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Sri Lanka
The gems of this large Resplendent
Isle are spread far and wide; from the
chaotic west coast city of Colombo to
the fabulous villas and beach bungalows
in the south, as well as the wonderfully
atmospheric C.17th World Heritage-listed
Dutch colonial Galle Fort; cooler tea
plantations, hill stations and ancient,
sacred Cultural Triangle towards the
center; unspoilt beaches and sights for
the intrepid in the north and east, and
elephant and leopard-spotting in the deep
south. Sri Lanka has it all, and now,
so do you!
The cult pocket city guides and mobile
apps for the busy, sophisticated traveler
www.luxecityguides.comCITI PRESENTS LUXE CITY GUIDES
SRI LANKA HAS HAD A BUMPY RIDE IN THE PAST, BUT THIS HISTORIC JEWEL IS NOW ON THE REBOUND AND SPARKLING MORE THAN EVER, WITH ITS RICH CULTURE, DUTCH, PORTUGUESE AND BRITISH INFLUENCES, STUNNING LANDSCAPE AND BEACHES, AND PALATE-TINGLING FARE.
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• Best time to visit the south and
west coasts is Nov-Mar; Apr-Oct is
monsoon season, but there’s still
plenty of sun.
• English is widely spoken,
what, what!
• Bandaranaike Intl Airport to
Colombo is approx 1 hr and US$30-
40, be sure to arrange
transfers ahead.
• Keep your hotel, villa and driver’s
numbers on you at all times, and
note that phone coverage can be
patchy outside of the major towns.
• Tuk tuks are ok for short jaunts,
but bargain before you ride. Hire a
car and driver for longer trips, and
bear in mind if you keep your driver
overnight then you may need to
assist with accommodation costs.
Blah blah• Roads and traffic are at best
dreadful and Sri Lankans drive like
lunatics. Whatever you do, do NOT
self-drive.
• Banks and ATMs are few and far
between outside of Colombo, so
stock up when you can.
• The currency is the Sri Lankan
rupee and cash is king.
• Most hotels/villas supply torches in
case of power cuts.
• If you’re taking a villa, bring a stack
of gourmet goodies and wine with
you on the flight, there are no
chic delis.
• Most businesses are closed on full
moon days (Poya) and national
holidays. By law, alcohol sales are
also banned on Poya days so watch
the sky or end up dry.
• Bars and clubs are required to stop
serving alcohol and close at 11pm. In
reality, most keep on pouring until
around midnight and then close
by 2am.
• Beware of the local brew, arrack
– one is nice, two at most, three
you’re under the table, four you’re
in an ambulance…
• Most hotels and higher-end
establishments add a service
charge, but it’s nice to leave a
little extra.
• The international code for Sri Lanka
is +94. Landline numbers begin with
011 in Colombo, most mobiles start
with 077.
• In an emergency it’s best to call
your hotel or villa rep. Ensure that
you have full medical
evac insurance.
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LUXE INSIDER
Shanth FernandoDesigner, restaurateur and hotelier,
Shanth Fernando is known as Sri Lanka’s
own Terence Conran, his work featuring
in the world’s most prestigious press from
Harper’s Bazaar to The New York Times.
With his interior design and lifestyle store
Paradise Road established in 1987, the
brand has now grown to five stores with
every aspect of design and merchandise
handled by Shanth himself. In 1998 he
opened The Gallery Café, which remains
one of the city’s most popular bar,
restaurants and galleries, and in 2007
Shanth opened his first hotel Tintagel,
followed in 2009 by Villa Bentota.
www.paradiseroad.lk
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1) WHAT’S THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT COLOMBO AND WHY? ARE THERE ANY SPECIAL EVENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR?
November through to February just
to experience the buzz of the city.
Although Colombo itself doesn’t
really have a better time of year,
the events of interest are ‘Nawam
Perahera’ (February) and ‘Vesak’ (May)
in addition to newer festivals such as
Galle Literary Festival (January) and
Colombo Fashion Week (February).
www.galleliteraryfestival.com
www.colombofashionweek.com
2) WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MOST UNDERRATED SPOTS IN COLOMBO? WHAT MAKES THEM SPECIAL?
The Fort area and Pettah, these
are areas with an energy not found
anywhere else in the city.
3) WHERE DO YOU GO TO UNWIND AND RELAX? WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL?
