Thambili, the miracle fruit!
Escaping the Sri Lankan heat on a warm day can be quite tricky if you don’t have the comfort of an air conditioned room or vehicle, but in most places in Sri Lanka, there is always a ready solution in the form of an orange coloured fruit.
While the colour orange can be attributed to the refreshing fruit the orange in the Western world, In Sinhala (Sri Lanka’s predominant dialect) the colour orange is ‘thambili’ and can be attributed to the most refreshing fruit in Sri Lanka, Thambili –also known as the King coconut.
The fruit while being known as one of the most refreshing is also used as a remedy to many ailments amongst Sri Lankans.
Thambili water is so naturally sterile that during World War 2, both Japanese and American military doctors used Thambili water as a substitute for intravenous sterile glucose solutions.
Stop over at a thambili stall and watch as the vendor skillfully carves the thambili and hands it to you (sometimes with a straw). It’s not all over one you finish drinking it. Hand the empty thambili back to the vendor, and he will in turn split it and carve out a spoon from the outer shell in a matter of seconds so that you can now enjoy the soft gelatinous inside of this wonder fruit.
The Masked Men of Sri Lanka
When the word ‘masked men’ comes up in conversation, it would most often be in relation to a Batman or Spiderman, or the many other masked super heroes from your favourite comics or movies. But what if I told you there is not only one, but many masked men in Sri Lanka who possess special powers of their own? Would you believe me?
While the masked men I’m speaking of don’t have the powers of your typical superheroes, to most Sri Lankan village folk who flock to be saved by them or to see them in action, their powers are very real.
The masked men are the devil dancers of Sri Lanka. These dancers aren’t wearing their masks to conceal their identity, but to turn into a new entity, and are often called upon by families who believe an illness in their family is caused by an evil spirit.
‘The Thovil’, the ceremony that is held as a result, can vary in size and involves from 5 to over 20 performers. In a typical ceremony, the ‘Maha Kola’ or chief demon, who wears a mask depicting all 18 forms of illness, leads the other masked figures, who each wear a mask depicting a certain demon responsible for the illness, to dance and perform rituals through the night.
The ritual, which is believed to be over 2,000 years old, lasts up to 12 hours and involves masked figures dancing and performing to the beat of the ‘Yak Bera’ or devil drums in a circle created by the village people. Listening to the screams of the dancers and watching them in their outlandish masks gave me shivers down my spine.
Amongst the fire breathing and rapidly-increasing tempo of the dances and rituals, the affected party in the family will begin to respond to the dances and become possessed, scream, and dance to the tune of the drums. The ‘Maha Kola’ then identifies which demon needs to be appeased, and makes the patient burn an offering to it.
Amazingly, the patient is quite often believed to recover following the process, and is saved by the masked men of Sri Lanka.
While the ceremony is rare to witness in its original form today, some hotels may still allow a glimpse of the activity in commercial form.
Paradise Road Gallery Café retains ‘number one’ spot
The Gallery Café held on to their title as the Best Themed Restaurant in Sri Lanka for the third year running at the Sri Lanka tourism awards that were held recently.
The café which is the former office of renowned architect Geoffrey Bawa has attracted visitors and locals alike for its ambience, history and most of all, quality of food which it has maintained to the highest standards in its 14 years of operation.
Entrusted to Shanth Fernando by the late architect, the café is known for both its ‘fusion cuisine’ as well as traditional dishes such as their signature black pork curry. The café boasts an art gallery and its own studio and gift store which adjoins the premises.
Travel times to shorten significantly with construction of Batticaloa domestic airport
Despite being once described by Sir Arthur. C Clarke as “a small universe [that] contains many variations of culture, scenery, and climate as some countries a dozen its size”, Sri Lanka can sometimes be quite tricky to navigate, despite its relatively small size.
More often than not it requires an overnight stopover in order to travel to the pristine beaches on the Eastern coast from the West.
That might soon change, for the wealthier at least, after construction of a domestic airport in the eastern town of Batticaloa began recently.
The project which is estimated at USD 6 million will consist of a 1700-metre long tarmac strip and a single terminal that will facilitate travel to eight other domestic airports that are being planned across the island.
According to reports, other planned airports will be constructed in Koggala, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Sigiriya, Trincomalee, Ampara and Palaviya.
Lanka Challenge 2012 travels to the North
The legendary tuk tuk takes centre stage yet again at the popular Lanka Challenge 2012. The 12 – day three-wheeler encounter that takes competitors who arrive from across the globe on a journey across the island.
