Sri Lanka - Home Loan | Deposits | Investments › ... › travel › pdf › Sri-Lanka.pdf · 2016-03-02 · P7 / LUXE SRI LANKA Intro Blah Blah LUXE Insider LUXE Loves LUXE Loathes

Intro Blah Blah LUXE Insider LUXE Loves LUXE Loathes Fab vs. Drab LUXE ItinerariesP1 / LUXE SRI LANKA

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Sri Lanka

The gems of this large Resplendent

Isle are spread far and wide; from the

chaotic west coast city of Colombo to

the fabulous villas and beach bungalows

in the south, as well as the wonderfully

atmospheric C.17th World Heritage-listed

Dutch colonial Galle Fort; cooler tea

plantations, hill stations and ancient,

sacred Cultural Triangle towards the

center; unspoilt beaches and sights for

the intrepid in the north and east, and

elephant and leopard-spotting in the deep

south. Sri Lanka has it all, and now,

so do you!

The cult pocket city guides and mobile

apps for the busy, sophisticated traveler

www.luxecityguides.comCITI PRESENTS LUXE CITY GUIDES

SRI LANKA HAS HAD A BUMPY RIDE IN THE PAST, BUT THIS HISTORIC JEWEL IS NOW ON THE REBOUND AND SPARKLING MORE THAN EVER, WITH ITS RICH CULTURE, DUTCH, PORTUGUESE AND BRITISH INFLUENCES, STUNNING LANDSCAPE AND BEACHES, AND PALATE-TINGLING FARE.


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• Best time to visit the south and

west coasts is Nov-Mar; Apr-Oct is

monsoon season, but there’s still

plenty of sun.

• English is widely spoken,

what, what!

• Bandaranaike Intl Airport to

Colombo is approx 1 hr and US$30-

40, be sure to arrange

transfers ahead.

• Keep your hotel, villa and driver’s

numbers on you at all times, and

note that phone coverage can be

patchy outside of the major towns.

• Tuk tuks are ok for short jaunts,

but bargain before you ride. Hire a

car and driver for longer trips, and

bear in mind if you keep your driver

overnight then you may need to

assist with accommodation costs.

Blah blah• Roads and traffic are at best

dreadful and Sri Lankans drive like

lunatics. Whatever you do, do NOT

self-drive.

• Banks and ATMs are few and far

between outside of Colombo, so

stock up when you can.

• The currency is the Sri Lankan

rupee and cash is king.

• Most hotels/villas supply torches in

case of power cuts.

• If you’re taking a villa, bring a stack

of gourmet goodies and wine with

you on the flight, there are no

chic delis.

• Most businesses are closed on full

moon days (Poya) and national

holidays. By law, alcohol sales are

also banned on Poya days so watch

the sky or end up dry.

• Bars and clubs are required to stop

serving alcohol and close at 11pm. In

reality, most keep on pouring until

around midnight and then close

by 2am.

• Beware of the local brew, arrack

– one is nice, two at most, three

you’re under the table, four you’re

in an ambulance…

• Most hotels and higher-end

establishments add a service

charge, but it’s nice to leave a

little extra.

• The international code for Sri Lanka

is +94. Landline numbers begin with

011 in Colombo, most mobiles start

with 077.

• In an emergency it’s best to call

your hotel or villa rep. Ensure that

you have full medical

evac insurance.


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LUXE INSIDER

Shanth FernandoDesigner, restaurateur and hotelier,

Shanth Fernando is known as Sri Lanka’s

own Terence Conran, his work featuring

in the world’s most prestigious press from

Harper’s Bazaar to The New York Times.

With his interior design and lifestyle store

Paradise Road established in 1987, the

brand has now grown to five stores with

every aspect of design and merchandise

handled by Shanth himself. In 1998 he

opened The Gallery Café, which remains

one of the city’s most popular bar,

restaurants and galleries, and in 2007

Shanth opened his first hotel Tintagel,

followed in 2009 by Villa Bentota.

www.paradiseroad.lk


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1) WHAT’S THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT COLOMBO AND WHY? ARE THERE ANY SPECIAL EVENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR?

November through to February just

to experience the buzz of the city.

Although Colombo itself doesn’t

really have a better time of year,

the events of interest are ‘Nawam

Perahera’ (February) and ‘Vesak’ (May)

in addition to newer festivals such as

Galle Literary Festival (January) and

Colombo Fashion Week (February).

www.galleliteraryfestival.com

www.colombofashionweek.com

2) WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MOST UNDERRATED SPOTS IN COLOMBO? WHAT MAKES THEM SPECIAL?