A walk round the Beira Lake,
Independence Square or down Galle
Face Green by the sea. The Beira Lake
is unique for it’s city center calm and
it is still relatively quiet. Independence
Square has a new walking path and
we are able to enjoy the important
structures like never before.
Walking down Galle Face Green is
incomparable, soaking in the positive
energy of the sea and seeing different
walks of life enjoying kite flying, street
eating and paddling in the water.
4) WHAT ARE 3 OF YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANTS IN TOWN AND WHY? WHAT DISHES DO YOU ORDER?
The Gallery Café of course, London
Grill at Cinnamon Grand and Palmyrah
Restaurant at Renuka Hotel. Order
Black Pork Curry, dessert and cocktails
at The Gallery Café, Chateaubriand
and any steak at London Grill and
hoppers with traditional curries
at Palmyrah.
www.paradiseroad.lk
www.cinnamonhotels.com
www.renukahotel.com
5) WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PATISSERIE/CAKE SHOP OR BAKERY IN COLOMBO, AND WHAT DO YOU ORDER?
The Gallery Café is known for the
best cakes in the city. For some
local charm, buy ‘kade paan’ (shop
bread) and ‘kimbula bunnis’ (sugar
buns) at Torrington Bakery at
85 Thimbirigasyaya Road, while
Esmeralda’s on Flower Road has the
city’s best cream buns!
www.paradiseroad.lk
LUXE INSIDER
Shanth Fernando
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LUXE Loves
THE DUTCH HOUSE Hotel
Set high on a hill, this dashing, four-
suite C.18th manor just a few minutes
from burgeoning enclave Galle Fort on
the south coast is blissfully child-free
and peaceful, with elegant antiques,
modern art, cool verandahs and a
steamer chair-strewn croquet lawn.
Each romantic bedroom features full
air conditioning and mosquito-net-
draped 4-poster beds, with breakfast
and lunch served anywhere on the
property, and dinner served next door
at glamorous sister property
The Sun House.
TINTAGEL COLOMBO
Hotel
This former prime minister’s colonial
manse has been fabulously revamped
into a sultry 10-roomed pleasure
palace by local style-meister Shanth
Fernando, complete with elegant
dining options The Courtyard and
Dining Room, plus vibrant Red Bar.
Each individually designed suite is
unique in a handsome palette of
chocolates, stripes and neutrals, with
luxury bed linens and towels, and an
extreme eye for detail as you’d expect
from the country’s most famous
interior designer.
AMANWELLAHotel
Imagine a coconut grove opening
onto a lovely crescent-shaped beach
of soft sand, a beautiful infinity pool,
excellent service and 30 elegant,
contemporary suites, each with
private plunge pool and terrace. Now
have it designed, managed and run
by the exclusive Aman group and you
have Amanwella. Divine.
23 Upper Dickson Road / Galle
+94 91 438 0275
www.thedutchhouse.com
65 Rosmead Place / Colombo 7
+94 11 460 2121
www.paradiseroadhotels.com
Godellawella / Tangalle
+94 45 224 1333
www.amanresorts.com
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LUXE Loves
RAJA BOJUN Dining
Consistently good and very popular,
sea-view, airy dining room famed
for its delicious curry buffet, and
lunumiris made of onions, dried chilli
and fish chips ground up with salt and
lime, that the locals will cheerfully
warn you ‘can burn your stomach’.
Caveat emptor!
7° NORTH
Bar
This buzzy poolside bar and
Mediterranean tapas-style restaurant
with a sprawling alfresco deck boasts
views over Beira Lake. Wednesdays,
Fridays and Saturdays are the
hotspots, but do be aware there
is live music most nights, so if you
prefer a quiet cocktail, check out The
Checkerboard instead.
THE CHECKERBOARD Bar
Claim your spot on the signature,
perfectly positioned, black and white
checkerboard terrace or beside the
seaside promenade with its fabulous
sea views at this historic hotel. It’s the
best spot in the city for sundowners
with ravishing sunsets, although bear
in mind the service can be rather
hit or miss as the waiters are often
somewhat antique.
