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)

The tourism sector is not threatened by the war and the number of tourist arrivals has increased during the past two months. Tourism in the Eastern Province will develop if there are more domestic aircraft services, said Managing Director Arugam Bay Travels and Tours (Pvt) Ltd., A.M. Jaufer.
Arugam Bay which offers the best setting for discerning visitors with its stretch of sandy beaches is a popular tourist destination for water sports, wind surfing, surf riding, snorkelling, scuba diving and bird watching.

The Lahugala National Park for elephants, historical sites such as the Magual Maha Viharaya, Mudu Maha Viharaya and the Kudimbigala Viharaya and the Kumana Bird Sanctuary are some of the prime sites for tourism in the East.

The East coast stretching over 300 kilometres rated as the best sea coast in the country is one of the main tourist attractions. The East coast season spans from April to October.

The tourist season in the Eastern Province begins in April and continues up to November. The annual tourist arrivals in Arugam Bay are over 2,500.

“The number of tourists visiting the East can be increased with better infrastructure and hotel facilities”, Jaufer said.

Roads, electricity, water supply and other infrastructure facilities will be developed under the Nagenahira Navodaya program.

Arugam Bay Travels and Tours will receive an award for responsible tourism at this year’s World Travel Mart at the ExCell Exhibition Centre in London.

Honoured with the Brand Excellence Award at the 2006 SLIM Awards for his enterprise, Jaufer also runs the Arugam Handicrafts (Pvt) Ltd. which was launched in 2005. “Helping rural women to develop their cottage crafts will be more beneficial to the cottage industry than encouraging women to leave their homes to work in institutions”, Jaufer said.

He said it was after the tsunami that people realised the potential of the rich natural resources that surrounds them besides the sea.

The objective in launching the organisation is to provide employment to make quality products and capture international markets.

Arugam Bay Handicrafts was launched realising the raw material available in the area which could be turned out into handicrafts and utility items, he said. Sea shells, coconut shells, ‘hana’ (hemp) and reed growing close to the sea shore are turned out into attractive handicrafts to delight local and foreign tourists.

Colourful hemp mats in varying sizes and patterns for carpets, wall hangers, mats, bags, baskets, table mats and ladle holders are some of the other items produced by the organisation.

PAGE AFFILIATES:

Not all vacation deals are meant to suit everyone. Most of the time, families are looking for economical vacation packages. That does not mean resorts or luxurious cruise deals. Just a comfortable travel lodge and other leisure activities as well as reservations for car rental