Tea plantations in Sri Lanka (Image: Vicki Power)
We were shopping for ingredients for an authentic Sri Lankan lunch in this frenetic and colourful place, packed to the gills with foodstuffs and locals. Stalls were piled high with exotic vegetables, fruit and meat, boxes of unidentifiable dried fish were arranged on tables and containers of fiery looking spices provided bursts of bright colour. Shoppers bustled between the stalls, chatting and bartering with the food sellers. It was a fascinating slice of Sri Lankan life.
Rukshana informed me that shaking a coconut is the best way to discern the fruit’s freshness, and after I proffered several juicy-sounding specimens to her, Rukshana chose one and paid for it.
Moments later, we were in the car snaking our way out of Kandy into the rural hills nearby to Rukshana’s home, where an army of helpers started cooking lunch.
I was allotted tasks like grating the fresh coconut with a shredder, operated by a crank, which took some arm strength.
After an hour of cooking in her open-air kitchen, we enjoyed the most delicious lunch of various homemade curries in Rukshana’s home.
It was all rather magical and utterly delicious.
Sandy beach in Sri Lanka (Image: Getty Images)
My experience with Rukshana was one of many high points during a week-long trip to Sri Lanka.
I’d organised my trip with TravelLocal, a company offering tailor-made holidays organised in conjunction with locals who specialise in off-the-beaten-track experiences such as my lunch with Rukshana.
To most Brits, Sri Lanka needs no introduction.
A British colony called Ceylon for about 150 years, it gained independence in 1948 and became Sri Lanka.
Forest Pavillion (Image: Vicki Power)
Only about the size of Ireland, the teardrop-shaped isle just south of India has incredibly varied terrain, with forested peaks of 2,500m in the middle giving way to sandy beaches at the edges.
Tourists can take in tea plantations, rainforest and the bush, and view a vast array of exotic wild animals, from monkeys to elephants.
TravelLocal suggested a week’s itinerary that covered several destinations around the south of Sri Lanka and up to the country’s second city of Kandy; my driver, Rukshan, was a knowledgeable guide who negotiated Sri Lanka’s treacherous roads with more savoir faire than I’d have managed.
Koggala Lake (Image: Vicki Power)
I kicked off my journey in Galle Fort in the south-west, a stunning Dutch colonial town and tourist magnet full of cool shops selling gemstones, homeware, clothes and perfumes.
You can enjoy a delectable fish curry at one of the trendy eateries overlooking the Indian Ocean and rest your head in one of the many luxurious boutique hotels on offer.
But I also hungered for more unusual experiences, so TravelLocal suggested a guided bike tour through the rural backroads – 20km from Galle to Koggala Lake, where I got a glimpse of everyday Sri Lankan life, and my guide pointed out rice paddies and cinnamon plantations.
Sri Lanka is home to roughly 5,900
