Sri Lanka Tourism Blog

Nature, Culture, Luxury… a Lifestyle!

The newest and most ambitious project of Jetwing Hotels, located within 5km of the ‘8th Wonder of the World’-Sigiriya- is the creation of a truly ‘Lifestyle Hotel’. Sigiriya, located within the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka is famous for its rich history and Sri Lankan heritage. Vil Uyana situated within view of Sigiriya rock, on the flatlands that stretch to the west, integrates into an ancient plan - a plan to irrigate, in the tradition of the Sinhala kings.

The introduction of a wetland on reclaimed agricultural lands within the Dry Zone, provides the unique backdrop for this exciting new property. Inspired from local and rural traditions.

A private nature reserve provides a haven for wildlife and a setting of peace and tranquility. The hotel is possibly the first in the world to construct a wetland system with lakes and reed beds to form a private nature reserve.

This has allowed for the first time in Sri Lanka for rooms to be built over water. Centered around water bodies are parklands and woodlands, designed for leisure; an extension of the ancient practice of planning gardens for pleasure.

A challenge has been overcome, for the conversion of Dry Zone chena lands formed by slash & burn agriculture, to a seasonal wetland (land that is inundated by water for part of the year). The colonization of the new habitats by local fauna and flora has been accelerated by the planting of reed beds and groves of trees.

5 acres of land was used to re-grow paddy using traditional methods of farming and harvesting, providing a new and exciting feature. Rooms have been placed within the paddy fields, thereby giving the guest a unique opportunity of participating in both the farming and harvesting if they wished; yet another first in Sri Lanka! The regeneration of the forested groves create a feeling of ultimate privacy and seclusion in the Forest Lodges, the largest of the Chalets.

The tastefully designed rooms boast space as its hallmark of luxury. Dine in the privacy of your room or ‘under the stars’ or simply relax and pamper yourself at the Island Spa with a range of treatments to choose from.

The many components of the ecosystem will be subject to continuous monitoring. The hotel is unique in building a research facility from inception. Comfortable accommodation will be provided to researchers locally and internationally, overcoming one of the key logistics hurdles to field work. The research center also has a library, a room for laboratory based work and a computer room. The guest will be a participant in the metamorphosis of tourism as a champion of conservation. The environmental awareness will be an important aspect of a new ethos.

As part of Jetwing’s responsibility towards local communities an English teaching program is being held in two Buddhist temples located near Vil Uyana. Namely, Rotawewa and Kimbissa. Unemployed youth now attend these classes where they are trained to read, write and speak English. Halfway through their 6 months training they will receive hotel craft training in a field selected from Hotel Housekeeping, Reception, Restaurant & Bar and Cookery. The objective of the initiative is to make them gainfully employable. Some of them will have the opportunity to join Jetwing while others can look for employment in other companies in Sri Lanka or even overseas.

Whether it is the nature lover in you or the task of ‘finding yourself again’ treat yourself to an experience…come be part of the lifestyle!

This prestigious property is scheduled to be opened in Autumn 2006.

25 Tastefully appointed Chalets set in 3 distinct ‘habitats’:

7 Water Pavilions 1030 Sq. Ft (Dining Deck 200 Sq. Ft)

6 Paddy Field Villas 1030 Sq. Ft (Dining Deck 200 Sq. Ft and Plunge Pool 200 Sq.Ft)

2 Marsh Villas 1030 Sq. Ft (Dining Deck 200 Sq. Ft and Plunge Pool 200 Sq. Ft)

10 Forest Lodges 2100 Sq. Ft (Private Pool)

Spread Over 24 Acres of Land

Location:

169 km from Colombo (About a 4 ½ hr drive)

153 km from the International Airport (About a 4 hour drive)

Louise Heal, last year’s winner of the IoS/Bradt Travel Writing Competition, assesses this country’s plans to boost eco-friendly tourism

Five hornets’ nests hung down from the cliff. As we reached the plat-eau below, one of the nests began to swarm; a black, irate column buzzing from cliff to ground, a little too close for comfort. “It’s OK,” my guide reassured me. “We can wait until they’ve calmed down.”

