The Fortress Hotel is perhaps the grandest hotel in Sri Lanka of all. Owned by reputedly the richest family in Sri Lanka, it is part of the Per Aquum group of resorts, who also have a large presence in the Maldives and the Seychelles. The Fortress only opened its doors in 2007 and has certainly started with a bang, often being fully booked (especially for weddings and large functions) despite the negative news coming out of the Sri Lankan tourism industry.

The hotel is in a glorious location, set right on the Indian Ocean seaside and close to Koggala Lake, about a 20 minute drive from Galle. What sets apart the hotel from many of its competitors is not just its location, though, but its magnificent architecture and ambience, both outside and inside. We don’t often like to quote off a hotel’s own website, but in this case they have it spot on:

A hotel fashioned in the style of a powerful fortress. Rising next to the beach, the resort’s walls enclose verdant gardens and water features, a spa featuring Ayurvedic treatments, a freeflow swimming pool, wine cellar, restaurants, boutiques and exquisitely appointed rooms, lofts and residences. The resort’s architecture forges historic Dutch and Portuguese styles with the motifs of Sri Lanka.

There are 47 guest rooms, all stylishly decorated with a Colonial effect and Modern finish. There are five choices, each with its own different views and appeal: the fortress room, the beach room, the ocean room, the ocean loft and the residence. There is also a glorious spa: the Lime Spa, which specializes in traditional Ayurvedic treatments. And let’s not forget the culinary and gourmet aspects, be that the main restaurant lounge by the pool: Pepper; the modern cave for a fine glass of wine; Heat: where delicious tapas are served by the sea; a dedicated Tea section to enjoy Sri Lanka’s most famous export and the Sea Lounge where you are allowed to enjoy just one fruity cocktail too many!

Oh! and the main attraction itself: the most decadent and luxurious infinity swimming pool that one could hope for. Of course, all of this doesn’t come cheap. You’re not going to get a room for much less that $500 per night, although if you contact the hotel directly, they may give you 20% off if it’s during a quiet period.

We couldn’t recommend the Fortress Hotel more highly for those that want a luxury holiday in Sri Lanka!

For a lot of people, when Sri Lanka or Ceylon is mentioned, tea is the first thing that comes to mind. You can’t blame them, for Ceylon tea is some of the best to be found in the entire world. Indeed, I know some people who will not settle for anything less than Ceylon tea.

If you are a tea enthusiast, then Ceylon should be at the top of your list of travel destinations. Naturally, you would expect to find accommodations that highlight this national specialty. If we’re to rely on the opinions of experts and seasoned travelers, you will not go wrong in choosing the Tea Factory Hotel. The name itself tells you what to expect – what you see is what you get.

The Tea Factory Hotel is a hotel located in the premises of a tea factory. It is as authentic as you can get, really. The edifice used to be a tea factory, and the current hotel bedrooms used to be the areas where tea leaves were withered. For those unfamiliar with the tea making process, withering is the first step in manufacturing black tea. Once the tea leaves (still green) are picked, they are delivered to the factory to be withered. There is no doubt about it – even in your very room, you can feel the genuineness of the tea factory experience in this hotel.

The Tea Factory Hotel is located in Nuwara Eliya, a town about 160 kilometers from Colombo. It is set at 2,200 meters above sea level, making the conditions perfect for growing tea. The hotel is classified as a 4-star hotel, making sure that guests enjoy the luxury and pampering that they are yearning for. There are 57 rooms in the hotel, 4 of which are deluxe. All of the rooms are heated or cooled, depending on the needs and preferences of the guests. Rooms are also equipped with satellite TV, phones with IDD access, and Internet ports. For a relaxing bath after a long day of rambling around the estate, the attached bathrooms are equipped with bathtubs and showers (with hot water, naturally).

Within the hotel, there is a small tea factory, which is open for the use of guests. An experience that you must not miss is picking your own tea leaves from outside of the hotel and then turning them over to the factory for processing. At the end of the whole process, you may enjoy a cup (or two) of tea made from the very leaves that you picked up!

