I spent the last weekend in Pasikudah. The sleepy little fishing village on the East Coast of Sri Lanka has become an high-end holiday resort in only a few years.

The journey from Colombo on the west coast took nearly ten hours, made all the more frustrating by idiot motorists and shoddily managed road works. The breakfast at Crown Field Hotel in Narammala was decent enough but you need nose-pegs in the wash rooms. On the other hand, Tidas Arana at Polonnaruwa (owned by the daughter of Sri Lanka’s president) was delightful and served a fantastic traditional rice & curry lunch followed by freshly cooked Sri Lankan sweetmeats. They even had wine by the glass but sadly, it was only Gallo!

The welcome at the Amethyst in Passikudah was warm – frangipani garlands and chilled soursop juice on arrival.

I had an air-conditioned sea-view room with a massive bathroom and a…