This year’s event is unlike in any other in the competition’s four-year history with the opening up of the Northern hemisphere, allowing participants to explore roads less travelled. The teams travel North from Negombo and proceed to Jaffna where they continue through the popular town of Trincomalee before climbing the hills of Nuwara Eliya en route back to Negombo.
Similar to the Cambo Challenge held in Cambodia, Participants of the Lanka Challenge will have to complete both against each other and sometimes together in order to fulfill a number of challenges based on culture, ecology and adventure.
The winners of the event will be determined on the final day of the event on the 11th of September.
Lanka Challenge is jointly supported by the Sri Lanka Ministry of Tourism and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.
Organisers announce the Murali Harmony Cup 2012
Thanks to the success of the Murali Cup and with the compassionate support of the International Cricket Council (ICC), the Indian Ocean Disaster Relief charity (IODR) and other commercial and private fund-raising efforts, Red Dot and the Foundation of Goodness are proud to announce a 20 team Murali Harmony Cup T20 tournament to run between 8th to 12th September 2012 ahead of ICC World T20 in Sri Lanka.
The event is designed as a catalyst for much-needed cricket development in the under-resourced schools of the war-affected northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka and benefits from the generous logistical support of the Sri Lanka Army.
The tournament invites 12 Under 19’s schoolboy level teams to represent regions from across the length and breadth of the island in recognition of outstanding performances in schools’ T20 cricket.
The tournament invites 12 Under 19’s schoolboy level teams to represent regions from across the length and breadth of the island in recognition of outstanding performances in schools’ T20 cricket.
These schools will compete with combined schools’ squads from across the North and Eastern provinces, which all benefit specialist coaching clinics leading up to the event.
To reflect the ICC World T20 model and in recognition of the rapid development of the world women’s game, the event includes 8 Under 23’s women’s clubs as well as combined squads from Northern and Eastern Provinces.
All matches are played at 5 post-conflict school venues across Sri Lanka’s northern regions of Mankulam, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu; especially redeveloped prior to the tournament. All participating teams also benefit from a masterclass coaching session given by a hand-pick of the current international stars of Sri Lanka Cricket.
Thanks to generous funding, the programme develops a flagship school cricket venue in Oddusuddan complete with all basic cricketing facilities. This refurbished ground hosts the tournament Finals Day on 12th September and becomes a pioneer school venue, setting the standard for the other school venues to follow with further financial support in the future.
To reflect the ICC World T20 model and in recognition of the rapid development of the world women’s game, the event includes 8 Under 23’s women’s clubs as well as combined squads from Northern and Eastern Provinces.
All matches are played at 5 post-conflict school venues across Sri Lanka’s northern regions of Mankulam, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu; especially redeveloped prior to the tournament. All participating teams also benefit from a masterclass coaching session given by a hand-pick of the current international stars of Sri Lanka Cricket.
Thanks to generous funding, the programme develops a flagship school cricket venue in Oddusuddan complete with all basic cricketing facilities. This refurbished ground hosts the tournament Finals Day on 12th September and becomes a pioneer school venue, setting the standard for the other school venues to follow with further financial support in the future.
Cantaloupe Aqua in the UK Sunday Times top 50 ‘Unbelievable Hotels Under £100’
Thanks to the success of the Murali Cup and with the compassionate support of the International Cricket Council (ICC), the Indian Ocean Disaster Relief charity (IODR) and other commercial and private fund-raising efforts, Red Dot and the Foundation of Goodness are proud to announce a 20 team Murali Harmony Cup T20 tournament to run between 8th to 12th September 2012 ahead of ICC World T20 in Sri Lanka.
The event is designed as a catalyst for much-needed cricket development in the under-resourced schools of the war-affected northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka and benefits from the generous logistical support of the Sri Lanka Army.
The tournament invites 12 Under 19’s schoolboy level teams to represent regions from across the length and breadth of the island in recognition of outstanding performances in schools’ T20 cricket.
The tournament invites 12 Under 19’s schoolboy level teams to represent regions from across the length and breadth of the island in recognition of outstanding performances in schools’ T20 cricket.
These schools will compete with combined schools’ squads from across the North and Eastern provinces, which all benefit specialist coaching clinics leading up to the event.
To reflect the ICC World T20 model and in recognition of the rapid development of the world women’s game, the event includes 8 Under 23’s women’s clubs as well as combined squads from Northern and Eastern Provinces.
