tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73543205835067582432024-03-19T18:22:53.872+05:30Lanka ReviewedFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.comBlogger581500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-34049676303422019342011-06-16T06:36:00.003+05:302011-06-19T08:52:21.892+05:30Welcombe Hotel Trincomalee Sri Lanka Review<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">(</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Hotels">Click here for more posts about hotels in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br>
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Trincomalee is blessed with spectacular beaches but not particularly blessed with reasonably priced hotels to enjoy them in. John Keells' Chaaya Blu is nice but far from reasonably priced. <a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/05/hotel-in-trincomalee-sri-lanka-nilaveli.html">Nilaveli Beach Hotel</a> is reasonably priced but far from nice.<br>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/TzKq5bmwTdRVzQWDkFUG1Q?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="Hotel Welcombe Trincomalee Sri Lanka Hotel Welcome Trinco Sri Lanka" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-kDU_ENSjfm8/TflTtxafvwI/AAAAAAAAH54/0GRh28mEHxw/s640/DSC_0114.JPG" width="95%"></a><br>
So this time when we went, we thought we'd try out the oldest hotel in Trinco and possibly the island - the Hotel Welcombe. As with all older hotels, it has a great location, perched on a hill high above Trinco town with a great view of the bay. But, again as with all older hotels, we were concerned about the rooms. Iffy plumbing, questionable mattresses, old linen, odd smells, cracked walls: we've experienced some of these problems in older hotels, sometimes all at once.<br>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5yRquAUc0ZXGkrVa93vaeQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="Hotel Welcombe Trincomalee Sri Lanka Hotel Welcome Trinco Sri Lanka" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-DJ2jv3PLqFo/TflTybgvd7I/AAAAAAAAH6Q/8gZXL2O3JZY/s640/DSC_0123.JPG" width="95%"></a><br>
We arrived at 9PM in the night much later than we expected because I had decided to try the Vavuniya to Trincomalee road instead of the road via Dambulla. This road was reminiscent of the stories my grandfather used to tell about his circuit trips as a civil servant: pitch black, part gravel and part tarred roads, absolutely no shops or any places to eat except at army bases and slow as hell. The whole road was a giant pothole. We were tired as all heck and were ready to sleep in anything.<br>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/uhHWiCgcgMfVZAarOSzTcw?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="Hotel Welcombe Trincomalee Sri Lanka Hotel Welcome Trinco Sri Lanka" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-SNoLvSpmAM4/TflTmydXixI/AAAAAAAAH5Y/-ezpD86sjjw/s640/DSC_0094.JPG" width="95%"></a><br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2011/06/welcombe-hotel-trincomalee-sri-lanka.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-77777554582714030682011-02-24T08:00:00.006+05:302011-06-18T07:23:25.346+05:30My top 3 scenic drives in Sri Lanka<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ZZNfpIw7gqKp7Qbq0S_vhg?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="425" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/TWWVbzfZFhI/AAAAAAAAHsA/sPwFFC34BQY/s640/DSC_0119.JPG" width="100%"></a><br>
In Sri Lanka, that hoary old cliche about the journey being better than the destination is actually true. What I have enjoyed most about my travels to hotels and bungalows around the country is the drive there.<br>
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You pass forests, waterfalls, rivers and see ancient trees, massive bougainvilleas just growing wild on the roadside, green fields pregnant with paddy.<br>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/DHVWflEcpF9Pg3uwJgR1dw?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/TWWWAcPMY8I/AAAAAAAAHt4/XubAwJsf0gE/s640/nenasala%20visit%20embilipitiya%20044.jpg" width="100%"></a><br>
Some of the wonders you pass are man made: lakes that go as far as your eyes can see, temples that have been there before Jesus was a twinkle in God's eye, fortresses that were somehow built by by our ancestors on rocks that their descendants strain to climb unburdened.<br>
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Before you know it - Sri Lanka is so small and geographically diverse - you've gone from the sea side of Colombo to <a href="http://www.lankalibrary.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=2958">RL Brohier's plains of gold</a> to fields of paddy to mountains of tea and you are wherever you were going to.<br>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6fJ6iME_-Q9JCcpy4W--qA?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="148" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/TWWWjBILHzI/AAAAAAAAHvw/CqATFNQSk-A/s640/pano_image02-09e.jpg" width="100%"></a><br>
But that arrival is poignant because there's no more to see.<br>
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<i>(Click "Read More" to see the 3 scenic drives I enjoyed most)</i><br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2011/02/my-3-favourite-scenic-drives-in-sri.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-10422692372606809502011-01-26T07:30:00.006+05:302011-06-18T07:15:36.864+05:30Ice Cream at Lingan Cream House Jaffna Sri Lanka(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Restaurants">Click here for more posts about restaurants/places to eat in Sri Lanka</a>)<br>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/R9OGgGvo2g6aGSM1tlm8lA?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="425" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/TT98VoxWyyI/AAAAAAAAHnM/JpH4uhi21Ao/s640/DSC_0066.JPG" width="100%"></a><br>
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Regional variations don't seem to exist in Sri Lanka any more: it seems too small now to have anything that's uniquely from an area. You can eat Chilaw Crab curry anywhere in the country and no one - not even the cook - even knows it's from there. Wherever you go, the improvements in roads and the spread of supermarkets means that everyone makes everything pretty much the same way.<br>
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But when we set out to travel or eat, we want to see something different. That's why we were excited about visiting Jaffna. We knew its isolation from the rest of the country meant that it had developed an uniquely indigenous cuisine. (<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2010/03/where-to-eat-in-jaffna-green-grass.html">see the article on Green Grass Hotel and Restaurant Jaffna for more</a>) What we were surprised to find was that it had also developed an uniquely indigenous ice cream.<br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2011/01/ice-cream-at-lingan-cream-house-jaffna.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-11674208131544298392010-12-09T07:00:00.003+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.893+05:30The Trevene Hotel Nuwara Eliya Sri Lanka Hotel Review - Trevene Bungalow<span style="font-style: italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Hotels">Click here for more posts about hotels in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br>
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/k5wI0-x7P-E2FtZi2tMJ4Q?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/TQAmSGmgxzI/AAAAAAAAHho/qxPJIiyi0L4/s640/DSC_0411.JPG" width="100%"></a><br>
Nuwara Eliya is one of those places I absolutely require some colonial splendor. I mean, it's little England, after all. But, recently, when visiting there for work I found myself unable to fit the Hill Club, which is my usual haunt, into our accommodation budget. So we had to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgCHOrF5ryY">limbo lower but, really, how low could we go</a>?<br>
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Pretty low as it turned out. The Trevene Hotel is a place I've always wanted to visit because the bungalow looked nice, the <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g608524-d1404139-Reviews-The_Trevene_Hotel-Nuwara_Eliya.html">TripAdvisor reviews</a> were positive and the rate - LKR 2500 room only - was ultra low. But we were a little worried - at that rate, what <a href="http://www.dennissylvesterhurd.com/blog/021305a.jpg">horrors</a> lay in wait for us?<br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2010/12/trevene-hotel-nuwara-eliya-sri-lanka.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-21048423964673309832010-10-01T07:00:00.003+05:302011-06-18T07:15:36.866+05:30Genuine Humbugs Hakgala Nuwara Eliya Sri Lanka - Strawberries and Cream<span style="font-style: italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Hotels">Click here for more posts about hotels in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br>
<span style="font-style: italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Restaurants">Click here for more posts about restaurants/places to eat in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br>
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/2hnaobnNm_j7prB_1bJZ7A?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/TKULgl05euI/AAAAAAAAHac/bcp4JOTwmac/s800/DSC_0370.JPG" width="100%"></a><br>
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One of my favorite legacies from our colonial overlords is strawberries and cream. The tartness of the strawberries countered by the sweetness of the cream with a little white sugar crunch is, without a doubt, one of the best bits of oppression I have ever undergone.<br>
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But eating strawberries and cream in Colombo is no good. You have to eat it in the hill country where either the climate and environment or nostalgia for my childhood years on a Nuwara Eliya estate adds an extra dimension of taste.<br>
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<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2010/10/strawberries-and-cream-at-genuine.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-2356232759897041132010-08-18T13:30:00.007+05:302010-12-08T05:50:40.262+05:30Amor Villa Unawatuna Sri Lanka Hotel Review - Beachfront Holiday Villa<span style="font-style: italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Hotels">Click here for more posts about hotels in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br>
<span style="font-style: italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Beach">Click here for more posts about beach accomodation in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.maduraonline.com/?find=beach">Welle</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walauwa">Walauwa</a></span><br>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/LkfauEufSygCk41Tft_6zg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/TGtj6helX7I/AAAAAAAAHPk/vaQn7IWRnDw/s600/IMG_2330.JPG" alt="Amor Villa Unawatuna Sri Lanka Hotel Review" width="100%"></a><br>
Amor Villa was one of those serendipitious discoveries we made while looking to wash out the taste of a bad hotel we stayed at in <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jaliya/InsightHotelAhangamaSriLanka#">Ahangama (Insight</a>, if you must know. Godawful place.) <br>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/gTtIim1Hidm6ODV1RCQECg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/TGtkBAaauOI/AAAAAAAAHQE/l3Q5T0Mk4gM/s600/IMG_2297_2302.JPG" alt="Amor Villa Unawatuna Sri Lanka Hotel Review" width="100%"></a><br>
We were driving back toward Colombo hoping to find something nice and, just before Unawatuna proper, we passed the gate to Amor Villa. It was one of those high wooden affairs which brought forth visions of the mansions depicted in the old Sinhala teledramas with wizened old men in national costumes and high end bullock carts.<br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2010/08/villa-amor-unawatuna-sri-lanka-hotel.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-62434798504690576842010-07-30T09:35:00.006+05:302011-06-18T07:15:36.867+05:30Restaurants in Negombo Sri Lanka - Rodeo Burger - Oasis Pizza - Phoenix - Bijou Swiss - Villa Araliya Vegetarian<span style="font-style:italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Restaurants">Click here for more posts about restaurants/places to eat in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br>Negombo, 1.5 hours from Colombo, is a small tourist town / fishing village with a walkable strip of restaurants on Poruthota Rd (formerly Lewis Place) and hotels around it. Because it's so compact, you can go from kadala karaththe to restaurant to pub and stagger back to your room at the end of the night. <br><br>Even better, there are a wide variety of restaurants, all of which are quite good and reasonably priced. As a result, even when we went for a holiday weekend at <a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/10/villa-araliya-negombo-sri-lanka-hotel.html">Villa Araliya</a>, all we did was eat. Negombo has all these activities like Dutch Canal rides - with kasippu on the way - and Muthurajawela swamp visits but we never cared: we just hung out and hoovered various kinds of food. These were some of our favorites:<br><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2010/07/restaurants-in-negombo-sri-lanka-rodeo.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-50156417639050914132010-06-25T09:10:00.005+05:302011-06-18T07:15:36.869+05:30Coco Veranda Coffee House Colombo - Restaurant in Colombo Sri Lanka<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">You Should <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=I%20should%20coco">Coco</a></span><br><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/iT7koHBMELPHK0OHh7-CGQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img width="40%" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/TCPdRN1U3kI/AAAAAAAAGoQ/pnVKMenmlVM/s400/DSC_0201.JPG"></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fmgr8tzgIiXJu7uzhVyxog?feat=embedwebsite"><img width="40%" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/TCPdNcxYnzI/AAAAAAAAGoI/podF7bgNStc/s400/DSC_0199.JPG"></a><br><br><span style="font-style:italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Burgers">Click here for more posts about burgers in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br><span style="font-style:italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Restaurants">Click here for more posts about restaurants/places to eat in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br><br>Paying more than LKR 200 for coffee at a coffee shop seems insane to me. For a few (hundred) rupees more, you can drink a beer on the Galle Face terrace. Given this choice, I’d always go for the more drunken option.<br><br>So, when Coco Verandah opened up on Ward Place about half a km from Odel, I thought it just another addition to the multitude of coffee shops with vaguely interesting names, lookalike ambience and average food.<br><br>We were passing by on a weekday, though, and we were hungry. Hungry enough that we couldn’t last all the way to Odel. So we dropped in and, avoiding the coffee, ordered the burgers and a sandwich instead.<br><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2010/06/coco-veranda-coffee-house-colombo.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-65369265711764987502010-06-18T10:14:00.004+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.894+05:30Waterfront Hotel Tissamaharama Sri Lanka Review - Cheap Lakefront Property<span style="font-style:italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Hotels">Click here for more posts about hotels in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/S6tHXDvOIAHClbpl18KKfg?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="waterfront hotel tissamaharama tissa kataragama sri lanka" width=100% src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/TBryySg3x9I/AAAAAAAAGmw/mumkNW_DrUc/s800/DSC_0352.JPG"></a><br>Hundreds of years ago, the people of Sri Lanka used to build lakes. Whether they liked it or were forced to like it or were paid to like it – King Dutugemunu had a budget - is another thing but they did. <br><br>Their ancestors tend to prefer more leisurely lake-related activities. I, being one of those people, can’t take issue with the preference – our lakes are spectacular, gigantic bodies of water and, as you lie next to it with a Rockland Red Rum and ginger beer, you can’t help but say “Thanks, great-great-great granddad for working so hard to give me something so nice to watch at sunset!”<br><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2010/06/waterfront-hotel-tissamaharama-sri.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-54525772849443692292010-05-06T09:11:00.004+05:302011-06-18T07:21:28.954+05:30Used Bookstore in Colombo Sri Lanka - K & S Sales - Old Curiosity Shop - Used Books Colombo Sri Lanka - Used Bookshop Colombo Sri Lanka<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vg7hmoSAWAXRzSV9KGxhfQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="used bookstore colombo sri lanka k and s sales kohuwela" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S-Hkksk8PGI/AAAAAAAAGig/ytDruJHgq0Y/s800/DSC_0116.JPG" width="100%"></a><br>
