TikaWeeks #41/2017: Sri Lanka update
Posted by John on 14th October 2017
10 October 2017
I always fly from Manchester these days since we moved to The Lake District in 2011. The train ride from Penrith takes two hours and arrives in the airport terminal, which is ideal. Emirates, voted “Best Airline in the world 2017” on TripAdvisor, is also my favourite carrier, particularly on the Manchester to Dubai leg serviced by an Airbus A380 – so much more room in Economy Class than other aircraft and the in-flight entertainment kept me amused for the whole trip! The Asian Vegetarian option that I chose is always tasty and, for the first time ever, I didn’t drink alcohol on the flight, which helped me reduce post-flight lethargy, in my humble and temperate opinion!
11 October 2017
The transfer at Dubai is always a bit of a bun fight with many flights from the UK and Europe arriving over a limited time period in the middle of the night and the ‘Connections’ security checkpoint managed haphazardly – why, in a secure zone, do you need yet another security check between flights?! Once through, the connecting flight to Colombo is in another part of the massive terminal building, requiring a short train ride after a lengthy walk… Anyone with mobility issues should definitely request assistance at Dubai airport in advance.
Dubai to Colombo is serviced by a Boeing 777 with Emirates, a smaller and more conventional aircraft than the A380. Usually I find the transition a little disappointing but this time it felt fine, may be due to the spare seat between me (aisle) and the person in the window. Again, a couple of films, no sleep or alcohol, and a light breakfast saw me through – just!
Colombo airport has changed beyond recognition from the time I first arrived at night in December 1999… After disembarking from the aircraft down a rickety metal stairway and crossing the tarmac on foot, I entered the poorly-lit, unkempt and cramped airport ‘shed’ (terminal) to be greeted by a mass of ogling locals waiting for family and friends behind rusty chicken-wire screens. Today, the terminal is a typical concrete and glass edifice, bright, clean and welcoming with bizarrely placed and spaced travellators (moving walkways) connecting a multitude of piers to the main terminal building. Although you will have your ETA visa already, please also remember to complete an arrivals form before approaching the immigration desks, which are located immediately on entry to the immigration hall as well as more desks to the left, where I go as they are usually less busy. Baggage reclaim is beyond the Duty Free shops and down the escalator at the end of the upper level.
After collecting your luggage from the carousel and leaving the secure zone of the terminal, you are met by an array of foreign exchange stalls plying their trade and offers of transport, guides and tours. Ignoring their imploring pleas, I waltz passed them and see the ever-smiling face of Mr Pathi, my close friend of more than 17 years.
The southwest monsoon returned last month so the pick-up point outside the terminal is awash and we try to chat through the deafening hammering of rain on the carport roof. I warmly shake hands with Satish, our trusty transfer driver since 2013, and we are soon wending our way to Kandy in one of our smart company Toyotas. Most of the initial phase of the drive has reasonable traffic but as we approach Mawanella we are reduced to a crawl. Over the years, the Colombo to Kandy road has become busier and busier and 5 to 6 hours from city to city is not an uncommon journey time any longer. Once the island’s second motorway is opened between Colombo and Kandy, via Kurunegala, in the dim and distant future, the drive should be much quicker and easier.
Hanthana House, Pathi and Suba’s homestay guesthouse in the Hanthana hills just outside of Kandy and my second home, is a welcome sight after more than a day without sleep. Suba, Priyantha, Chathuranga, Kusuma and Latha are all there to greet me before a refreshing shower and much needed cat-nap revive my spirits. My first ‘Rice and Curry’ of the trip sets me up for the night while enjoying a catch-up with the family once Dihini, the teenage daughter, arrives home from after-school lessons.
12 October 2017
Tikalanka doesn’t stop functioning while I am away, may be a little slower in response to enquiries than usual, so the morning is spent catching up with business. In the afternoon, our annual office meeting goes well, with Pathi, Priyantha and I discussing past, current and future holidays and systems. My second superb R&C care of Suba, an excellent cook of everything Sri Lankan and much sought after for her traditional and authentic cookery lessons, is washed down with a couple of generous G&Ts from the bottle of Duty Free I brought over.
13 October 2017
A day of hotel visits is curtailed prematurely by the monsoon but we manage to see three special places that will definitely feature with us from now on.
