The Bruner Family Journey: Sri Lanka - The Pearl Of The Indian Ocean

Billboard in central Colombo

Sri Lanka is a country on the rise. Peace has finally arrived after decades of civil war, the country is making a comeback from the devastating wreckage caused by the 2004 tsunami, and the Sri Lankan cricket team has qualified for the quarterfinals of the Cricket World Cup. Yes, there is still widespread poverty, vital infrastructure improvements are sorely needed, and serious questions have been raised about the government's human rights record in claiming victory in the civil war. And Sri Lanka most likely will not win the Cricket World Cup. But the country has loads to offer and the diversity of things to see and do is very impressive for such a small geographical area: beautiful beaches, old world colonial charm, gorgeous mountain scenery, lush jungles teeming with wildlife, a fascinating mix of cultures and religions, ancient cities and temples, an incredibly warm and hospitable populace, a great selection of guesthouses where you can stay and eat in someone's home, and - speaking of eating - one of the most underrated cuisines on the planet. It's becoming a hot destination and tourists are starting to flow in (although we met mostly Europeans, and only a handful of Americans). The pace of change is remarkable - both of our guidebooks from 2009 were woefully outdated. Places that were decidedly off-limits or unsafe are now open for tourists, new hotels and restaurants are cropping up everywhere, and places that were "undiscovered" only a few years ago are now well on the beaten path. And don't be fooled by Sri Lanka's proximity to India - the differences between the two countries definitely outweigh the similarities.

Our first stop was Colombo, Sri Lanka's biggest city but apparently not its capital, which is located in the nearby administrative town of Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte (who knew?). Many visitors to Sri Lanka don't even stop in Colombo, and at first blush the city does seem unremarkable. But the more you stay here, the more you grow to like it.

Lakeside Buddhist shrine

We enjoyed our elegant boutique hotel, which was next to a large sports field where we watched local cricket matches and played soccer with people from the neighborhood, and a pretty lake with a small Buddhist shrine on its shore. We enjoyed the city's vibrant mix of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity, especially in the bustling market streets of the Pettah neighborhood. We enjoyed oceanside drinks at sunset at the Galle Face Hotel, a Victorian "Grande Dame" built by British entrepreneurs in 1864. Famous guests include President Nixon, Yuri Gagarin (the first man in space), Prince Philip (husband of Queen Elizabeth II) and Roger Moore ("Bond, James Bond") - we're not on the list because we didn't actually stay at the hotel. We enjoyed a couple of noteworthy museums: the National Museum, which showcases Sri Lanka's artistic heritage, and the Dutch Museum, a quirky little museum that highlights Colombo's Dutch colonial history. We enjoyed playing in the park and strolling the pleasant streets to look for faded and restored colonial buildings. And we enjoyed the basement food court at the air conditioned shopping mall, which offered Pizza Hut and foot-long hot dogs for the kids and inexpensive and delicious Sri Lankan feasts for the adults, with riveting cricket matches on TV.

Colombo may not be the most exciting destination in the country known as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, but it's certainly worth a day or two and we made the most of our time here. See you soon on the beach!