Now that the Foreign Office 禁止（する） has been 解除するd it's... Sri Lanka's time to 向こうずね: Discovering gems and 巨大なs on a 熱帯の island proud of its 植民地の roots

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In Minneriya 国家の Park we’re on a 追求（する），探索（する） to see one of Sri Lanka’s biggest 星／主役にするs: the elephant.

Our jeep pulls out of the forest and thrusts us into a panoramic landscape of wide green plains and a 広大な 貯蔵所.

Mere feet away are seven elephants, kicking and pawing at the dirt like schoolboys in the playground. Closer to the water, there’s another ten. And beyond, a dozen more.

This is The 集会, the summer 現象 when Sri Lanka’s elephants migrate to this 団体／死体 of water in the 乾燥した，日照りの middle of the country.

An island nation in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka’s 愛称 is The Pearl, a nod to its 涙／ほころび-減少（する） 形態／調整. It’s apt for a nation which dazzles with the colours of precious jewels.

Heavyweight 最高潮の場面s: On a visit to Sri Lanka, Sian Boyle sees elephants in the wild at Minneriya 国家の Park (pictured)

We land in Colombo, the 資本／首都 city where 地元のs are proud of their 植民地の 遺産 ? and the jewel-coloured food here is distinctly Sri Lankan.

We feast on 泡ing, ruby-red chicken curry, golden dhal and glistening, amber lagoon crab ? a 地元の delicacy.

Then it’s time for our epic road trip through the lush wetlands of the Cultural Triangle, the hills and waterfalls of the Central 州 and the beaches of the south coast.

We’re 長，率いるing north-east on the 主要道路. From the car I glimpse 層s of glassy 米，稲 fields, the white 泡，激怒すること of a 激しい waterfall and misty mountains, 列d in wispy clouds like a receding hair line.

Sigiriya, the 古代の palace of a playboy king known as the ‘Lion’s 激しく揺する 要塞’, is wonderful.

Having arrived before sunrise to （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 both the （人が）群がるs and the stifling heat, we have it to ourselves. It sits 頂上に jutting 火山の 激しく揺する, taller than a 超高層ビル, and was built as a 修道院 in the 4th Century before it was corrupted by King Kashyapa.

A wild res ort: Sian stays at Jetwing Vil Uyana hotel, 'a 聖域 for animals and animal-lovers alike'

Half-way up the 1,200-step ascent are two formidable lions’ paws ? each 10ft (3m) high ? challenging us to climb その上の, if we dare. We do dare, and are rewarded at Sigiriya’s 首脳会議 with regal 360-degree 見解（をとる）s of Sri Lanka in all its luscious glory.

勇敢に立ち向かうing a winding pathway on the 激しく揺する facade, we enter a hidden 洞穴 adorned with 絵s, 1,000 years old, of beautiful nymphs which ? befitting the rascally Kashyapa ? are somewhat fruity.

The adventure continues a ten-minute 運動 away, at the boutique Jetwing Vil Uyana hotel, a 聖域 for animals and animal-lovers alike.

Its sprawling 郊外住宅s have 私的な pools, 石／投石する bathtubs and five-星／主役にする mod 反対／詐欺s, yet they’re ensconced within the wetland habitat of wild and beautiful animals.

Above is Colombo,?the 資本／首都 city where '地元のs are proud of their 植民地の 遺産'

The 訴える手段／行楽地’s 居住（者） naturalist, Chaminda Jayasekara, shows us night-見通し （映画の）フィート数 of animals caught on camera li ke clumsy 夜盗，押し込み強盗s.

There’s a fishing cat, which looks like a baby ヒョウ, a crocodile and even an elephant who’s taken the liberty of gatecrashing the 訴える手段／行楽地 for a swim in the pool.

But it’s perfectly 安全な, Chaminda 保証するs me, because ‘the animals are very shy ? they’re more 脅すd of us than we are of them’.

A two-hour 運動 south in the Central 州 is the city of Kandy, the 場所 for Indiana Jones And The 寺 Of Doom. Today it has another （人命などを）奪う，主張する to fame as one of the best places for 取引 bling, so we make a 炭坑，オーケストラ席 stop for a 位置／汚点／見つけ出す of jewellery shopping.

Sigiriya (pictured) is the 古代の palace of a playboy king known as the ‘Lion’s 激しく揺する 要塞'

Sian says from the 最高の，を越す of Sigiriya you are rewarded with 'regal 360-degree 見解（をとる）s of Sri Lanka in all its luscious glory'

One of the 地理学的に oldest countries in the world, at an age of up to 2.4 billion years, Sri Lanka has one of the world’s highest 濃度／密度s of precious gems.

The jewels are 地雷d by 手渡す in the ジャングル, and there are 広大な／多数の／重要な 取引s to be had ? 概略で half the price you’d find in London’s Hatton Garden. The 産業 is 規制するd by the 政府, and it’s 価値（がある） finding an 信じる／認定／派遣するd 売買業者 who’ll 供給する 有効性，効力 証明書s for your 購入（する）s.

Sri Lanka is exotic, but the 残余s of its 植民地の history ? the left-手渡す 運動ing, English language and UK plug sockets ? makes it smoother than coconut oil for British travellers.

Sri Lanka has one of the world’s highest 濃度／密度s of precious gems, 明らかにする／漏らすs Sian?

It’s 安全な, too, にもかかわらず recently 現れるing from civil wars, a 2019 テロリスト attack and an 現在進行中の 経済的な 危機 which led to runs on 燃料 and electricity.

The Foreign Office 解除するd its 警告 against ‘all but 必須の travel’ in 2022.

Sri Lanka is 現実に one of the tamest Asian countries I’ve visited. Everywhere, we’re met with an ‘Ayubowan!’, the 屈服するd, 圧力（をかける）d-palm 迎える／歓迎するing, which means ‘May you live a long life’.

To 一連の会議、交渉／完成する off the 小旅行する we 長，率いるd to the beachy Southern 州, staying at the glorious Cape Weligama. Looking out to sea it’s hard to believe the nearest land, as the crow 飛行機で行くs, is Antarctica.