In Sri Lanka, terrifying Sanni masks, fire and hypnotic drumming have been used for centuries to drive out the demons behind illness. Juliet Coombe explores the island’s devil-dancing healing tradition.
Juliet Coombe
Juliet Coombe doesn’t just cover Asia, she brings it to life with boundless energy, deep curiosity, and a warm, recognisable Cornish lilt. The daughter of an Old Bailey judge, this West Country–born author and award-winning photojournalist has built a career out of boldly stepping off the beaten track. At the height of Sri Lanka’s 30-year civil war, she embraced a whole new chapter: converting to Islam, marrying a Sri Lankan, and setting up home with her two sons inside the historic ramparts of UNESCO World Heritage-listed Galle Fort.
Since then, Juliet has become one of Sri Lanka’s most fierce and passionate champions, dedicating her life to celebrating its culture, history, people, and vibrant biodiversity. As Women Love Travel’s Asia Editor, her trailblazing spirit shines through books like Around the Galle Fort in 80 Lives, Generation Tea, and Sri Lanka’s Other Half—the first guide to the island’s north and east.
Equal parts visionary and quirky storyteller, Juliet teamed up with Miguel Cuñat to craft the narrative behind the now-legendary Pekoe Trail, weaving local lore into every step of the 300-kilometer trek through tea country (helping land it on TIME’s World’s Greatest Places list). When she’s not raising her two boys or tracking down Sri Lanka’s most eccentric creatures for her upcoming project Nature’s Wild Characters, her work continues to earn top international honors. Her stunning book Brief Garden, Sri Lanka is currently shortlisted for the 2026 British Guild of Travel Writers’ Travel Narrative Book of the Year.
From launching Get Lost magazine in Australia to shooting iconic Lonely Planet covers, hosting television travel series, and winning big at the 2026 Global Media Awards, Juliet brings a delightfully eccentric, fearless, and deeply authentic perspective to everything she touches. Put simply? She’s a force of nature!
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