TikaWeeks #45/2017: Sri Lanka update
Posted by John on 12th November 2017
22 October 2017
Leaving at 4.45am means that we miss the terrible traffic plaguing the Kandy area, which is exacerbated by the road construction from Katugastota bridge to the city centre. The road infrastructure has been improved dramatically since the end of the civil war in 2009 and we find that even isolated regions such as Mannar Island are now connected by new ‘carpets’ (tarmac roads) to the rest of the country. We make good progress north despite the frequent and seemingly growing number of jousts with barking dogs appearing from nowhere at the side of the road to chase off the car – maybe I am more aware of it since one of our Border Collies at home has the same inclination with the shepherd’s quad bike of the neighbouring farm! We take breakfast at a friendly roadside restaurant before Madawachchiya and our change of direction northwest towards Mannar Island, a new area for us.
The flatlands of the coastal plain are similar in the dry zone regions of the northwest and southeast of the country so driving towards Mannar Island feels like the area around Yala and Tissa until we reach the causeway. Here everything changes with the typical dry zone scrub jungle giving way to a vast lagoon, mud flats, wading birds and… donkeys! These beasts of burden were originally introduced to Mannar Island by Arab traders who used them as pack animals for transporting their goods and wares. Over time, some donkeys escaped and subsequently a feral population flourished. Now these rather sad-looking but endearing animals may be found grazing the sparse grasses and thorn bushes at the side of the road. Who knows whether their labour is harnessed by the local population but we did pass a ‘Donkey assisted therapy centre’ as we headed towards Mannar!
The Palmyrah House is the only accommodation of note on Mannar Island at the present time and when we arrive at the hotel it is a surprise to see a new entrance gate, buildings and landscaping as I expected a single, simple house surrounded by the ubiquitous Palmyrah palms. It turns out that the owners invested heavily in the property earlier this year and erected four, two-storey blocks including eight new rooms, a reception, dining and meetings area, pool and bar, gym, and library not to mention solar panels for power and sinking wells for water. The original house is screened off while it is demolished to make way for a new six-room villa, taking the hotel’s complement to 14 bedrooms. Udaya, the enthusiastic GM, is a passionate and knowledgeable advocate for Mannar Island, and like the owners, has extensive experience of the area, particularly the birdlife, which is one of the main attractions of this region. The a/c duplex rooms are spacious and comfortable with balconies/terraces overlooking the newly landscaped, but parched, surroundings. Udaya tells us that the region has not had rain for 16 months, missing last year’s monsoon (October to December) and this year’s inter-monsoonal rains (May/June). He sagely predicts that lack of rain will become the norm in this area, like many other parts of Sri Lanka. We have already seen drought this year in Wilpattu NP and the eastern provinces. Hopefully the monsoon will arrive soon to relieve the aridity and fill the various man-made depressions formed in the immediate landscape, and nourish the recently planted shrubs and trees, to encourage birds during the migration season (October to March).
Returning to Mannar town, after a brief visit to Talaimannar, where ‘Adam’s Bridge’, the ancient sand spit link between India and Sri Lanka, once made landfall with the island, we join the deserted coastal road north to Jaffna. Although punctuated by a couple of bridge construction projects, the journey is uneventful and we swiftly reach the new 4 km-long causeway spanning the lagoons surrounding the Jaffna peninsula. In the distance, we spy a wind farm and a couple of recently completed bridges, all additions to the area since our last visit three years ago. Development of the region has progressed well since 2014, particularly the infrastructure and energy schemes. On arrival, we’re all hungry so wander around town and after a false start at a (surprising) fast-food hall, we find a good, clean local place where Sateesh’s native Tamil tongue comes in hand. Our night’s stay is at Jetwing Jaffna, until recently the only quality hotel in Jaffna, and receive a genuinely warm and sincere welcome. Our comfortable 7th floor room has far-reaching views across the city, although the roof-top bar one level up offers even better panoramas. After a couple of drinks in the surprisingly breezy, warm and scented air of the outside bar listening to the high-pitched vocals of traditional music over a nearby PA system, we have yet another buffet dinner in the hotel’s 2nd floor restaurant – the Sri Lankans can certainly eat!
23 October 2017
After saying farewell to the jolly Jetwing Jaffna, we visit the soon-to-be-opened North Gate by Jetwing overlooking the railway station. Owned and built by a local developer but managed by Jetwing, North Gate by Jetwing will complement Jetwing Jaffna very well since the new property will have embellishments such as rooms with balconies and a swimming pool.
