The best way to explore the island nation of Sri Lanka is to connect via the national carrier SriLankan Airlines for its top notch service and hospitality.

On my latest trip to explore the country, I had a chance to experience this for myself as I flew Bengaluru to Colombo. As my flight was delayed by an hour, the ground staff called me in advance to let me know so it helped me save time waiting at the airport.

Once I reached the counter, the process was smooth and quite seamless and having a business class ticket meant that I could breeze through security and immigration. At the boarding gate as well, the experience was great with manager Shailesh ensuring I boarded the flight quickly.

Once aboard, I settled into my roomy seat that allowed me to stretch my leg all the way. The friendly airhostess came around with a selection of juices and also handed me a menu for the inflight meal. The meal choices are aplenty and vegetarians like me also have a good selection. You can also choose to have a selection of fresh cut fruits if you are not in the mood to eat. On select routes, the airline also provides the famed King Coconut – make sure you check if it is available on your next one.

Once we were airborne, my neighbour struck a casual conversation with me and mentioned that he always preferred travelling on Sri Lankan Airlines for its hospitality and comfort. He also mentioned that he insisted that his family fly via Colombo to Australia from Bengaluru as the service of SriLankan airlines was top notch. And it struck me that there is no other validation that an airline needs apart from good customer feedback and word of mouth.

The airline has a good collection of inflight entertainment as well. As I was on a short haul flight (it takes only an hour from Bengaluru to Colombo) I did not watch anything, but noticed the selection of music, movies and films are a great way to keep yourself entertained.

Once the food arrived, I was impressed with both the taste and flavours in the meal. Served in neat plates, there was a choice of cutlery, bread and butter. Tea or coffee is also served along with the meal.

Once I was done, I settled comfortably into my seat and as I looked outside the window, the twinkling lights showed that I was at my destination – Colombo.

On my way back to Bengaluru I was also on business class and received an invitation to use the exclusive lounge at Colombo airport Serendib. This is an exclusive lounge for business class travellers aboard SriLankan airlines and is an expansive space that has wonderful views of the runaway. Gourmet meals, drinks and more ensure that you can wait for your flight in the most comfortable way. If you are up for a quick snooze, there is a quiet room with lounge chairs where you can curl up for a nap.

The business class experience aboard SriLankan airlines is a great way to start your sojourn in the island nation. My bags arrived first due to a priority tag and as I made my way out, I could not help but notice a massive signage that read ‘Welcome to Sri Lanka’ and I felt very welcome indeed.

And if you want to experience this for yourself, click here to make your booking now! Happy Flying!

Disclaimer: I was hosted in business class by SriLankan Airlines on their first media familiarization trip with Aviareps. However, all opinion’s, as always, are my own.