Sri Lanka: England Test Cricket tour 2012 As a consequence, the Sri Lankans rival the Thais in providing the most willing, attentive service in the world. Presumably it is a Buddhist thing. Nothing is too much trouble. and there is always someone at hand to drive you somewhere (far better than negotiating Sri Lanka's terrible roads, and erratic driving, yourself) or to fetch you an extra towel or a drink. You will need plenty of those, for the curries, like the sun, are fierce. Delicious, but incredibly hot. The addition of coconut milk at least tempers it a little. But make sure you ask for extra yogurt (what they call curd) if your palate is a little sensitive. Or go for the milder biriani option. The cricket obsession extends to the world's only cricket-themed restaurant - the only one, at least, to be found outside a cricket ground. The Cricket Club café, an old villa converted into a bistro in a leafy neighbourhood of Colombo, welcomes you with a signpost indicating the distance to various celebrated grounds (Lord's, 8,725km). Inside, it is stacked with memorabilia: signed bats (including the one Garfield Sobers used to hit six sixes in an over), balls, caps, shirts, pictures and cuttings donated by players from Grace to Gough. The atmosphere is lively (the café is run by Australians) and the food is good, too, once you can get over ordering a Dickie Bird steak or a Ganguly mixed grill. England play two Tests in Sri Lanka this spring: the first, in Galle, is from March 26 to 30, the second, in Colombo, is from April 3 to 7. Colombo is not as frenetic or busy as many Asian cities; it has a relaxed ambience, with wide streets, lots of green open spaces and plenty of well-maintained reminders of its colonial past. There are excellent restaurants, many in international hotels. I would recommend The Lagoon in the Cinnamon Grand (good for fresh fish) and the colonial-style Galle Face hotel, from the gardens of which, looking out over the frothing sea, you can sip cocktails - or get a decent cup of tea. Elsewhere, despite thousands of hectares of the stuff growing in the verdant hills (a lovely area to visit if you have time), you generally get served liquid tea dust loaded with sugar and powdered milk that tastes like caramelised evaporated milk. For an alternative dinner venue, venture 20 minutes down the coast to Wellawatte (best by taxi rather than rickshaw) to Beach Wadiya. This looks pretty unprepossessing from the outside - a glorified beach shack that you have to cross a railway track to enter. The inside is plastered with photographs of the celebrities who have eaten there, but it's better to sit at a simple table outside with the sand between your feet and the stars above and a waiter bringing you a platter of locally caught fish and a choice of interesting sauces to have them cooked in. Everything is tasty, including the wine, although the last time I went, Ian Botham and Co had drunk them practically dry. Colombo may be on the coast but it is not a beach city. In fact, swimming is the one pursuit in which Sri Lanka loses out to the Caribbean. The sea looks inviting but can be dangerous; most beaches shelve steeply and there is a vicious undertow. As a rule, stick to the hotel pool. That said, there are numerous beach resorts on the way to the fine old Dutch town of Galle in the south. Here you can easily spend a day poking about in shops selling jewellery and artefacts or wandering around the old fort, the ramparts of which provide an excellent vantage point for viewing cricket. Galle was devastated by the tsunami in 2004, but the fort stood firm and the rest of the town has recovered well. My favourite place to stay in Sri Lanka is half an hour beyond Galle. The Fortress is an ultra-modern, sleek hotel behind huge ramparts. The great wooden doors open to reveal a minimalist, open-plan interior that looks directly out to sea beyond an enormous infinity pool, and the rooms are spectacular. The Fortress is slightly at odds with the slower, simpler pace of life down south. For something a little more boho, head to Unawatuna beach, just south of Galle. This divine strip of sand is backed by palm trees, with calm shallow water, windsurfers and kayaks for hire and a friendly bar. It's a great place for late afternoon drinks and relaxation, and, inevitably, an evening game of beach cricket. You see, whatever you do in Sri Lanka, be it cultural or recreational, the subject of cricket will never be far away. Simon Hughes is a cricket commentator and contributor to Telegraph Sport Gullivers Sports Travel (01684 878692; gullivers travel.co.uk) is offering seven-night packages to coincide with the first Test (March 24-31) from £1,535 per person. This includes flights, four-star accommodation, transfers and guaranteed official match tickets (charged separately). Gullivers also has a 16-night tour taking in both Tests from £2,910 per person. ITC (01244 355390; itcclassics.co.uk), a luxury sports-holiday specialist, offers an 18-night tour including flights, accommodation, transfers, services of a tour manager and celebrity host and excursions from £4,195 per person. Test match tickets cost extra.