The Fort area and Pettah, these

are areas with an energy not found

anywhere else in the city.

3) WHERE DO YOU GO TO UNWIND AND RELAX? WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL?

A walk round the Beira Lake,

Independence Square or down Galle

Face Green by the sea. The Beira Lake

is unique for it’s city center calm and

it is still relatively quiet. Independence

Square has a new walking path and

we are able to enjoy the important

structures like never before.

Walking down Galle Face Green is

incomparable, soaking in the positive

energy of the sea and seeing different

walks of life enjoying kite flying, street

eating and paddling in the water.

4) WHAT ARE 3 OF YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANTS IN TOWN AND WHY? WHAT DISHES DO YOU ORDER?

The Gallery Café of course, London

Grill at Cinnamon Grand and Palmyrah

Restaurant at Renuka Hotel. Order

Black Pork Curry, dessert and cocktails

at The Gallery Café, Chateaubriand

and any steak at London Grill and

hoppers with traditional curries

at Palmyrah.

www.paradiseroad.lk

www.cinnamonhotels.com

www.renukahotel.com

5) WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PATISSERIE/CAKE SHOP OR BAKERY IN COLOMBO, AND WHAT DO YOU ORDER?

The Gallery Café is known for the

best cakes in the city. For some

local charm, buy ‘kade paan’ (shop

bread) and ‘kimbula bunnis’ (sugar

buns) at Torrington Bakery at

85 Thimbirigasyaya Road, while

Esmeralda’s on Flower Road has the

city’s best cream buns!

www.paradiseroad.lk

LUXE INSIDER

Shanth Fernando


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LUXE Loves

THE DUTCH HOUSE Hotel

Set high on a hill, this dashing, four-

suite C.18th manor just a few minutes

from burgeoning enclave Galle Fort on

the south coast is blissfully child-free

and peaceful, with elegant antiques,

modern art, cool verandahs and a

steamer chair-strewn croquet lawn.

Each romantic bedroom features full

air conditioning and mosquito-net-

draped 4-poster beds, with breakfast

and lunch served anywhere on the

property, and dinner served next door

at glamorous sister property

The Sun House.

TINTAGEL COLOMBO

Hotel

This former prime minister’s colonial

manse has been fabulously revamped

into a sultry 10-roomed pleasure

palace by local style-meister Shanth

Fernando, complete with elegant

dining options The Courtyard and

Dining Room, plus vibrant Red Bar.

Each individually designed suite is

unique in a handsome palette of

chocolates, stripes and neutrals, with

luxury bed linens and towels, and an

extreme eye for detail as you’d expect

from the country’s most famous

interior designer.

AMANWELLAHotel

Imagine a coconut grove opening

onto a lovely crescent-shaped beach

of soft sand, a beautiful infinity pool,

excellent service and 30 elegant,

contemporary suites, each with

private plunge pool and terrace. Now

have it designed, managed and run

by the exclusive Aman group and you

have Amanwella. Divine.

23 Upper Dickson Road / Galle

+94 91 438 0275

www.thedutchhouse.com

65 Rosmead Place / Colombo 7

+94 11 460 2121

www.paradiseroadhotels.com

Godellawella / Tangalle

+94 45 224 1333

www.amanresorts.com


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LUXE Loves

RAJA BOJUN Dining

Consistently good and very popular,

sea-view, airy dining room famed

for its delicious curry buffet, and

lunumiris made of onions, dried chilli

and fish chips ground up with salt and

lime, that the locals will cheerfully

warn you ‘can burn your stomach’.

Caveat emptor!

7° NORTH

Bar

This buzzy poolside bar and

Mediterranean tapas-style restaurant

with a sprawling alfresco deck boasts

views over Beira Lake. Wednesdays,

Fridays and Saturdays are the

hotspots, but do be aware there

is live music most nights, so if you

prefer a quiet cocktail, check out The

Checkerboard instead.

THE CHECKERBOARD Bar

Claim your spot on the signature,

perfectly positioned, black and white

checkerboard terrace or beside the

seaside promenade with its fabulous

sea views at this historic hotel. It’s the

best spot in the city for sundowners

with ravishing sunsets, although bear

in mind the service can be rather

hit or miss as the waiters are often

somewhat antique.