What is serendipity?<br>
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Just before I got married, I decided I wanted to do a trip around Sri Lanka on my own. I didn't understand exactly why I did but I wanted solitude, maybe to understand myself, maybe to bid my misspent youth a fare thee well, before I took the biggest step of my life.<br>
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On my way, I went to my favourite place for buying used books, K & S Sales in Kohuwela (on Dutugemunu St, next to the Police Station, in the same building as MaxMara). It's a gigantic antique/bric-a-brac store, not unlike the ones occupied by mysterious Oriental men in movies like <span style="font-style: italic;">The Gremlins </span>inhabit.<br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2010/05/used-bookstore-in-colombo-sri-lanka-k-s_06.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-81659899463786460972010-04-28T07:00:00.006+05:302010-08-19T23:20:49.944+05:30Land's End Bungalow Matara Sri Lanka - Oceanic Delivery Device - Hotel / Holiday Villa<span style="font-style:italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Hotels">Click here for more posts about hotels in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br><span style="font-style:italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Beach">Click here for more posts about beach accomodation in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/2fyDWB2JUz5kcC14vG2-Rg?feat=embedwebsite"><img width=100% alt="lands end bungalow hotel holiday villa matara sri lanka" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S9drYr_t7qI/AAAAAAAAGgk/QfdW7N5nXlY/s800/DSC_0757_0759.jpg"></a><br>Matara has some great beaches. What it does not have is some of the best accommodation. Hotels in and around Matara are basic at best and do not use its best feature. Polhena Reef Garden Hotel, for example, is on a really good beach. But you can't see the beach from the room and you have to cross the (asphalt) road to swim. <br><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FIvim8aYwHZ3xt3CYa81Mw?feat=embedwebsite"><img width=100% alt="lands end bungalow hotel holiday villa matara sri lanka" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S9drZdbNq0I/AAAAAAAAGgo/fQq-A5tOYQE/s800/DSC_0738_0739.jpg"></a><br>Which is why I was excited to be invited to stay at Land's End Bungalow in Matara, run by a friend of my mom's. I was told it was on the beach and that it was in Matara. I didn't need to know anything else; I bundled up my wife in our old rented Mazda and trundled on down.<br><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2010/04/lands-end-bungalow-matara-sri-lanka.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-29398783998539621822010-03-31T07:39:00.006+05:302011-06-18T07:15:36.870+05:30Green Grass Hotel and Restaurant in Jaffna Sri Lanka - Where to Eat In Jaffna<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/KG-xVdRJFzhWsy4Be632pQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="jaffna food jaffna restaurant green grass hotel and restaurant in jaffna sri lanka" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S7KqeBweIBI/AAAAAAAAGV4/4FtphWbeSIU/s800/DSC_0045.JPG" width="100%"></a><br>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Jaffna">Click here for more posts about Jaffna Tamil food / cuisine and hotels in Jaffna Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br>
<span style="font-style: italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Restaurants">Click here for more posts about restaurants/places to eat in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br>
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Jaffna's cuisine embraced the peninsula's limitations and evolved in glorious isolation from the Indian subcontinent and the rest of Sri Lanka. Accordingly, Jaffna food is very different from the rest of Sri Lanka's and, when you visit, you might want to try some. <br>
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Good luck with that! Jaffna is still getting used to <a href="http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/Current_Affairs/ca201001/20100101curfew_lifted_jaffna.htm">being open after 4pm</a> so places to eat out are still few and far between.<br>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/TTkWRHYjUB38hjCZnf1DLA?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="jaffna food jaffna restaurant green grass hotel and restaurant in jaffna sri lanka" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S7KqdL5GAII/AAAAAAAAGVw/24lCGTWadd4/s800/DSC_0043%20%282%29.JPG" width="100%"></a><br>
The only place we found, after two or three hours walking around Jaffna town asking for crabs and kool, was Green Grass Hotel and Restaurant, +94 221 222 4385, off Hospital Rd. It was a place a friend from Jaffna (who now works in Colombo) found for us. It is different from the usual dark, dingy places that dot Jaffna town in that the tables are set in a big garden with a gaudy fountain. <br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2010/03/where-to-eat-in-jaffna-green-grass.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-88296823997704760872010-03-18T10:50:00.009+05:302010-08-20T01:34:05.648+05:30Expo Pavilion 2 Hotel Jaffna Sri Lanka Review - photos and video at end of post<span style="font-style:italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Jaffna">Click here for more posts about Jaffna Sri Lanka and its food / cuisine</a>)</span><br><span style="font-style:italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Hotels">Click here for more posts about hotels, guest houses and holiday villas / bungalows in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GwXZ9fM7ypsOe6dt_1mVkw?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="expo pavillion 2 hotel jaffna sri lanka expo pavilion 2" width=100% src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S6FgI4JkXAI/AAAAAAAAGPE/cfF2QYz8vJ8/s800/DSC_0083.JPG"></a><br>Pious pilgrims bundled in buses singing Sinhala songs are going to Jaffna. Swanky socialites piled into Pajeros playing pop are going to “Jaff”. We like to mix it up so we went in our battered old car, the music alternating between Chandimal’s nonstop baila and Belafonte’s greatest hits. <br><br>Yes, everyone is going to Jaffna. But where to stay? Jaffna’s lodging options are currently overwhelmed and, apart from the Duriappah Stadium, the various vishrama shalawas and the YMCA, are all either full, crappy or both. <br><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/cYid0JDanuw4nhvrlxL0hQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="expo pavillion 2 hotel jaffna sri lanka expo pavillion 2" width=50% src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S6FgLrzsAfI/AAAAAAAAGPM/efb5jY-SI_U/s288/DSC_0085.JPG"></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/4gv_5WGBTAOjy2huQszADA?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="expo pavillion 2 hotel jaffna sri lanka expo pavilion 2" width=50% src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S6FgPbboLEI/AAAAAAAAGPg/Sz__PkqL8_E/s288/DSC_0043.JPG"></a><br>Most of the hotels in Jaffna barely reach the levels of guest house and the only stars you’ll see are from the dual shocks of the state of the accomodation and the exhorbitance of the price. The only acceptable hotel we found in Jaffna was the Expo Pavillion 2 (Book through Expo Aviation, +94 21 222 3790, +94 11 2576941). It isn’t that great and it’s pretty pricey for what it offers. But, in the land of the blind, the sort of decent hotel is king.<br><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2010/03/expo-pavilion-hotel-jaffna-sri-lanka.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-7619201991301501562010-01-21T07:00:00.006+05:302011-06-18T07:15:36.871+05:30Things I learned about eating out in 2009 – The Good<span>I spent a lot of time </span><span>eating out in 2009.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> These are a few of the standouts:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">Fine Dining</span> - </span><span>I've always appreciated the Cinnamon hotels because the food there is good but not overpriced. Their <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jaliya/TaoCinnamonGrandEpicureanMenu?feat=directlink">Epicurean menu (LKR 1600++, Thursdays)</a> at <a href="http://www.cinnamonhotels.com/GrandTao.htm">Tao, Cinnamon Grand, +94 011 2497369</a> - a 24 item tasting menus - is a good example. </span><span>There may be a better fine dining value in Sri Lanka </span><span>but I haven't found it. Forget how cheap it is: the technique on the plate is excellent.<br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fjaliya%2Falbumid%2F5428921447155988257%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" height="192" width="288"></embed><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tiramisu</span> </span>- </span>The best <a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/03/pizza-restaurants-in-colombo-sri-lanka.html">tiramisu is at Reghina Margherita</a> (photo below, on left). The cheapest decent tiramisu is at <a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/07/five-stars-on-cheap-review-of-taprobane.html">Taprobane Coffee Shop Cinnamon Grand</a> or <a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/02/burgers-of-sri-lanka-bars-cafe-colombo.html">Bars Café </a>(photo below, on right).<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/OYK2O_FVh2AMekhcC3bVZw?feat=embedwebsite"><img fix="tofix" alt="[Image]" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/ScZeliv47UI/AAAAAAAABuY/-_XXpY8n6aM/s288/IMG_5236.JPG" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/ScZeliv47UI/AAAAAAAABuY/-_XXpY8n6aM/s288/IMG_5236.JPG" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/nSkdrKaSDrTa6s13tyFK2g?feat=embedwebsite"><img fix="tofix" alt="[Image]" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dcT6MIc_I/AAAAAAAAF9A/qdoU4rEYk60/s288/IMG_5821.JPG" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dcT6MIc_I/AAAAAAAAF9A/qdoU4rEYk60/s288/IMG_5821.JPG" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Pizza </span>- </span><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/03/pizza-restaurants-in-colombo-sri-lanka.html">Pizza at Echo Cinnamon Grand is cheaper than Reghina Margherita</a> but still as good. <a href="http://www.cinnamonhotels.com/Lakeside7North.htm">7 Degrees North at Cinnamon Lakeside, +94 11 2491000</a> also has a good, cheap pizza.<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/WK5e2fITk3fnRItX2Ia1Mw?feat=embedwebsite"><img fix="tofix" alt="[Image]" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/ScZeh_foVSI/AAAAAAAABuQ/oaZ0f3b0IcU/s288/IMG_5232.JPG" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/ScZeh_foVSI/AAAAAAAABuQ/oaZ0f3b0IcU/s288/IMG_5232.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Donuts </span>- </span>Keells Bakery donuts are better than Gonuts and are 50% off after 7pm<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/gE8OcyrJOKo5lfGvJ1ygPQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img fix="tofix" alt="[Image]" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dbA-zHmII/AAAAAAAAF8I/c7XK6iDqA1s/s288/IMG_1653.JPG" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dbA-zHmII/AAAAAAAAF8I/c7XK6iDqA1s/s288/IMG_1653.JPG" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/r8Jsrk4IwsMPCZdTKmI4vA?feat=embedwebsite"><img fix="tofix" alt="[Image]" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dbBg3xznI/AAAAAAAAF8M/Yi6hJhygfc8/s288/IMG_1654.JPG" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dbBg3xznI/AAAAAAAAF8M/Yi6hJhygfc8/s288/IMG_1654.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Outdoor Restaurant</span> - </span>Summer Garden (86A, Green Path, Colombo 7, +94 11-4940540, turn into the second gate after the the National Art Gallery) is the cheapest place to have a drink outside. It has an amazing mixed grill with bacon and all (LKR 750, enough for 2) and a pretty damn good chop suey (LKR 400, enough for 2).<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ceJ4xpsbtOrKrp7yh-Tgjw?feat=embedwebsite"><img fix="tofix" alt="[Image]" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dbmBl533I/AAAAAAAAF8g/VmH2GG8Rr2Q/s288/IMG_0801.JPG" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dbmBl533I/AAAAAAAAF8g/VmH2GG8Rr2Q/s288/IMG_0801.JPG" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/lOO1EAdvUlBi5zMaPYDkPg?feat=embedwebsite"><img fix="tofix" alt="[Image]" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dbnQ8mNlI/AAAAAAAAF8k/tiRaj_CTvdY/s288/IMG_0804.JPG" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dbnQ8mNlI/AAAAAAAAF8k/tiRaj_CTvdY/s288/IMG_0804.JPG" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/S-Hlch8RkPMA7Q33X_kxoA?feat=embedwebsite"><img fix="tofix" alt="[Image]" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dbonE1GRI/AAAAAAAAF8o/xijKMEDc0tI/s288/IMG_1155.JPG" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dbonE1GRI/AAAAAAAAF8o/xijKMEDc0tI/s288/IMG_1155.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Rice & Curry</span> - </span>If you’re on your way to Batticaloa or <a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Polonnaruwa">Polonnaruwa</a>, stop at Woodside Tour Inn in Giritale for an amazing rice (keeri samba) and curry – ask for the lake fish fillet fried in breadcrumb to be added to your meal.<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1uw0q87Bo_n9E0JKgA1R3g?feat=embedwebsite"><img fix="tofix" alt="[Image]" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1djfUTec7I/AAAAAAAAF9c/Ce0iO5Gyu9c/s288/IMG_1182.JPG" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1djfUTec7I/AAAAAAAAF9c/Ce0iO5Gyu9c/s288/IMG_1182.JPG" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/i8ydPOQmO2zUD3NV24HR2g?feat=embedwebsite"><img fix="tofix" alt="[Image]" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1djgREuHtI/AAAAAAAAF9g/GZh62Le9zro/s288/IMG_1185.JPG" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1djgREuHtI/AAAAAAAAF9g/GZh62Le9zro/s288/IMG_1185.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Rice & Curry 2</span> - </span>If you’re passing Haldemulla on your way to <a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/04/arugam-bay-guide-2-hotels-and.html">Arugambay</a>, you must stop at Thunmansala for breakfast or lunch or both. The view is amazing. On a clear day, yes, that's the Kiri Vehera.<br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/JUYXVzVFMKAXaAYoPWELqw?feat=embedwebsite"><img fix="fixed" alt="[Image]" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfBoY4ERMgI/AAAAAAAACOY/vF7Dx-jDNUM/s288/IMG_4061.JPG" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfBoY4ERMgI/AAAAAAAACOY/vF7Dx-jDNUM/s288/IMG_4061.JPG" height="216" width="144" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0jClYqbIagqOalj-4ScdXw?feat=embedwebsite"><img fix="fixed" alt="[Image]" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfBoi7fu6JI/AAAAAAAACO4/eIE-djmrkEc/s288/IMG_2768.JPG" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfBoi7fu6JI/AAAAAAAACO4/eIE-djmrkEc/s288/IMG_2768.JPG" height="216" width="144" /></a><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Rice & Curry 3</span> - </span>Cheap, clean, tasty food? In <a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Anuradhapura">Anuradhapura</a>, the only way to get all three adjectives is at Family Super.