Although mention of the British Raj is most likely to invoke images of India, its domain did extend beyond India’s borders and included, among other places, Sri Lanka.  A week’s holiday with Martin in what was then known as Ceylon was enough to see the impact of the British Empire on this beautiful country.  These are my top five Raj relics.

1.   The Galle Face Hotel, Colombo.   Built in 1854 the Galle Face advertises itself as the oldest hotel east of Suez.  It commands a stunning position at one end of the famous Galle Green, opposite the Indian Ocean.   The rooms are large and you can hear the sound of the sea.  On the popular Verandah you can imagine what it must have been like to live here during the era of the Raj as you partake of the traditional afternoon tea.

2.   Tea.  Synonymous with Sri Lanka  the Highland tea plantations are beautiful and with names as British as ‘Glasgow’ and ‘Edinburgh’ they are still very much an echo of the Raj.

3.   Nurawa Eilya.  As in India, when the summer heat became unbearable the British moved to the hill country to escape the heat.  The town of Nurawa Eilya boasts some beautiful British built country houses (many of which are now hotels), a club, golf course, race track and Anglican church.  In addition the gardens grow daffodils, roses and flowers associated with cottage gardens and the surrounding fields are full of ‘English’ vegetables such as tomatoes, leeks, lettuce and strawberries.    

4.   British Garrison Graveyard, Kandy.   Opened in 1822 and operating until the 1870s the graveyard became the final resting place of not just soldiers in the British Garrison, but also their wives and children.  Some of the graves are incredibly sad, including one grave which holds five infant sons of a British couple, but the whole area is beautifully kept by its devoted caretaker who has been responsible for restoring and looking after it for over 30 years.

5.   Queen’s Hotel, Kandy.   A huge, Victorian hotel with enormous hallways and landings, the Queen’s Hotel was originally the home of the British Governor.  Its location, on the banks of Lake Kandy, is ideal for exploring Kandy as it is right next to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and very close to the British Garrison Graveyard.  The English Bar is well worth a visit.