We didn’t have to wait long. The hornets returned to their cliffside home and we climbed the final steps to the top of Sigiriya, the fifth-century rock fortress in Sri Lanka’s Matale district. The views made the climb – and the close encounter – worthwhile. The green forests and grasslands here host the Sirigiya Sanctuary and Minneriya National Park, providing visitors with abundant opportunities to observe Sri Lanka’s wide variety of wildlife.

Eco-tourism is being seen as a way forward for Sri Lanka’s tourist industry, post tsunami. Renton de Alwis, chairman of the country’s tourism bureau, announced Sri Lanka’s environmental ambitions at the United Nations World Tourism Organisation conference last October, pledging to balance financial growth with ecological accountability by making the country a carbon-neutral destination. Further details on are due to be released at a meeting of the Pacific Asia Travel Association this weekend in Bangkok. A 10-year plan to transform Sri Lanka into an “Earth Lung” began shortly after the conference, with a tree-planting initiative that saw enough trees put in the ground to offset the greenhouse gases produced by last autumn’s England cricket tour.

I got a taste of the eco-conscious tourism that could be Sri Lanka’s future at the Vil Uyana, an “eco-luxury” hotel about five kilometres from Sigiriya, where my room was a two-storey villa with a private plunge pool. This hotel’s attraction lies not just in the level of luxury it offers but in its eco-credentials. Five years ago, Vil Uyana was an abandoned agricultural site, before being developed with the aid of, among others, naturalists from the London Wetland Centre. Its aim to conserve the local environment isn’t confined to asking guests to desist from too many towel changes; visitors are expected to separate wet and dry rubbish in bins in the bedrooms and the hotel has a recycling plant for water and sewage.

Guests at Vil Uyana also benefit from the talents of the hotel’s resident naturalist, Nadeera, who I joined on a bird-watching walk around a nearby lake. As we strolled together, grey parakeets flew overhead while we watched coots and moorhens pick their way around the lotus flowers floating on the water.

On another afternoon, Nadeera and I took a bumpy 30-minute jeep drive to Kaudulla National Park for a spot of elephant-watching. We had only been in the park for a short time when we came across our first sighting: a mother with two calves. All three were unbothered by our presence. Not so the lone juvenile male we came across, which indulged in a little chest-beating.

But I didn’t even have to leave the hotel to enjoy the wildlife. From my private pool, I could admire a whole host of birdlife amid the paddy fields and reed ponds. (There is also a crocodile that visits the restaurant pool.) And three of the trees in the grounds are home to thousands of fruit bats.

Peter Bishop of Tourism Concern, a UK-based charity, believes Sri Lanka’s ambitions for carbon neutrality might be achieved, but he thinks the responsibility, ultimately, remains with the individual tourist. “As tourists, we should question whether we are choosing hotels with environmental credentials that benefit local communities, and assess our carbon footprint while in Sri Lanka,” he says.

Destinations such as Vil Uyana can help us make that choice.

Picture Credit: Thushil Perera
Imagine pilgrims to Sri Pada – also referred to as Samanala Kanda, the abode of God Saman, and Adam’s Peak – climbing Sri Lanka’s fifth highest mountain (2243 metres) using hand made fire torches. The climb was pretty strenuous, so much so that most devotees used to treat it as their final journey. Often before they embarked on the journey, they indicated how their wealth should be distributed if they failed to return!

Exactly one month after the country gained Independence, electricity was provided to light up the road to Sri Pada. An estimated 70,000 were present to witness the Minister of Public Works Sir John Kotelawala inaugurate the lights. It was a momentous occasion which made the pilgrimage to Sri Pada so convenient.