<br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Kg9Z6z1qlGif9WuNyETlEw?feat=embedwebsite"><img fix="fixed" alt="[Image]" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dcHjkYIfI/AAAAAAAAF80/eHf9fczo-98/s288/IMG_4230.JPG" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dcHjkYIfI/AAAAAAAAF80/eHf9fczo-98/s288/IMG_4230.JPG" height="216" width="144" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/US05U-nki4JmhNDOf-7mlg?feat=embedwebsite"><img fix="tofix" alt="[Image]" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dcJlHuMdI/AAAAAAAAF88/P7qifLawgqA/s288/IMG_4233.JPG" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dcJlHuMdI/AAAAAAAAF88/P7qifLawgqA/s288/IMG_4233.JPG" /></a><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Nostalgia</span> - </span>Fountain Café is open again at Keells Union Place. They’ve got some of the old menu, some of the same cooks and even one of the old waiters. Even the Knickerbocker Glory should be back now. Here’s a hint, though - it doesn’t taste the same because <span style="font-style: italic;">we were young then</span>. Nothing tastes as good as it used to: nostalgia is the sweetest sauce.<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/PikKyYrjeHd8yGMqq4OrTA?feat=embedwebsite"><img fix="tofix" alt="[Image]" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dbuWhIOlI/AAAAAAAAF8s/uRPk5Hj0dSM/s288/IMG_0273.JPG" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dbuWhIOlI/AAAAAAAAF8s/uRPk5Hj0dSM/s288/IMG_0273.JPG" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/bVYti7LlHp0fo9srtyiOyA?feat=embedwebsite"><img fix="tofix" alt="[Image]" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dbvnYbAvI/AAAAAAAAF8w/RGfRxbwHWiY/s288/IMG_0797.JPG" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dbvnYbAvI/AAAAAAAAF8w/RGfRxbwHWiY/s288/IMG_0797.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Street Food</span> - </span><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/09/chicken-shawarma-on-malay-st-mr-burger.html">Burgers King (old name Mr Burger King)</a> has expanded and their beef kebab is awesome. Imitation shawarma places are everywhere – there’s an inscrutable Malay guy running one in between Odel and Rahumaniyas.<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8XkdKW-6tRabuQEsxJBeVw?feat=embedwebsite"><img fix="tofix" alt="[Image]" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dbFYdUv1I/AAAAAAAAF8Q/yLMmnB64dv8/s288/IMG_0810.JPG" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dbFYdUv1I/AAAAAAAAF8Q/yLMmnB64dv8/s288/IMG_0810.JPG" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/PDr1nLBC5F34sMJ6ZjWhuQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img fix="tofix" alt="[Image]" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dbGtA6wmI/AAAAAAAAF8U/cqWwLXIM5gk/s288/IMG_0819.JPG" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dbGtA6wmI/AAAAAAAAF8U/cqWwLXIM5gk/s288/IMG_0819.JPG" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1v3b_dd6kFRWTdrHc3Q9Cw?feat=embedwebsite"><img fix="tofix" alt="[Image]" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dbH_ojPrI/AAAAAAAAF8Y/GbE406m1I_w/s288/IMG_0822.JPG" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S1dbH_ojPrI/AAAAAAAAF8Y/GbE406m1I_w/s288/IMG_0822.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Street Food (best for last!) </span>-</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>The kadala (chick pea) guy in Katunayake (turn right at the T junction just before the airport security check; he’s usually in front of the row of food joints in the evening) makes his “taste” with tiny dried shrimp. I have eaten food in Sri Lanka aplenty but <span style="font-weight: bold;">this is probably the one item of food I enjoyed the most last year</span>.<br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-11973356179692801952010-01-07T06:00:00.009+05:302010-08-19T23:20:49.946+05:30Sethawadiya Hotel Kalpitiya Puttalam Sri Lanka - Review Photos and Video - Setha Wadiya Dolphin View Eco Lodge<span style="font-style:italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Hotels">Click here for more posts about hotels in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br><span style="font-style:italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Beach">Click here for more posts about beach accomodation in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br><br><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/T4yzxYaiYsch39w-yMxjXw?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="sethawadiya dolphin view eco lodge hotel kalpitiya puttalam sri lanka" width="100%" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S0Tvq676TfI/AAAAAAAAFmM/M-rYogGkWvI/s800/IMG_1068.JPG"></a><br><span style="font-style:italic;">(More photos and video at end of review)</span><br>Kalpitiya (around 160km from Colombo, 3.5 to 4 hours drive during the day) is the hype capital of Sri Lankan tourism. "Blah blah Kalpitiya blah blah dolphins blah blah" says everyone from Hi Magazine to Jetwing to Sri Lanka Tourism. As I am a sucker for peer pressure, I went there a few weekends ago.<br><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8u9-VP2V2X25YZFJCIBdtg?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="sethawadiya dolphin view eco lodge hotel kalpitiya puttalam sri lanka" width="100%" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S0TvrRuOIyI/AAAAAAAAFmQ/tt4Ex1tcsM4/s800/IMG_0989_0991.jpg"></a><br>What you first notice is that, for all the hullabaloo, Kalpitiya is still fairly undeveloped. (The last 40km of road is also pretty awful - but our beloved Marga/RDA is hard at work so this should change soon.) Most of the grand hotel plans are still just twinkles in George Michael's eyes and most of the places Kalpitiya has to stay in are bungalows where you have to take the whole place.<br><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/w2LSNZgkbX0sjSXZJfFAcg?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="sethawadiya dolphin view eco lodge hotel kalpitiya puttalam sri lanka" width="33%" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S0TvaPCuBXI/AAAAAAAAFlc/Wt4hpYEzdbQ/s288/IMG_0971.JPG"></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/y2AN7GxEhKKF4VKnZkX5Cw?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="sethawadiya dolphin view eco lodge hotel kalpitiya puttalam sri lanka" width="33%" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S0Tvbo6KjQI/AAAAAAAAFlg/tTCeVYl9qvY/s288/IMG_0972.JPG"></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RMwKj6H_TgDXJYtiRFB6Tw?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="sethawadiya dolphin view eco lodge hotel kalpitiya puttalam sri lanka" width="33%" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/S0Tvdi22RAI/AAAAAAAAFlk/6pYNfbCk2e4/s288/IMG_0973.JPG"></a><br>As it was just the two of us, a bungalow was out of the question. So, looking through the Hit Ad magazine - Wijeya's greatest contribution to Sri Lankan entrepreneurs - I found Sethawadiya. It is about 3-4 km from Kalpitiya town. You come to the Al Aksha junction around the 40km post, turn left and pray that there will be people to tell you how to go the rest of the way. You approach Sethawadiya on a road alongside what seems to have been a shrimp pond. I was in quite a bad mood - cursing the road, the car and the directions - but the breathtaking first glimpse of the hotel turned it all around.<br><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2010/01/sethawadiya-hotel-kalpitiya-puttalam.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-28415124446227359902009-11-17T06:59:00.011+05:302011-06-18T20:44:39.558+05:30Taste of Asia Jaffna Restaurant Colombo Sri Lanka - Jaffna Food Wellawatte Sri Lanka<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/7_ahGr0U8yFrD8QRFx4YcA?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="[Image]" fix="tofix" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SxMhFsojcLI/AAAAAAAAFUQ/vmLOiiWJuqg/s288/IMG_7780.JPG"></a><br>
<a href="http://www.yarlcuisine.com/">Jaffna cuisine</a> is Sri Lanka's only indigenous Tamil cuisine. Just like Sri Lankan Malay food, it started off South Indian hundreds of years ago and evolved into its own unique variant. Shamefully, though, if you ask the average Colombo-ite (Colombo-ian?) to take you for Tamil food, you'll likely end up at a South Indian vegetarian place.<br>
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This is because there are so many South Indian restaurants and hardly any Jaffna restaurants here (other than the over priced, now closed Peninsula and the over priced, still open Palmyrah at Hotel Renukah). If you wanted decently priced Jaffna food, you had to invite yourself over to a Tamil friend's house.<br>
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Perhaps coincidentally, perhaps not, with the end of the war, a couple more reasonably priced Jaffna restaurants have opened up. The first one, Taste of Asia opened just a few months ago on Galle Rd, Wellawatte (it's the sea side, between the checkpoint after the Savoy cinema and Kinross Ave, next to the Perera and Sons).<br>
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<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/11/jaffna-restaurant-colombo-sri-lanka.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-76742484670849817832009-10-29T08:00:00.005+05:302010-12-09T05:36:10.943+05:30Villa Araliya Negombo Sri Lanka Hotel - Review and Video<span style="font-style:italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Hotels">Click here for more posts about hotels in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/gcgDrEhfF403tgLcErMShA?feat=embedwebsite"><img width=100% alt="villa araliya negombo sri lanka hotel review" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SujxyDZpVBI/AAAAAAAAFQ8/EHtipcHZjko/s800/IMG_8736_8737.jpg"></a><br>
I'd forgotten Negombo existed as a place to visit. Maybe it's because it's so close. It takes around an hour to drive there from Colombo and it's just fifteen minutes from the airport. It's like going to Moratuwa for a vacation. Sometimes, Moratuwa can take longer to get to.<br>
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But exist it does and, even better, Negombo has a nice, relatively cheap collection of places for eating, drinking and staying. We stayed at the Villa Araliya in Negombo because we wanted something nice but relatively low priced. <br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/10/villa-araliya-negombo-sri-lanka-hotel.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-84147023681843214522009-09-24T08:30:00.006+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.896+05:30Taragala Place Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary Sri Lanka Hotel - Review and Video - Mati Gederas Kalamatiya<span style="font-style:italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Hotels">Click here for more posts about hotels in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br>(Youtube video at end of this post)<br><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fvbb4Aiei656ylyHfkCpUA?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary Sri Lanka Hotel Review and Video - Taragala Place Mati Gederas" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/TG1gXjTs2yI/AAAAAAAAHV4/2JT_p4PBkHg/s600/IMG_7197_7199e.JPG"></a><br>The Taragala Place Matti Gedaras (<span style="font-style: italic;">mati gedara</span> means clay house in Sinhala) are located right beside the Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary, 214km from Colombo. The name comes from Taragala Rock (not pronounced <span style="font-style: italic;">thaaraa</span> as in duck but <span style="font-style: italic;">thaara</span> as in tar) inside the sanctuary, which you can see from the chalets’ verandahs. <a href="http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2009/02/15/rev15.asp">Kalametiya</a>, one corner of the RUK (<a href="http://www.mcsuk.org/marineworld/trackturtle/rekawa">Rekawa</a> Ussangoda Kalamatiya) triangle of biodiversity, is about halfway between Tangalle and Hambantota.<br><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/09/kalametiya-bird-sanctuary-sri-lanka.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-29244695066433134482009-08-27T08:00:00.004+05:302011-06-18T20:45:05.902+05:30New Letchumi Bhawan Tamil Vegetarian Street Food Colombo Sri Lanka<span style="font-size: medium; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://thejester100.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/stuff-posh-people-like/">Stuff Posh People Like</a>: Saivara Fare</span><br>
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In Colombo, we're blessed with an abundance of restaurants serving Tamil vegetarian food. The usual suspects like the <a href="http://nelehuk.spaces.live.com/blog/cns%21E6633C76A59158BA%21260.entry">Mathuras</a> and the <a href="http://blogs.vbcity.com/shandy/archive/2005/03/12/1171.aspx">Shanthi Vihars</a> litter the streets of Colombo, serving acres and acres of dosa nightly.<br>
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My favourite such place is a little less well known. It's also not as nice but 1) it's also cheaper 2) that's part of the fun. New Letchumi Bhawan is on Ernest De Silva Mw (formerly Flower Road) in between Cotton Collection and Leather Collection. It's an odd bird in that herd but it's an awfully tasty one.<br>
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<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/08/tamil-vegetarian-street-food-colombo.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-48004086481653400682009-08-13T07:00:00.005+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.897+05:30Thirasara Leisure Village Thulhiriya Ambepussa Sri Lanka - Hotel Review - Ghandara Bungalow<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/eeVwmF84BV5BQiPg5U6KgQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="ambepussa sri lanka bungalow chalet hotel sri lanka thirasara leisure village thulhiriya - view from verandah" width=100% src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SoJjGxpPPgI/AAAAAAAAEXk/kMsB7WYO0gE/s800/IMG_5113_5114.jpg"></a><br>
If you need a place to stay on your way to Pinnawela (27km), Kurunegala (30km) or Kandy (60km) or you just want a quiet place to hang out for a weekend, you could do a lot worse than Thirasara Leisure Village in Thulhiriya. Actually, you'd have to go pretty far in any direction to find a better place in this area.<br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/08/ambepussa-sri-lanka-hotel-review.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-63318879332194306072009-07-31T08:00:00.006+05:302011-06-18T07:15:36.878+05:30Cheese & Chocolate Rottis at Hansika Roti Shop Hikkaduwa Sri LankaWhen I went recently with a group of IT BPO people to Galle for a <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jaliya/20090529ICTAICBPITBPOCareerFairKurunegala?feat=directlink">career fair</a>, I found out that not everyone knows about chicken/cheese and chocolate rotis. They're just like egg rotis but, instead of egg, they're filled with chocolate or cheese and chicken. These tasty beasts are endemic to Hikkaduwa - the original rotti shop is in Narigama Beach. <br />
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Recently, as our normal roti shop (opposite the original) had run out of chicken, we drove on a little and saw a really nice place with a signboard advertising cheese / chicken / chocolate rotis "with recipes from the UK!" This was the Hansika Roti Shop.<br />
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Most roti shops are not places you can take anyone. This shop however is more like a restaurant with nice wooden benches attached to tables. Most rotti shops have menus on the wall. Here, when we sat down, they gave us a printed, laminated menu with multiple pages! (It even has a burger section - I will write about that later when I revisit...)<br />
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So we ordered cheese and chicken rotis (LKR 80) and chocolate rotis (LKR 140). And they came, well presented and plated, with cutlery, even. Both were really good with a lot of cheese inside the cheese and chicken roti and decent amounts of chocolate inside the chocolate one.<br />
