Here are some of the best food in Sri Lanka that you shouldn’t miss on your voyage to Sri Lanka.

1. Isso Vade

Here in Sri Lanka, it’s always a good time for a crispy and chewy isso vade from a wayside-lender. Isso vade could be translated to mean “Prawn Vadai” and is a simple snack made with fried lentils and scrumptious prawns served with a dab of lime juice orchopped onions. These are a must try while you stroll around at the Galle Face Green while you await the heartwarming sunset.

2. Hoppers

Hoppers are famous for its texture; crispy around the edges and a soft core in the center. They are another local staple and a definite must try. Hoppers resemble a somewhat light pancake batter but with an addition of coconut milk and palm wine. Some may also prefer their hoppers with a fried egg tossed in the middle. Whether you’ve got a sweet tooth or prefer your food hot and spicy; worry not, hoppers are perfectly customizable to your preference. Head on over to Nuga Gama at the Cinnamon Grand Colombo to taste this local delicacy.

3. Local Seafood by the Beach

It’s no surprise that Sri Lanka is famous for some of the best sea food dishes in the area owing to its prime location by the Indian Ocean. Colombo is most definitely a seafood lovers’ paradise. Enjoy a variety of delectable seafood dishes while you wind down and relax by the beach. You can find many seaside restaurants that will prepare your seafood to your preference. Choose from Crabs, King Prawns, Butterfish, Snapper, Lobster, Squid and much more.

4. Kottu Roti

Kottu Roti is definitely the most popular and most consumed street food in Sri Lanka and there’s so many reasons why! Kottu Roti is made from Godhamba roti, vegetables, egg, spices and a preferred meat or even no meat at all. It’s the perfect balance of flavours, with a perfectly creamy texture, succulent seasoning. So be prepared to be amazed at the perfect balance of rich flavours in your Kottu Roti.

5. Local Rice and Curry

This one’s a local staple; to say that Sri Lankans enjoy their rice and curry is an understatement. Locals absolutely love their rice and curry; especially the perfect lentil curry called “Dhal Curry” and the local Coconut Sambol famously referred to as “Pol Sambol” by the locals. While you’re in Sri Lanka, you must treat yourself to local rice and curry in order to experience Sri Lanka to the fullest!

You can taste and enjoy these dishes and more in style at many of the Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts properties including Cinnamon Lodge Habarana, Habarana Village by Cinnamon or even the restaurant, Nuga Gama at Cinnamon Grand Colombo; which is a rustic haven in the middle of an urban atmosphere, serving all Sri Lankan delicacies cooked by local chefs and in the perfect local setting. Along with the scrumptious and tantalizing dishes, Sri Lankan hospitality at its purest will be pleased to treat you.

It is truly an honour for this little paradise island to have been identified as one of the Best safari destinations in the world. With the abundance of wildlife that Sri Lanka is home to, it is no doubt that some of the best safari experiences in the world can be found here. What makes it even better is the hospitality and comfort offered by Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts while you’re mesmerized.

Sri Lanka boasts some of the highest rates of biological endemism in the world – meaning that 16% of its fauna and 23% of its flora are unique to the country. It has an abundance of bird-life – more than 400 species – and has its very own ‘big five’: elephants, leopards, sloth bears, blue whales and sperm whales. It is also one of the few places where people can combine whale watching with land safari in the same day.

There are 26 state-owned national parks covering an area of 5,734sqkm (2,214sqmi), much of which is protected by the Sri Lankan Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Here are two of the best safaris in Sri Lanka. You can lounge and dine and in comfort with us at Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts while you visit the following Sri Lanka safari parks;

Yala National Park

Yala National Park is one of the most famous safari parks in the island right now covering an area of 378 square miles. Both locals and foreigners have been mesmerized by the breathtaking leopard-spottings in Yala. You can spot these while you’re at Yala; Sloth bear, Leopards, Sri Lankan Elephants and Wild Water Buffalo.

Yala is situated 195km away from Colombo and is around a 6-hour drive from Colombo. Make your stay worthwhile and comfortable by staying with us at Cinnamon Wild Yala and we will curate you’re your Yala safari Sri Lanka, just as you desire.

Minneriya National Park

If you’re in love with the majestic creatures that Sri Lanka homes, do visit the Minneriya National Park to witness hundreds of Elephants roam and graze in their natural habitat. Safari through the grassland and along the lakes and be astonished by one of the worlds’ largest wild Asian elephant gatherings.

Minneriya is located 190 km away from Colombo which is approximately a 5.5-hour drive from Colombo. You can also book your stay at Cinnamon Lodge Habarana or Habarana Village by Cinnamon where our in-house naturalists will do the needful for a perfect safari.

Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts has much to boast about with its plush and comfortable living spaces, luxurious room, delectable and wide array of food, top notch service and much more.

Spread across the 53-acre state, the resort has it all; exceptionally rich biodiversity, lakes, ponds and other bodies of water nourishing grasslands that add the fresh hue of green to the land. As legend has it, Hanuman dropped a part of the Himalayan Mountain as he flew across the skies to aid his wounded brother, Rama. The chunk of land he dropped was rich in strange flora and fauna, not to be found easily anywhere else in the world. This chunk of land is known to be the plateau of Ritigala and its biodiversity has spread across the village of Habarana, making it a true haven for those who find peace amongst untouched nature.

The resort was built taking inspiration from the rustic charm and the meditative calm of the Ritigala Monastery, a lasting artefact of ancient Buddhism dating back to the 1st century BC. The remarkable architecture of the monastery has been imprinted in the resort to add to its rustic charm. With its chalets designed after the village houses found in old Anuradhapura, the resort creates a unique curation of simplicity, peace and luxury of rural life, lived alongside nature. The many treehouses become prime spots for sightseeing and enjoying the quiet of a radiant sunset as the skies are painted in vibrant hues of pink, purple and golden. Dining under clear star-lit skies is utterly romantic in its simple nature. The cooling breeze that rustles the leaves soothes the senses while it refreshes and heals.

The village itself is an eco-system of many micro-habitats formed by a myriad of various species, animals and foliage. Within the limits of the resort, you are bound to spot the occasional elephant or two grassing along the banks of lakes and rare species of birds in their natural habitat, lazying about or in a rush to their nests before the sunsets over the lakes of Habarana!

The resort detoxes you from the hustle of the city, yet gives its visitors the choice of adventure. Whether it is climbing the infamous rock fortress, a two-hour hike up the Ritigala Mountains, a serene boat ride along the water bodies or sightseeing the ruins of the ancient kingdom of Anuradhapura, Cinnamon Lodge Habarana and Habarana Village by Cinnamon are located in close proximity for all.

With the many chalets built for the best of privacy and the vast land perfect for a cycling trip, or an evening stroll and adventure to fill in the day or even reading a book on a hammock swaying in the winds, enjoying the little time left to do nothing, the resorts are a perfect culmination of nature. Their ties to the roots of ancient culture resonated in its architecture and build, emanates the peacefulness and ritualistic simplicity of the lives of our ancestors.

Visit the resorts for your next getaway and indulge in the unfiltered, untouched beauty of nature and lose yourself in it, as the hoteliers who walked this land first did. As Shakespeare said, heaven is the everlasting treasury of life and the quiet village of Habarana seems to be a perfect example of it.