Sri Pada can be described as the most venerated mountain in the world. It is unique because of it being treated as a sacred place by people of different faiths. As mentioned in the Encyclopedia of Sri Lanka, the name Adam’s Peak is derived from the belief by the Muslims that Adam, the first man and prophet landed on one foot on this peak when he was banished from Paradise. To the Hindus the footprint on the peak is that of God Shiva. Certain Christians believe that it was left by Saint Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, who is said to have brought the Christian message to the subcontinent.

The peak, however, is worshipped most by the Buddhists who believe that the Buddha visited Sri Pada at the invitation of God Saman, following the visit to Nagadipa and Kelaniya in the eighth year after Enlightenment. He left his footprint on a slab of rock on the peak and for centuries Buddhists have trudged to worship it. Even ancient kings regularly visited Sri Pada.

Sri Pada is one of the sixteen most sacred places of worship (Solosmasthana) to the Buddhists and is ranked number four in the stanza describing the places visited by the Buddha.

On the arduous journey the pilgrims were expected to be on their best behavior during the trip. They went as a group (nade) with a leader (nade gura) guiding them. His word was law and everyone had to obey him to the letter. Certain words and actions were taboo and everyone was warned to guard their tongue. In order to lessen the exhaustion of the climb, the devotees sang verses extolling the virtues of the Triple Gem and those written about the Samanala Kanda. (Incidentally, hordes of butterflies can be seen moving towards the peak during a particular season giving it the name ‘peak of the butterflies’).

December to May is the pilgrim season. Full moon poya in March is the peak of the season. Pilgrims have a choice of two routes – one through Maskeliya when they have to walk about seven kilometres and the other via Ratnapura involving a ten kilometre walk.

Sunrise (íra sevaya) at Sri Pada is a beautiful sight. Most devotees prefer to climb in the night to reach the summit at dawn to watch the spectacle.

By Rosanne Kolemeyer Anderson, Photo Credit: Jen Maree
Reminiscent of love and romance, a river cruise to that perfect hideout is a fun-filled exploration of nature’s splendour: the marvellous mangrove, nestling on the Bentota river in close proximity to one of the best beaches in Sri Lanka, the Bentota beach where the sea meets the river is one attraction not to be missed. But going there when there is bright sun is best as the romantic hideout is quite dark and capturing the beauty of it on camera may be unfavorable.

Entering the small cave like entrance of lush green vegetation: this mangrove has been in existence for the past three decades or so, Supun the guide narrated as he barely managed to steer the boat through leisurely: the mangrove thriving in the sheltered bay is being trimmed and kept accessible by the boat houses in Bentota .

An ecosystem with diverse attraction of fascinating flora and fauna embedded in the nutrient rich sediment deposits which continues to withstand severe environmental exposure and the alternating mix of fresh and salty water; the mangrove on the Bentota river is yet another of lassana Sri Lanka’s attractions drawing almost every visitor to the area to make a trip down stream.

The valuable wood produced by the mangrove Supun explained is durable and water resistant while its properties, the bark, the leaves and the flowers are wide and varied.

The mangrove simply looks a beautiful work of art depicting its intricacies in size, length, breadth and colour in the form of twisted bark and bushy clusters spread over a vast area of its terrain; some touching the water, so well grown almost totally hiding the sunlight even at noon blending with the equally spread out exquisite long drooping branches of different length and shades of earthy colour making it a perfect merge of nature’s grandeur and gift to the Pearl of the Indian Ocean: a tourist attraction and indeed a land like no other.

By Sanath Weerasuriya, Pix Credit Shehal (Flickr),
From the very beginning, Kandy has had a special place for Sri Lanka tourism industry. The majority of holiday travellers visiting Sri Lanka mark Kandy as the top attraction on their tour. It has been a tradition to visit Kandy, as it has a blend of old world charm and the character of its own.