Around the estate, guests may enjoy the ambiance of an authentic tea plantation. You will certainly enjoy interacting with the plantation workers, who find it a pleasure to share their craft with others. There are also natural springs around the area. The best time to visit this area is from March to May, which are the hottest months of the year. Be warned, though, that April usually draws in crowds of people yearning for the authentic Ceylon tea experience.

One of the most interesting places to visit in Sri Lanka is the Yala National Park. With the interest in eco tourism continuously increasing these days, this national park welcomes a steady stream of visitors. Eco tourism is perhaps one of the most significant developments in the travel industry today. We have all seen – and are seeing – what we’ve done to the environment. And, while we can travel all we want, we cannot ignore the fact that we need to pay more attention to our surroundings. No matter how luxurious a trip to Sri Lanka may be, we also need to take a look at the impact of our activities on the environment. And, that’s where eco tourism comes into the picture.

Going back to the premier eco tourism destination in Sri Lanka – Yala National Park – any environmentally conscious visitor absolutely cannot miss it! Yala National Park is not very near Colombo. In fact, it is about 300 kilometers from Colombo and is much nearer to Tissamaharama – about 24 kilometers northeast.

This national park covers a huge tract of land, more than 100,000 hectares of it! With this size, Yala National Park offers visitors a huge variety of ecosystems – the eco tourist’s idea of heaven! From monsoon forests (both humid and dry) to thorn forests to deciduous forests – you can find them all in the national park. There are also wetlands as well as sandy beaches. Indeed, Yala National Park will not bore you for one minute.

If you’re a leopard enthusiast, then you will Yala National Park as it is widely recognized as one of the best places in the world to observe this magnificent animal! For this activity, you have to visit Yala West (Ruhuna) National Park , which covers a huge block of land. FYI, the Sri Lankan leopard is the largest of its kind in Asia. There are about 30 leopards in the park; and, while that may seem few, it is the highest density of leopards in the entire world!

There are countless land based and water based activities that visitors can undertake in the national park. For the former, you can take your pick from leopard watching, bird watching, caving, cycling, mountain biking, hiking or trekking, offroad adventures, rock climbing, and safaris. For the latter, the choices are just as varied: fishing (both inland and deep sea), kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, turtle watching, whale watching, dolphin watching, white water rafting, water skiing, and wind surfing. And, that’s not even the full list!

Important info: the best time to visit is between May and August, when the weather is quite dry. Also, the park closes for a bit sometime in September and October.

If you’re interested – and I can’t see why anyone would NOT be interested – in visiting Yala National Park, you can visit their web site for more specific information. In this day and age, responsible and conscious tourism (as I like to call it) is something that we all ought to engage in.

“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!

What are the features of the Galle Literary Festival? The general idea is to encourage intellectual and artistic interaction between respected writers from all around the world. People who may not have had the chance to get published but have a passion for literature are also welcomed with open arms.

The festival is jam packed with talks, debates, workshops, and other activities that will keep participants busy all throughout the five days. Renowned authors will be sharing stories that they have written about Sri Lanka, giving participants an insider’s glimpse. Aspiring children’s books authors may also take part in a workshop where Sandhya Rao will talk about writing in this genre. Other talks will revolve around fables, fairy tales, poetry, and more.

One particularly interesting workshop will be given by Lal Medawattegedera on the 29th of January – the Young Adults’ Writing Workshop. This is open to people aged 15 – 25. I think it’s a perfect “start of the year gift” for teenagers who are into writing. In this day and age, where reading and writing is not always considered “cool” anymore, exposure to a workshop like this can prove to be valuable.

Another excellent reason to join the festival is the fact that they are featuring crime writing (including graphic novels and pulp fiction) for the first time. The festival organizers are known for experimenting with various genres, and it really is exciting to see how the participants will respond to this potentially controversial development. I’ll go out on a limb and say that this is probably going to be a successful move!