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Satisfied, I decided to solve this "recipes from the UK" business. I walked around and saw a <a href="http://www.getreading.co.uk/entertainment/food_and_drink/s/2028360_happy_as_larry__">newspaper clipping</a> hanging on the wall about a <a href="http://www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/English/news/Pages/TopchefinspiresCarmarthenshire%E2%80%99sschoolcooks.aspx">Lahiru "Larry" Jayasekara</a>, who came from Hikkaduwa and worked under Gordon Ramsey and was now, at 23, running his own place in UK. <br />
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When I asked the lady at the cash register about it, she beamed with maternal pride and told me he was her son and gave me a list of his accomplishments. As my brother is also a chef, we had a long chat about the perils and pleasures of chef-relatedness. <br />
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So, if you go to the Hikkaduwa Beach Festival, drop by Hansika for a chicken and cheese roti. And, while you're there, ask Mrs Jayasekara (behind the counter) about her son. It's a nice finish to an excellent menu.<br />
</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-32433034801061088932009-07-01T08:00:00.006+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.899+05:30Rainforest Edge Kalawana Sinharaja Sri Lanka Hotel Review - Ecolodge / Hilltop Mudhouse<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ph4ymg3biUg4gWPX-_XN_g?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SkoGTfu4JjI/AAAAAAAADTU/jfBk4po-cXs/s800/IMG_1682_1685.JPG" width="100%"></a><br>
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Despite the Sinharaja rainforest being the single most popular destination among local tourists - or maybe because it is? - there are very few hotels there. I've already <a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/07/sinharaja-duo-pt-1-review-of-rock-view.html">reviewed Rock View Motel near Sinharaja</a> which is a basic, low-priced experience at around LKR 5,000 full board double. And here is a <a href="http://rajaratarala.blogspot.com/2008/11/boulder-garden-hotel-in-kalawana.html">review of Boulder Garden</a>, a posh but occasionally dank experience, at above LKR 15,000 full board double.<br>
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If you're like Goldilocks, Rainforest Edge Sinharaja is like the baby bear. Not too expensive and not too basic.<br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/07/hotel-in-sinharaja-sri-lanka-rainforest.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-10601101122996408082009-06-27T08:00:00.004+05:302011-06-18T07:15:36.879+05:30Malay Food Festival at Galadari Coffee Shop<span style="font-weight:bold;">The festival is on till tonight (Sat 27th Jun 09)</span><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6RwLp0JcnL3ZxC74oEvf8g?authkey=Gv1sRgCPa__6Ls-sGcpQE&feat=embedwebsite"><img align=left src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SkVqAaROM4I/AAAAAAAADPI/cd_HyJEGOqU/s288/IMG_5565.JPG" /></a>When I was homesick for some Sri Lankan food, I used to go to a Malaysian restaurant. They had godamba roti (called it roti canai) and the chicken curry was identical to Sri Lankan chicken curry. <br /><br />In Sri Lanka, though, there are almost no places to eat Malay food. So when I heard about the the (Sri Lankan) Malay Food Festival at the Galadari Coffee Shop (LKR 1400 nett per head), I didn't hesitate to bundle my wife into the car and go.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/USIo2LxNxCB1fx71UJ-Ctg?authkey=Gv1sRgCPa__6Ls-sGcpQE&feat=embedwebsite"><img align=right src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SkVqDGJc8vI/AAAAAAAADPM/v7j4pMfu54E/s288/IMG_5566.JPG" /></a>To ensure the food's authenticity, they had got actual Sri Lankan Malay housewives to stay in the hotel and assist the chefs. <br /><br />I noticed two things about the food. The first is how different Sri Lankan Malay food is from Malaysian food. It seems like Sri Lankan Malay food started at Malaysian and evolved in its own way from there.<br /><br />The second is how ordinary many of the Sri Lankan Malay dishes feel. Dishes like chicken curry, peanut and cashew curry, curried ash plantains, pittu, malay pickle and dodol are standard fare at the average Sinhala Buddhist table.<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/I8WJDa9-_IsefMI9UHD8Tw?authkey=Gv1sRgCPa__6Ls-sGcpQE&feat=embedwebsite"><img align=left src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SkVqKVVIqDI/AAAAAAAADPY/fGEu2oh6Du8/s288/IMG_5573.JPG" /></a> To me, that signifies just how much the influence of the Malays, a relatively tiny minority, has shaped Sri Lankan cuisine. <br /><br />They also had Malay songs and dances. Even these songs and dances <span style="font-style:italic;">feel</span> very Sri Lankan. <br /><br />When foreigners ask me about Sri Lankan cuisine, I always emphasise its Malay connections and downplay its similarities to Indian food. To me, our food is nothing like Indian food but a helluva lot like Malaysian. Go tonight and see for yourself.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0PzUpurlGlFD3Q8CmH2e8Q?authkey=Gv1sRgCPa__6Ls-sGcpQE&feat=embedwebsite"><img align=right src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SkVqNy60-1I/AAAAAAAADPc/D8f9XmxB6a0/s288/IMG_5574.JPG" /></a>PS: The Sri Lankan Malay community was out in force, dressed up to the nines - salwars, kurtas and cheongsams. Wear something nice and go.<br /><br />PPS: If you know of any Malay restaurants (or eating places or holes in the wall) in Colombo, let me know in the comments...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Restaurant Name: </span>Galadari Coffee Shop<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Address: </span>Galadari Hotel, 64 Lotus Road, Colombo 1<span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Phone: </span>call +94 112 544 544 and ask for the Coffee Shop<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Price: </span>LKR 1,400 nett per head<br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-91021642750558843232009-06-12T08:00:00.010+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.900+05:30Tissawewa Grand Resthouse Anuradhapura Sri Lanka Hotel Review - History, Refurbished<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/UpJ0xz_G5NeSD5gat-Snpg?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="tissa wewa tissawewa grand resthouse rest house hotel anuradhapura sri lanka" width=50% src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SjCbriZ_zJI/AAAAAAAACuM/s1N4sZDfZkU/s288/IMG_4174.JPG"></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/nB3gCeW3Etfj2Z_vfnEynA?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="tissa wewa tissawewa grand resthouse rest house hotel anuradhapura sri lanka" width=50% src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SjCcIGH4PVI/AAAAAAAACuw/0JitSSGdvUc/s288/IMG_4227.JPG"></a>To visit Anuradhapura is to relive some of our country's past glories. We file past bricks and foundation and conjure up the palaces and princes written about in our history books. What better place to stay, then, than one which has the same sense of history about it?<br>
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The Tissa Wewa Grand Rest House in Anuradhapura is the oldest rest house in Anuradhapura and travel writers throughout the years have praised it. For them, this was the only place to stay. There are many more options now but, for us, Tissa Weva is still the best. <br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/06/hotel-in-anuradhapura-sri-lanka.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-56489505963399500592009-05-14T08:00:00.008+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.901+05:30Nilaveli Beach Hotel Trincomalee Sri Lanka Review<span style="float: left; font-size: 150%; font-style: italic; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px;">We're so 3008, it's so '80s-late</span><br>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/YJwpTbiaeGkUBaqsA9Q8tQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SgmxFR8LBgI/AAAAAAAACaU/z61A6sM5rCg/s288/IMG_3509.JPG" width="50%"></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/OLRKR6AtjbOw4Cj4XMq3vg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/Sgmwr5rESsI/AAAAAAAACZw/iqVfhu8Zs-I/s288/IMG_3481.JPG" width="50%"></a>The '80s called and they want Nilaveli (Nilaweli?) back. That decade was full of these types of hotels with matchbox rooms, tiny bathrooms, pools and buffets catering to miserly package tourists. <span style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 3px; float: left; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 0pt; margin-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;">The lobby, entrance and restaurant are typical of all chain hotels, polished cement, Bawa touches and Indonesian style furniture.</span>In the '00s, we have learned better.<br>
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But Nilaveli Beach Hotel hasn't. Just like another refurbished '80s hotel, Amaya Reef Hikkaduwa, it has a (relatively) beautiful facade and not great rooms. <br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/05/hotel-in-trincomalee-sri-lanka-nilaveli.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-62750653151242265442009-04-25T08:35:00.004+05:302011-06-18T07:25:04.743+05:30Arugam Bay Hotels and Restaurants - Travel Guide<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/xBeQeRm15FOkvHaSA__96Q?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfJ2mOvjvxI/AAAAAAAACUU/ApxgWWeuJNQ/s800/IMG_2933.JPG" width="100%" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Hotels">Click here for more posts about hotels in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Beach">Click here for more posts about beach accomodation in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br />
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Arugambay is full of places to stay. None of them are super posh but they're usually cheap. LKR 700 was the cheapest rate I was quoted and LKR 5000 was the most expensive. <br />
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To find a place to stay, we just walked along the beach south from Stardust, walking into beach front guest houses and hotels and checking them out. <br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Where to stay (in beach order):</span><br />
Stardust - The most expensive. LKR 5,000 for a "Luxury" room to LKR 2,000 for a beach cabana. The beach cabanas were cramped and basic. We didn't check out the rooms as they are in the main building and placed further away from the beach, which is really not what we wanted. +94 63 224 8191.<br />
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<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/04/hotel-in-arugambay-sri-lanka-galaxy.html">Galaxy Lounge</a> - Where we ended up staying. All cabanas. LKR 1,500-2,000 per cabana. Big, airy toilets. Probably the nicest we saw there. +94 63 224 8415.<br />
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Ranga's Beach Hut - LKR 1,500. Cabanas with shared showers and tiny toilets. Ranga's visitors are very loyal and keep returning. However, we didn't find the accomodation to be that great. His food is another story. +94 63 224 8202.<br />
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Watermusic - LKR 1,300. All cabanas - better than Ranga's/Stardust. +94 63 567 1431.<br />
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Aloha Cabanas - LKR 1,500. All cabanas with en-suite bathrooms. Better than Ranga's and Stardust but not as good as Galaxy. +94 63 224 8379.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Where to eat:</span><br />
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/xDod7Axu6LRY3RiXho8g0Q?feat=embedwebsite"><img align="left" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfIaGmx8UMI/AAAAAAAACS0/7CGtwyV0cNg/s288/IMG_3082.JPG" /></a>Food in Arugambay hotels is relatively expensive compared to the room rates. It's why you see the tourists eating at the kottu joints which line the road. <br />
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At Galaxy Lounge, meals were about LKR 450-600 per head. The food there was good: they had some innovative dishes like Coconut Roti Pizzas and more basic meals like beef kebabs with rice salad, all of which were done quite well. When we asked, they made us an excellent crab curry.<br />
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Ranga's Beach Hut has amazing food, done Jaffna style. Ranga looks like the average Yogi - grey hair, beard, bare chest, belly and sarong. The seating is common and it's a lot of fun to see who you can talk to. <br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1AKSOJypL_X0N53V2tijIQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfIUjRvHbOI/AAAAAAAACRk/CuPl5KFQbHo/s288/IMG_2966.JPG" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pDF-fsnUbf5yTkwZhL7jTw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfIaEHN9CfI/AAAAAAAACSs/NK5phZdfLAM/s288/IMG_3064.JPG" /></a><br />
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There is a set menu and you sit down and eat. The first night we went, he had string hoppers, poori and paratha with curries and prawns. It's all you can eat except the prawns. We paid LKR 450 per head and were stuffed.<br />
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We also went to Gecko. Gecko had hamburgers (LKR 540) on its menu so we ordered those. The waiter asked whether we wanted tomatoes, onions and lettuce on the burger. The burger came and it was good but nothing special and didn't come close to our <a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/12/best-burger-of-2008-gardenia-cafe.html">Holiday Inn burger</a>.<br />
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/t9M97HJ2LMf96d_3HOA1Jg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfIaL0lSZdI/AAAAAAAACS8/w7em-oQmiRc/s288/IMG_3094.JPG" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Str8h9Y8jLKxwQdCuHi0iA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfIYr6Lj5QI/AAAAAAAACSE/TfYmRGuVgAA/s288/IMG_2996.JPG" /></a><br />
When the bill came, there were 2 salads on it, LKR 250 each, which we hadn't ordered. The waiter told me that the onion, lettuce and tomato ON THE BURGER is considered SALAD and they charge separately for it. I hate it when people nickel and dime you with tiny fees and don't tell you in advance. Just charge 800 bucks for the fucking burger already. <br />
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XaFxw3B1V0KNF9eyFsvCXQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfIZ7qzXc7I/AAAAAAAACSU/pzKGtMEKWJ8/s288/IMG_3023.JPG" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/gJH1f_EqtlStxtfXsMr92A?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfIZ-SQF8mI/AAAAAAAACSc/IPxaXLuh1v4/s288/IMG_3026.JPG" /></a><br />