The Swiss Residence Hotel in Kandy is a popular place for travelers coming to the hill capital. Built in a picturesque location and surrounded by the scenic mountains, Swiss Residence is a three star property of Kandyan traditions with a Swiss touch. Standing on a one-acre land at Bahirawakanda, The Swiss Residence has successfully captured a charming blend of European and Kandyan culture in its modern architecture.

Hotel Swiss Residence offers 40 tastefully designed rooms inclusive of one Suite and 14 deluxe rooms. All rooms are with private balconies and a panoramic view of the city of Kandy.‘Our hotel is always bound to serve the wants and needs of the guests. It offers a totally relaxing atmosphere and an enjoyable holiday by the cool mountain breezes. In addition to the demand by overseas travelers, it is also a popular place with Sri Lankan clientele. The atmosphere and the services give Swiss Residenec has an edge over the rest’ said Lalith Ellepola, the Manager of the hotel.

All rooms are equipped with modern facilities that a 5-star hotel offers. The suite features a ‘Jacuzzi’ bath with massage and soothing effect. All other rooms are with modern facilities such as telephone, mini bar, television, safety locker and a modern bathroom.

Most of the interior decor at The Swiss Residence has a typical Kandyan aspect. The woodwork and woodcraft, a common sight in most Kandyan ‘walauwas’ seem to be the theme at the Swiss Residence. An attractive and unusual feature is the hotel’s wooden ceiling. The cuisine plays a major role at the hotel. Executive Chef of the hotel, Terrence Ratnayake said, they offer cuisine around the globe for their guests.

‘Theme nights too are popular here. Sri Lankan, Indian, Chinese, Italian, Mongolian, Indonesian and Continental culinary are the most popular among the guests’ he said. ‘The Swiss Bar is designed for relaxation or to have a good time with the boys is guaranteed. The cosy atmosphere puts you at home, as you relax and unwind your knots to some gentle melodies with the company of your preferred beverage. The Swiss bar is certainly so much more’ he added.

‘Private dining at the pool side or garden or at an outside location is also possible on request’ he said. The Swiss Banquet Hall caters for all guests necessities. Conferences and seminars can be accommodated in the main hall, which is capable of having 150 pax and the mini conference hall with 50 pax capacity. ‘Space is not an issue, as our hall can comfortably accommodate up to 350 individuals for weddings and other partie’ said Ellepola.

The hotel has a beautiful swimming pool from where guests get a picturesque view of the hotel as well as the surrounding environs. The ‘Blackout’ is the hotel’s discotheque with all modern facilities.‘We do not open the discotheque on a regular basis. It is on request for big groups and for private gigs’ Lalith said.

The hotel being in close proximity to the Dalada Maligawa, Asgiriya Cricket Stadium, Udawatte Kele forest reserve, the holiday makers love to visit these places in a relaxed mood. Also the excursions to Udawatte Kele, Knuckles Range Corbets Gap are popular with adventure tourists. Peradeniya Botanical Gardens, Sigiriya Rock Climb, Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, ‘Victoria Golf Course’ too are popular places of interest and has made the Swiss Residence an idyllic tourist spot.

Indigenous Medical Treatment and Ayurvedha Spa is the latest addition at the hotel.‘It offers various kinds of Ayurvedhic treatment and herbal therapies for hotel guests. It has a specialized doctor and trained therapist at the Centre’ Mr. Ellepola said. The design and planning of this unique hotel has been done by Sarath Bandara Wijesuriya, head of Zurikan Hotels and Travels (Pvt) Ltd. the owning company of Swiss Residence. Sarath is a Sri Lankan expatriate turned Swiss citizen.

The hotel is owned by Sarath and his wife Ruth Wijesuriya and Melani Perera, a long standing member of the hotel has been appointed as a board member of the hotel.

The call of the koha during the Maha season, the country’s most important rice harvest, is a reminder that the National New Year is around the corner. Another New Year sign is the flowering of the beautiful erabadu. When nature starts sending out these signals, people know it is time to start preparing for the festive celebrations, which are enjoyed on a grand scale all over the country.Sri Lanka is a meeting point for four world religions, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam; most of the festivals we celebrate are associated with religion. However, our most widely celebrated festival is the National New Year, which is not confined to any particular religion.