Ashburnham Estate (or ‘Ash’) is perched on a hilltop near Elkaduwa in the western foothills of the Knuckles Mountain Range north of Kandy with magnificent 360-degree views of the surrounding tea plantations and ‘jungle’. Max, the resident manager, is an urbane and engaging host who is related to the bungalow’s owners. After a complimentary breakfast and chat, we take a look around the property, which has a light, spacious and homely interior still reminiscent of an authentic planter’s bungalow without being too overly precious about finishes or having ultra-modern amenities de rigueur in the more-pricey boutique hotels of the Hill Country. The six en suite bedrooms all have wonderful views and a private outside space to soak up the relaxing atmosphere. Walks, treks, cycle rides, and visits to tea factories and waterfalls may be arranged directly from the bungalow, with Anuradha, the in-house naturalist and graduate zoologist, guiding specialist treks in her inimitable way.
Stone House has re-emerged as a force to be reckoned with after a few fallow years and the new incarnation has preserved the best of the original house whilst enhancing its rooms, facilities and surroundings. I stayed here in 2005 when the active socialite and bon viveur, Asoka Ratwatte, was in residence. The new owner is the rice baron of Sri Lanka, who also owns Deer Park Hotel at Giritale near Polonnaruwa and Tea Plant in Nuwara Eliya, both properties offered by Tikalanka. You enter the house from a porte-cochère along a colonnade bordered by a Koi Carp channel pond to an abstract hanging sculpture alluding to the rice heritage of the owner’s family. To your right is the truly private, enclosed lawn and border garden delimited by trees and a tropical lily pond, a wonderful peaceful haven just a stone’s throw from Kandy city. The large, open-plan downstairs living area opens out to a small terrace with far-reaching views of the surrounding area through mature trees. Two of the three Standard Rooms are on the ground floor while the third is upstairs along with a Junior Suite and an Executive Suite. Another private outside space is accessed from the first floor landing, which comprises of a small lawn, swimming pool and pool terrace. This property is definitely now worth a second look.
Bougainvillea Retreat (BV) is situated on the vast private estates of Victoria Golf and Country Resort near Victoria Reservoir, one of the largest water projects on the island. It overlooks the reservoir from a raised vantage point at the end of a narrow and winding dirt track, a slightly anomalous access route considering the opulence within! Four of the nine bedrooms are located upstairs with the remaining five Tuscan-style garden rooms immersed in vegetation. To me, the property is ideal for families, particularly the Master Suite and two of the adjoining garden rooms that both offer the space and privacy necessary for a comfortable family stay. Additionally, BV has a wrap-around swimming pool, billiards table and even a mini cinema in the basement to keep the most active little minds satisfied! The architecture and interior design of BV reflect the owner’s steel and Scandinavian background: floor to ceiling glass windows producing light and spacious interiors; stainless steel mouldings and finishes; tiled floors; and the open-plan main living area decorated with objet d’art. This luxury hideaway is set apart from Kandy itself, which for some may be a blessing in disguise considering the city’s growing and unfortunate reputation for congestion and pollution.
14 October 2017
Our annual guide meeting was a great success with lively and in-depth discussions of growth in Sri Lanka’s burgeoning tourism sector, Tikalanka’s busiest year yet (April 2016 to March 2017) in spite of the EU referendum result and the consequent, significant depreciation of Sterling against the Sri Lanka Rupee and US Dollar, over-crowding of Yala (alternatives?) and some of the cultural sites during the high seasons, visiting less frequented areas, new accommodation, rubbish and recycling, and customers’ feedback. The outcome was extremely positive so we are very grateful to Kapila, Anura, Niroshan, Nihal and Ravi for making the effort to attend despite the monsoon. We hope to meet up with absentees Sena, Oscar, Chathura, Saman and Thamel in Negombo before I fly home.
My travels over the next two weeks will take me south through the Hill Country to Nuwara Eliya, Bandarawela and Belihuloya, east to Pottuvil and Kumana NP, and along the south coast visiting Yala, Hambantota, Tangalle, Mirissa and Galle before heading north up the west coast via Hikkaduwa, Balapitiya and Bentota. In my final few days, I will travel north from Kandy to Mannar, Jaffna and the Cultural Triangle, before finishing in Negombo (and potentially Colombo) before my flight home.
Categories: Accommodation, Flights, Sri Lanka
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