■ SRI LANKA, THALPE: There are times when your food options are bountiful and there are times when you have no options at all. After over 90 minutes on the road, cruising along the Southern coastline of Sri Lanka, I finally spotted a tiny restaurant. It was the first one I'd seen open since I left Hikkaduwa.

I ventured inside and the owner had already put down a rice curry dish on the table for me. But this was no ordinary Sri Lankan rice curry. For it contained a secret ingredient....