Ceylinco Seylan Towers / 90 Galle

Road / Colombo 3

+94 11 471 6171

www.rajabojun.lk

Cinnamon Lakeside / 115 Sir

Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha /

Colombo 2

+94 11 249 1948

www.cinnamonhotels.com

Galle Face Hotel / Galle Road /

Colombo 3

+94 11 254 1010

www.gallefacehotel.com

THE SUN HOUSE

Dining

Only minutes from Galle Fort, this

former Scottish spice merchant’s

house is now a divinely appointed

and welcoming 7-room boutique hotel

offering some of the most romantic

alfresco dining in the south. Try their

famed Sri Lankan curries, sambals

and string hoppers on the garden

terrace, plus signature arrack and rum

cocktails at Dicks Bar. Book ahead for

dinner if you’re not staying

at the hotel.

THE GALLERY CAFE Dining

Located in the former offices of prolific

and influential Sri Lankan architect

Geoffrey Bawa, this ‘see and be scene’,

semi-alfresco, low-lit lovely set around a

glowing courtyard provides stylish and

delicious international fare, an ambient,

social bar with great cocktails and an

upstairs gallery for a little side dish of

culture with your lunch or dinner.

MANGO TREE Dining

An accent on char-grills and low-fat

recipes and a cosmopolitan setting

make this splendid Northern Indian

cookery one of the busiest restaurants

in Colombo. So you can watch your

waistline while watching the smart set

watch their waistlines!

82 Dharmapala Mawatha / Colombo 3

+94 11 762 0620

www.themangotree.net 2 Alfred House Road / Colombo 3

+94 11 258 2162

www.paradiseroad.lk18 Upper Dickson Road / Galle

+94 91 438 0275

www.thesunhouse.com


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LUXE LovesBAREFOOT Shopping

No trip to Sri Lanka is complete

without a visit to this haven of hand-

dyed, hand-woven, jewel-hued fabrics,

home and tableware, bedding toys,

books and art. Add a positively lovely

little courtyard café that turns out an

excellent limed calamari pasta, plus

fab cakes, and you’ve got two of life’s

greatest pleasures covered in one

sweet spot.

MM IBRAHIM

Shopping

If you find yourself in Galle Fort it

would be silly not to visit this most

talented of jewelrs. Reputable and

trustworthy, ask to see the unset

gems and design your own bauble

to remind you of Ceylon, or if time is

short, choose from the glittering array

of chunky silver cuffs, and precious or

semi-precious delights that are ready

to wear.

ESALA PERAHERA (FESTIVAL OF THE TOOTH) Activities

A riot of color and pageantry at

the end of July, this perahera is the

island’s best, with ten days of exotic

processions of elephants, dancers and

drummers culminating in the parading

of the Buddha’s Tooth. The whole of

the island packs into Kandy, where the

final three days are the best, and if you

have booked well ahead you will be able

to view it from a balcony room at The

Queen’s Hotel. Don’t however make the

mistake of staying here overnight, and

avoid being at street level at all costs.

BALLOONING Activities

There really is nothing quite like

the perfect peace and tranquility of

floating in a hot air balloon over the

early morning, misty countryside

in the amazing Cultural Triangle of

Kandalama, Dambulla and Sigiriya,

affording bird’s eye views of the

breathtaking monuments and jungle.

706 Galle Road / Colombo 3

+94 11 258 9305

www.barefootceylon.com

47 Church Street / Galle Fort

+94 91 223 4253

The Queen’s Hotel / Kandy

+94 81 223 3026

www.queenshotel.lk

Adventure Asia

+94 11 586 8468

www.ad-asia.com

PARADISE ROAD STUDIO

Shopping

Where to begin? Shanth Fernando’s

lifestyle store is the default stop-

off for any stylish homemaker or

interior designer. From ceramics to

fabrics, glass, cutlery, linens and glass,

nothing appears in the store that

he hasn’t either designed himself or

rigorously reviewed and approved.

They don’t call him the Terrence

Conran of Sri Lanka for nothing.

12 Alfred House Gardens /

Colombo 3

+94 11 250 6844

www.paradiseroad.lk


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LUXE LoathesSRI LANKAN ROADS AND DRIVERS

Absolutely insane!

ALCOHOL SALE BANS ON POYA DAYS

Dull dry spells, so make sure you stock up.

HUMIDITY

Run to those hills to escape!

LUDICROUS INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT TIMES

Highly inconvenient, not to mention tiring.


