Novel Culture in Sri Lanka at Galle Literary Festival

Fancy taking some time out with a good read? Soak up some culture in January 2018 within the history city of Galle at the annual Galle Literary Festival during your custom trip to Sri Lanka.  Here is a little insight from our very own Enchanter Suraj Somaiah during his Sri Lanka tour this year.

Galle Literary Festival has become one of the favorite literary festivals internationally! The anticipated event offers an intelligent audience with many international authors, historians, philosophers as well as biographers – Joanna Trollope, Richard Dawkins and Hari Kunzru are just some of the acclaimed participants. This could be just the inspiration you’re looking for to ensure your own bright spark story ideas ends up in print (or at least on paper)!

Joanna Trollope adds testament to this: “Galle Literary Festival is a remarkable experience. It’s not just in a marvelous place, but also manages to be both distinguished and intimate. Its focus is, quite properly, on reading and writing rather than celebrity, and the audiences are a treat – warm, highly literate and curious.”

Galle is a perfectly relaxed atmosphere for staging such an event, particular as it occurs at the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Dutch grandiose “city within a city” Galle Fort.

Enchanting Travels Top Tip: Stay at Fort Printers for an impressive stay in an 18th century mansion, which is located inside the 16th century Galle Fort.

When you’re not listening to discussions or part of rousing workshops you can enjoy the local culture with concerts and even gourmet lunches and dinners! Last year provided opportunities for guests to learn about and cook traditional Islamic cuisine from local women of the fort. Whatever your interests, we can design your trip around them.

Once a trading port, Galle is steeped in history and visitors such as Marco Polo, the Chinese Admiral Cheng Ho and the Portuguese Admiral Lorenzo de Lameida have all stopped there in times gone by. It’s easy to get lost in time as you amble around and observe the colonial heritage of the city.

Did you know? Galle was the location of the first package tour when the original P&O passenger ship arrived there in 1842!

When you’re not cogitating over a book signed by your favorite author we can arrange many activities for you in Galle. You could enjoy a walking tour of Galle with a private, local guide who will take you to some significant temples, churches and into bustling local markets.

Galle can easily be combined with a trip to the beaches of Sri Lanka where you can enjoy snorkeling, scuba diving and even deep-sea fishing. Alternatively you might like to discover the rest of the Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle or venture into lush tea plantations of Hill Country. With a new highway from Colombo, reaching Galle is even easier.

For more information, visit: http://www.galleliteraryfestival.com

Editor’s note: Galle Literary Festival was held in January 2017 and the next annual installment is scheduled for January 2018. Due to high demand, tickets and accommodations may be sold out closer to the festival days. Plan your private, tailor-made trip with Enchanting Travels today!

Suraj Somaiah, Enchanting Travels | February 21, 2017

Enchanting Travels was born more than a decade ago, in 2004, by two passionate travelers turned entrepreneurs. After finishing their MBAs at INSEAD in France, they knew they wanted to share their joy of travel in a more seamless, professional and authentic way in order to give guests better experiences and memories to last a lifetime. Today, the company is international with 6 offices across 4 continents, and in 32 different countries. Enchanting Travels employs nearly 130 people and is on a mission to continue redefining custom travel experiences.