Ceylinco Seylan Towers / 90 Galle
Road / Colombo 3
+94 11 471 6171
www.rajabojun.lk
Cinnamon Lakeside / 115 Sir
Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha /
Colombo 2
+94 11 249 1948
www.cinnamonhotels.com
Galle Face Hotel / Galle Road /
Colombo 3
+94 11 254 1010
www.gallefacehotel.com
THE SUN HOUSE
Dining
Only minutes from Galle Fort, this
former Scottish spice merchant’s
house is now a divinely appointed
and welcoming 7-room boutique hotel
offering some of the most romantic
alfresco dining in the south. Try their
famed Sri Lankan curries, sambals
and string hoppers on the garden
terrace, plus signature arrack and rum
cocktails at Dicks Bar. Book ahead for
dinner if you’re not staying
at the hotel.
THE GALLERY CAFE Dining
Located in the former offices of prolific
and influential Sri Lankan architect
Geoffrey Bawa, this ‘see and be scene’,
semi-alfresco, low-lit lovely set around a
glowing courtyard provides stylish and
delicious international fare, an ambient,
social bar with great cocktails and an
upstairs gallery for a little side dish of
culture with your lunch or dinner.
MANGO TREE Dining
An accent on char-grills and low-fat
recipes and a cosmopolitan setting
make this splendid Northern Indian
cookery one of the busiest restaurants
in Colombo. So you can watch your
waistline while watching the smart set
watch their waistlines!
82 Dharmapala Mawatha / Colombo 3
+94 11 762 0620
www.themangotree.net 2 Alfred House Road / Colombo 3
+94 11 258 2162
www.paradiseroad.lk18 Upper Dickson Road / Galle
+94 91 438 0275
www.thesunhouse.com
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LUXE LovesBAREFOOT Shopping
No trip to Sri Lanka is complete
without a visit to this haven of hand-
dyed, hand-woven, jewel-hued fabrics,
home and tableware, bedding toys,
books and art. Add a positively lovely
little courtyard café that turns out an
excellent limed calamari pasta, plus
fab cakes, and you’ve got two of life’s
greatest pleasures covered in one
sweet spot.
MM IBRAHIM
Shopping
If you find yourself in Galle Fort it
would be silly not to visit this most
talented of jewelrs. Reputable and
trustworthy, ask to see the unset
gems and design your own bauble
to remind you of Ceylon, or if time is
short, choose from the glittering array
of chunky silver cuffs, and precious or
semi-precious delights that are ready
to wear.
ESALA PERAHERA (FESTIVAL OF THE TOOTH) Activities
A riot of color and pageantry at
the end of July, this perahera is the
island’s best, with ten days of exotic
processions of elephants, dancers and
drummers culminating in the parading
of the Buddha’s Tooth. The whole of
the island packs into Kandy, where the
final three days are the best, and if you
have booked well ahead you will be able
to view it from a balcony room at The
Queen’s Hotel. Don’t however make the
mistake of staying here overnight, and
avoid being at street level at all costs.
BALLOONING Activities
There really is nothing quite like
the perfect peace and tranquility of
floating in a hot air balloon over the
early morning, misty countryside
in the amazing Cultural Triangle of
Kandalama, Dambulla and Sigiriya,
affording bird’s eye views of the
breathtaking monuments and jungle.
706 Galle Road / Colombo 3
+94 11 258 9305
www.barefootceylon.com
47 Church Street / Galle Fort
+94 91 223 4253
The Queen’s Hotel / Kandy
+94 81 223 3026
www.queenshotel.lk
Adventure Asia
+94 11 586 8468
www.ad-asia.com
PARADISE ROAD STUDIO
Shopping
Where to begin? Shanth Fernando’s
lifestyle store is the default stop-
off for any stylish homemaker or
interior designer. From ceramics to
fabrics, glass, cutlery, linens and glass,
nothing appears in the store that
he hasn’t either designed himself or
rigorously reviewed and approved.
They don’t call him the Terrence
Conran of Sri Lanka for nothing.
12 Alfred House Gardens /
Colombo 3
+94 11 250 6844
www.paradiseroad.lk
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LUXE LoathesSRI LANKAN ROADS AND DRIVERS
Absolutely insane!
ALCOHOL SALE BANS ON POYA DAYS
Dull dry spells, so make sure you stock up.
HUMIDITY
Run to those hills to escape!
LUDICROUS INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT TIMES
Highly inconvenient, not to mention tiring.