All matches are played at 5 post-conflict school venues across Sri Lanka’s northern regions of Mankulam, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu; especially redeveloped prior to the tournament. All participating teams also benefit from a masterclass coaching session given by a hand-pick of the current international stars of Sri Lanka Cricket.
Thanks to generous funding, the programme develops a flagship school cricket venue in Oddusuddan complete with all basic cricketing facilities. This refurbished ground hosts the tournament Finals Day on 12th September and becomes a pioneer school venue, setting the standard for the other school venues to follow with further financial support in the future.
To reflect the ICC World T20 model and in recognition of the rapid development of the world women’s game, the event includes 8 Under 23’s women’s clubs as well as combined squads from Northern and Eastern Provinces.
All matches are played at 5 post-conflict school venues across Sri Lanka’s northern regions of Mankulam, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu; especially redeveloped prior to the tournament. All participating teams also benefit from a masterclass coaching session given by a hand-pick of the current international stars of Sri Lanka Cricket.
Thanks to generous funding, the programme develops a flagship school cricket venue in Oddusuddan complete with all basic cricketing facilities. This refurbished ground hosts the tournament Finals Day on 12th September and becomes a pioneer school venue, setting the standard for the other school venues to follow with further financial support in the future.
Cantaloupe Aqua, a boutique hotel situated on a private strip of land on the Southern coast of Thalpe has been featured in the UK newspaper, The Sunday Times , .
The hotel, just 2 years since opening, was the only Sri Lankan hotel to be featured in the magazine’s top 50 hotels for under GBP £100.
Cantaloupe’s exclusive location together with its contemporary style were the main features highlighted by the magazine.
‘Bypass the cluttered shores of Unawatuna, Sri Lanka’s most famous and crowded beach resort for this getaway which is perched on a private strip of sand, just a short tuk-tuk hop from the action. White walls, colour-saturated artworks and mirror details glisten in the sunshine, and the minimalistic but comfortable rooms provide a cool retreat from the unrelenting heat’.
Bentota Beach Hotel Introduces Virtual Tour
‘Seeing is believing’ they say, and quite often, when it comes to tourism, people pay for things they don’t see and are disappointed with what they end up with.
To give travelers an idea of what they actually are paying for, the ever-popular Bentota Beach Hotel has for the first time in Sri Lanka introduced a virtual tour of their hotel, allowing potential visitors to walk through the hotel, the rooms and facilities from any part of the world, so long as they have a fast enough network connection.
Guests will be able to explore all 130 rooms and three suites available at the hotel through the interactive viewer. The feature will also offer outside views of each room and include a floor to ceiling view within the room.
Visit http://www.johnkeellshotels.com/bbh/roomviews/ to experience it yourself!
British Airways to resume flights to Sri Lanka
British Airways, the flag carrier of the United Kingdon is to resume air travel to Sri Lanka after a nearly 15 year hiatus. The airline suspended operations to the island in 1998 due to the security conditions that were prevailing at the time.
The company’s Boeing 777 aircraft with 48 seats and 24 premium economy seats will begin operations at the end of March 2013 with three flights a week from Gatwick airport London to Sri Lanka via the Maldives.
The return to Sri Lanka comes after the end of a nearly three decade civil war that ended in 2009. Since then, the country has experienced a boom in tourist arrivals with the United Kingdom having the second largest number of visitors to Sri Lanka.
The company’s Boeing 777 aircraft with 48 seats and 24 premium economy seats will begin operations at the end of March 2013 with three flights a week from Gatwick airport London to Sri Lanka via the Maldives.
The return to Sri Lanka comes after the end of a nearly three decade civil war that ended in 2009. Since then, the country has experienced a boom in tourist arrivals with the United Kingdom having the second largest number of visitors to Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is known by many for its wide variety of contrasting climates and environments that lie very short distances apart. Despite the short distances, traveling from place to place however can sometimes be a bit tricky due to relatively narrow roads and traffic.
The introduction of an air taxi service by Sri Lankan Airlines improved holiday travel in the country, with the ability to cut down an eight-hour drive to less than an hour enabling people to spend more time holidaying, than traveling. The new West coast highway has had an even greater impact.
The John Keels Group, along with Phoenix Ventures Limited, will now launch Saffron Aviation (Pvt) Ltd an USD$8.4m project which will comprise an initial fleet of two nine-seater amphibious aircraft and one 12-seater wheeled aircraft which will allow access from international airports as well as the waterdromes.