The Galle Literary Festival will run from 28 January to 1 February 2010, and if you cannot afford to pay for passes that will allow access to every single event, you can still enjoy what Galle has to offer. This Sri Lankan city is located about 119km south of Colombo and is actually the fourth largest in the country. Galle is also the capital of the Southern Province.

There are a lot of attractions and activities that you can see and do in Galle. The Galle Fort is definitely a must-visit – it was built in 1988 and has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can also visit numerous temples and churches. Aside from these, popular destinations include tea estates and markets (be prepared for a chaotic but exciting experience). Rainforest treks, scuba diving, and other activities are also popular.

Mark your calendars – the Galle Literary Festival should be in your travel plans next year!

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:

And here are some other wonderful examples of how Old Ceylon has become New Sri Lanka…

Galle Face Hotel, Colombo

Air Ceylon

York Street, Colombo

Khan Clock Tower, Colombo

Colombo Harbour

We will be posting more of these soon

We ask all blog publishers to help bring awareness to the world today on the dire situation with climate change and the need for action!

Why Climate Change?

Climate change affects us all and it threatens more than the environment. It threatens to cause famine, flooding, war, and millions of refugees.

Given the urgency of the issue of climate change and the upcoming international climate negotiations in Copenhagen this December, we think the blogosphere has the unique opportunity to mobilize millions of people around expressing support for finding a sustainable solution to the climate crisis.

This is perhaps understood better than anyone by the people of Sri Lanka and those that have traveled to this beautiful island- after the calamitous Tsunami in 2004.

Suggested Posts

We encourage you to write about climate change in the context of how it relates to the topic of your blog. To help you start thinking, here are a few ideas about how you might connect climate change to things that you might already write about:

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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.

My first days passed in a slow haze of jetlag and humidity, and a particularly nasty trip on a jagged piece of concrete protruding from the sidewalk. I left a trail of blood all the way back to the hotel and have worn closed toed shoes ever since.

People assume that coming from Australia I should be used to the heat, but I’ve come from Melbourne in the middle of winter and it’s freezing. Where I’m from, we have dry heat that penetrates your skin and send people running for the shade until a cool change comes through in the evening. Here the heat is heavy and sticky all of the time. The only respite comes from a cold shower, and even then, feeling of being fresh and clean is fleeting.

The traffic is perhaps the first thing you notice in Sri Lanka that is entirely different from home. Lanes, traffic lights, road signs and pedestrian crossings are indicators only and not necessarily firm rules. Car horns, unlike at home where a toot is usually followed by a stream of abuse and a rude hand gesture, are simply used as a common courtesy. Although its congested and chaotic, at least the traffic is constantly moving. I’m usually a poor passenger, tensing as cars approach and often clutching at my seat during fast turns, but surprisingly, I’ve remained relaxed in Sri Lankan traffic, even when my driver has to negotiate cows, dogs, tuk-tuks and hair-raising roundabouts.

The public transport too, has left me unfazed. Initially I was nervous as I had heard horror stories from other travellers, and even some Sri Lankans seem surprised that I regularly take the bus, but I don’t mind the sharp corners, the exhaust fumes in my face and the dust under my eyes. The buses here are no more crowded than Melbourne ’s public transport and there’s a slight exhilaration to jumping on and off a bus that’s in motion.

The first question I am always asked by both Sri Lankans, and my friends and family at home is always about food. Luckily for me, I have always been a fan of spicy foods, and the novelty of spice, rice and curry at every meal is yet to wear off. I’m always provided with a knife and fork to eat my dinner, but I find that eating with my fingers allows for a greater blending of flavours and gives you a closer relationship with your food. The fruit here is the best I have ever tasted and it saddens me to think that when I get back to Australia , the mangos, bananas and pineapples will never taste as sweet as they did in Sri Lanka . I don’t think I will find a king coconut or a mangosteen anywhere in Australia , particularly not at the ready, sitting brightly coloured and appetizing on a roadside stall.

