Spicing up the journey and savouring something special

The soft, juicy, tender morsels of crab and tangy chilli-garlic sauce are coating the inside of my cheeks. I’m salivating in crablicious heaven.

If only the vibrant tangerine walls of Colombo’s 400-year-old, repurposed Dutch Hospital mortuary could talk.

This is the nightly cracking, crunching, slurping and sucking as patrons gouge every ounce of gorgeous juiciness from the lanky red shells, happily enjoying the mess as they hoe into their deliciously fresh seafood feasts at the Ministry of Crab.

My ever-so-helpful waiter Omai came to my rescue by expertly cracking my show-stopping, two-kilo monster Crabzilla, allowing me to enjoy every mouthful and then soaking up the sauce with a mountain of freshly oven-baked kade bread. In 2011, chef Dharshan Munidasa established Ministry of Crab because Sri Lanka exported its best crabs and seafood. This way, the celebrity television chef allows locals and visitors alike to enjoy them. And tonight, I’m ever-so grateful.

If you think Sri Lankan meals are endless rice and curries, think again.

Eating deliciously fresh crab wasn’t on the radar when I planned my 12-day holiday. But it’s been the perfect hoorah to an array of delightfully unique dining experiences around the island.

While Sri Lanka is renowned for its spices, they’re used to enhance the various dishes. I learned this from chef Anuradha Gunathilake during my private beach cooking class at Resplendent’s Wild Coast Tented Lodge on the island’s southeastern coast. As unruly Indian Ocean waves crashed over massive granite boulders on the beach, and monkeys swung gleefully in the tree branches above us, threatening to steal my dinner before it reached the table, Anuradha delicately sprinkled  a variety of spices over meats and vegetables.

I learned how to combine them sparingly. The emanating aromas stirred my hunger glands in anticipation of the ruby tandoori chicken dip, coconut sambal, green bean curry and tempura prawns developing before my eyes.

If you’re a foodie like me, you’ll love Sri Lanka. Rice to roti, sensational street foods, the freshest vegetables, tenderest meats, tastiest curries, and succulent seafood – they’re all served in equally unique settings with accompanying beverages.

I enjoyed sunset dinners on pristine stretches of crystalline sandy beaches and atop rusty red cliffs, the gentle sea breezes tousling my hair while I watched the unbridled surf roll in.

I breakfasted on traditional fresh coconut and hopper eggs in historic heritage hotels, savoured sweet fresh fruits and street food samosas at Pettah Fresh Market, and Saravita wrapped in betel leaves at Galle Face Green night market. Then I toasted the sun setting on another glorious day in paradise with a local Rockland dry gin and canapes at Virticle by Jetwing rooftop bar in Colombo.

On a Float Negombo cruise across Negombo Lagoon, I was serenaded by a solo guitarist strumming delightful tunes as we waded in ankle-deep cool water to our high cloth-covered tables to enjoy sunset drinks and snacks whipped up by our chef at a table beside us.

A seven-course gourmet dinner cooked in front of me by executive sous chef Ishara Wijesinghe, at Cape Weligama Resort’s fine dining restaurant Tableau, was the most memorable. From the exquisite, melt-in-your-mouth, zucchini-wrapped crab mousse to fresh butter-poached lobster tail, and Sri Lankan lagoon prawns atop tender pink beef fillet strips, my stomach and mind were in gastronomic heaven.

But when Thilina, the Surf Bar manager at Cape Weligama, described Ceylon Arrack as their breakfast drink during a masterclass, I almost sprayed my mouthful during a fit of laughter.

Arrack is like whiskey but naturally distilled from coconut flowers. Ceylon Arrack is top of the range, and while smooth, my preference remains the second: the Vat 9 Family Reserve. Neither will replace my champagne for brunch.

After a guided Dunkeld Tea Factory Tour in Sri Lanka’s cool and refreshing UNESCO World Heritage Central Highlands, I also have a new appreciation for tea. Bernard’s narrative and tea tasting of Dilmah’s complete range was an eye-opener, especially as it’s still handpicked on the surrounding steep and mountainous slopes.

The Central Highlands is unlike other parts of this stunningly beautiful tropical island. Dubbed ‘Little England’, it features many quaint British colonial-style towns and buildings nestled among the fertile-laden hills, about 1830m (6000 feet) above sea level. Each is a lasting tribute to the country’s colonial past.

Whether you travel to this region by train or drive the winding mountain roads, you will encounter numerous cascading waterfalls, deep gorges, clusters of whitewashed houses tittering  precariously along the slopes, and  verdant tea plantations snaking across  the steep hillsides.

Cloaked in its jungle greenery, the Central Highlands is a treasure trove of old and new, just waiting to be unearthed. Discover the history of the old capital of Kandy, or take a tuk-tuk from Ella to spy the blue train crossing the Insta-famous Nine Arch bridge. Stop for a cup of pekoe tea and step back in time at the nearly 200-year-old Grand Hotel in Nuwara Eliya.

I also didn’t expect my safari in Yala National Park to be equally as good as any I’d experienced in Africa. Yala is the country’s second-largest park, covering  979 sq km, and is home to the largest population of leopards.

We explored many habitats, from jungle, semi-arid scrublands, grassy plains, and scenic coastal lagoons to scattered historical ruins and artefacts. I revelled in the beauty of the countryside, families of Asian elephants, water buffalo, spotted deer, sloth bears, peacocks, white-breasted sea eagles and more.

Although a mere drop at 65,610 sq km, cocooned by the Indian Ocean, this small island, previously known as Ceylon, is so diverse and packed full of welcoming surprises that no matter where you go, what you see and do, you’ll feel like you’re enjoying multiple holidays.

How to get there: A 10-hour direct flight with Sri Lankan Airlines to Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport daily from Melbourne and Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Sydney. Visit srilankan.com

Where to stay: Colombo, Radisson Colombo, Marine Drive with a comfortable rooftop lounge, bar, pool and restaurant overlooking the Indian Ocean. radissonhotels.com/en-us/hotels/radisson-colombo

All-inclusive Resplendent Resorts, the only Relais & Chateaux resorts in Sri Lanka – Ceylon Tea Trails, Wild Coast Tented Lodge and Cape Weligama. resplendentceylon.com

What to do:  Let local Sri Lankan tour operator Sargia curate your journey. sargiasrilanka.com