We went to Stardust for dinner one night because we'd heard raves about the food. There were only two other tables taken - both foreigners. After waiting for about 15 min, in full sight of the manageress, we called a waiter over to take our order. He came over, said someone else would take the order and disappeared. We waited 15 min more, in which time the manageress had chatted to both tables but continued to ignore us. Finally, we got up and left. <span style="font-style: italic;">Api kalu nisada?</span> Is it 'cos we was black?<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/04/arugambay-travel-guide-1-how-to-go.html">Click here for Arugambay Travel Guide Part 1 for how to get there.</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Burgers">Click here for more posts about burgers in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Restaurants">Click here for more posts about restaurants in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-74398588685870218832009-04-24T08:00:00.007+05:302011-06-18T07:23:25.347+05:30Arugambay Driving Directions and things - Travel Guide 1<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/lhzzo3dMAl5ZpY6aob99-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfBrOFG1FfI/AAAAAAAACQA/BW_XSXUPgi8/s800/IMG_3241.JPG" width=100% height=100% /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">When to visit:</span><br />Arugambay is full of foreigners during the surf season (June to August) but seems empty otherwise. While surfing is good, I prefer swimming. And what makes the off season bad for surfers (no waves) makes it great for swimming. The waves break really close to the shore so if you slightly beyond, you can just float for hours.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Security:</span><br />It's safe as anywhere else in the country. We experienced no issues and there are STF/Army checkpoints all along the way. Where there are concerns (such as the road from Panama to Kumana) the roads are closed off.<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/UZZyMC28-YlAs3-ZtSjSfw?feat=embedwebsite"><img width=100% src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfBx4ghCndI/AAAAAAAACQw/c1nIAtKsZQA/s800/IMG_2797_2799.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Getting there: </span><br />The distance from Arugambay to Colombo is around 350km and the easiest way to get to Arugambay is by vehicle.<br /><br />But you have to leave early enough. We left Colombo at 5am - you must leave then: the buses get on the road by 6, the schoolchildren 6:30 - and made it there around noon. There are two routes you can take.<br /><br />Either way, you take the A4/High Level Road past Ratnapura to Pelmadulla.<br /><br />From Pelmadulla, you can go south to Embilipitiya, go across Udawalawe to Thanamalwila and back north to Wellawaya. The road is carpeted all the way except for the awful 40km of road crossing Udawalawe National Park. It has always been awful and doesn't seem to have been fixed since, I think, the dam was built.<br /><br />Or you can stay on the A4 past Pelmadulla and go through Beragala (here, the road forks. The carpeted road continues to Badulla but you have to take the right fork downward - the bad road) to Wellawaya. The 37km from Beragala is not great but the rest is carpeted all the way and the views are spectacular.<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1oEWaMSZ74w5mdO0wi5qHw?feat=embedwebsite"><img width=20% height=20% src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfBoMHrjt1I/AAAAAAAACOA/8lGBkbKGKEs/s144/IMG_4051.JPG" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ZBAgVnQ3foKeScvWUHOqag?feat=embedwebsite"><img width=20% height=20% src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfBpQvEhFdI/AAAAAAAACP4/8RILNdKkdyM/s144/IMG_2851.JPG" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tSxvQGq7tA4ibN7rQbHb0A?feat=embedwebsite"><img width=20% height=20% src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfBotiSfvrI/AAAAAAAACPI/ncy2D6C2EKY/s144/IMG_2796.JPG" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfBotiSfvrI/AAAAAAAACPI/ncy2D6C2EKY/s144/IMG_2796.JPG" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/C0V0OO1mRsQN2uL7M0YQ_g?feat=embedwebsite"><img width=20% height=20% src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfBocblmQKI/AAAAAAAACOo/yEVOPG_1kVE/s144/IMG_4073.JPG" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yfJHeQsoDd7K_o9nLd4wPw?feat=embedwebsite"><img width=20% height=20% src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfBpJ9cilZI/AAAAAAAACPw/HQEmmk_Uj1w/s144/IMG_2846.JPG" /></a><br />I prefer the second route: once you pass Pelmadulla, there's no traffic, the road is good and the scenery is beautiful and unspoiled, especially the bit from Belihuloya to Wellawaya. <br /><br />It also means you can stop at Thunmansala Hotel in Haldemulla on the south side of the road for breakfast: it's clean and airy, the owner is very pleasant and you can see the Kiri Vehera on a clear day.<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/OJPvAThliCCoH_nGGfuWsA?feat=embedwebsite"><img width=33% height=33% src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfBtvDWqN6I/AAAAAAAACQo/am5_CxFDVkQ/s288/IMG_4062.JPG" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/eTwCaSlEi5J-jHiMScgxRA?feat=embedwebsite"><img width=33% height=33% src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfBoS3L5MrI/AAAAAAAACOQ/qoQRL_JAWDU/s288/IMG_4058.JPG" /></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0jClYqbIagqOalj-4ScdXw?feat=embedwebsite"><img width=33% height=33% src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SfBoi7fu6JI/AAAAAAAACO4/eIE-djmrkEc/s288/IMG_2768.JPG" /></a><br />From Wellawaya to Pottuvil, the road is straight and good except for the last 40km which goes through Lahugala National Park. This road closes after 5pm. This part looks scary (because it is thick jungle) but there are STF/Army checkpoints all the way.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Budget: </span><br />It cost me less than LKR 6,000 (~ 50 litres) in petrol for a round trip in my Mazda.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Getting back:</span><br />When you're leaving Arugambay, you have to get a permit. Make sure you have a copy of your vehicle ID card: they need engine numbers and things.<br /><br />On the day you leave, go to the police checkpoint in Pottuvil town, park the vehicle and get the police officer to fill out the form. Then, you walk to the police station, into an office marked Minor Offences (apparently, tourism is still frowned upon) and get the permit. The whole thing'll take less than half an hour if there's no line. This is open from 7am to 3pm, so go at 7am if you can. Or if you're posh, send the driver.<br /><br />You'll get three copies and you have to hand them in at different checkpoints along the way back - the last one at Siyambalanduwa (Tamarind Wrench?). On the bright side, it'll give you something to do instead of contemplating work the next day.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">More:</span> See <a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/04/arugam-bay-guide-2-hotels-and.html">Arugambay Travel Guide Part 2 - Hotels and Restaurants</a> for where to stay and eat.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-65538675879140918222009-04-19T08:30:00.006+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.903+05:30Galaxy Lounge Arugambay Sri Lanka Hotel Review - Arugam Bay<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/9r14xq8s-2HBHClrF2Ocrw?feat=embedwebsite"><img align="left" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SemI5Lzw0JI/AAAAAAAACCQ/wpwqO4mM01Q/s288/IMG_3050.JPG"></a>Arugambay is a lot like Hikkaduwa. The accomodation is cheap but the majority of places are holes. They have fancy names (Hillton!) and big, digitally printed signboards but are still holes.<br>
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Originally, when we decided to go there for the long, long weekend, I'd booked into Ranga's Beach Hut. When my wife found out Ranga's had shared bathrooms, she had a fit, called me unspeakable names, names a wife should just not call a husband, and booked a place she found on the web called Galaxy Lounge. <br>
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FbXkJh-9cIPAvNOFj7enHQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img align="right" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SemK011AkwI/AAAAAAAACEU/-Hzhy6bWDTc/s288/IMG_3111.JPG"></a>When we got there, I had to admit she was right. Ranga's - where we went later for dinner - was a hole, too. But Galaxy Lounge was much, much better. <br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/04/hotel-in-arugambay-sri-lanka-galaxy.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-29957906299917542962009-04-01T08:30:00.005+05:302011-06-18T07:23:25.348+05:30Long Weekend in the Southern Tea Hills of Sri Lanka - 6 Day Itinerary<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zd7rLDQyJ_RaYHhPjQwKcA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SdKljZL5d4I/AAAAAAAAB3M/nVX48g3VmOA/s288/IMG_5431.JPG" alt="Water Well on the road Matugama Kalutara Sri Lanka" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SdKljZL5d4I/AAAAAAAAB3M/nVX48g3VmOA/s288/IMG_5431.JPG" align="left" /></a>Six days of holidays are coming up! The 9th to the 14th of April, 2009 are holidays for most of us - for others, you just need to take the 10th off.<br /><br />Only in Sri Lanka do we get these kind of long weekends. Most of us head in one direction: down south. The roads are good, the beach is there, etc. <span style="font-style: italic;">But so is everyone else.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/3_F1jE-Fb6Q7IVsOT5We-w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/San0NflFFII/AAAAAAAABgk/9OgcOEV-dKg/s288/IMG_5595.JPG" alt="Sunset through rubber tree silouhettes Matugama Kalutara Sri Lanka" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/San0NflFFII/AAAAAAAABgk/9OgcOEV-dKg/s288/IMG_5595.JPG" align="right" /></a>Here's a slightly alternative itinerary, with minimal travelling time, which will take you to parts of Sri Lanka which almost no one sees. As a plus, you'll visit unique hotels - most of which you've probably never been to - and support them through this difficult time.<br /><br />First, go to <a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/03/hotel-in-kalutara-sri-lanka-halketha.html">Halketha</a>. Leave Colombo early in the morning when there's minimal traffic. It's in a rubber estate in Matugama, off Kalutara. Enjoy the scenery - go for a bike ride using the hotel bicycles in the surrounding paddy lands and rubber estates with minimal traffic - we counted 1 van per hour. See if you can bike to the <span style="font-style: italic;">Peeli Hatha</span> (7 Waterfalls).<br /><br />Then, head to <a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/07/sinharaja-duo-pt-1-review-of-rock-view.html">Rock View Motel, Kalawana</a> near Sinharaja. The road takes you across the Agalawatte tea plantation, which is gorgeous. When you get there, hike to or drive to Sinharaja if you want - stay in the room and enjoy the view and the chop suey if you don't.<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jaliya/20080719SinharajaTripRockView?feat=embedwebsite#5319498159417326162"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SdKnZF9p-lI/AAAAAAAAB3k/aqrPGtHTyFk/s800/IMG_1570_1573.jpg" alt="Kalawana Sinharaja Sri Lanka Cloudy Mountains Panorama" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SdKnZF9p-lI/AAAAAAAAB3k/aqrPGtHTyFk/s800/IMG_1570_1573.jpg" align="left" width="100%" /></a><br /><br />You can also try Rainforest Edge, also in Kalawana, which is much more expensive - about twice the price of Rock View - but also much posher.<br /><br />Finally, hit <a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/06/hit-ad-dyssey-review-of-bopath-falls_23.html">Bopath Ella Rock Chalets </a>in Kuruwita past Ratnapura. The road from Kalawana/Sinharaja to Ratnapura/Kuruwita is similarly scenic, full of southern tea.<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GGxskVtHqWgrTU2zbtMwow?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SdKz7YEaneI/AAAAAAAAB5w/q6vfL2-OpDA/s800/pano.jpg" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SdKz7YEaneI/AAAAAAAAB5w/q6vfL2-OpDA/s800/pano.jpg" width="100%" /></a>They have an amazing chop suey and fried rice, so try both. Remember to take the Bopath Ella main road from Kuruwita junction and, when you come to some rocks on the Bopath Ella road put there by touts who want you to pay for parking, just drive past them and you'll find the hotel. By no means should you stay in Minara Bopath Ella which is just nearby: the parking lot is prettier than the hotel.<br /><br />Travel time should not exceed 2 hours per leg. The total should not exceed LKR 30,000 accomodation for two people.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-23414707266176454812009-03-24T08:30:00.002+05:302011-06-18T20:45:26.541+05:30Reghina Margherita and Echo Cinnamon Grand Pizza Restaurants Colombo Sri Lanka - Spicy or Cheesy? Sweet!<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/WK5e2fITk3fnRItX2Ia1Mw?feat=embedwebsite"><img align="left" alt="Reghina Margherita Italian Restaurant Park Road Colombo Sri Lanka Pizza Slice" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/ScZeh_foVSI/AAAAAAAABuQ/oaZ0f3b0IcU/s288/IMG_5232.JPG"></a>I've always been a bit of a pizza snob. To me, real pizza is not Italian - it never was - but New York pizza. I think it's the water. In most places here in Colombo, the pizza just doesn't feel right in an <span style="font-style: italic;">I-don't-know-much-about-art-but-I-know-what-I-like</span> manner. Even Il Ponte at the Hilton, which possesses a wood fired brick oven, only offers pizza that is both expensive and mediocre.<br>
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So, when we recently got a pizza craving, we decided to visit some of the newer Italian restaurants - Echo at the <a href="http://www.cinnamonhotels.com/Grand/CinnamonGrand.htm">Cinnamon Grand</a> and Reghina Margherita - to try theirs out.<br>
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<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/03/pizza-restaurants-in-colombo-sri-lanka.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-6686010136255330502009-03-08T04:27:00.011+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.906+05:30Halketha Matugama Kalutara Sri Lanka Boutique Hotel Review - Mathugama<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Rubber Soul</span><br>
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qkpcwrWPgYWcvTxBECYPNw?authkey=Gv1sRgCI7Cn9elgYPqKQ&feat=embedwebsite"><img align="right" alt="Halketha Matugama Kalutara Sri Lanka" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/San3SUUGc_I/AAAAAAAABlE/fz14yzFwMEo/s600/IMG_5460_5465.jpg"></a><br>
Kalutara. What is it known for really, other than somewhere to stop, drop in a coin and pray that you get to somewhere nicer? Turns out Kalutara, the district anyway, has nice areas and Halketha - in Mathugama, 75 km from Colombo - is in one of these.<br>
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We were looking for somewhere to go and found it in the Sunday Times HIT Ads supplement. Coming off a recent bad experience at <a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/02/hotel-in-ratnapura-sri-lanka-rainforest.html">Rainforest Eco Lodge</a>, we were wary but when they sent us pictures, we were rearing to go.<br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/03/hotel-in-kalutara-sri-lanka-halketha.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-73910141104288940132009-02-22T10:00:00.001+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.908+05:30Google Map of Sri Lanka Hotel Reviews by BloggersThis Google map is for all the blog reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka. If anyone has reviews of hotels/restaurants on their blogs, please give me the links in the comments so I can include it in this map.<br /><br />Judging whether a hotel is near where you want to go by address, especially in SL, is not the easiest unless you have a Survey Dept of SL map in your head. This map should give trip planners a little help in identifying a hotel close to where they want to go.<br /><br />All the reviews I've done are here along with those by other bloggers I've found. It is always there on the top left corner of my blog but I thought I'd bring some attention to it because I'd like get more hotels reviewed by other bloggers onto it.<br /><br /><iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&s=AARTsJr_urMd6SG8R6RbIFJf-MxnICgW9A&msa=0&msid=108127026403420637134.00045153637cf9e0bac35&ll=7.351571,80.837402&spn=3.268369,2.746582&z=8&output=embed" frameborder="0" height="600" scrolling="no" width="500"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=108127026403420637134.00045153637cf9e0bac35&ll=7.351571,80.837402&spn=3.268369,2.746582&z=8&source=embed" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-8964835476495357552009-02-17T08:00:00.003+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.909+05:30Rainforest Eco Lodge Pelawinne Ratnapura Sri Lanka Hotel Review - Recycling CenterPeople like to visit a hotel they are already familiar with so that they won't have any unpleasant surprises. New Sri Lankan hotels, as a result have a huge barrier to overcome before the beach-pool-and-buffet crowd comes to visit them. We always felt a little superior to them. We used to find hotels in the HIT Ads and if we liked the ad and the location, we'd go. After this last experience, we're beginning to understand where they're coming from.<br>
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Rainforest Eco Lodge (Lanka Eco Lodge?) is an ad I used to see all the time and it looked nice. "Eco"-ey, even. Set in Pelawinna Estate, 10km from Ratnapura on the Adam's Peak road, it is 3km from the main road. And this 3km is a treacherous, awful road which you can only go in a jeep or vehicle you don't care about. We opted to take the Lodge provided transportation (an ancient Land Cruiser which costs LKR 1500 both ways). The road was promisingly bad - usually, the quality of a road is inversely proportional to that of the hotel.<br>