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Drab vs. Fab
ARRIVE IN STYLE
Bone shaking rides across poor country
roads to get to your destination are an
all too often occurrence in Sri Lanka, but
treat yourself by chartering a Sri Lankan
Air Taxi and arrive in style and
in one piece!
www.srilankan.com
WATER BORNE
Hiring a luxury yacht to go whale and
dolphin watching is great fun, but better
yet consider hiring a simple sailboat from
Mirissa Water Sports. All the young staff
are tsunami survivors and your custom
helps their education and employment.
www.mirissawatersports.com
SIGHTSEEING
Seeing the Cultural Triangle by foot can
be a hot and tiring affair, but imagine
seeing the Cultural Triangle in your very
own hot air balloon! Well, you can with
Adventure Asia.
www.ad-asia.com
SAFARI
A visit to Yala National Park can be a
very long and exhausting experience, but
visit on one of Kulu Safaris very stylish
tent tours, and you’ll do it in comfort and
luxury. Also available for Wilpattu and
elephant-filled Udawale national parks.
www.kulusafaris.com
KANDY CLIMB
The long and tortuous uphill journey
to Kandy can be a nightmare by road,
so consider jumping aboard the fab old
Viceroy Express and steaming up to Kandy
on board a classic locomotive.
www.jftours.com/viceroy-vintage-train-tours
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LUXE ITINERARY
Romance
The opening of the Southern Expressway
means that it now only takes an hour
(down from 4 hours) to visit Galle on the
south coast and its fascinating, 400-year
old Dutch colonial fort, so it’s feasible
to make a day trip, but why not treat
yourself to a romantic stay at the divine
Dutch House (see LUXE Loves). Once
there, zip down the hill and into the fort
for an amble in the atmospheric and
buzzy colonial streets. You’ll find plenty of
shopportunities, but be sure to look out
for Mimimango for lovely drifty separates
and accessories, Barefoot for rainbow-
colored textiles, bags and homeware,
Olanda for some lovely salvage, custom
furniture and architectural antiques, and
M. M. Ibrahim for serious bling – ask to
see the unset gems and design yourself a
bauble to remind you of Ceylon in years to
come. Lunch! You can’t work on an empty
stomach, and Galle Fort Hotel is perfectly
placed when shopper’s shoulder sets
in. The delightfully spiced menu of the
Dining Room will soon have the wind back
in your sail, so to speak. For something
truly lovely and memorable, while at the
same time being charitable, give Mirissa
Water Sports (see Drab vs Fab) a call, and
get out on the beautiful ocean for some
whale watching. The best time to spot
blue whales off the coast of Sri Lanka is
between December and April, and the
40-minute trip down the coast to Mirissa
is charming with the ocean never far from
your sight. When the sun sets, you’ll be
wishing to draw up a chair at the bar in
Amangalla, the seriously stylish colonial
hotel in the fort, before heading back up
the hill and a welcome alfresco supper
in the garden at The Sun House and final
nightcap at Dick’s Bar. Careful with those
arrack-based cocktails!
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LUXE ITINERARY
Style
There was a time when Colombo was
considered more as a necessary evil
and somewhere to be suffered en route
to or from the airport. In recent years,
however, this city has become a buzzing
hotspot of good dining, accommodation
and some seriously addictive shopping,
and now with the bonus of the super-
swift Southern Expressway you can visit
Colombo for the day and be home for
supper in Galle in less than an hour. If
you plan on staying in Colombo, do make
sure it’s at Tintagel (see LUXE Loves),
where interior designer and lifestyle guru
Shanth Fernando hits all the glamour
buttons and serves up an exceptional
ambience with service to match. Want
to shop the look? You haven’t got far to
go. There are two Paradise Road stores in
town (see LUXE Loves), the Dharmapala
Mawatha branch also has a great little
café for that all important java moment.
You’re going to be doing some serious
retail damage and so a car and driver
from Diethelm’s is going to be rather
handy to carry about all your booty.
Next stop, Barefoot (see LUXE Loves)
for a huge range of colorful textiles and
homeware products from oven gloves
to fabric covered notebooks all in their
signature, fabulous stripes. Tummy
rumbling? Fret not, you’re already at the
perfect lunch spot, Barefoot’s courtyard
café is a perennial favorite away from the
madness of the city outside, and better
still, it has free WiFi. For designer duds at
discount prices it’s always worth a look at
Odel Unlimited. This slightly odd mish-
mash of a department store may not be
Barney’s, but dig deep and you can often
find some nice surprises that won’t break
the bank. Lastly, take a quick look around
Raux Brothers, an excellent starter pack
of antiques, soft furnishings, repro and
contempo furniture in teak, mahogany
and iron, they’ll ship, tweak and custom
design as well. With your steamer chair
safely purchased, it’s on to Gallery Café
(see LUXE Loves) for sundowners and
supper. Stylish day, hey?