Sri Lankans are wonderful people, genuinely interested and happy to help out. Unlike other Asian countries, where asking for directions, or getting someone to take a photo of you will result in you being fleeced out of cash, Sri Lankans will go out of their way to ensure you enjoy their beautiful country. I’ve had a gentleman lead me across several pulsing roadways in order to ensure that I get settled onto the right bus, conversing with the conductor in Sinhalese on my behalf to ensure that I arrived at the right destination.

Perhaps the thing that took the longest to become accustomed to is the concept of Sri Lankan time. I have always been incredibly punctual and impossibly impatient, two characteristics that are only accentuated by the frenetic pace, corporate drive and hustle and bustle of Melbourne city. Here, everything runs late, but no one is fazed by that, it’s just accepted. It took me a good two weeks before I lost my purposeful stride and learnt to amble along at a slow walking pace like my fellow pedestrians, although sometimes I catch myself starting to hurry and stop myself, because there really is no need. I envy the Sri Lankan ability to sleep anywhere at anytime.

In addition to my new found patience, I m also learning that personal space, something revered back home, is not only unknown in Sri Lanka , but also unnecessary. Being jostled along is simply a requirement in getting where you’re going and even the slightest hesitation will mean that you miss opportunities. There are no ladies before gentlemen rules, but I don’t mind. If you’re not quick enough, you miss out. It’s a simple philosophy and I think it’s quite effective. It’s kept me on my toes.

I heard many a story from other travelers about bad things can that happen in Sri Lanka , but I am yet to experience any of it. All my experiences, with the exception perhaps of a few close calls in Colombo’s traffic, have been pleasant and I far prefer the company of Sri Lankans to the other travelers I have met, who want everything to be the same as home only cheaper, or expatriates, who enjoy the luxury’s of five star living without ever really getting to know the real Sri Lanka and its people. Sri Lankans have welcomed me into their homes and lives, explaining the ins and outs of their lifestyles and diets, and preventing me from making ignorant faux-pas. Their generosity, kindness and hospitality are something that I hope my fellow Australians can aspire to.

Everything in Sri Lanka, no matter how foreign it is to me, is endearing in its own way; the cows grazing contentedly beneath the perfectly manicured hedges of the roundabouts, the smell of incense and the sound of sweeping coming from the temples of an evening and the man in the faded blue sarong who I pass on the bus every morning who cuts up fish with three expectant cats lined up at his feet. There is an inherent beauty to this land, and something delightful and rewarding can be taken from every little experience.

Sri Lanka has helped me to be more patient, open-minded and accepting and has also planted in me the firm belief that I am capable of doing anything. I won’t miss the mosquito bites, or the smell of rotting trash on my walk to the bus in the morning, but these are minor annoyances that have in no way detracted from my over all experience. Upon my return I think I’ll find that I miss Sri Lanka more than I missed Australia . I’ll come back, hopefully sooner rather than later, there is still so much more I need to see.“

Many thanks to Prudence for sending this! If any of you would like to send us your own experience and perspective on Sri Lanka, please use our contact form

Crispy on the edges, smooth in the center with a variety of lovely (and spicy) fillings to choose from, Hoppers are, hands down, my favourite Sri Lankan dish. These delightful pancake-style dishes are only found in Sri Lanka, and although there are different varieties you can have for breakfast, lunch, or even dinner, many locals have them for breakfast on a weekend, when they can take out their hopper pans and make them at home.

Hoppers (also called Appa) are another food native to Sri Lanka, served mainly for breakfast or lunch and often accompanied by Lunu miris, a fiery hot mix of red onions and spices. Hoppers are made from a fermented batter of rice flour, coconut milk and a dash of palm toddy, which lends a sour flavor and fermentation ability. If toddy is not available, yeast is often used. The batter is left to rise, then cooked in a hemispherical wok-like pan. There are many types of hoppers including egg hoppers, milk hoppers, and sweeter varieties like vanduappa and paniappa.