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So we got to the hotel, shaken <em>and</em> stirred like an indecisive secret agent's martini, and we got our first surprise. Whether you wake up and find next to you, a strange, beautiful woman or a horse's head, you're surprised. <em>This</em> was a bloody nag moment.<br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/02/hotel-in-ratnapura-sri-lanka-rainforest.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-12031971510248391702009-02-01T08:30:00.007+05:302011-06-18T20:45:53.857+05:30Park Street Mews Restaurant in Colombo Sri Lanka - Ingredient Cuisine<span style="font-style: italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Fine%20Dining">Click here for other fine dining options in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br>
<span style="font-style: italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Restaurants">Click here for more posts about restaurants/places to eat in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br>
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Wd9nvqUZQRjqKA2WZiB7xA?feat=embedwebsite"><img align="left" alt="Park Street Mews Colombo Sri Lanka" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SYDyqWfqdqI/AAAAAAAABUc/uz3nJWo1iWQ/s400/IMG_5302.JPG"></a> Recently, we dined at Park Street Mews,a new bistro style restaurant with a lounge and dining space, on Park Street in Colombo 2. (Legally, new restaurants can only open in streets named Park). <br>
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From the outside, it looks just like a sidewalk cafe abroad which I loved. Sri Lanka, with its nice nighttime weather, should be full of these. Inside, the space which looks like a converted warehouse is huge. The decor is an odd mix of polished cement floors, exposed brick walls, leather sofas in multiple colours, a multitude of lamps, steel and glass fronted display cases and wood carvings. If this smorgasbord of styles is insufficient, there is a private dining area which is positively Pollockian. <br>
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They don't yet have a liquor license so you can bring your own. There's no corkage but your bill has to be at least LKR 2000. At dinner, at least, this is not difficult. Appetisers and soups are around LKR 500, mains go from LKR 850 all the way to LKR 1900.<br>
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<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/02/park-street-mews-restaurant-in-colombo.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-2986961090821812372009-01-25T08:40:00.006+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.910+05:30Landa House Belihuloya Sri Lanka - Balangoda Sri Lanka Hotel Review - Best of 2008<span style="font-style:italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Hotels">Click here for more posts about hotels, guest houses and holiday villas / bungalows in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br>
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/taFQfsc7BtT5cHbjKR32SA?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="Landa House hotel Belihuloya Balangoda Sri Lanka gate in forest" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SXKJwYRa48I/AAAAAAAABAo/mrAX29ugWxs/s400/IMG_4269.JPG" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SXKJwYRa48I/AAAAAAAABAo/mrAX29ugWxs/s400/IMG_4269.JPG" align="left"></a> In 2008, I have stayed at over 30 hotels. Of some of these - the ones that either impress or depress me greatly - I have written about in this blog. Toward the end of the year, I had to visit Badulla for a presentation. The hotel I stayed at was the one I liked the most for 2008 or any year.<br>
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Belihuloya has always been a nice place to stop on the way to the southern hill country for a rice and curry at the beautifully located rest house along the <span style="font-style: italic;">oya</span> (river). This time, though, I found Landa House, through a friend, which is even more beautifully located.<br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/12/best-hotel-of-2008-landa-house.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-50191090752553435302009-01-22T08:30:00.004+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.912+05:30Drifters Narigama Hikkaduwa Sri Lanka Hotel ReviewDrifters - in the Narigama part of Hikkaduwa - is close to all the Hikkaduwa clubs, close enough that you can crawl across the road after a good night/morning.<br>
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For breakfast, they give you gigantic slices of bread with <span style="font-style: italic;">parippu </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">pol sambol </span>for breakfast and, even better food wise, is walking distance from the Roti Shop. Nothing like a <span style="font-style: italic;">parippu/pol sambol/paang </span>and chocolate/banana roti breakfast!<br>
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What I liked about the place was that a) the owner treats locals the same way as he does foreigners b) they have these wooden beach beds with leather covered mattresses and coconut thatched roofs on top so brown people who aren't as sun-addicted as the white people who sun burn red can lie on the beach also.<br>
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Drifters is clean, cheap and basic. So there's no point really waxing poetic about it: rather, I'll show you some pictures of the rooms, surroundings and bathrooms.<br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2009/01/hotel-in-hikkaduwa-sri-lanka-drifters.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-86038511686841152552008-12-23T08:00:00.009+05:302011-06-18T20:42:19.531+05:30Best Burger of 2008 at Gardenia Cafe, Holiday Inn - Fast food in Colombo Sri LankaThe year has been a tumultuous one. Lehman Brothers and Danduwam Mudalali, failed in different ways. Asantha De Mel left his office, poppin' his zero cost collar and blaming everyone else.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Phrn3z3ipkvWUBlNny9_jqPU9zKTjvekMnpP1qMx5ZGJA7Oo-s4gAmzVOwMNncpDv0kYPHutzp3QsJGqK-0aymDAyaOmN9PJbE3cBq1H3IIpE6-OS_D54utyOD_gaUy-YjSVWwBPeYDh/s1600-h/2008-12-20+Holiday+Inn1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282791063207615762" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Phrn3z3ipkvWUBlNny9_jqPU9zKTjvekMnpP1qMx5ZGJA7Oo-s4gAmzVOwMNncpDv0kYPHutzp3QsJGqK-0aymDAyaOmN9PJbE3cBq1H3IIpE6-OS_D54utyOD_gaUy-YjSVWwBPeYDh/s400/2008-12-20+Holiday+Inn1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 366px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 400px;"></a>Yet us Sri Lankans continue caring for nothing other than what's for dinner (<span style="font-style: italic;">heta marunath...</span>). But in our precarious economic times, we have cut back, eating it as cheaply as we can. Maybe the <span style="font-style: italic;">paang </span>has less <span style="font-style: italic;">maalu</span>, maybe the <span style="font-style: italic;">sambol </span>has less <span style="font-style: italic;">pol</span>. But we cannot give it up completely for then the economic terrorists would have won.<br>
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For our personal stand against indigence and gloom, we go to the Gardenia Coffee Shop at the Holiday Inn hotel in Colombo. Coffee shops in posh hotels are really good places to eat cheap and this is no exception. It is fairly nicely done in with banquettes to sit on and the pool to look at. The only objectionable elements are the menu and table mats, cheaply printed and laminated as if at a greasy diner.<br>
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<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/12/best-burger-of-2008-gardenia-cafe.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-7030858866423928012008-11-16T09:06:00.007+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.913+05:30Selara River Guest Uda Walawe / Embilipitiya Sri Lanka Hotel Review - Selara River Hideout<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yMbwkJa2Xp5lpklIcZjVmg?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="Selara River Guest / Hideout Hotel in Uda Walawe / Embilipitiya Sri Lanka" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SR-Hvs30L6I/AAAAAAAAAx4/TBbVJUPdH6c/s800/DSCN2112_2116.jpg" width="100%"></a><br>
Embilipitiya is one of our new urban centers, 200km from Colombo. Drive into town and you can see a town that in a few years will become a city. When my dad was doing an agribusiness here, we used to stay at Centauria. Now, however, they have overbuilt the place - the view from the restaurant of the lake is no more, cut down the menu - no more wild boar! and overpriced it - last time I asked, LKR 7,500 was the half board rate, which is like paying LKR 3 million for a Maruti.<br>
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When I had to go there recently, a colleague recommended Selara River Guest. As it's only about 15km from Embilipitiya on the Pelmadulla-Embilipitiya Road, I thought I'd try it. We turned left at the Uda Walawe turn off (<span style="font-style: italic;">Walawe Handiya</span>) and about 5km down the road, you turn right and drive about 1km of jungly road: we had complaints from the driver that there couldn't be a hotel in such an area.<br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/11/hotel-in-uda-walawe-embilipitiya-sri.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-52080054825227592052008-11-09T08:00:00.004+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.915+05:30The Sun House Galle Sri Lanka Hotel Review - Brunching outside the Omelette<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3r5Y1GD2XmDvG5wuzUrt8BiOY8WtsHNxHtrQ60GEO-MjJwpe742q4E9HYDO0fDFbcofxwUj9vjBaf4PU8-Yc1cJjKYX3u6nMN3edBej7w9Y3q1pDStqsk5hcF1lFXHP3uMRrXmEu9KwJ/s1600-h/IMG_3127_3132.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="sun house hotel galle sri lanka frangipani grove pool seated woman" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266404797291966354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3r5Y1GD2XmDvG5wuzUrt8BiOY8WtsHNxHtrQ60GEO-MjJwpe742q4E9HYDO0fDFbcofxwUj9vjBaf4PU8-Yc1cJjKYX3u6nMN3edBej7w9Y3q1pDStqsk5hcF1lFXHP3uMRrXmEu9KwJ/s400/IMG_3127_3132.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 187px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 400px;"></a>Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day. But even at luxury hotels, you get the same old, same old: a choice of English (meat, eggs, toast, coffee), continental (English minus the meat and eggs) and Sri Lankan breakfasts (string hoppers and such).<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAynPHtGlExaJ-S66xvIr2FS3cIDzpFzK2SgPzAUJRCtSN6gra5qc2sgUP4JGLpJajF2_IQQV_WXNM5a3UNnM3MhF5A-azqFxdV_yqxO9aV2LNJ4iplqK5VN98t85vkjTCcm1xt3_WAg-X/s1600-h/IMG_3036_3042.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="sun house hotel galle sri lanka panorama dutch colonial bungalow" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266412592470819074" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAynPHtGlExaJ-S66xvIr2FS3cIDzpFzK2SgPzAUJRCtSN6gra5qc2sgUP4JGLpJajF2_IQQV_WXNM5a3UNnM3MhF5A-azqFxdV_yqxO9aV2LNJ4iplqK5VN98t85vkjTCcm1xt3_WAg-X/s400/IMG_3036_3042.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 82px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 400px;"></a>I was complaining about this to my wife when we went to the Sun House in Galle for our anniversary. It is a colonial-era bungalow built by a Scottish (<span style="font-style: italic;">Broon!</span>) spice merchant that has been converted into a 7 room hotel. It's really well done: they've kept the colonial style but added modern furniture and design touches. And they've cranked the colour wheel to 11 - everything in the rooms that isn't white is riotously colourful.<br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/11/hotel-in-galle-sri-lanka-sun-house.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-37406633852094837192008-10-05T09:00:00.002+05:302011-06-18T07:23:25.349+05:30Day Trip to Yapahuwa Rock Fortress via Kurunegala Sri Lanka - Chop Suey and Chinese Lions<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/htUJZmTPYAdHe6ndUUah0g?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="yapahuwa sri lanka stone staircase" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SOfF4WdZeRI/AAAAAAAAAow/K7df-MNN2GI/s800/IMG_0128.JPG" width="100%" /></a><br />
Sometimes, when visiting places in Sri Lanka, multiple days aren't required. The island is small enough that a 3 hour drive out of Colombo can take you somewhere completely different.<br />
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Yapahuwa is one of these places. In the 13th century, one of our kings, seeing how well Sigiriya had turned out for King Kasyapa, (<span style="font-style: italic;">Tangent: Actually if King Kasyapa had just stayed on the rock and lobbed things at his enemies, </span><span style="font-style: italic;">he'd've done fine. What's the point of a giant rock fortress if you're not going to use it?</span>) decided to build his palace on another giant rock. Unfortunately for us sightseer types (and I suppose fortunately for those who had to actually carve and carry things up the rock), his ambitions were nowhere as lofty as Kasyapa. And his subsequent PR was also nowhere nearly as good as <a href="http://www.sfsite.com/01a/fp95.htm">Kasyapa</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-vS1JXetbWvExG_ZF5okFQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="yapahuwa sri lanka stone staircase" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SOfFtoj0BfI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/qZY2U4xRiWI/s800/IMG_0127.JPG" /></a><br />
This lack of Sigiriya level awareness means, however, that Yapahuwa is nowhere nearly as crowded as Sigiriya is. And while it is not as impressive as Sigiriya, it still is pretty impressive.<br />
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First, you get the iconic stone staircase with the Chinese lions, the ones on our ten rupee note. Looking at it makes you queasy as its steepness makes it feel like you're going to be climbing one of those rollercoaster rails that curls back on itself. As you climb, though, your confidence increases till, at the top, you pretty much could be the king, looking out and surveying all the land you reign over.<br />
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/q49UOmR4ur1Tm6GYogZf5Q?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="yapahuwa sri lanka vista from top" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SOfGN78P_TI/AAAAAAAAApU/zKnSudXh7tc/s800/IMG_0152.JPG" width="100%" /></a><br />
For most people, that's it. However, from there, you can walk through a forest path to the top. The path is overgrown and all the signs tell you not to go past the staircase area but you should. It's worth it when you reach the top and survey that vista.<br />
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Yapahuwa should be done as a day trip. This is how I would do it: Leave at 9am - weekdays (except Tuesdays: it is closed) are preferable as it is less crowded - from Colombo.<br />
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Stop at Diya Dahara Hotel in Kurunegala - which is right by the lake - for lunch. Get a table by the lake and order the Diya Dahara House Special which is a gigantic, incredibly tasty Sri Lankan chop suey - one dish is enough for about 3 people. Gorge on the chop suey while enjoying the lake view and a couple of beers. Leave for Yapahuwa by 1:30pm, climb it by 3pm (wait for sunset if you can) and you can be back in Colombo by 9pm. The Cholas never had it this easy.<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Hotel Name: </span>Diya Dahara<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Address: </span>7 North Lake Rd, Kurunegala<br />