The dearth of quality accommodation in Jaffna has had a lift with the opening of The Thinnai, a self-styled all-suite boutique hotel. Ex-pat Tamils returning home and visitors from India have fuelled the need for more hotels in the area, especially ones providing family rooms – enter stage right, The Thinnai. All of the suites are spacious and can accommodate extra beds for families or groups of friends. The two-storey, two-bedroom suites are particularly popular, with the downstairs’ lounge sofas being able to be converted into beds, which allows for six people to stay, and these suits also have self-contained kitchens. There is also a swimming pool, unlike at Jetwing Jaffna, although the roof-top restaurant is yet to be completed and the bar is still waiting for a liquor licence – a frequent problem of hotel bars in Sri Lanka. A couple of outlets around the café terrace are vendors of products from local community-based projects, a timely initiative that has taken the country’s hospitality industry by storm over the past few years. A farm stay is the owner’s next enterprise followed by a beachside resort, both properties on the Jaffna peninsula.
If yesterday was ‘dog day’, today is ‘cow day’ – I can’t keep tabs on the number of times Sateesh has to negotiate herds of bovines crossing the road between Jaffna and Anuradhapura. We pass through Omantai, which was the main security checkpoint on the A9 road in the past and where I was stopped in 2014 when a new and immediate government edict restricted the access of foreigners travelling north without the necessary documentation – we returned later with the requisite permission and visited Jaffna. On arrival in Anuradhapura, we head to Cadjan Sacred, a potentially delightful, traditional two-bedroom cottage within the confines of the ancient city limits, but are disappointed by the unkempt and poorly-maintained property. With investment and the necessary creative flair, this could be a wonderful place to stay, although the prohibition of serving and drinking alcohol in the scared city may cramp the style of many visitors.
Palm Garden Village Hotel has been on our accommodation list since we started, and despite its popularity with groups and standard buffet fare, it retains enough of a character to deserve its inclusion. We revisited following the opening of a new banqueting hall and the closure of the main reception for renovation. The banqueting hall has been constructed on a grand scale, with colossal stone columns reminiscent of ancient Rome or Athens acting as a row of sentinels following your entry through giant, solid wooden doors. This entrance will be the hotel’s reception until the revamp is complete. The resort’s Deluxe Rooms have had a refresh and from now on will be our first choice of accommodation. New fittings in the bathrooms, a lick of paint throughout, and a remodelled sitting area have reinvigorated these rooms, and an additional ten are being added to the inventory soon. Until the reception is refurbished (projected to be the end of January 2018), we won’t be promoting PGVH.
We head further south to Sigiriya and drive by Kingfisher Lodge, which is positioned beneath overhead electricity lines and close to pylons so not ideal, and continue to the renovated rest house, now called Zinc Journey Sigiriya. Since my last visit a few years ago when the building was run down and in desperate need of tender loving care, the transformation under the artful guidance of architect Vinod Jayasinghe, another protégé of Geoffrey Bawa, is miraculous. The new and old 20-room property has a prime position overlooking Sigiriya rock fortress and this recent incarnation is a sight to behold. Deep verandas with overhanging roofs borrow from the local vernacular of traditional walauwas (manor houses) and reinstate the colonial architecture of times past. The expanded and generous dining room and reception still retain the original columns of the former rest house, and bedrooms have been added to the side and at the rear, where a green sward now opens out from the new bar area. A swimming pool is planned for the upper garden level, which will be a welcome addition in the future.
And so to Jetwing Lake near Dambulla, our overnight stay, which is situated away from the usual hotels area towards Kandalama Wewa, in a quiet and secluded location overlooking a picturesque lake of its own (as I find out in the early morning). Arriving after dark, we are guided by twinkling and atmospheric lights to the drop off point below reception, which is on the second floor in a large, open vestibule. Our room is in the other hotel block a good walk away and, after settling in, drop down to the ground floor al fresco bar and restaurant.
24 October 2017
Waking early, I take a dawn amble around the attractive grounds, listening to the chirruping alarm calls of pine squirrels, squawking kingfishers and the whooping of the Asian koel while I watch various egrets deftly fish in the shallows of the eponymous lake. Later, a herd of water buffaloes gently wade in and immerse themselves blissfully in the cooling waters… quite a charming sylvan scene!
On our third attempt in as many years, we manage to arrange a visit to Diyabubula, the previously secretive estate of Laki Senanayake, one of Sri Lanka’s most eminent artists/sculptors and a close friend and colleague of Geoffrey Bawa. Still part private residence and part artists’ retreat, the five living spaces of this jungle hideaway all project the founder’s ethos of creativity in a magical location. I loved the place for its elegant simplicity, imagination, ingenuity, inspiration and natural setting, although it will not appeal to everyone. The lack of air conditioning will deter some, as will the ‘interaction’ with local inhabitants such as monkeys, monitors, geckos and a plethora of amphibians and insects, but for those who want to commune with nature, paint, sketch or simply read and relax, Diyabubula will be heaven on earth, and also a chance to meet the great man himself.
