Once again we divert from the central theme of this blog to cover another topic of interest for you, our dear readers, when thinking of luxury travel in Sri Lanka: real estate.
When visiting Sri Lanka, it may well be the case that you fall in love with the country- its people, culture and beauty. And you might be tempted to set up a holiday home there, or who knows- even want to retire there! Furthermore, we wouldn’t argue against the theory that Sri Lanka ironically represents a lucrative investment in these troubled financial times, given that the economy is emerging from a twenty year civil war and has been pretty well down and out for so long.
If this is the case, listen up- as we have been through this process ourselves and learned a few things we’d like to share with you that you’re unlikely to find on a real estate agent’s website… More »
Written by Antonella on October 7th, 2010 | Comments Off Filed under Luxury, Sri Lanka, Tips, Villas
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.
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. More »
Travelers who have a sense of history or at least appreciate the cultures of the past will definitely want to pay a visit to Anuradhapura. This city used to be the capital of Sri Lanka – way back in the ancient times. Today, it is best known for its ruins, which are quite well-preserved.
The city is located about 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Colombo, which is the current capital of Sri Lanka. From Colombo, you can just head up north and you’ll eventually hit Anuradhapura. Aside from its popularity with visitors, Anuradhapura holds the distinction of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. That in itself should tell you that it is worth visiting.
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. More »
“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 »
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:
* A Technology or Business blog might write about emerging clean tech and how innovative companies might be able to help address the problem of climate change.
* A Health or Lifestyle blog might write about how climate change will affect our children’s health and daily living.
* A Nonprofit or Political blog might write about how climate change is deeply connected to many other issues – such as poverty and conflict.
* A Design blog might write about new trends in eco-friendly or sustainable design.
* A Travel blog might write about the places you want to see now before climate change makes them difficult to access or, well, under the sea.
Please join the 7,037 blogs in 135 countries and 11,211,921 readers in uniting over this urgent issue!
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