Magnificent Tantirimale

By Kishani Gunewardene
 
One of the many blessings of a peaceful Sri Lanka is being able to explore some of the ancient sites that were hard to see just months ago. One such ancient marvel is Tantirimale, a magnificent site both humbling and inspiring. I visited recently at dusk as the sun was going down over the acres of granite rock surrounded by the jungles of Wilpattu.  You can sit here and stare for hours with the wind in your hair and sound of silence only interrupted from time to time by birds or a pilgrim that rings the temple bell.  Tantirimale’s ancient rock carvings and Bo tree has a history that dates back to the 3rd century BC.  A lily white stupa sits on the rock and the sacred Bo tree rustles in the wind.  Tantirimale is off the Puttalam – Anuradhapura road and can be easily accessed now that the security risks in the area have eased up and the roads are getting done up.

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Sri Lanka Reaches No 1 in New York

By David Hopps

This is now officially boom time in Sri Lanka. Even the good ol' New York Times has granted its approval. Travellers from the United States are not known as the most adventurous in the world -- in recent years with good reason you might say -- but the New York Times has named Sri Lanka as the no 1 destination in the world for 2010.

As Red Dot's growing sample of travellers includes about 0.000001 customers from the United States, we are pretty impressed with this new insight. Bring it on! We are ready to serve.

I admit I am as sceptical as I hope some others will be about Lists. Travel supplements are full of them these days. Ten or more years ago, you could read Paul Thereoux on a journey through the Pacific. Wonderful stuiff, even if you did sense that he made some of it up. Now you get a List: 20 Great Walks, 20 Hot B&Bs, 20 Best Beach Shacks, 20 ways to Avoid Writing Something Meaningful. 


The New York Times does not stop at 20, it does 31. But, hey, Sri Lanka is no 1. So it should be. Good on the New York Times. Bring it on.

(The New York Times, incidentally, is one of the world's great newspapers. I mention this for those who do not read newspapers anymore and believe that quite enough news can be gathered free of charge from the Internet. You will not be saying that in ten years if paid-for news collapses and it begins to dawn on you that you are being fed pap).

But I digress. More on The List. Mysore, which is also covered in Red Dot's burgeoning South India programme ( South India ) is at no 4, tucked in behind, ehm, the Patagonia Wine Country and Seoul. Red Dot has researched neither so can make no comment on tbeir hipness for 2010.

Other interesting candidates? Copenhagen at 5 - well, I suppose it deserves a consolation prize after the dismal climate summit. Antarctica is at 9, though still rumoured to be a little bit short of boutique hotels. Las Vegas is rated as the 17th best place to travel to in 2010, so if that is true even if I win the lottery I suppose I can only take 16 holidays.
Incidentally, thanks to that most assiduous reader, Karl Steinberg at the Galle Fort Hotel ( their website or, even better Galle Fort Hotel ) for altering us to this.

You can read the full New York Times list of the 31 Places Top Go in 2010 at Click Here. I don't hink it is compulsory to do all 31. We recommend that you start at no 1 and then reconsider your strategy.

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Christmas shopping in Galle Fort

By Kishani Gunewardene

Fed up with the frenzy of shopping and pre-Christmas buzz in Colombo, I escaped to Galle Fort for a peaceful couple of days with friends. My nagging list of unfinished things-to-do and a rather lengthy Christmas gift list was happily put aside to do when I return from my much earned r & r. Our hideout in Galle Fort was The Courtyard, a really nice and homely Dutch period villa at the corner of Lighthouse & Pedlar Street. I soon discovered, this was the best corner to be at this time of year!

It was December 22nd and life was getting on at the usually slow pace inside Fort with the vegetable vendor going door-to-door with his cart full of fresh veges, couples under colourful umbrellas on the ramparts, and children playing cricket by the lighthouse. Strolling along the maze of streets, there was so much more waiting to be discovered…. shops, museums, art galleries, cafes and restaurants all just around the corner. Out came my unfinished shopping list. Glittering Bindi bangles from Lollapalooza, a fun floppy hat from Barefoot, chunky turquoise beaded chain from the Dutch Museum shop, from Roots a colourful painting of a map of Galle Fort on a ceramic tile, an exquisite piece of pottery form the Orchid House, a slinky silk blouse from Mimimango, and a copy of `Around the Fort in 80 Lives’ by Juliet Coomb from the Kahanda Kanda shop. All done and having indulged in many a cup of latte and home made brownies at the Pedlar’s Inn, I decided this was the most enjoyable and stress free Christmas shopping spree I had ever done. A great holiday all in all with so much fun and good times!

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Bawa House 87

By Kishani Gunewardene

Just before the Christmas rush I was able to escape for a day to visit some new properties in the Bentota area last week. One of these was the wonderful Bawa House 87 where I spent an utterly peaceful morning.  Enter through the large white gates and an instant sense of serenity takes over as your eyes gaze down the green lawns leading to a lake.  Set on 17 acres of jungle gardens, lakes, and marshland, this inspiring setting was created by Geoffrey Bawa in the 1960’s for artist Lydia Gunasekera.  The property is now opened for guests and has two tastefully designed bungalows - The Pavilion with two double rooms and The Shop House which has two single rooms.  Similar to Bawa’s Lunuganga situated close by, the gardens at Bawa House 87 are a work of art in itself with meandering  pathways, gigantic Bird’s Nest ferns, 100 year old Banyan and Tamarind trees and plenty of exotic birds hovering on the tree tops.   This is an oasis of calm and tranquility.

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Galle Literary Festival – 100 days to go

By Kishani Gunawardene
Plans for Galle Literary Festival 2010, to be held from 27 to 31 January, are gathering pace. With less than 100 days to go, the excitement is brewing with several well-known local and foreign authors confirming their participation. As in the previous three years, the Literary Festival 2010 promises five days of enthralling literary discussions, debates, workshops, and poetry readings amidst the backdrop of Galle’s 17th century Dutch Fort. Added to this are the many fringe events including drama and musical performances, art and photography exhibitions, architectural walks within the fort, and literary dinners. With so many interesting happenings, planning ahead is a must inorder to ensure you get into the sessions of your choice. Browse through the website and get to know the authors, select your choice of programmes, and book your accommodation early. I spent two stimulating days at this year’s Lit Fest held in Feb and was able to sit in on a few fascinating sessions by Germain Greer, Ismeth Raheem, Colin Thubron, and Pico Ayer. Wished I could have stayed longer. Check out the festival programme at: www.galleliteraryfestival.com

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