TRAVEL
revelation—markets fragrant with jackfruit, tables set with fiery crab curries, and streets where resilience itself seemed to walk alongside us. WILD ENCOUNTERS Sri Lanka’s wild heart beats loudest in Wilpattu National Park. From open jeeps, we traced jungle paths, our eyes adjusting to glimpses of bee-eaters darting like emeralds, and the shaggy silhouette of a sloth bear lumbering through the undergrowth. By night, the wetlands came alive with shadows: fruit bats wheeling against the stars, fishing cats slinking through reeds, and the elusive grey slender loris flashing in torchlight. At every turn, there was human warmth to match the island’s natural generosity. Smiles greeted us, hands extended in hospitality, and the sense of belonging was immediate. One morning, on the A6 highway, everything stopped. A herd of elephants emerged from the forest, calves sheltered between the legs of their mothers. Traffic waited in reverent silence as they crossed— an everyday miracle, yet unforgettable. GARDENS OF LEGACY If Sri Lanka is a living Eden, its gardens are its crown jewels. The Royal Botanic Gardens near Kandy, established in 1371 and reimagined under British hands, stretch across 147 acres of grandeur. Towering tropical trees shelter walkways, orchids bloom in delicate profusion, and borders of colour unfurl like brushstrokes across the landscape. Tea plantations roll into emerald waves, spice gardens perfume the air, and untamed tropical groves tangle with life. Yet it is in the private gardens of visionaries that the island’s most beguiling stories unfold. An hour from Colombo lies Brief Garden, the fantastical creation of Bevis Bawa. What began as a rubber estate was
On safari in Hurulu Eco Park
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EC Magazines | Manila Edition 2025
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