After a fleeting and unproductive detour via Dambale Boutique Villas on our way back to the main road, we head south to rural Matale, an area renowned for spice cultivation (and the exploitative ‘spice gardens’). Off the beaten track and surrounded by spice plantations and palm trees, Jim’s Farm Villas is an eco-gem and family favourite. Developed from virgin jungle 10 years ago by the British owner, Kevin Abbott, the villas opened in 2011 after the 50-acre organic farm was established. Today, the farm produces market-quality (and sold) black pepper, cinnamon, bananas and coconuts, which are all served at table along with a variety of other home-grown vegetables, fruit and spices, and a dairy herd provides much sought after milk. The three spacious villas, which may be taken as a whole or by the room, have characters of their own: Hillltop Villa (5 bedrooms) is a traditional plantation house with swimming pool and an ideal place for lunch; Spice Garden Villa (4 bedrooms) is set within the plantation and acts as the main reception; Mango Villa (5 bedrooms), my favourite, has all of the bedrooms at ground level where you arrive and an expansive dining terrace, pagoda for drinks or relaxing, open-plan lounge area, and Ayurvedic spa (with qualified Ayurvedic doctor) on the level below. The panoramic views are breath-taking, and socialising with other guests is actively encouraged, hence the one, long dining table and communal sundowners served daily. With so much to do locally, you may forget to visit the Cultural Triangle sites all together!
Back to Hanthana House for my farewell evening of playing Uno with the family and packing for home.
25 October 2017
The usual early start gets us ahead of the traffic and we make very good progress, getting to our much frequented breakfast stop in Veyangoda not far from the international airport for 8am. Curries and parathas set us up well for our first visit of the day, Diklande Estate Bungalow near Badalgama. We were shown around by the major-domo, who cooks, cleans, manages and generally looks after guests during their stay. Potentially a delightful little place surrounded by a plantation and not too far from the airport, the bungalow is let down by the rather tired furniture and decorations, slightly damp and musty interiors, and foliage in the small pool. There was one of the three rooms taken when we visited so the general impression was a somewhat lackadaisical approach to hospitality.
Closer to the airport, in a gated development, is Colombo Airport Homestay, a simple but homely option of ours on arrival or prior to departure. Run by a very friendly, hospitable and accommodating couple on behalf of the owner, the modest rooms are comfortable and quiet, and the ones we offer are en suite and air conditioned. There is a communal sitting area upstairs with a TV and a small garden lawn at the side of the house. Definitely a budget alternative and conveniently located within 20 minutes’ drive of the airport.
Although well positioned overlooking Negombo lagoon and with a new block of comfy rooms, Amagi Lagoon Resort & Spa is popular with tour groups, and Vaaya Beach Hotel is poorly maintained despite another picturesque location at the mouth of a river estuary, so neither will be featuring in our accommodation portfolio.
Our final visit of the day, however, is a highlight. Villa Hundira, again overlooking Negombo lagoon, not only has high quality accommodation and a relaxed, serene ambience, but also runs an on-going community project from the boutique property that supports local fisher folk through an arts and crafts workshop, Thimble, established by Indira, one of the passionate owners. On arrival through an antique doorway, the hotel’s intriguing and well-considered spaces unfold, beginning with the shady swimming pool to the left through to a man-made but deceptively natural-looking canal lined by dining tables, and on to the open-kitchen dining room and terrace defined by stepping stones across a mesmeric water feature. The guest rooms are all stylishly designed, while the incredibly spacious suites are more like apartments in size with two en suite bedrooms and an expansive living area opening out to a terrace or balcony. The upstairs bar has a snooker table and a covered loggia ideal for sundowners or reading a book during the day. Other outside spaces include a deck with comfy chairs and an internal courtyard with another water feature, which is unquestionably the leitmotif of the property. Although on the flight path of the international airport, this elegant and tastefully appointed hotel is a real delight and a great find so close to the beach and airport.
We stay at Jetwing Lagoon nearby, a Geoffrey Bawa classic and Sri Lanka’s first ever ‘resort’ hotel when it was built in the 1960s and named Blue Lagoon. Extensive renovations and additions since faithfully preserve Bawa’s inimitable and iconoclastic design ethos including semi open bathrooms (Bawa Rooms only), glorious water vistas (Jetwing Lagoon has the longest swimming pool on the island at 100 metres in length!), and open, naturally ventilated spaces.
26 October 2017
It is always with deep sadness that I have to leave Pathi at the airport for my flight home. We have become exceptionally close friends since we first met in 1999 and, despite our cultural differences and backgrounds, possess an empathy that few are lucky enough to enjoy. If Serendib, taken from ‘serendipity’ meaning an occurrence by happy accident, is another name for Sri Lanka then our ‘chance’ meeting all of those years ago was definitely serendipitous and has changed my life forever.
Categories: Accommodation, Culture, Honeymoon, Sri Lanka
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