When it comes to luxury and pampering, you probably won’t find anything that can beat what Heritance Kandalama has to offer. This hotel is located in an area which has been dubbed as the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka. With five UNESCO World Heritage Sites located nearby, the moniker is but understandable. Heritance Kandalama, the hotel, itself is hailed by many as an architectural masterpiece attributed to Geoffrey Bawa.
The idea behind the whole complex is for it to blend as seamlessly as possible with the amazing natural formations in the area. The hotel is situated in between two natural rock formations and is designed so that it resembles the wings of a bird spread out in flight. With its size – an astounding 1.8 kilometers from one end to another – one might think that it is impossible for the edifice to blend with nature. However, the opposite is true: one look and you will wonder at just how natural everything seems to be! Even more amazing is the design itself, which allows the natural waters from the mountains to flow underneath the building, which is raised using platforms and columns. One should not be surprised to find out that animals range freely underneath the building as well.
The environment-conscious visitor will love the Heritance Kandalama for all its efforts to conserve energy. It has a very comprehensive program geared towards saving energy. The hotel makes use of auto-power controls, energy efficient lighting systems, and solar energy to heat the water supply. More so, the hotel does NOT make use of surface water to meet its needs. The water supply is a mixture of deep well water (using tubes going as deep as 200 feet) and rainwater.
For the ultimate pampering experience, one will not go wrong with the Six Senses Spa, which has won numerous awards from all over the world. The philosophy of the spa focuses on the five senses – finding the perfect balance among them. Think of a pyramid with the base constituted of sight, sound, and touch; and taste and smell constituting the middle portion; for the apex, think of a symbolism of the entire sensory experience.
The Six Senses Spa follows ancient Asian traditions geared towards rejuvenating the mind, body, and soul. They make use of indigenous herbs as well as tropical fruits and natural oils. Combined with steam, scrubs, massages, and other techniques, these herbs, fruits, and oils, are certain to please any visitor.
While a visitor would probably be more than content to spend time at the spa and lounge around the premises relaxing, the hotel also offers other activities to engage the active guest. There are three swimming pools – each of which offers a unique attraction. The Infinity Pool blends with Kandalama Lake. The Nature Pool shares the same bedrock which the hotel is built upon. The Rashmi Pool is the largest pool in the hotel and is naturally warmed by the sun.
Indeed, the Heritance Kandalama is the ideal place to go for a period of total relaxation.
Written by Georgie on February 27th, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Filed under Eco-friendly, Hotels
When one talks of Sri Lankan food, curry is what usually comes up. There is no doubt about it – curry is everywhere in this country. That is not to say, however, that Sri Lankan cuisine doesn’t have various dishes to offer the gastronomic visitor. Still, we cannot have a discussion about Sri Lankan food without talking about the omnipresent curry.
A visit to Sri Lanka might very well mean a curry dish as the main feature of every meal. The dish can be made of pork, fish, chicken, beef, or mutton. In addition to these meats, various vegetables are also made into curry. A mixture of meat and vegetables is also possible. The common ingredients for Sri Lankan curry include coconut milk, onions, and chillies – lots of them! A word of warning is warranted, especially for those who cannot tolerate extremely spicy food: Sri Lankan curry can be VERy spicy. However, in most restaurants – especially in hotels – you can ask for a less spicy version to suit your taste. More »
Written by Georgie on January 31st, 2010 | Comments Off
Filed under Cuisine
Sri Lanka is well known for its festivals, and the month of January is one of the best times to visit this country. I already shared the Galle Literary Festival with you. The excitement is actually building up exponentially as the time draws nearer and nearer. Before this festival is held, however, there is another art festival that you should know about: Kala Pola.
Dubbed as Colombo’s grandest open air art festival, Kala Pola is traditionally held on the third Sunday of January. This festival is relatively new – it started only in the early 1990s, thanks to the genius of George Keyt. This man has impacted the Sri Lankan art culture in unparalleled ways, giving birth to a foundation named after him. Keyt’s supporters founded this organization in an effort to support and promote Sri Lankan artists and their works. More on George Keyt from Art Sri Lanka: More »
Written by Georgie on January 22nd, 2010 | Comments Off
Filed under Arts
Spending a luxurious holiday in Ceylon is not at all that hard to do, and of course, your “home base” for your holidays will be at the center of it all. There are a lot of places where you can stay in Ceylon, and one very highly recommended hotel is the Galle Fort Hotel.
Situated on Church Street in Galle Fort, this boutique hotel has already received a lot of attention from foreign visitors as well as the press. It is no wonder, really, as the hotel is perfect in so many ways! Take a look at this list to see what reputable entities have to say about the hotel:
• Conde Nast Hot List 2005
• Chosen by Conde Naste as one of the best new hotels in the world under $200
• Most desirable hotel bed linen in the world Wallpaper magazine
• Winner of the 2007 UNESCO Award of Distinction for cultural heritage conservation
• Selected by The Australian Travel Magazine as “ one of our top five places in the world to chill and relax”
More »
Written by Georgie on December 24th, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Filed under Boutique Hotels, Ceylon, Galle Fort
“The most companionable of all festivals”- that’s how Michael Morpugo describes the Galle Literary Festival. This award winning author of children’s books definitely knows what he is talking about, and this is just one more reason to try and join the host of literary enthusiasts in the festival next month. It’s not just Mr. Morpugo who has expressed his praise about the festival. The well respected Harpers Bazaar has also dubbed it “No.1 Literary Festival in world.” And this was done right after the festival’s debut a mere 2 years ago! More »
Written by Georgie on December 19th, 2009 | Comments Off
Filed under Events, Galle Fort, Sri Lanka
A few weeks ago, we posted some charming old postcards of Sri Lanka, or Ceylon as it was known in those days (thus the name of this website!).
To follow up this, we thought it would be interesting to compare how Old Ceylon has evolved into the New Sri Lanka over the last century using photographic imagery.
To start us off, here is a picture of Pettah, in Colombo:
More »
Written by Antonella on December 14th, 2009 | Comments Off
Filed under Architecture, Ceylon, Colombo, History, Hotels, Sri Lanka
After a long day shopping and soaking in the fascinating sights of Colombo, Havelock Place Bungalow is the perfect place to come back to. Its existence has always been a cherished secret to those ‘in the know’. Described by many guests as an oasis in a busy city, this elegant retreat tucked away down a quiet leafy cul-de-sac in the heart of the capital was in fact Colombo’s first boutique hotel and prides itself on its high standard of personalized service in a homely and comfortable setting. Built in the 1940s, the hotel consists of two bungalows, which have been cleverly combined and entwined within a landscaped tropical garden, that provide all modern conveniences within a charming colonial setting. More »
Written by Antonella on November 20th, 2009 | Comments Off
Filed under Boutique Hotels, Colombo, Cuisine, Hotels, Luxury Travel, Tips, Travel
