While Sri Lanka’s greatest export today might be tea, historically, the most important has been cinnamon. Throughout the long history of the island, particularly between the 16th and 18th centuries, cinnamon was the Holy Grail of foreign invaders, becoming the main article of trade over which long and costly wars were fought between countries like Holland and Portugal. Today, ...
Busy Pettah market Most of us envision Pettah as a dirty, overcrowded marketplace characterized by litter strewn streets and bad smells. We ignorantly stray away from that side of Colombo, disgusted by its apparent dreadful character. After taking a walk through the streets of Pettah and exploring the heart of this vibrant town with Mark Forbes, I have to say, ...
Don’t transform into a mall rat over the weekend. Instead, find some hidden gems in Mumbai’s spectacular bounty grounds: its markets. Put on those walking shoes and let us lead you to 5 magnificent markets. Many people I know find a marketplace too frenzied to enjoy. But for me, the glitziness of a mall can never match up to the ...
Vivanta by Taj Previously known as Taj Exotica, this 162 room five star luxury hotel occupies some of the finest stretch of pristine expansive beaches in Bentota. The newly refurbished hotel has managed to find a balance between the natural beauty of its coastal location and top-notch comforts of a sophisticated life. The hotel is managed by Taj Group ...
Bentota is not generally known for its temples, so when we visited Wanawasa Raja Maha Viharaya, one of a cluster of five ancient temples in the region, I was taken aback by its rich history and the cultural significance of the temple. When Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka nearly 2000 years ago, many Buddhist shrines and monasteries were ...
It’s widely known that Trincomalee contains possibly the most immaculate enclave of Beaches of Mother Lanka. Propelled by which, the city functioned as a primary Maritime Hub for International Seaport Trading. But did you know that it is one of the oldest cities of Asia where the colourful history of this amazing city dates back well over 2500 years? ...
Jagath Weerasinghe As the Artist’s Table at the Saskia Fernando Gallery draws near we bring to you seven reasons why you should meet the host of the first Artist’s Table. Jagath is never short for words and has the ability to keep people enraptured with different theories and ideas for long periods. This is also probably because his library consists of ...
Image Room First room painted in unbelievable murals over 600 years old Detailed Murals More Murals A Great Photo Op Looking up Entrance to the Mural Room So much detail and colour Kandyan Drummers Sinhalese Text Intricate Wooden Carvings Second Mural Room Details An un-used part of the temple, built over 600 years ago Awesome lion on the Porcelain floor ...
It seems there are currently a whole heap of yoga teachers and guru’s out there. A short session with them will often prove they are nothing but average yoga masters, with a couple years of experience on their plate, often in an exotic country, or so they say. So how do you discern authentic yoga from the rest? I heard ...
I have always enjoyed cooking. Yet I continue to churn out food as consistently tasteless as reading a Boko Haram manifesto while eating a paper sandwich. So, it is with great anticipation that I arrive at Chef Kolu’s home for an afternoon of culinary education, personal histories and gastronomic gratification. We arrive at Kolu’s Casa around noon and take a seat ...
Blissful Weligama Beach For those who are experienced travellers, Sri Lanka probably doesn’t seem like a daunting or tough place to travel to. However even if you have travelled extensively, it can be comforting to have an idea of what to expect when arriving in a new country, especially if you are hoping to have a relaxing time. This article ...
Catch the train to Kandy for a quick journey through stunning landscapes Places to visit while in Kandy: The Temple of the Tooth, Udawatta Kale, Peradeniya Gardens, Helga’s Folly. Kandy, the second largest city, centered around a stunning ornamental lake is nestled in lush hill country, forming the Southern tip of the cultural triangle. It was once the proud ...
Winston Churchill, George Bernard Shaw, Johny Carson, Ava Gardner, Haruki Murakami, Humphrey Bogart. If you enjoy your time in the company of whiskey, then you find yourself in fraternity with the world’s finest minds and most memorable characters. The Single Malt Appreciation Series, brought to you by Trekurious, will guide you through the versatility and complexity of the world’s ...
Sigiriya is without a doubt THE legendary Rock to see & climb in the paradise isle of Lanka. But believe it or not there’s more to this sensational city of Sigiriya besides the Rock, its colourful history and its mind boggling frescoes. Oh you’ll see and hear plenty about the Rock, so I’m not even going there. For me, the ...
As a child I have vivid memories of visiting construction sites. Uninvited I would tag along with my dad, loving to see things freshly built but unfinished. Today my growing fondness of places that are deliberately unfinished can be linked to those days when visiting new building sites felt close to a crazy countryside trip. And am happy to see ...
A couple of years back The Guardian published one of those definitive ‘must try street foods of Mumbai’ lists. It featured everything from kebabs at Bademiya to milkshake at Bachelors. As lists go, it was pretty bang on in terms of what the ‘it’ places were circa 2012 (though I would hardly classify the overpriced Chole Batura at Cream Centre ...
When walking is too slow And driving is too fast Sometimes you just need to go Ride your bicycle and kick a$s! – - R.A. 1. LEGS You can’t go on a close to 20 km bike run without the ability to power up your own ride. Don’t be scared though because the experience is just like the definition ...
This blog post is going to be on fruit, one of my favourite topics. Even long before a brief period as a low fat raw vegan (i.e. fruitarian), I learnt to appreciate the beauty of fruit. This is the food that has it all: it is easily digested, good for your body and mind, super tasty and in a ...
Lamprais from Colombo Fort Cafe Anybody Lankan would know this delicacy very well. From my younger days, I remember my father calling up the Otters Club, to reserve lamprais each and every Sunday morning for the entire family. In most cases, a limited number of packs are made each time and put up for sale. And “The early bird gets ...
When giving advice to friends visiting the beautiful island I call my home I have to stop and think carefully. There is so much to consider, especially because Sri Lanka has so much to offer and it really depends on a few key factors: what time of year you come, what your interests are, and how much time you want ...
