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
Some readers have given us feedback on this blog, saying that while they love the luxe angle and reviews of top accommodations in Sri Lanka, they would also like more insight into the real, everyday Ceylon. While we might say that this isn’t really what this site is about, as outlined in our first post, we do accept that too much coverage of luxury travel with no relation as to what you can expect outside and around your chosen home might not be a completely realistic representation.
So we are asking our readers to contribute reviews on their experience of Sri Lanka. One email we received is from Prudence Cook- a writer from Australia who served a month’s internship as a journalist with Upali Newspapers.
“It was dark when I arrived in Sri Lanka and, after 24 hours worth of flights and transits, I was tired. I tried to make polite chit-chat with my driver, but neither of us could understand the others accent so I resigned myself to looking out the window sleepily, taking in my first impressions of the country that was to be my home for the next month. All I managed to make out were colourful Buddha’s in brightly lit glass enclosures and silhouettes of soldiers, the shadows playing against their guns making them look enormous. More »
Written by Antonella on September 27th, 2009 | Comments Off
Filed under Colombo, Safety, Sri Lanka, Travel
In a previous post, we gave our top accommodation pick for Colombo: Park Street. If that happens to be full or you fancy something a little different, here is our second top pick for a boutique hotel in Colombo to suit the luxury traveler: Casa Colombo. This hotel is very conveniently and centrally located down a private lane just off the Galle Road.
Casa Colombo is a stunningly restored 200 year old Moorish mansion originally built by one of the wealthiest Indian trading families of the time. Combining old world charm with contemporary design, Casa is a tribute to the creative talents of its owner: Lalin Jinasena who innovatively custom designed everything from the cutlery and crockery to the furniture and fabrics- solely using craftsmen and materials from Sri Lanka. With no reception desk, Casa Domos personally look after you during your entire stay by taking care of any needs that may arise be it getting you a poolside drink, taking you on a city tour or sending an important business fax. More »
Written by Antonella on April 6th, 2009 | Comments Off
Filed under Architecture, Bars, Boutique Hotels, Colombo, Galle Fort, History, Hotels, Luxury, Luxury Travel, Sri Lanka, Tours, Travel
Up in the leafy hills of Kandy in the central part of the country, you’ll find the most extraordinary hotel- a technicolor vision of the old-world-meets-Goth, called Helga’s Folly. It’s a hotel and restaurant you’ll either love or hate – where literally every inch of space is painted or decorated with bright colours, fantasy murals, dripping candles and glitzy accessories crossed with the traditional – old paintings, antique furniture, stuffed animal heads and a wind-up gramophone playing Ella Fitzgerald.
Helga’s Folly is presided over Helga herself, a glamorous Anglophile in Jackie O sun glasses, with a tendency towards the eccentric:
“This is my home and I want everyone who visits it to feel at home. That is the point. I call it an Anti-Hotel! We give our in-house guests complimentary afternoon tea and before dinner serve cocktails and canapes. I try to make it feel like home. The main thing is that people must come back! And we are lucky enough to have a few that do return!”
Helga was described by the Times as “a benevolent Cruella deVil, complete with pet dalmatian” and the hotel was the home were she was raised. In those days, guests were people like Sir Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and the Ghandis. These days it is fashion/rock star-types (Paula Yates reportedly loved it) and travellers looking for something different. Very different indeed! Helga comes from an illustrious family, and is the mother of British designer Selina Blow. Her history and exciting life is seen throughout the house, which is full of interesting memorabilia in every room.
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Written by Antonella on March 16th, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Filed under Boutique Hotels, History, Hotels, Kandy, Restaurants, Travel
In an earlier post, we featured the most elegant place to stay in Colombo: Park Street, developed and run by Taru Villas. Another Taru Villas property well worth exploring is The River House, located in Balapitiya, near Bentota- about a two hour drive south of Colombo on the road to Galle.
Renowned fashion designer, Taru, has surpassed herself and “Sri Lankan Boutique” in this luxurious villa along the coast from sister in quiet Balapitiya at the mouth of the Madu Ganga.
Set on a belt of coconut plantations 500m inland, the surroundings are peaceful woodland. The forest hosts many birds, and you may make an interesting visit to the nearby prawn farm on the river that borders the garden. More »
Written by Antonella on March 10th, 2009 | Comments Off
Filed under Architecture, Boutique Hotels, Ceylon, Luxury Travel, Tours, Travel
The gardens at Lunuganga are a rare tropical Eden created by Geoffrey Bawa, Sri Lanka’s most influential architect. And what started out as an abandoned rubber estate, is now one of the most unique places to stay in the country. Over a span of 50 years, Bawa lovingly made this enchanting house and it’s gardens his spiritual home, which is known today as his most personal life’s work. The intriguing estate in the coastal town of Bentota has interesting history of evolution:
Bawa never kept a systematic record of the evolution of the garden and its chronology is now hard to unravel. One fascinating diary of events is provided by a large leather-bound visitors’ book containing a plethora of photographs and sketches as well as signatures and greetings: in 1965 Ulrik Plesner reflects on the problems of the Hilton project; in 1966 Ismeth Raheem records having seen over forty species of bird during one afternoon; in 1973 Donald Friend leaves a doodle of his museum on Bali; in 1997 President Kumaratunga approves the designs of her new Official Residence; and in 1998 Prince Charles drops in for tea.
Perhaps the most memorable visit of all, however, was on 3 January 1988 when a friend called Ray Wijewardene flew down from Colombo in a microlight and, misjudging his landing, crashed into the main roof of the bungalow.
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Written by Antonella on February 23rd, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Filed under Architecture, Arts, Boutique Hotels, Galle Fort, History, Hotels, Luxury, Luxury Travel, Sri Lanka, Tours, Travel
The majority of “luxury” hotels in Colombo are those big, grandiose “chain hotels”, part of much larger hotel groups. Examples of these would be the Hilton, the Cinnamond Grand and the Taj Samudra. While they may be quite comfortable and convenient, they certainly lack the charm, individuality and exclusivity of a “boutique hotel” that the discerning traveler is looking for.
By far the best of such luxury boutique hotels in Colombo is the Park Street Hotel. Situated right in the heart of the city near to all the major restaurants and shopping centers, Park Street is an oasis of tranquility and elegance, set within two acres of beautifully landscaped gardens. Formerly the home of a colorful and eccentric couple who were members of Colombo’s “elite”, this 250 year old building was stylishly converted into a hotel by the Taru Villas Group, who own a collection of such boutique hotels around Sri Lanka, yet it retains all the original charm and authenticity of its previous look as a home, so that it really doesn’t feel like a hotel at all! More »
Written by Antonella on January 22nd, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Filed under Boutique Hotels, Ceylon, Colombo, Galle Fort, History, Hotels, Luxury, Luxury Travel, Sri Lanka, Tips, Tours, Travel