<span class="page_text"><span style="font-style: italic;">Phone: </span>(037) 222 3452 </span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">More Pictures: </span><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jaliya/Yapahuwa#">Picasaweb</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-86074125450114215212008-09-19T07:30:00.006+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.916+05:30Hantana Shadow Resort Kandy Sri Lanka Hotel Review - Children of the Black Forest - Hanthana Hantane Hanthane<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/31T4DrSQGVAS8ZT79Rs7Kw?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="Hantana Hantane Shadow Resort Kandy Sri Lanka" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SNMH7U11Y_I/AAAAAAAAAmc/sAIhoXW4QhY/s800/IMG_1914_1926_pano.jpg" width="100%"></a>What I love about the type of hotels (cheap!) I usually stay at is that they are usually built, owned and run by people who are from the area and not professional hoteliers. As they are not professionals, they avoid the common pitfalls that the chains make (like offering bland, washed out, often boiled western food that their cooks barely know how to make instead of good spicy eastern food).<br>
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On the other hand, they also do not always know how to access the right kind of assistance to maximise the natural benefits of the place they build their hotel in and add those minor touches of quality that can make a 5,000 rupee a night hotel feel like a night at a 20,000 rupee hotel. If SLTB could take 5% of what they spend on attending trade fairs in other countries and use that to pay some experienced hotelier to visit and advise our indigenous hotels on the details, the tourism industry could see real growth as the diversity of experiences our indigenous hoteliers offer is exactly what higher end tourists are looking for.<br>
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<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/xDYsQEfkANm3sj1AskXPtA?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="Hantana Hantane Shadow Resort Kandy Sri Lanka" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SNMH-rDsaiI/AAAAAAAAAmk/upJ4QZhPR9M/s800/IMG_1971_1976_pano.jpg" width="100%"></a>Hantana (Hanthane? Hantane?) Shadow Resort is one of these hotels. It is 15 minutes from Kandy town and set into the slope of a mountain covered with pine trees. The hotel rooms are built in between the trees creating the feeling that somehow the rooms have existed as long as the forest has. Step outside the room and it's like living in an Enid-Blyton-Magic-Faraway-Tree forest, especially at night when the widely spaced lights add luminosity to the scene.<br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/09/hotel-in-kandy-sri-lanka-children-of.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-60166289596906802332008-09-06T08:00:00.012+05:302011-06-18T20:42:28.222+05:30Burger's King - Mr Burger King - Malay St Chicken Shawarma - Fast Food Colombo Sri Lanka(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Burgers">click here to see more reviews of burgers in Sri Lanka</a>)<br>
(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Fast%20Food">click here to see more reviews of fast food places in Sri Lanka</a>)<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DA0kJK9h0q4np3inHe0DD8PAxQTRPfw2aIbJVvcg5_iPmusaNTKzF3N_GYJjqcqr0Zqzy-HYrtNfqapkc4_8xSdBlFdgAYzYxZ9rajLDKLShfagjIO6LRadd6Jc8vh70MIRXqoSVBgAo/s1600-h/DSCF0165.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240512609952580546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DA0kJK9h0q4np3inHe0DD8PAxQTRPfw2aIbJVvcg5_iPmusaNTKzF3N_GYJjqcqr0Zqzy-HYrtNfqapkc4_8xSdBlFdgAYzYxZ9rajLDKLShfagjIO6LRadd6Jc8vh70MIRXqoSVBgAo/s400/DSCF0165.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;"></a>Naming conventions are an odd thing in Sri Lanka. Many shops have rip off names, taking a well known name and modifying it just a little bit. Whether it's a little guy running a pastry shop called Move'n'Pick (Dharmapala Mw), a medium guy running a clothes store called Opel (Ethul Kotte Rd) or a big guy running a security firm called Ceylinco CISCO (everywhere, it seems), this is an accepted part of Sri Lankan business life.<br>
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Accordingly, the son of the fabled Nana's (the name of which was ripped off over and over again - there must be ten thousand Nana's in Sri Lanka) has set up Mr Burger King. Leaving alone the debate as to whether a royal personage could be referred to "Mister," we can instead focus on the food. And the location.<br>
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<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/09/chicken-shawarma-on-malay-st-mr-burger.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-67225303872775009672008-08-27T08:00:00.010+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.917+05:30Victoria Golf Club Chalets Digana Kandy Sri Lanka Hotel Review<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6lWTA1A7N-jnvfE3YEQ3T5dUimvMUJ8_Tutb2OmhG8U3ISFdo8tjvCnQvm-azMP1J_ygij8juvwO9ZLDk6pdBXVP_CRjRpmRyaUGc9yzgby2wcnuaq3NtIveHPMzjtnxhQlvXVKsQC9S/s1600-h/Honeymoon+113.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="view of golf course from victoria golf course chalets" border="0" fix="fixed" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228455605407412034" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6lWTA1A7N-jnvfE3YEQ3T5dUimvMUJ8_Tutb2OmhG8U3ISFdo8tjvCnQvm-azMP1J_ygij8juvwO9ZLDk6pdBXVP_CRjRpmRyaUGc9yzgby2wcnuaq3NtIveHPMzjtnxhQlvXVKsQC9S/s320/Honeymoon+113.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;"></a><br>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Hotels">Click here for more posts about hotels in Sri Lanka</a>)</span></div>(Updated Sep 2010)<br>
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We visited the Chalets at Victoria Golf Course last year as a one night stopover on the way from Dambulla to Nuwara Eliya. We needed a place to stay in Kandy and we just didn't want to stay in the usual city hotels with their abundance of cement and steel. A friend recommended the Chalets and, even though they're a bit out of the way - Digana is 15 to 20 min from Kandy town -we thought, what the hey and went.<br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/08/review-of-victoria-golf-club-chalets.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-76747463730099410472008-08-04T07:30:00.003+05:302011-06-18T07:15:36.887+05:30Rice and Curry on the A1 (Colombo Puttalam Road) - Road Food<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtdbHc3Y9WnH7mecMFX0sdoyaUe8lOtwXiOmWCwkoER__PGZk_RA4knp1QX_PTpcImFAseml9DqxFPGjDmaFF43KkyxlvWzmQBYcHfcgNHzLp6ZUooGB_7RFo7eObl_4rjVpXkBSD2LL9/s1600-h/DSCN2243.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228445834958453378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtdbHc3Y9WnH7mecMFX0sdoyaUe8lOtwXiOmWCwkoER__PGZk_RA4knp1QX_PTpcImFAseml9DqxFPGjDmaFF43KkyxlvWzmQBYcHfcgNHzLp6ZUooGB_7RFo7eObl_4rjVpXkBSD2LL9/s320/DSCN2243.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px;" /></a>Driving on Sri Lankan rural roads is heaven. The main roads are usually carpeted, well maintained and traffic-free. But I also mean it in an aesthetic sense: rural roads here are surrounded by lush greenery, ancient trees, flowers (which I struggle to grow in my own garden) growing wild, lakes, sea, beach, cloudless blue skies and sunsets.<br />
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But what is usually difficult to find is a nice place to eat in the midst of this splendor. Usually, it's a dark, dank shop where the tables face the road and the view is only used to dump garbage from the kitchen. The rice and curries in such places are usually good but it is really difficult to find a place which lets in at least some of the beauty of the surroundings while you gorge on far too much rice and a tiny little bit of curry.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pVZF6z45Gh3VDbm02fEMdqI6GdCB0m0Z7nGOq_IlL-4_EIeHrC4w0LuCVhRJVLuJVe6LnUN_rZkb-OT7MRdCcJBbRRSub20qHZvrMCAjW0WPn0Lbic_Zmw_VD4iy7MF8imjWKQLhwjUo/s1600-h/DSCN2244.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228446175816022978" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pVZF6z45Gh3VDbm02fEMdqI6GdCB0m0Z7nGOq_IlL-4_EIeHrC4w0LuCVhRJVLuJVe6LnUN_rZkb-OT7MRdCcJBbRRSub20qHZvrMCAjW0WPn0Lbic_Zmw_VD4iy7MF8imjWKQLhwjUo/s320/DSCN2244.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></a>After many, many trips, my wife found this little place, a <span style="font-style: italic;">bath kade</span>, on the A1 which runs from Colombo to Puttalam, which goes some way towards bridging this gap. It is at the 63rd km post on the A1 where on the land side you see a sign "Little Hut <span style="font-style: italic;">Bath</span> Buffet."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_oCG4XQyaF96VDsTVWohwySSeuslYIJVXDk2AXVmLVQawdHmcYQVM13Ixb870IYKUjPBfvBYhA7NNHhoPVC2hDoLuqiEUJpK0AzK1z-tiO0tUwdf-V1rhq6i5L6ocKqKH_0rXr_ut9_a/s1600-h/DSCN2251.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228445840419783282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_oCG4XQyaF96VDsTVWohwySSeuslYIJVXDk2AXVmLVQawdHmcYQVM13Ixb870IYKUjPBfvBYhA7NNHhoPVC2hDoLuqiEUJpK0AzK1z-tiO0tUwdf-V1rhq6i5L6ocKqKH_0rXr_ut9_a/s320/DSCN2251.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px;" /></a>It is a tiny little place but where you sit is in the greenery as you can see from the photos. The food is quite good with quite a bit of variety. It cost around Rs 150 for a meat rice and curry (<span style="font-style: italic;">mas kaama</span>, dude!)<br />
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Restaurant Name: Little Hut <span style="font-style: italic;">Bath </span>Buffet<br />
Address: 63km post, Colombo-Puttalam Rd (about 1.5 hrs out of Colombo on a good day)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-29578787990931199132008-07-27T09:00:00.009+05:302011-06-18T20:01:57.009+05:30Five Stars on the Cheap at Taprobane Coffee Shop Cinnamon Grand - Restaurant Review Colombo Sri Lanka<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30c6_fv7mQVYD4jBjB7AyUDYG3GexYFEtXykVqD6IhiiEKupDM7S9qjcH88DIpzEDoOFvh5La37GuiyQd4MzVTPVSeamfzJa_6A9pRgvho16WQlI4VHugBc-q7FNpPAmKvr8xQY6F9dul/s1600-h/2008-02-11+Cinnamon+Grand+Taprobane+005.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" fix="tofix" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227532640508055138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30c6_fv7mQVYD4jBjB7AyUDYG3GexYFEtXykVqD6IhiiEKupDM7S9qjcH88DIpzEDoOFvh5La37GuiyQd4MzVTPVSeamfzJa_6A9pRgvho16WQlI4VHugBc-q7FNpPAmKvr8xQY6F9dul/s320/2008-02-11+Cinnamon+Grand+Taprobane+005.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;"></a><br>
In my previous existence in New York City, we used to go to the most upscale restaurants and see how we could come out with the lowest bill. We used to call this game 'Being Broke.' Or 'Being Poor.'<br>
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Here in Sri Lanka, the way to do this is to go into a posh hotel and eat at the coffee shop of said hotel. Taprobane Coffee Shop at the Cinnamon Grand is such a place - I discovered it after a heavy night out (this was before I got married and started falling asleep at 10pm) The ambience is really nice - the view is better than most hotel coffee shops except for the Hilton - and the menu is extensive and cheap.<br>
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<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/07/five-stars-on-cheap-review-of-taprobane.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-66886264762625746462008-07-22T09:00:00.026+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.919+05:30Rock View Motel Sinharaja Sri Lanka Hotel Review - Kalawana Ratnapura<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkK3d7zgOk7nZho3QKtCoQq8tNe3wpRwdnaepc7XpKSKeSqWZ_T3v687gsZUER_ah22V35EW5karZ1Vv34p8vJlwZ1DGWjV9NDl09S0JFudTyIQ2VopD0wS0XvA2mUYWSgrUYcBLePx4CA/s1600-h/IMG_1576.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="rock view motel sinharaja kalawana sri lanka view of forest from balcony" border="0" fix="fixed" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225499592241241746" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkK3d7zgOk7nZho3QKtCoQq8tNe3wpRwdnaepc7XpKSKeSqWZ_T3v687gsZUER_ah22V35EW5karZ1Vv34p8vJlwZ1DGWjV9NDl09S0JFudTyIQ2VopD0wS0XvA2mUYWSgrUYcBLePx4CA/s320/IMG_1576.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;"></a><br>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Hotels">Click here for more posts about hotels in Sri Lanka</a>)</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(Updated Sep 2010)</span></div>Many hotels in Sri Lanka have evocative names that they do not live up to - "beach" hotels with minimal, unswimmable beaches, "resorts" which barely meet the criteria of a single star and "eco" lodges which are eco only because the plumbing doesn't work.<br>
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Rock View Hotel (Motel?), near the Sinharaja rainforest, is not guilty of this. The view from each room (on the upper floor, at least) is breathtaking. Standing as it does, on the edge of a tea mountain (mountain of tea?), the view from the balcony is of the entire valley below and of the hilly range above it, encompassing paddy fields, pine forests, mountains and mist.<br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/07/sinharaja-duo-pt-1-review-of-rock-view.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-79458917077272570502008-07-06T09:00:00.008+05:302011-06-18T20:46:26.675+05:30Chicken Rice at 88 Chinese Restaurant Colombo Sri Lanka88 Chinese looks like the usual Sri Lankan Chinese restaurant with fried rice and hot butter cuttlefish galore. When we go to 88, however, we do not order the usual. We order "chicken rice." I suppose it's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hainanese_chicken_rice">Hainanese Chicken Rice</a> but that's not what we order. We order "chicken rice" and that's what we get.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdjEdluUVOQG9SPgPU7NA7c6Gi6P6P9jqgmF5X8cM8aHG2N6vYnxCttvpSxjgMAiUmvmKNLPJ3Zo0JIGSb8u0YnNwVE9luhcyxCVgR8rPCCDQgyjuvbr5-IG8PD-f1X8mE5lLTn6V_7V6/s1600-h/2499256240_8fb8db7012_m.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219474993115437394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdjEdluUVOQG9SPgPU7NA7c6Gi6P6P9jqgmF5X8cM8aHG2N6vYnxCttvpSxjgMAiUmvmKNLPJ3Zo0JIGSb8u0YnNwVE9luhcyxCVgR8rPCCDQgyjuvbr5-IG8PD-f1X8mE5lLTn6V_7V6/s400/2499256240_8fb8db7012_m.jpg" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0pt;"></a><br>
Chicken rice is a plate of soy/scallion/ginger sauce-flecked rice with slices of chicken on top (the chicken is stuffed with scallion/ginger, roasted and cooled: while it's normally done by hanging the roasted chicken outside the shop for a day, here it's probably in a bath of iced water) and a side of chili sauce.<br>
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<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/07/chicken-rice-review-of-88-chinese.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-88424401744536691032008-06-24T07:30:00.007+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.920+05:30Bopath Fall Rock Chalets Kuruwita Ratnapura Sri Lanka Hotel Review - Bopath Falls Rock Chalets<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yhBWBErQ5L06QUvDPh9E1w?feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="Bopath Ella Falls Rock Chalets Hotel Bedroom" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SdKsyE--9GI/AAAAAAAAB4g/_kFWLa8QAlY/s800/IMG_5383_5388.jpg" width="100%"></a>The hotel trade in Sri Lanka is an odd business. Down south, cookie cutter hotels with blue pools and blah buffets next to a sliver of beach are full every weekend while one in gorgeous low country tea land, right next to a waterfall in an intensively green, landscaped environment languishes, empty.<br>
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Bopath Ella Rock Chalets Hotel is in Kuruwita, just about 2 hours from Colombo before Ratnapura. <i id="jcy_">Tip: </i>The hotel can be reached by the main Kuruwita Bopath Ella Road or a road before that where the hotel sign actually is. But don't take the road where the hotel sign is - it's awful. Take the main Kuruwita Bopath Ella Road to the hotel and your car will thank you.<br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/06/hit-ad-dyssey-review-of-bopath-falls_23.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-23872491390893234192008-06-09T08:34:00.007+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.922+05:30World's End Lodge Eagles Nest - Lower Ohiya Sri Lanka Hotel Review - Horton Plains<span style="font-style: italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Hotels">Click here for more posts about hotels in Sri Lanka</a>)</span><br>
