing to let vehicles pass until it had been offered a banana—an amusing start to an unforgettable adventure.