Spending a holiday inside of Galle’s 17th century Dutch Fort can be a unique experience. There are several refurbished colonial period villas that you can stay in. The newest addition is Misamja located at the edge of the ramparts and is walking distance of Fort’s historic buildings, museums and restaurants. Within Galle Fort, this is… Read More »
The Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society (SLWCS) is the first organization established outside of Sri Lanka with the sole purpose to conserve the dwindling biodiversity of Sri Lanka. After researching Human Elephant Conflict in Sri Lanka, the SLWCS initiated its’ first project in 1997 with the community-based initiative, Saving Elephants by Helping People (SEHP). The… Read More »
Last week on a hotel inspection trip down south we visited the Mandara Resort, a newly opened 20-room beach hotel by the same owners of Rosen Rennaisance in Kataragama. The arrival of the hotel fills a much-needed gap in the market for a quality mid-market hotel on the Galle to Matara stretch of coastline. We… Read More »
For those that are looking for Ayurveda wellness by the sea, now there’s a new addition in Beruwala – Muthumuni Ayurveda Beach Resort. Opened about a month ago, this is a well laid out place with individual chalets, swimming pool, serene Ayurveda centre and yoga / meditation pavilion. Muthumuni started out many years ago with… Read More »
During my travels to Hikkaduwa recently I discovered the House of Lotus, a homely and tranquil yoga retreat in Dodanduwa just by Hikka town. Short-term to more intensive two week Yoga programmes are conducted here by the owners Claudia and Ernest. The five rooms are nice and airy and have private terraces opening out to… Read More »
The Red Dot sales persuaded the Directors to take two days off for some serious “research”. The attraction was a new luxury camping option in the Knuckes, a beautiful range of mountains to the north-east of Kandy. The campsites in the Knuckles are managed by Leopard Safaris, one of the premier wildlife operators in the… Read More »
Colombo emptied out last weekend with the young and the not so young… all heading out to the Hikka Beach festival. Curious about all the hype, I myself ventured off on Friday evening with a whole bunch that were convinced this was the best thing to have happened to Hikkaduwa. Flags fluttering, music blasting, thousands… Read More »
As the only member of the Red Dot team not allowed the joy of largely permanent living in Sri Lanka, the tension has been building. It’s been several months since I managed my last trip. So here I am, travelling vicariously, reading a Guardian travel section about the Art of Spontaneous Travel. It’s a very… Read More »
On a trip down south recently, stopped for breakfast at Taru’s latest creation, Tamarind Hill which opened in December 2007. Its 5 minutes inland off the main road just before you get to the Lighthouse Hotel in Galle. It’s housed in a magnificent 200-year-old mansion with meandering verandahs, courtyards, and trellised awnings – typical of… Read More »
After three years of passing by its imposing gates wondering about the goings on inside, I was thrilled at the transformation of Tintagel once it opened its doors in December 2007. Located at the corner of Rosmead Place and Wijerama Mawatha in Colombo 7, this new 10-bedroomed boutique hotel is the creation of Shanth Fernando,… Read More »