<span style="font-style: italic;">(Updated Sep 2010)</span><br>
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5kkYuC1dBcXvA_iton7b9Q?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/TGlrxVG4IrI/AAAAAAAAHJI/bQmD00FrpmY/s600/2008-03-08%20Eagle%27s%20Nest%20Ohiya%20Visit%20173_181.jpg" width="100%"></a><br>
Judging a hotel by how you get to it is like judging a book by its cover. The drive to World's End Lodge, Lower Ohiya (drive on the A4 past Belihuloya and turn right at Kalupahana Junction and keep going up, up and up) was excruciating. When we turned off from the A4, we saw some lights, high up and far in the distance, and joked that that was where we were going. When we got to the hotel, we felt like a couple of jokers: that was where we were. The last bit of the climb is a series of hair pin bends with signs painted on rocks urging you forward "just a hop skip and a jump," etc.<br>
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We walked out of the car around midnight - we left at 7pm - and our minds were blown. There is no light pollution and you're high up on a mountain: the stars are clearly visible, seemingly just out of reach. For me, it was as if I was really seeing our night skies for the first time, so clear were they. Another sign of how high this was - even inside the room, you can hear the wind whistling and swirling around angrily, banging at the windows.<br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/06/judging-hotel-by-how-you-get-to-it-is.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-37868836969025400552008-04-25T04:54:00.005+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.923+05:30The Mudhouse Anamaduwa Puttalam Sri Lanka Hotel Review - The Mud House<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/D2hCoUqhqTmGhCetflP0Xw?feat=embedwebsite"><img align=left src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NYlAcT1wV60/SgmTbgi3dbI/AAAAAAAACYU/-Z9t8ZPCbV8/s400/DSCN0325.JPG"></a><span style="padding: 5px; float: left;font-size:400%;" >Q</span>uick, where does anyone stay in Puttalam district? Apart from Dhammika Holiday Resort which does not overcome its unpromising name and Puttalam Rest House, there's pretty much nothing. Just before a monitoring visit to Puttalam, however, a friend told me about the Mudhouse which is in Anamaduwa off the Puttalam Kurunegala Rd.<br>
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<span style="border-top: 3px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom: 3px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 5px 0pt 5px 5px; padding: 10px; width: 200px; float: right; text-align: center;">The way there is promising, beginning with a massive rock formation in a clearing and getting progressively junglier.</span>From the Anamaduwa turnoff, there's no point giving directions as the road is fairly windy. When I went, a guide on a motorcycle from the hotel stayed at the turnoff and went in front of our car to show us the way. The way there is promising, beginning with a massive rock formation in a clearing and getting progressively junglier. It took about 20 minutes and I went in a car but it'd be better to take a higher clearance vehicle.<br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/04/review-of-mudhouse-hotel-puttalam-sri.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-87282783604933948052008-04-01T08:12:00.006+05:302011-06-18T19:59:53.787+05:30Mrs Warusawithana's Lamprais - Green lumps of goodnessThis blog reviews places to eat. However, there are times when a lengthy review is unnecessary as usually the food is great but the menu is limited and the ambience is non existent. This is one of those times. <br>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We’ll start with a place where the ambience is defined by a white cord and a red paper label. The Lamprais House which is run by the Lamprais Lady and her Lamprais Son down Lamprais Lane provides take away lamprais, the best thing to come out of the Netherlands since pot in coffee bars and legalised prostitution (If New Amsterdam followed Old Amsterdam closely, Elliot Spitzer wouldn’t be in so much trouble). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br>
</div><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/03/green-lumps-of-goodness-lamprais-house.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-73841599378429103442008-02-14T08:14:00.005+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.925+05:30Thilanka Hotel and Spa Sigiriya Dambulla Sri Lanka Hotel Review<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3pCeLdMhVHyqCunyCqG9QhsK8nwoy7BuIgAD3IF-0Q-0HUurl5k3n51D7hrzHIpMsyabYnt4YUUShbFLWiJzTOQNL0ACmWzF31wMlfvqWD-oLJmevUHaYsWx6ZnhB5nyBrBWADQUaUZvD/s1600-h/thilanka_dambulla_0003.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="thilanka hotel and spa dambulla sri lanka child running on brick path" border="0" fix="tofix" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166668470384431042" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3pCeLdMhVHyqCunyCqG9QhsK8nwoy7BuIgAD3IF-0Q-0HUurl5k3n51D7hrzHIpMsyabYnt4YUUShbFLWiJzTOQNL0ACmWzF31wMlfvqWD-oLJmevUHaYsWx6ZnhB5nyBrBWADQUaUZvD/s320/thilanka_dambulla_0003.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px;"></a><br>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Hotels">Click here for more posts about hotels in Sri Lanka</a>)</span></div><div><span style="font-style: italic;">(Updated Sep 2010)</span></div><br>
When people in Sri Lanka go to watch cricket in Dambulla, where do they stay? Habarana or Kandalama or Sigiriya are the usual answers. Recently, we visited Thilanka Resort and Spa in Dambulla itself, of which, thanks to its unprepossessing name, we weren't expecting much. But we did have this to go on - one of our fussy friends (only stays at the Hilton residencies when visiting Sri Lanka) enjoyed it. So we crossed our fingers and booked a room for a weekend night.<br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/02/review-of-thilanka-hotel-and-spa.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-26434795042324422312008-02-08T18:12:00.001+05:302011-06-18T07:15:36.892+05:30Long Feng Singapore Restaurant Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo Sri Lanka - Trans Asia Hotel Restaurant Review<div class="MsoNormal">We Sri Lankans eat Chinese food till MSG bubbles out of our ears. And we love chilli and coconut. Put these together and you have Singaporean food. Recently, to my particular joy, two Singaporean places opened up. Prima Taste I've <a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/02/prima-taste-singapore-restaurant.html">reviewed here</a> and didn't like much. This review is of the second one, Long Feng at Trans Asia, which after being purchased by a conglomerated colonial cold cut company (Keells!), changed from a Chinese restaurant into a Singaporean one.</div><div class="MsoNormal">As you enter Long Feng, you are greeted effusively. As if they worry that, for us Sri Lankans, a leap from Chinese to Singaporean is just not something that is comprehensible or accessible. As if they hope to compensate by overservicing us till we no longer care what kind of food we're eating.<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">That effusiveness goes on throughout the meal as two, sometimes three waiters fall over themselves to bring us water, menus, wine lists and, finally, the food. The food is propelled out of the kitchen by a foreign-sounding yelling, something like a combination of Chef! from the BBC and a kung fu movie. We asked the waitstaff and found out that the Singaporean chef does not like his food to be kept waiting.</div><div class="MsoNormal">And the chef would be right. Food this good should be fed directly into my stomach through a tube. We started with the laksa lemak, as Singaporean as a ban on chewing gum, spicy, coconutty, eggy and not too fishy. A goldilocks of a soup. This was followed by the sambal fried rice which we had with lamb in a clay pot and a cuttlefish dish, the name of which escapes my memory but is remembered (fondly) by my belly. The fried rice's spicing was very balanced, allowing me to taste not only the major themes of soya sauce and egg but also the herbs (lemongrass? coriander?).</div><div class="MsoNormal">We also usually sit in the outside bit overlooking the Beira terrace which is very romantic and (these days at least) non smelly. The pricing is very reasonable as we've never exceeded LKR 800-1000 per head for the food nett (Tip: Portion sizes are big - a "small" feeds three people). We have visited the restaurant 4 times since it opened, with a mixture of relatives and friends in tow, and each time the response has been pretty good.</div><div class="MsoNormal">The cautious, boring world of Colombo five star dining is something that we have known of for a while - no risks are taken and no new cuisines are served unless 4 other hotels have done it already. Trans Asia must be commended for taking a step into relatively risky ground and for doing it so well.</div><span style="font-style: italic;">Restaurant Name: </span>Long Feng<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Address: </span>Trans Asia Hotel, 115, Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo 02<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Phone: </span>(add 011 from a mobile) 2 491949 ext.1949<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-64334309317856839332008-02-05T08:23:00.002+05:302011-06-18T19:59:46.055+05:30The Burgers of Sri Lanka (BARS Cafe Colombo Sri Lanka)(I've added <a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/search/label/Burgers">other burger related posts here</a>)<br>
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We've been passing BARS quite often as it's right on Duplication Rd though the address is 24 Deal Place. The ambience is promising with the option of outside dining, overlooking the splendor of Duplication Rd. The other thing in its favour is the music: cool, chill, soothing and groovy music that complements the upscale roadside vibe of the restaurant.<br>
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<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/02/burgers-of-sri-lanka-bars-cafe-colombo.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-57570842151402644722008-02-02T11:02:00.002+05:302011-06-18T19:59:28.532+05:30Prima Taste Singaporean Restaurant Rajagiriya Colombo Sri Lanka Review<div class="MsoNormal">I’ve always liked Singaporean food. Liked it enough that I used to plan day long stopovers in Singapore just to eat at hawker centers. The Malay ingredients, the Chinese methods and the Indian spices that make up Singaporean cuisine go to show that Asian fusion is not something Western chefs invented recently.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Recently, two Singaporean places opened up. Prima, probably the only Singapore-based food company mentioned in an act of parliament, opened a branch of its Prima Taste chain at its office building in Rajagiriya. And Trans Asia, recently purchased by a purveyor of processed, precooked meat products (Keells!), also changed their Chinese restaurant, Long Feng, into a Singaporean one.<br>
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2008/02/prima-taste-singapore-restaurant.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-73839886072234783972007-02-25T11:26:00.005+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.926+05:30Polonnaruwa Resthouse Sri Lanka Hotel Review<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR9pW7PExS-JMD48IT4dSoB-srV4VlmQWD_uKOa3HUHX-yG7Q2K2nEFN0W_A0W_sNLp4mF_2CCrqrGuM-8o0UoboTOA8PtdW4RhZZC8TwsGWmeAVvPJWlwvdz3QXxRum05Ne1TT8FbjtVQ/s1600-h/2006-06-24,+polonnaruwa+anuradhapura+nenasala+visit+023.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="Polonnaruwa Resthouse Sri Lanka hotel on parakrama samudra lake" border="0" fix="tofix" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035348394066739666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR9pW7PExS-JMD48IT4dSoB-srV4VlmQWD_uKOa3HUHX-yG7Q2K2nEFN0W_A0W_sNLp4mF_2CCrqrGuM-8o0UoboTOA8PtdW4RhZZC8TwsGWmeAVvPJWlwvdz3QXxRum05Ne1TT8FbjtVQ/s320/2006-06-24,+polonnaruwa+anuradhapura+nenasala+visit+023.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;"></a>I’ve been working on a rural development project. In the course of work, we travel a lot and, given our budget, only resthouse-style accommodation is allowed. This is not usually a problem as I was boarded in a Sri Lankan private school as a child and I can live with almost anything. <br>
<div class="MsoNormal">Happily, the Polonnaruwa Resthouse, run by the Ceylon Hotels Corporation, is one place I do not need the stamina of my boarding school days to survive. The resthouse is in a beautiful location, right on the Parakrama Samudra, the massive (Samudra means sea and this definitely qualifies) artificial lake built in King Parakrama Bahu’s time. </div><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2007/02/polonnaruwa-resthouse.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-559374132299629272007-02-18T22:07:00.003+05:302011-06-18T19:58:50.199+05:30Seafood Cove Restaurant Mount Lavinia Hotel Colombo Sri Lanka ReviewSri Lanka’s miles of beachfront are something us locals (both guests and restaurateurs) use far too sparingly. Thankfully, the Mount Lavinia Hotel is an exception.<br>
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Seafood Cove is a restaurant set on the Mount Lavinia Hotel’s private beach. Accessible through the hotel, it’s a simple setup. The décor itself recalls the beach movies of the 50’s with wood planks nailed together haphazardly with a roof of dried coconut palm fronds. The ambience and romance, however, is entirely lent by the surroundings: you hear the soothing rush of the waves, you feel the sand on your feet and you see your company in the gentle light provided by the moon (and a few lamps).<br>
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<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2007/02/seafood-cove-mount-lavinia-hotel.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7354320583506758243.post-74180975544598464282007-02-17T10:08:00.005+05:302011-06-18T07:18:42.928+05:30Amaya Reef Hotel Hikkaduwa Sri Lanka Hotel Review<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8dC1s01lecZNeleM1hvIJQyB6Ny4Xs-bOit1DcgNDymdA-f45yr1ibMmg2XSQ1LMn5ojKtmm89kzZwc10cEoOYvoTwFHjNOGUKvdxrAAfJczLXu09UpwC5RxLTNQLyIE0sr0P0YPC_-nf/s1600-h/amayareef.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="amaya reef hotel hikkaduwa sri lanka reflected light in pool at night " border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5032366963664964610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8dC1s01lecZNeleM1hvIJQyB6Ny4Xs-bOit1DcgNDymdA-f45yr1ibMmg2XSQ1LMn5ojKtmm89kzZwc10cEoOYvoTwFHjNOGUKvdxrAAfJczLXu09UpwC5RxLTNQLyIE0sr0P0YPC_-nf/s320/amayareef.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;"></a><br>
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Recently, we visited Hikkaduwa. Hikkaduwa, north of Galle, Sri Lanka is a town known for its accommodations for backpackers. Usually, this means cheap, small hotels, with cheap, small rooms, unexceptional food and few amenities (save the beach which is usually on the doorstep.)<br>
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This time, however, we stayed at the Amaya Reef hotel run by the Connaissance hotel chain. These hotels usually have better amenities and better food than the usual hiker joints and we were particularly looking forward to staying at the Amaya Reef as it had been refurbished recently and had gushing articles written about it in the local magazines.<br>
<a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com/2007/02/amaya-reef-hotel-for-christmas-2006-we.html#more">Read more »</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br /><a href="http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com">http://lankareviewed.blogspot.com</a> - critical, unbiased, independent reviews of hotels in Sri Lanka and restaurants in Colombo</div>Foodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07923230209685215650noreply@blogger.com0