Boutique Beauty in Sri Lanka

7/28/2019 Boutique Beauty in Sri Lanka

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Boutique Beautyin Sri Lanka

exoticAsia

Cinnamon and cashew nuts, mango and banana trees, lushgreen tea estates and golden coast its easy to wax

lyrical about Sri Lanka. This island evokes images of tea

plantations, glorious beaches and the bygone era of the

British Raj. Im a hopeless romantic for tales of colonial Asia, which

Ive always been enthralled with. While I know theres so much more

to this country, my dreams still explore these stories.

A Colourful SceneIt was late morning when I arrived, and as I travelled through the

streets of Colombo, tuk tuks zipped past and children waved or

gathered for games of cricket in the side streets. People in suits,

saris and saffron robes strolled by, sheltering under colourful

umbrellas from the already hot sun.

Travelling south from the capital, I passed ramshackle villages,

farmland, rice paddies and muscular water buffalo. The further Igot from the city, the greener and more lush it became as the road

weaved between rolling hills while palm trees stretched up into the

sky and rivers flowed to the nearby Indian Ocean.

Rolling further south along the coastal road, I looked out at the

waves crashing against a narrow sandy shore, mere feet from

the road, while the early afternoon light glimmered on the waters

surface.

Kahanda Kanda Hill Top Tea EsaeA few kilometres from Galle, above the small village of Kahanda

along a narrow red-earth street alive with fruit sellers, tuk tuks and

mopeds you ascend a steep road running through a tea estate.

On top of the hill the boutique hotel Kahanda Kanda has sweeping

views of the lush surroundings.

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In Sri Lanka, Lauren Hillsayed a our bouique hoels

ha combine luxury and

style wih local experienceand mouh-waering cuisine.Each makes a saemen oheir conscieniousness or

he environmen and helocal community. They reveal

diferen sides o Sri Lankarom he capial Colombo o he

sulry souh coas.

English interior designer George Cooper cameto Sri Lanka in 1999 spurred by his curiosity to

visit a tea estate that had been owned by his great

grandfather. He came across the property that is

now the location for this hotel that continues to be a

working tea plantation. From this vantage point the

hotel has views of the tea estate, Koggala Lake and

the wild jungle beyond.

Enjoy the LuxuryYou can take in the view from the infinity pool, which

is alongside the open-sided living and dining pavilions,

and backed by high walls the colour of Sri Lankan

monks robes.

The pavilions are surrounded by sprawling gardens

PHOTOS Lauren HiLL

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Colombo


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of frangipani, mango, cashew and coconut trees, in which

eight bedroom pavilions are privately situated; each

decorated in a unique style.

I stayed in the opulent Garden Suite, filled with antique

and contemporary furniture and paintings. The veranda

looks onto the garden, benefiting from a breeze that blows

across the hills, in the shade of trees creating dappled

sunlight. Here there is nothing but the sound of bird-song

and leaves rustling in the breeze.

The FoodKahanda Kanda uses locally grown organic ingredients to

create their fusion of Sri Lankan and Thai cuisine. Fresh

spices, chilli and tamarind; cashews, coconuts and fruit

such as mango and papaya are taken from the trees,

and fresh seafood are used.

The chef combines fresh spices and coconut milk for an

array of curries. My favourites included the creamy cashew

nut curry, sticky-sweet pineapple curry and any that used

the days fresh fish. You can savour these in the gorgeously

candle-lit outdoor pavilion as insects chirp and music lulls

the starry night.

Breakfast, also enjoyed in the outdoor pavilion or on your

own veranda, includes Western options as well as typical

Sri Lankan hoppers.

ExperienceGuided bike tours take you along winding paths through

tea plantations, past paddy fields, down country roads and

through villages while the local guide informs about the

flora and fauna along the way. The tour finishes at Wijaya

Beach, which after riding through country lanes is an

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unexpected sight of endless golden sand and graceful palm

trees that lean gently over the limpid blue sea. The beach

bar is an ideal spot to sit back and watch the waves come

rolling in.

Kahanda Kanda has a spa, gym, home cinema and can

arrange a variety of activities and excursions, including

tours of Handunugoda Tea Estate, giving you the

opportunity to see how the tea is harvested and treated.

Then you can try their specialty teas.

EthosKahanda Kanda supports local community projects,

Tittagalla Sunday School Project for the construction

and development of a Sunday School for the surrounding

villages and Talathaduwa Monastery Koggala Island

Sacred Grove Carbon Project in which they endeavour to

protect the local ecosystem and support the

local community.

Casa Colombo City EscapeCasa Colombo is a boutique urban hotel that

stands out for its exceptional modern design.

The old, white, colonial houses interior has

been transformed by designer and hotelierLalin Jinasena. Today, it is a beautiful renovation

of a 200-year-old Moorish mansion with

contemporary rooms that still have original

features gracefully incorporated. Lalin designed

each room using Sri Lankan materials to create

a dcor that is unique to Casa Colombo. Each

of the 12 expansive suites are designed with

their own individual look and have all the

technology and amenities you could ask for.

Manager Willem Fokkenrood explains, The

design makes people feel excited and makes

them smile, but its almost casa because this is

a home environment.

The FoodSri Lankan chef, Sharif Karim, creates simple honest dishes

that are influenced by his time in The Maldives and Middle

East. One favourite is the slow-roast beef that is a reminder

of European cuisine, but which uses cinnamon and other Sri

Lankan spices. In the restaurant, HVN, the menu consists

of typical Sri Lankan dishes and European cuisine with an

Eastern influence. The Zaza Bar has a tapas menu.

ExperienceCasa Colombo is an ideal base for Colombo exploration.