One can find hoppers all around Sri Lanka, from the street shops, restaurants, your hotel, or even the mobile hopper man, who would have them in a cart attached to his bicycle. Many hotels, like the Hilton, even hold Hopper Festivals, where their chefs put on a display of making an assortment of the little delights. The Hilton in Colombo also serves hoppers at it’s popular restaurant, the Curry Leaf, a pretty outdoor venue. In Galle, I had egg hoppers for breakfast at the Amangalla, which were excellent. Served with a delicious coconut sambal and other chillies, it was one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had!

Below is a photo of a string hopper, which is light and good served with a curry. A must-try!

This blog is not one about the news or politics coming amount of Sri Lanka. However, given the recent momentous events that have occurred in the country with the end of a 26 year old Civil War, we feel it would be unnatural not to address it. Apart from anything else, it does of course have a huge impact on the tourism industry in terms of safety and security, which as we explained in our very first post has been a primary reason why many people have decided not to visit the country.

The picture we are using was sent to us by a friend from Sri Lanka and was taken on the final days at the battlefield in Mullaitivu. The inherent emotion is obvious and during our recent trip, such feelings were reflected by every local we talked to. No individual or family has not lost a son or friend in this battle. They are now jubilant and hero worship their President Rajapaksa, who is assured re-election next year. And it is widely believed, despite the many negative stories and reports regarding the humanitarian catastrophe that exists, that tourists will soon return in abundance.

This remains to be seen, although many hotel owners we spoke to feel that after a “period of respect”, Sri Lanka will once again become a choice destination. There have been many views about what really went down with the end of this war. We tend to agree with a rather unconventional, independent view by Atlantic Monthly correspondent, Robert Kaplan:

The biggest takeaway fact about the Sri Lankan war that’s over now is that the Chinese won. And the Chinese won because over the last few years, because of the human rights violations by the Sri Lankan government, the U.S. and other Western countries have cut all military aid. We cut them off just as they were starting to win. The Chinese filled the gaps and kept them flush with weapons and, more importantly, with ammunition, with fire-fighting radar, all kinds of equipment. The assault rifles that Sri Lankan soldiers carry at road blocks throughout Colombo are T-56 Chinese knockoffs of AK-47s. They look like AK-47s, but they’re not.

They’re building a deep water port and bunkering facility for their warships and merchant fleet in Hambantota, in southern Sri Lanka. And they’re doing all sorts of other building on the island.

Now, why did the Chinese want Sri Lanka? Because Sri Lanka is strategically located. The main sea lines of communication between the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, and between the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. It’s part of China’s plan to construct a string of pearls – ports that they don’t own, but which they can use for their warships all across the Indian Ocean.

Sri Lanka defeated, more or less completely, a 26 year-long insurgency. They killed the leader and the leader’s son. But there are no takeaway lessons for the West here. The Sri Lankan government did it by silencing the media, which meant capturing the most prominent media critic of the government and killing him painfully. And they made sure all the other journalists knew about it.

The Tamil Tigers had human shields by the tens of thousands, not just by the dozens and hundreds like Al Qaeda. They put people between themselves and the government and say “you have to kill all the people to get to us.” So the government obliged them. The government killed thousands of civilians…The U.N. is investigating whether as many as 20,000 civilians have been killed during the last few months.

It was the only insurgent terrorist outfit that had a navy and air force…They had a few planes that they used for bombing missions over Colombo. Not even Hezbollah has either of those, and Hezbollah is the most sophisticated Islamist terrorist group in the world.

We at Ceylon Luxury pray for the Sri Lankan people- that there will be peace, harmony and prosperity in future years. They have waited a very long time and certainly deserve a chance to heal as a nation now.

On our recent visit, we only visited the South (kids were in tow!), but the end of this war does now open up various areas in the North renowned for their beauty, most notably Trincomalee and Jaffna.

More on these after our next visit….