Branded in line with John Keels ‘Cinnamon’ hotel chains, ‘Cinnamon Air’ will operate daily flights that link the international airport with destinations in Yala, Hambantota, Kandy, the Cultural Triangle, the South West coast and the East Coast (during the summer season).
The service is expected to kick off in the last quarter of 2012.
Colombo City Walks – Discovering the City Behind the City
When I first heard about the Colombo City Walks, the first thought that came to my mind was: “Is a visit to Pettah markets really that appealing?” Nevertheless, wherever I went, word on the Walks frequently popped up. So when I was invited to join my team of Red Dotters for some much-needed exercise, I was the first to say yes.
We met Mark and Ruvi, the lovely husband and wife duo behind the walks in front of The Galle Face Hotel shortly after 3 pm – the best time I’m told, to avoid the scorching midday heat and to experience the city in wind-down mode. Two safari jeeps were waiting for us. Despite having second choice in terms of vehicles – ours didn’t have a canvas cover – but that allowed us experience the cool evening sea breeze. While I couldn’t let my hair down because I don’t have any, the others sure did!
We were driven through the busy streets of Pettah, where we passed porters hurriedly carting their goods from trucks to shops. I assume some of them were carrying flour, judging by how powdered up their foreheads and bare backs looked in contrast to their skin.
The 'Dale of Wolves'
Our first stop was at the Wolvendaal Church, one of the oldest churches in the island that stands just outside the Colombo Fort. The church was named Wolvendaal (Dale of Wolves) by the Dutch who mistook the jackals who ran free in the marshes of the Fort area in the 17C for wolves. I have been inside the Wolvendaal church on many occasions from weddings to baptisms which are still conducted at the church, but never did I appreciate the history behind it.
The tombs of the governors
We were introduced to Arul, the church guide. Despite minor renovations that are underway inside the church, there are many things to see, from the gigantic pipe organ that is still in use to the well-preserved tombstones of former Dutch governers. The workmanship on the stones is impeccable with the inscriptions and pictures being carved out of the blocks giving an embossed effect. In each stone is carved both a skull and an hour glass. According to Arul, most of the Dutch during that period died either of malaria or yellow fever – the significance of the skull being to warn people of digging up the graves due to fear of the return of the disease , and the hourglass to signify that life is short.
After taking a last look at a number of priceless pictures of spooky looking colonials that are hung inside the church, we hopped back into our jeeps to get to the starting point of our walk. A short while later, Mark abruptly stopped the jeep and helped us off at what initially looked like a fire station owing to the two fire trucks parked under the arches.
Effigies from the past
Once we entered the doors however, it was a true treasure-trove of artifacts that dated to the beginning of Sri Lanka’s automotive age. After taking pictures, I ended up at the back of the group heading up the stairs. All I could hear were cries of excitement and and I couldn’t wait myself to see what all the fuss was about. All I could see was a sea of Red Dotters peeping into what seemed to be a boardroom of people in deep discussion. Upon careful inspection I realized that it was, indeed, a meeting, but one that commenced over a century ago, with lifelike effigies of the town councilors trapped in a moment in time.
We’d just walked a few steps from the building when we spotted a truckload of irresistible rambutans – one of a great variety of Sri Lankan tropical fruits. After filling up our bags and tummies we resumed our walk through the busy streets and passed the bell tower of the council that once was used as an announcement of a death sentence, and walked into what seemed to be a mini complex of small shops, which actually were the former horse stables of the governor.
The Rambutan detour
We later visited the 17C Dutch House, the former residence of Count August Carl Van Ranzow, which is now a museum that exhibits antiquities of the era including a cannon from one of the ships, and a few original Almarahs (Dutch wardrobes)
We took to the streets once again, passing shops and stalls selling almost anything, from foods to hardware and clothing. We walked past the landmark Gafoor building which after over a century is beginning to show its true age, and the Grand Oriental Hotel, once known as ‘the most grand luxurious hotel in the East’. The hotel has been the residence of many famous personalities including Russian novelist Anton Chekov, who began writing Gusev there.
Views from the Grand Oriental Hotel
From the fourth floor is one the most spectacular panoramic views of the Colombo harbour. While we took in the view while sipping a cup of tea, I asked Mark what made him think up the Colombo City Walks.
“While driving through Pettah one day I realized that there were so many wonderful treasures hidden within, and as we had walked and seen these places ourselves we thought it’s a shame to leave all these places hidden,” he said. “That’s when we thought up a tourist walk.”