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Drab vs. Fab

ARRIVE IN STYLE

Bone shaking rides across poor country

roads to get to your destination are an

all too often occurrence in Sri Lanka, but

treat yourself by chartering a Sri Lankan

Air Taxi and arrive in style and

in one piece!

www.srilankan.com

WATER BORNE

Hiring a luxury yacht to go whale and

dolphin watching is great fun, but better

yet consider hiring a simple sailboat from

Mirissa Water Sports. All the young staff

are tsunami survivors and your custom

helps their education and employment.

www.mirissawatersports.com

SIGHTSEEING

Seeing the Cultural Triangle by foot can

be a hot and tiring affair, but imagine

seeing the Cultural Triangle in your very

own hot air balloon! Well, you can with

Adventure Asia.

www.ad-asia.com

SAFARI

A visit to Yala National Park can be a

very long and exhausting experience, but

visit on one of Kulu Safaris very stylish

tent tours, and you’ll do it in comfort and

luxury. Also available for Wilpattu and

elephant-filled Udawale national parks.

www.kulusafaris.com

KANDY CLIMB

The long and tortuous uphill journey

to Kandy can be a nightmare by road,

so consider jumping aboard the fab old

Viceroy Express and steaming up to Kandy

on board a classic locomotive.

www.jftours.com/viceroy-vintage-train-tours


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LUXE ITINERARY

Romance

The opening of the Southern Expressway

means that it now only takes an hour

(down from 4 hours) to visit Galle on the

south coast and its fascinating, 400-year

old Dutch colonial fort, so it’s feasible

to make a day trip, but why not treat

yourself to a romantic stay at the divine

Dutch House (see LUXE Loves). Once

there, zip down the hill and into the fort

for an amble in the atmospheric and

buzzy colonial streets. You’ll find plenty of

shopportunities, but be sure to look out

for Mimimango for lovely drifty separates

and accessories, Barefoot for rainbow-

colored textiles, bags and homeware,

Olanda for some lovely salvage, custom

furniture and architectural antiques, and

M. M. Ibrahim for serious bling – ask to

see the unset gems and design yourself a

bauble to remind you of Ceylon in years to

come. Lunch! You can’t work on an empty

stomach, and Galle Fort Hotel is perfectly

placed when shopper’s shoulder sets

in. The delightfully spiced menu of the

Dining Room will soon have the wind back

in your sail, so to speak. For something

truly lovely and memorable, while at the

same time being charitable, give Mirissa

Water Sports (see Drab vs Fab) a call, and

get out on the beautiful ocean for some

whale watching. The best time to spot

blue whales off the coast of Sri Lanka is

between December and April, and the

40-minute trip down the coast to Mirissa

is charming with the ocean never far from

your sight. When the sun sets, you’ll be

wishing to draw up a chair at the bar in

Amangalla, the seriously stylish colonial

hotel in the fort, before heading back up

the hill and a welcome alfresco supper

in the garden at The Sun House and final

nightcap at Dick’s Bar. Careful with those

arrack-based cocktails!


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LUXE ITINERARY

Style

There was a time when Colombo was

considered more as a necessary evil

and somewhere to be suffered en route

to or from the airport. In recent years,

however, this city has become a buzzing

hotspot of good dining, accommodation

and some seriously addictive shopping,

and now with the bonus of the super-

swift Southern Expressway you can visit

Colombo for the day and be home for

supper in Galle in less than an hour. If

you plan on staying in Colombo, do make

sure it’s at Tintagel (see LUXE Loves),

where interior designer and lifestyle guru

Shanth Fernando hits all the glamour

buttons and serves up an exceptional

ambience with service to match. Want

to shop the look? You haven’t got far to

go. There are two Paradise Road stores in

town (see LUXE Loves), the Dharmapala

Mawatha branch also has a great little

café for that all important java moment.

You’re going to be doing some serious

retail damage and so a car and driver

from Diethelm’s is going to be rather

handy to carry about all your booty.

Next stop, Barefoot (see LUXE Loves)

for a huge range of colorful textiles and

homeware products from oven gloves

to fabric covered notebooks all in their

signature, fabulous stripes. Tummy

rumbling? Fret not, you’re already at the

perfect lunch spot, Barefoot’s courtyard

café is a perennial favorite away from the

madness of the city outside, and better

still, it has free WiFi. For designer duds at

discount prices it’s always worth a look at

Odel Unlimited. This slightly odd mish-

mash of a department store may not be

Barney’s, but dig deep and you can often

find some nice surprises that won’t break

the bank. Lastly, take a quick look around

Raux Brothers, an excellent starter pack

of antiques, soft furnishings, repro and

contempo furniture in teak, mahogany

and iron, they’ll ship, tweak and custom

design as well. With your steamer chair

safely purchased, it’s on to Gallery Café

(see LUXE Loves) for sundowners and

supper. Stylish day, hey?


