Slow Travel Itinerary of Walks, Wellness and Food in Sri Lanka
When your guide stops for sweet knobs of jaggery paired with steaming cups of Ceylon tea at a little corner store mid-way through a village walk, it does something to your soul.
You’re on an inspiring walk through a forgotten rural village in Sri Lanka. There’s not a single other tourist in sight. We all know that global travel is recalibrating, but slow travel has been at the heart of Ayu in the Wild’s sustainable slow luxury Sri Lanka itineraries since 2012. Each Gourmet in the Wild trip with Ayu in the Wild supports Artisanal sustainability.
THE 20 DAY ITINERARY AT A GLANCE
This itinerary is all about walking, wellness and the art of slow food. It’s about intentionally disconnecting and lingering; becoming more connected to the people, the wildlife, the food. You’ll stay in a mix of places that are diverse in their levels of luxury. There’s beautiful eco-lodges, simple bungalows with a view, luxury elegant hotels and a sanctuary of wellness. This is Sri Lanka the way our ancestors savoured it. Slow and intentional.
Days 1 -5: Slow food artisans and cultural conservation in Anuradhapura and Dambulla
Days 6 -9: Inspiring Walks of Sri Lanka -Villages, Lakes and Stupas
Days 10-14: A deeper side of Kandy celebrating local culinary traditions, wellness, traditional art.
Days 15-18: The Cloud Forest Trails – mountain hikes that are as gentle or as challenging as you wish.
Days 19 and 20: Cosmopolitan Colombo – for the gourmet city life.
- Duration: 20 days or tailor-made
Artisanal Sustainability
Gourmet in the Wild supports a change in life’s narrative. It means preserving genealogies of wood craftsmen in Kandy and learning dance forms from families of Kandyan dancers while you travel. While slow travelling and slow eating your way through the island’s North Central province, you must visit Ajantha, a curd maker who has perfected his craft of curdling milk from local buffalo farmers in his community. Two steps away from the Edirisinghes, a family of potters produce earthenware made of local mud blends to set the creamy curd in; a perfect example of living in harmony. Ayu in the Wild Holidays is committed to strengthening the harmony within these communities by supporting local artisans like Ajantha and the Edirisinghes to earn sustainable incomes, enfolding them through inclusive growth and strengthening their regional ecosystems. Sustainable slow luxury is not just about a journey through Sri Lanka. It’s about protecting Sri Lanka’s past, rediscovering the island’s roots and ushering in a more sustainable future for rural locals.
Experiences at a Glance on this Slow Travel Learning Holiday in Sri Lanka
Walking, Wellness and Slow Food Holidays is an immersive and experiential slow travel itinerary that starts in the heart of the Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle Anuradhapura. There’s the calming simplicity of the Waters Edge a Back of Beyond Bungalow with no frills or the incredibly luxurious Ulagalla Resort. It won’t take you long to start walking through food landscapes, tasting, (sniffing), laughing through stories and hands-on experiences over hearths and on-farm tables.
This little spice island is best discovered on foot, in flavours and in mind, body and soul wellness. You will savour staying longer to get a sense of a place, like at the utterly breathtaking Kalundewa Retreat one of the most unique hotels in Dambulla where local farmers are quietly allowed to farm within the lush 100-acre haven.
Imagine life in the heart of a Sri Lankan village. Buying the most rustic ingredients in the local markets. Root vegetables just plucked. That earthy smell. Lunch is when you sit with your guide and a small pocket of friends and family of a forgotten village community. This is Sri Lanka off the beaten track where elephants must co-exist with jungle farmers. Their stories are so intertwined with the landscape, it demands connection.
Discover an empowering awareness of self and surroundings on this 20-day slow travel wellness holiday across Sri Lanka which includes a stay at Sri Lanka’s sanctuary of wellness in Kandy - Santani Wellness Resort and Spa. The epic panoramic views at Santani will wow you but pair that with the vast breathing spaces, enjoying one of the best places to practice yoga in Sri Lanka and planning out personalized cuisine with the chef and the Ayurvedic doctor.
This slow holiday is Ayu in the Wild’s epic Gourmet in the Wild luxury journey. Connecting with the people you meet as you travel through Sri Lanka. Supporting their livelihoods. Connecting with the land in a way that is never highlighted in global media narratives. This kind of travel nourishes and not just through the Sri Lanka food you taste.
Accommodation on this Slow Holiday in Sri Lanka
The trip can be tailor-made to include a range of accommodation including W15 Hanthana, Goatfell or Nine Skies in the mountains, Maniumpathy, Galle Face Hotel or Z Max Fairways in Colombo; and Ulagalla Resort, Kalundewa Retreat and Santani Wellness Resort and Spa – three members of the #LuxuryLodgesofSriLanka within the Sustainable Travel Sri Lanka Collective.
The Walking and Food Landscapes
From teas to cinnamon, almost anything that sprouts on the soils of this island has become world-famous. It won’t take you long to understand why. The island’s terrains and landscapes are so much more than beautiful diverse scenery. They are forests of spicy cinnamon, mountains of Ceylon tea, flat terrain farms of rice paddy, home gardens of pineapple and pepper. The flavours are authentic and enriched by the terroir.
This Private Walking, Wellness and Slow Food Holiday in Sri Lanka Includes:
Guided walks with an expertly trained guide.
Delicious meals with hearty wholesome fare, the healing flavours of Ceylon spices and herbs, locally grown organic vegetables, fruits, juice, tea, coffee.
Private transfers to and from the airport and throughout the trip.
Accommodation tailor-made for 20 days.
All the meals and experiences.
Gourmet in the Wild apron and recipe book of our favourite Sri Lanka recipes.
Sri Lanka is ripe with flavour, full of stories and giving of wellness to the slow traveller. Every itinerary curated by the travel designers at Ayu in the Wild is unique and will be a reflection of your individual preferences. Let the beauty of slow travel enfold you.
Book with a Safe & Secure certified Travel Agency: What does this mean? In simple terms, Ayu in the Wild's Covid protocols have been verified by KPMG, certified by Sri Lanka Tourism, and travellers can depend on us to take care of all Covid-19 regulations. Owned and operated by Wild Island Safaris (Pvt) Ltd.
Ayu in the Wild Holidays is a 100% Sri Lankan owner-run bespoke luxury travel agency and are specialists in curating sustainable slow luxury holidays to Sri Lanka, since 2012. Founders of @sustainabletravelsrilanka
Whatsapp +94 77 248 1100
or email info@ayuinthewild.com