Travel by floatplane while in Sri Lanka,especially if you're short on time or longing for a scenic overview of this magical island nation. From the country's vibrant coastal capital of Colombo it's an easy 25-minute flight,rather than a winding five-hour drive,to the cooler and calmer central Sri Lankan city of Kandy up at 500 metres above sea level. Cinnamon Air offers scheduled and scenic flights as well as private charters all over the country in very well-maintained floatplanes operated by pilots who do fly in thongs. Seecinnamonair.com
A MOUNTBATTEN BED
If you're into the colonial hill station aesthetic then stay at Mountbatten Bungalow on Spring Hill Estate overlooking Kandy. Its manicured lawn,lush gardens,infinity pool and Victorian-era homestead are surrounded by rainforest and tea plantations. After you've visited the sacred Buddhist site of Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth) and strolled around Lake Kandy and overeaten at some of the local cafes and restaurants it's just a 10-minute drive,traffic permitting,back up to your private suite or garden chalet. Seethemeresorts.com
ON TRACK TO OHIYA
Sri Lanka has over 1500 kilometres of railway line and the higher you get the more scenic the journey. From Nan Uoya,at 1613 metres,it's an hour by train to Sri Lanka's third highest railway station at 1774 metres. Ohiya opened in 1893 as part of a British colonial government network created to transport tea and coffee from the hill country to the port of Colombo. The best views of villages,farms and forest on this north-to-south route are from the right-hand side of the train. Tickets can be bought on the day at the station and dangling your limbs out the windows and doors is permitted. Seerailway.gov.lk