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Stunning painted caverns, mountain
citadels and big Buddhas, one ticket
gets you into three of the island’s most
spectacular sites (your driver or guide will
arrange this for you), but there’s stacks
more to see if you don’t mind beating
about the bush. You’ll need at least two
days to see it all. Remember to remove
shoes and hats and cover legs and
shoulders when visiting religious shrines
or places of worship.
Sigiriya: This 200m-high clifftop citadel is
a real challenge of a hike, so be smart and
balloon or heli over it (see LUXE Loves).
Polonnaruwa: A rambling complex of
ruins set in a leafy park close to a lovely
ancient reservoir. Go early to marvel
at the huge standing and reclining
Buddha statues before the crowds get
there, but watch for those naughty,
thieving monkeys.
LUXE ITINERARY
CultureAnuradhapura: Centered around the
sacred Bodhi tree, this town bursts with
the remains of a once huge, ancient city
that was the seat of Sinhalese power.
Dambulla: Brave the bats and venture into
endless caverns encrusted with Buddhas
and frescoes at the best preserved cave
temple complex in Sri Lanka.
Yapahuwa: For an Indiana Jones setting,
go see these untouched stone ruins
standing like Aztec pyramids amid
amazing jungle foliage.
The Elephant Gathering at Minneriya Lake:
Aug and Sep see the highlight of the
pachyderm social calendar when over
400 trunked types converge.
PLACES TO STAY
Ulagalla Resort
Raises the luxe bar with 25 mahogany
terraced chalets with private plunge
pools, scattered across the isle’s largest
solar farm.
Kandalama
Built overlooking the rock fortress of
Sigiriya, Geoffrey Bawa’s masterpiece of
modern design melds beautifully into its
surroundings. Stay in the Sigiriya Wing
suites if you can, and make full use of the
Six Senses spa after your cultural
days out.
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LUXE ITINERARY
The Essentials
• Dutch House
(see LUXE Loves)
• Mimimango
Corner of Pedlar St and Lighthouse
Street / Galle Fort
+94 91 223 4765
www.joedenmimimango.com
• Barefoot
41 Pedlar Street
Galle Fort
+94 91 222 6299
www.barefootceylon.com
• Olanda
30 Leyn Baan Street / Galle Fort
+94 91 223 4398
www.olandafurniture.com
• MM Ibrahim Gems & Jewelry
47 Church Street / Galle Fort
+94 91 223 4253
• Galle Fort Hotel
28 Church Street / Galle Fort
+94 91 223 2870
www.galleforthotel.com
• Mirissa Water Sports
(see Drab vs Fab)
• Amangallaa
10 Church Street / Galle Fort
+94 91 223 3388
www.amanresorts.com/amangalla/
home.aspx
• The Sun House
18 Upper Dickson Road / Galle Fort
+94 91 438 0275
www.thesunhouse.com
• Dick’s Bar
18 Upper Dickson Road / Galle Fort
+94 91 438 0275
www.thesunhouse.com
ROMANTIC ITINERARY STYLISH ITINERARY
• Tintagel
(see LUXE Loves)
• Paradise Road
(see LUXE Loves)
• Diethelm Travel Sri Lanka
www.diethelmtravel.com/srilanka
• Barefoot
41 Pedlar Street / Fort Galle
+94 91 222 6299
www.barefootceylon.com
• Odel
Former Dutch Hospital Building /
shop 6 / Bank of Ceylon Mawatha,
Fort Galle / Colombo 1
+94 11 244 8873
www.odel.lk
• Raux Brothers
7 De Fonseka Road / Havelock Town
Colombo 5
+94 11 533 9016
www.rauxbrothers.com
• Gallery Café
(see LUXE Loves)
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• Ulagalla Resort
Thirappane / Anuradhapura
+94 011 440 0404
www.ulagallaresorts.com
• Kandalama
11 Dambulla / Dambulla
+94 066 555 5000
www.heritancehotels.com
CULTURAL ITINERARY
LUXE ITINERARY
The Essentials
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Your LUXE notes