New Year observances are timed to match astrological signs. The rituals begin with the observance of nonagathe, when people stop all work and visit the temple for religious observances. The festivities start with the lighting of the hearth at the auspicious time. The whole family is clad in new clothes in the auspicious colour; this year the colours are red and yellow. The family members partake of their first meal in the New Year together, also at an auspicious time, after which it is time to exchange gifts.

The celebrations embrace the community. In the villages, traditional games are enjoyed by all. The womenfolk take part in indoor games or play the raban. The festivities last for several days, and during this time families visit relatives and friends bearing gifts and sweetmeats.

The festivities conclude with an anointing ceremony, in which an elder anoints the young with oil and invokes blessings. There are also auspicious times to go to work and look out for the new moon. The Sinhalese have celebrated the New Year for centuries. In his account of his years in the island as a prisoner of the King of Kandy, the English sea captain Robert Knox (1641-1720) described the New Year as a major festival, celebrated in March. New Year festivities similar to our own are celebrated around this time of year in Iran, India, Myanmar, Thailand, China, Taiwan and Japan.

In the past, the New Year was celebrated largely by the Buddhists and the Hindus of our country. Now Christians too participate in the celebrations. In recent times, the occasion has become more of a national festival.

The New Year is not strictly a Buddhist festival, although Buddhists go to the temple at the nonagathe time. The major Buddhist festivals in Sri Lanka are Vesak, Poson and Esala. Buddhist rituals are observed on Poya days, based on the lunar calendar. In astrological terms, the New Year is a solar festival that starts with the entry of the Sun in the zodiac into the house of Aries.

The New Year cannot be categorised as a Hindu festival either. While it is celebrated by Tamils and other communities in South India, such as the Andhras, Kannadigas and Malayalis, the Hindus in North India and the Himalayan region have their own dates for the New Year.

When the Holiday Bill came up for debate in the Legislative Council of 1886, one council member proposed making the New Year a holiday for the Hindus, because Vesak had been declared a holiday for the Buddhists, according to the historian Dr. Suriya Gunasekera. The proposal was not adopted, but the holiday was erroneously gazetted as the “Sinhala and Hindu New Year”, and it has been so described ever since.

There is a general consensus among all communities in Sri Lanka to treat the New Year as a national festival, combining Buddhist and Hindu religious elements. Because the New Year is not a religious festival, restricted to any particular faith, it may be considered a national festival to be enjoyed by all Sri Lankans.

The New Year comes at a time that is ideal for celebrating a national festival. The rains have arrived after a spell of hot, dry weather, and there is greenery everywhere. Birds sing, flowers bloom, and vegetables and fruits are in abundance. The harvest is over and people are free to celebrate. This is also a time for wedding celebrations in the villages.

Hotel Lanka Supercorals - Hikkaduwa is ideally situated in close proximity to famous marine sanctuary with exotic coral formation in Hikkaduwa.Hundred kms South of Colombo Hotel Lanka Supercorals sited on a spot marvelously landscaped green garden.

It is a prefect stopover for those who seek the pleasure of sun sand and surf. The hotel has been refurbished and opened last year after the damage caused by the tsunami.

Hotel Lanka Supercorals, which originally had 100 guest rooms has had soft opening with 40 guest rooms, and is over looking beautiful Hikkaduwa Beach.

Thirty one rooms are directly sea view and all rooms are equipped with A/C, hot/cold water shower, balcony, high speed internet facility, International Sports Channel on Cable TV, mini bar offered for Sri Lankan holiday makers during the coming Avurudu season.

The hotel has two spacious specialty restaurants serving all meals. Western, Chinese and oriental cuisine along with B.B.Q, buffet is the specialty of the main restaurant, while fresh seafood and Sri Lankan cuisine serves at the other restaurant.