Willem insisted I take a tuk tuk and jump out whenever I

saw anything that looked interesting, telling me that this is

the best way to discover Colombo. The Fort is a colonial

area that was built by the Portuguese and the Dutch, while

the British contributed the cinnamon gardens along with

many of the museums and

Town Hall. Casa Colombo

can arrange walking tours

with Colombo City Walks

if youd like a guide. After

dark, make your way

to Zaza Bar if youre in

the mood for tapas andcocktails and upbeat

music that goes late into

the night.

EthosCasa Colombo hires local

staff, works with local

producers and supports

smaller traders. The hotel

donates money to social

clubs and a charity that

provides books for schools

in Colombo.

Cs Colombo

Cs

Colombo


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Talalla Retreat Beachside SeclusionFurther along the south coast, a short drive from Matara, is the

remote beach Talalla. Yogis and surfers come for the secluded

boutique resort Talalla Retreat.

Inspired by the yoga and surfing retreats of Bali, the Australian

owner began to build his own resort in Talalla. The plans were put on

hold when the Tsunami hit Sri Lanka, but before continuing with his

project, he returned to Australia to raise funds to provide the local

village with fishing boats and community buildings.

A Serene SessionAfter the fundraising work on the resort was resumed and finally

finished. Now the retreat consists of tropical, leafy-green gardens

centred around a 20m cool-blue swimming pool. The garden is over

looked over by an open-sided restaurant, a yoga pavilion, a spa and

eight villas, each with four rooms and their own balcony or veranda.

From the moment you wakeup you are greeted with bird

song, the sea breeze and

monkeys crashing through the

trees. After a yoga session of

stretching and meditation you

can revive with a coffee and

breakfast before lying in the

shade of trees, taking a dip in

the pool or walking along the

deserted beach as the calm

water laps against the sandy

shore.

The FoodAll of the food at Talalla Retreat

is sourced locally. They use Sri

Lankan tea and coffee, locally

caught seafood and organic

fruit and vegetables from the

area. The local chefs cook up traditional Sri Lankan curries, but also

provide Western and South East Asian cuisine.

At breakfast, lunch and dinner there is a hearty buffet of freshly

cooked Sri Lankan and Western food, including plenty of fresh

seafood.

ExperienceThe resident yoga instructor leads yoga classes each morning and

afternoon, as well as regular yoga retreats. Talalla Surf Camp is

run out of the hotel to take surfers to the local beaches, suiting the

surfers needs and experience.

Since May 2012, health retreats have also been featured, with

the expertise of a physiotherapist and a nutritionist. You can go

snorkelling from Talalla beach and if youre lucky, you can catch the

whale-watching season

Ethos

As well as fundraising post Tsunami, the retreat supports thecommunity by employing people from the surrounding villages and

sourcing all of their food locally.

The Sun House Hisoric Coasal TownThis eight-roomed boutique hotel exemplifies colonial chic dating

back to the 1860s when it was home to a Scottish cinnamon

merchant. In recent years it has been renovated by hotelier Geoffrey

Dobbs. The new dcor combines colonial elegance with modern

comfort and exudes utter sophistication.

Hours could be wiled away exploring the living and dining areas

that are stuffed with antiques, books, paintings and ornaments

collected by Geoffrey Dobbs. The hotels sun house looks out on the

frangipani garden with its red brick path leading to the pool. Cosy

Dicks Bar looks out on the mango garden that has a view of Galle

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www.kahandakanda.com

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www.talallaretreat.com

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thesunhouse.com

Cs Colmbo

www.casacolombo.com

Travel Within Sri Lanka

Before travelling to Sri Lanka I was advised to arrangea driver to take me between destinations. This is the

most convenient way to get around Sri Lanka and can

easily be arranged through most hotels.

However, its also worth taking a train for the

significant price difference and the sheer experience

of train travel through the countrys scenic landscape.

On the train from Galle to Colombo, the old-red train

clattered along palm-lined tracks, rushing by emerald

green hills, dusty villages and along the coast where I

looked out at the gloriously blue sea.

Fans whirred furiously overhead and local music

played over the tannoy. Passengers dozed in the

heat, or leaned out the open windows. As I took

in this exhilarating scene, I was reminded that

sometimes the journey itself can be one of the most

memorable travel experiences.

harbour. Both gardens are havens for

wildlife, so bird song is the soundtrack

during breakfast.

The FoodThe Sun House is famous for its

outstanding cuisine and has been

celebrated as the best fine dining in

Sri Lanka, particularly since Rick Stein

stayed at The Sun House to cook withthe chef, while filming his Far Eastern

Odyssey series.

All the spices, fruit and vegetables

are locally grown and the fish is the

days fresh catch from the local

market. The restaurant is primarily a

fish restaurant with Sri Lankan curry

night each Sunday. Dicks Bar offers

a menu of lighter meals and signature

cocktails that you might want to enjoy

as a sundowner.

ExperienceFrom its hill-top location along a leafy

street of Galle, it is just a five-minute

stroll to Galles historic fort, the Galle

coast and the local fish, fruit and spice

sellers. During the hottest hours of

the day keep cool in the cafs around

Galle Fort.

With an invigorating wind blowing

inland, the sea-wall is landmarked by

its white lighthouse and Flag Rock,

a cliff-top look-out, where at duskpeople wander through the long grass

to gather before the pink glow of

sunset. The Sun House is also a good

base for exploring tea plantations,

beaches and national parks along the

south coast.

EthosThe charity Adopt Sri Lanka, for

childrens education particularly, was

founded by Geoffrey Dobbs. The Sun

House also supports Children in Crisis

and aims to be ecologically minded, as

well as supporting the community.

Th S Hos

Th S Hos Dg

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Boutique Beauty in Sri Lanka