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Stunning painted caverns, mountain

citadels and big Buddhas, one ticket

gets you into three of the island’s most

spectacular sites (your driver or guide will

arrange this for you), but there’s stacks

more to see if you don’t mind beating

about the bush. You’ll need at least two

days to see it all. Remember to remove

shoes and hats and cover legs and

shoulders when visiting religious shrines

or places of worship.

Sigiriya: This 200m-high clifftop citadel is

a real challenge of a hike, so be smart and

balloon or heli over it (see LUXE Loves).

Polonnaruwa: A rambling complex of

ruins set in a leafy park close to a lovely

ancient reservoir. Go early to marvel

at the huge standing and reclining

Buddha statues before the crowds get

there, but watch for those naughty,

thieving monkeys.

LUXE ITINERARY

CultureAnuradhapura: Centered around the

sacred Bodhi tree, this town bursts with

the remains of a once huge, ancient city

that was the seat of Sinhalese power.

Dambulla: Brave the bats and venture into

endless caverns encrusted with Buddhas

and frescoes at the best preserved cave

temple complex in Sri Lanka.

Yapahuwa: For an Indiana Jones setting,

go see these untouched stone ruins

standing like Aztec pyramids amid

amazing jungle foliage.

The Elephant Gathering at Minneriya Lake:

Aug and Sep see the highlight of the

pachyderm social calendar when over

400 trunked types converge.

PLACES TO STAY

Ulagalla Resort

Raises the luxe bar with 25 mahogany

terraced chalets with private plunge

pools, scattered across the isle’s largest

solar farm.

Kandalama

Built overlooking the rock fortress of

Sigiriya, Geoffrey Bawa’s masterpiece of

modern design melds beautifully into its

surroundings. Stay in the Sigiriya Wing

suites if you can, and make full use of the

Six Senses spa after your cultural

days out.


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LUXE ITINERARY

The Essentials

• Dutch House

(see LUXE Loves)

• Mimimango

Corner of Pedlar St and Lighthouse

Street / Galle Fort

+94 91 223 4765

www.joedenmimimango.com

• Barefoot

41 Pedlar Street

Galle Fort

+94 91 222 6299


• Olanda

30 Leyn Baan Street / Galle Fort

+94 91 223 4398

www.olandafurniture.com

• MM Ibrahim Gems & Jewelry


+94 91 223 4253

• Galle Fort Hotel


+94 91 223 2870

www.galleforthotel.com

• Mirissa Water Sports

(see Drab vs Fab)

• Amangallaa


+94 91 223 3388

www.amanresorts.com/amangalla/

home.aspx

• The Sun House

18 Upper Dickson Road / Galle Fort

+94 91 438 0275

www.thesunhouse.com

• Dick’s Bar

18 Upper Dickson Road / Galle Fort

+94 91 438 0275

www.thesunhouse.com

ROMANTIC ITINERARY STYLISH ITINERARY

• Tintagel

(see LUXE Loves)

• Paradise Road

(see LUXE Loves)

• Diethelm Travel Sri Lanka

www.diethelmtravel.com/srilanka

• Barefoot

41 Pedlar Street / Fort Galle

+94 91 222 6299


• Odel

Former Dutch Hospital Building /

shop 6 / Bank of Ceylon Mawatha,

Fort Galle / Colombo 1

+94 11 244 8873

www.odel.lk

• Raux Brothers

7 De Fonseka Road / Havelock Town

Colombo 5

+94 11 533 9016

www.rauxbrothers.com

• Gallery Café

(see LUXE Loves)


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• Ulagalla Resort

Thirappane / Anuradhapura

+94 011 440 0404

www.ulagallaresorts.com

• Kandalama

11 Dambulla / Dambulla

+94 066 555 5000

www.heritancehotels.com

CULTURAL ITINERARY

LUXE ITINERARY

The Essentials


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Your LUXE notes

Documents

Sri Lanka - Home Loan | Deposits | Investments › ... › travel › pdf › Sri-Lanka.pdf · 2016-03-02 · P7 / LUXE SRI LANKA Intro Blah Blah LUXE Insider LUXE Loves LUXE Loathes