Coral bar offers a well stocked range of wines, spirits, liquors, beer and fresh fruit juices.

Apart from that, pizza hut and super café are the two popular places for snacks.

As a part of a recreation and animation, hotel offers two separate swimming pools. One is specially designed for kids and the main pool separately for animation programmes, water polo and other water based activities.

Beach Volley Ball and indoor games too are popular with overseas travellers.

Hotel Lanka Supercorals also offers excursions for travellers and there are tailor made programmes for holiday makers.

‘Half a day excursions to Galle Dutch Fort, Maadu Ganga River Safari, sightseeing tour of popular Moonstone Mine off Kahawa and sea safaris are some of the popular trips arranged by the hotel’ said Rohan de Silva, Manager of Hotel Lanka Supercorals

The other most popular attraction is the Cinnamon Trail and Eco Tour.

The guests are taken to a large cinnamon cultivation owned by Devmith Kaggodaarachchi, the Managing Director of the hotel for a tour.

‘This is quite a popular event, especially with foreigners. They love to see cinnamon cultivation, cropping and other processing up to packing. This is unique to this area’ said Mr. Kaggodaarachchi.

Tree of Life Hotel, is a place where nature takes pride of place. Set in 64 acres of idyllic surroundings at Yahalatenna, Kandy the draw of nature’s tranquility is hard to resist.The mere sight of the splendid location will put your mind and body instantly at ease, wiping out the stress and strain of the life and the day to day rat race.

The Tree of Life is an eco friendly hotel worthy of its nature. The hotel has a unique architectural style, a fusion of colonial features and an openness to nature married in surrounding that are untouched by artificial landscaping.

Surrounded by 700 acres, of land the hotel has a rich history. The old wing was once an estate bungalow built during the colonial era, over 100 years ago.

The hotel is covered by a green carpet of vegetation with the ‘Knuckles’ mountain range providing a magnificent backdrop adding to the beauty and serenity of the scene.

As for the creature comforts of Tree of Life there are 40 luxurious rooms, equipped with TV/Hot, Cold water bath plus private balcony, which offers a guest a panoramic view of the encircling hills. To many this is indeed a romantic setting among the foliage and is ideal for both honeymooners and nature lovers. The hotel has two restaurants, adjacent to the large and beautiful swimming pool. They offer exquisite Sri Lankan and Western cuisine.

A plunge into the crystal clear water of the hotel’s swimming pool which commands a breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape is sure to invigorate anyone.

You can chill out in the billiard room or party the night away at the in-house disco or emerge yourself in Ayurvedic herbal treatment the last work in luxury. The hotel’s experienced masseurs will sooth your stress and tension away.

There are mountain bike outings or you may join a trained hiking guide. And that not all, the songs of the wide varieties of birds might tempt you to go bird watching at the Tree of Life.

Conference and workshop groups will find the fully equipped conference hall just the place for brain storming. Manager Timothy Paldano takes care of every individual guest to make his/her stay at Tree of Life memorable. The latest addition to Hotel Tree of Life is four modern Villas.

‘Magul Maduwa’ overlooking the hotel’s beautiful swimming pool is also another addition to Tree of Life. This has become extremely popular for weddings due to its beautiful setting.

Tree of Life is certainly a honey mooner’s paradise due to its romantic setting, Managing Director Tree of Life Shelly Tehenuwara said.

At a time when tourist arrivals are low, we are thankful to the local clientele who have always patronised Tree of Life. We have a large honeymoon market through word of Mouth’. Manager, Timothy Paldano said. Their recommendation of the hotel is highly accepted because the hotel runs to ‘Packed Houses’ on Nekath Days.

Hotel staff have been trained at Tree of Life and posted to the restaurants and Ayurvedic Centre in Japan, thereby giving employees and opportunity to work in Japan Thenuwara said.