We later stopped off for cocktails at the oldest building in Colombo, the Dutch Hospital, which has been recently converted into an upmarket shopping and dining arcade. We chatted and had a few laughs while the sun set and watched as the lights of the beautiful World Trade Centre took over, changing the ambience of this chic addition to central Colombo.
Red Dotters chilling at the Old Dutch Hospital
We then made our way to the Colombo lighthouse, but not before passing the former prison cell of the last king of Sri Lanka, where he was held before being deported to India.
I had never visited the lighthouse before – it had been barricaded and guarded during the conflict – and the architecture and beauty was amazing. The lighthouse shining out to sea gave us sweeping views of the sea with the harbour on the right and Galle Face (our final destination) to the left.
Walking back along the busy Galle Face, buzzing with families having fun with their kids, to fitness fanatics on their daily jogs, we stopped off at a few food stalls to pick up some manyokka chips, slices of the Manihot yam sliced, deep fried and salted and a variety of achcharus (Sri Lankan pickles) including pineapple, guava, olive, and golden apple (ambarella). It was truly the perfect end to an eye-opening tour of just part of the city of Colombo.
Bartenders from the Heritance hotel chain in Sri Lanka win honours at National Bartenders Cocktail and Flair Competition 2012
No visit to a tropical country is ever complete without a tropical cocktail like a Pina Colada or Mojito, and with the need have the right mix of flair and knowledge to create some of the endless cocktail options available, two teams of upcoming bartenders from the Heritance Kandalama and Heritance Ahungalla hotels showed just what they can do when they walked away with key wins at the this year’s ‘National Bartenders Cocktails and Flair Competition 2012’
The event, organized by Ceylon Hotel School Graduates’ Association featured over 300 participants from across the island who showed off their cocktail making skills.
27 year old Indika Kumara Marasinghe won the National Marie Brizard and Skyy Vodka Bar Tenders’ flaring competition, and will represent Sri Lanka in the South Asian Regional Bartenders completion that will take place in Singapore. Indika is one of seven participants from the Heritance chain who won honours at the competition.
Flairing is a technique that bartenders use to enhance the overall guest experience by juggling and manipulating bar tools with precision to create cocktails.
The event, organized by Ceylon Hotel School Graduates’ Association featured over 300 participants from across the island who showed off their cocktail making skills.
27 year old Indika Kumara Marasinghe won the National Marie Brizard and Skyy Vodka Bar Tenders’ flaring competition, and will represent Sri Lanka in the South Asian Regional Bartenders completion that will take place in Singapore. Indika is one of seven participants from the Heritance chain who won honours at the competition.
Flairing is a technique that bartenders use to enhance the overall guest experience by juggling and manipulating bar tools with precision to create cocktails.
Everyone is excited about the new hotels and resorts being planned for the east coast, an area famed for its beautiful beaches and calm seas, so everyone in the Red Dot sales team was keen to abandon their laptops, grab their flip-flops and jump in our office van last month to see Trincomalee’s newest opening: Jungle Beach Resort.
The second resort of Uga Resorts, the owner of the much acclaimed Ulagalla Resort in Anuradhapura, the hotel continues the company theme of mixing luxury with eco-friendliness. The resort is situated in Kuchchaveli, a few kilometres’s North of Trincomalee town and also Nilaveli, the most developed beach in the area.
The area may still be remote but the roads are improving quickly. Nevertheless, were all a little tired on arrival. Fortunately the friendly staff at Jungle Resort quickly relaxed everyone and we were swiftly settled into our comfortable beach cabins. There are 48 cabins in total which also includes a cluster of three cabins with their own private plunge pools geared towards families or friends traveling together. The cabins are furnished with king-sized beds, high-end entertainment systems, sun decks and wireless internet facilities although the internet service is still limited to public areas.
Sadly, we were only able to stay one night because the place was utterly relaxing. The resort, built at a cost of approximately $6 million, is not as lavishly appointed as Ulagalla, deliberately so because the idea is for luxury with a touch of rusticity. That works well in what is a very relaxing natural environment that includes not just the beach but also the scrub jungle that surrounds the resort and the cabins.
We stayed soon after the resorts opening, so it’s too early to make a judgment as to how successful the resort will be. But if the service and food can maintain consistently high standards then we think it will be very popular for mid-market and even high-end clientele. We also felt it will work well with families. Indeed, we are discussing now within the team how best to incorporate the east coast more into our tailor-made holidays now that these wonderful new hotels are opening up.
These are exciting times for Sri Lanka and we all returned to Colombo refreshed and inspired. This island really is so beautiful.
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