Tree of Life is a Japan/Sri Lanka venture and is a Green Globe certified hotel.It won the prestigious President’s Environment Award. – 2005

The Cinnamon Lodge and Nature Odyssey in collaboration with the John Keells Social Responsibility Foundation recently opened a Butterfly Garden at the Cinnamon Lodge, Habarana. The objective of the project is to develop an ecologically rich plot of land as an ideal habitat to attract butterflies; simultaneously creating awareness among guests, schoolchildren and other visitors about butterflies and biodiversity.The garden currently comprises about 300 plants that attract a wide variety of butterflies. Situated on a ten acre block of land at the Cinnamon Lodge farm, the Butterfly Garden was declared open by Director, John Keells Holdings PLC, Sumithra Gunesekera in the presence of renowned butterfly specialist Dr. Michael van der Poorten, Head of IUCN Asia’s Business and Biodiversity programme Shiranee Yasaratne, staff of the Cinnamon Lodge, schoolchildren from the area and other guests. The consultant on the project is the renowned butterfly specialist Dr. Michael van der Poorten, who has been studying butterflies in Sri Lanka for many years.

He recently discovered a species of butterfly that is new to Sri Lanka, the Orange Migrant (Catopsilia Scylla), which is found in Asia but has never been recorded in Sri Lanka before.“We are trying to promote the development of habitats in which butterflies can live and sustain stable populations”, said Dr. Van der Poorten. “It is important to make people aware of the resources that butterflies require in different habitats.

Two of the most important resources are food for the caterpillars (larval host plants) and food for the adults (usually nectar plants).”A total of 244 species of butterflies are are found in Sri Lanka, including the recently discovered Orange Migrant by Dr. van der Poorten. Among them, 20 species are endemic to Sri Lanka. A total of 66 butterfly species are considered as nationally threatened, according to the IUCN 2007 National Red List.

Among the native butterflies of Sri Lanka, one in four species is believed to be nationally threatened, due to loss of natural habitat, decline of food plants and environmental pollution. “We are encouraged that corporate entities such as John Keells are engaged in the conservation of threatened species to help save Sri Lanka’s vanishing biological heritage. Retaining viable populations of species in their native habitats is an essential conservation response for ensuring the long-term survival of these species. John Keells is doing just that, and IUCN is privileged to be a partner in this process,” said Head of IUCN Asia’s Business and Biodiversity Programme, Shiranee Yasaratne.The project will be sustained by Nature Odyssey (a member of the John Keells Group and an inbound tour operator specialising in nature and adventure) and the Cinnamon Lodge under the guidance of Dr. van der Poorten, while IUCN will collaborate in its development by means of advice and literature.Director, John Keells Holdings, Sumithra Gunesekera said, “My congratulations to Nature Odyssey and Cinnamon Lodge for such an original, yet simple way of making a difference to our environment. We often take butterflies for granted, never realising the part they play in our ecology. Dr. van der Poorten’s contribution has been priceless. My sincere appreciation to him for the effort and passion he has put into this work. I also hope that all visitors to the butterfly garden will come away more enlightened and interested in these amazing creatures. Conservation, we believe, begins with awareness and education, and this is exactly what we hope to achieve through this project.”

United States Department of State updated its travel warning on Sri Lanka alerting the American citizens traveling to or living in Sri Lanka about the continuing danger of terrorist attacks throughout the country.

The updated warning urged the Americans to carefully evaluate the risks of travel to Sri Lanka and specifically warned against traveling to northern and eastern areas.

It warned the Americans to avoid large crowds and public gatherings and particularly political rallies, military bases, and government and military vehicle convoys, which are frequent targets of LTTE attacks.

Despite that no tourist is being targeted in the recent bus and train station bombings the travel warning urged the visitors no to use public transportation.

“In light of attacks against civilian buses and trains, American citizens are strongly advised against traveling by bus or train in Sri Lanka. U.S. Government personnel are currently prohibited from using these modes of transportation,” it said.

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