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| Saturday, 8 November 2003 |
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Up in a baloon by Chloe Griffiths and Hanna Jackiewicz In the dawn of the rising sun, one of the biggest hot air balloons in the world will lift its' colourful head to gaze upon the beautiful Sri Lankan countryside.
As part of this pioneering new experience, see one of Sri Lanka's most famous landmarks from a totally difference perspective. Sigiriya Rock has long been a symbolic icon for the country and its' tourist industry but now Adventure Centre Asia is enabling visitors to soar above it from between 500 and 2000 feet up in the air. This one hour adventure experience will enable you to appreciate the panoramic views as you effortlessly drift over more than 15kms of the spectacular Cultural Triangle region. Adventure Centre Asia is a pioneering company began by Wade Campbell and Peter Stewart. With vast experience and a highly successful adventure travel establishment on the Tibet-Nepal border, the two sport fanatics arrived in Sri Lanka with 'only a laptop and a passion'. It was driven, according to Campbell, by a desire to change Sri Lanka's image from a just a "sand and sun" destination. They sought to open people's eyes to the possibility of enjoying the Island's previously undiscovered adventure opportunities. Now, after 10 long months and an investment of over $300,000 so far, their vision is becoming a reality and they are already introducing a new and exciting way to experience the huge diversity of the Sri Lankan countryside. "We believe Sri Lanka is ready to turn a new page. At the moment it is slightly under-developed. We are experts in adventure and we want to bring new and exciting events here" said Campbell, who remains unperturbed by the recent political uncertainty. "Sri Lanka is a gamble at the moment but we want to catch the wave before it begins. It won't happen over-night but if you want to go somewhere new and be original you have to be prepared to take a risk" he continued. The centre for their new company resembles a sheeque New York style office in Colombo, where they are deeply involved in the planning of a new lodge for adventure sports, perfect for adventurers to trek, mountain-bike, kayak, raft, rock-climb and abseil through acres of the country's most dramatic scenery. Perhaps the pinnacle of their achievement though, remains the commencement of their new sunrise Hot-air ballooning experience this weekend. #################### Stary sights from Emirates Dubai-based Emirates Airline has set its sights on the stars - literally - to help it offer new levels of comfort and enjoyment to ravellers on ultra-longhaul flights from next month. In an industry first, an image of the night sky above Dubai, complete with twinkling constellations, will be shown on the ceiling panels above their heads - to help passengers adjust their internal 'body clock'. Research by NASA, America's National Aeronautics and Space Administration, suggests jet lag depends on the number of time zones crossed, not the length of the flight itself. The unique cabin lighting on the Airbus A340-500, devised jointly by the airline and Airbus, adjusts subtly to the passage of time. It changes almost imperceptibly from brilliant noonday sunshine to the softer light of afternoon and dusk, and on to the velvety darkness of a starry night. Maurice Flanagan, Emirates' Group President and Vice-Chairman said: "All through our lives, our bodies are conditioned to react to light, and so reset the internal clock, It's impossible to overstate the impact this has on our comfort and well-being. "Spending time under artificial light is reckoned to starve the brain of the stimulus needed to regulate the clock. On longer flights, this could be why some travellers may find it harder to relax - and so arrive feeling a little tired and jet-lagged. "The unique mood lighting on our A340s combats this unwanted side-effect by adjusting the cabin lighting to mimic the gradual march of daytime and night-time". Mood lighting is only one of a host of special touches to make customers feel as much at home at 39,000 feet as they do in their own living rooms. The ultra-longhaul aircraft has a host of new features to help redefine premium travel as part of Emirates' US $1.8 billion investment in the launch of this new type of aircraft. It was designed to meet and exceed the needs of every customer, with service standards to rival the comfort and luxury of even the most sophisticated executive jets. Emirates is the first airline to receive the new jet, tailor-made for flights of more than 17 hours - for instance Dubai-San Francisco - with up to 12 First Class, 42 Business and 204 Economy passengers, and nearly 14 tonnes of cargo. Its first service with the A340-500 will be non-stop from Dubai to Sydney, Australia, next month. From next year they will launch Emirates' first services to and from North America. Features of the remarkable new jets include fully-enclosed First Class suites, with flat beds and doors which passengers open or close at will for maximum privacy, quieter cabins and the world's most advanced inflight entertainment, with 500-plus channels. Room Service is another Emirates first, in which customers phone the cabin crew to ask for their choice of meal to be served at their seat, at the time of their choice. The new Airbus jets spearhead Emirates' $26 billion aircraft order book, along with 26 Boeing 777-300 Extended Range aircraft. These in turn will feature a special new travel experience still tightly under wraps. With orders for 45 Airbus A380s, the world's largest civilian aircraft, 20 A340-600s, eight Airbus A340-300s and eight freighters, more than 100 new jets will be delivered to Emirates by 2012. #################### A cricket bar with an ooze Colombo's latest addition to the bar scene is the Watering Hole at the Colombo's finest hotel, the Hilton. Located at the Sports Centre car park, the specially designed stunning marquee built by Three Coins, cater to a fun lively crowd interested in watching the cricket on a gigantic screen while feasting on great bar snacks and gallons of beer. The Watering Hole has heaps of entertainment planned for its guests, including a funky live band and a stunning lingerie fashion show. The fashion show, sponsored by Arena from November 21 to 23, will feature top European models in exquisite lingerie. The Watering Hole is a large place and the huge amount of space it inhabits makes it refreshing change from smaller venues. The service is world class, the food great and most importantly the beer is chilled to perfection. If you're looking for a place that oozes style while being comfortable and friendly then this is definitely the place for you. An absolute "must visit" for a chilled pint! The Watering Hole is open from 6 p.m. to midnight Sundays through Thursdays and 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays . #################### New-look Palm Beach Hotel by Lester Jansz Palm Beach Hotel, Mount Lavinia has been fully refurbished in time for the Winter Season, Chairman, Don Jayasuriya said. All guest rooms have been tastefully re-designed, with beautiful interior decor, offering star class facilities. The hotel has 43 deluxe rooms with A/C, mini-bar, IDD facilities and room service. The hotel's 'Don Y.J' roof top pavilion, offering a panoramic view of the Indian Ocean and city of Mount Lavinia, too has been beautifully re-designed. The hotel has three banquet halls 'Imperial', 'Regal' and 'Regent' which offer all modern facilities for seminars, in-house workshops, and other banquet functions. The hotel has a special deluxe room for honeymoon couples. The 'Sunday Brunch' with a wide selection of Western, Eastern, Chinese, seafood and Sri Lankan specialities is very popular not only among in-house guests but outsiders as well. A free glass of beer is offered to every guest at the Sunday Brunch. Palm Beach Hotel will open its 'Palm Mistro' night club, with Euro-Asian cuisine, in early February, Chairman, Don Jayasuriya said. |
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Produced by Lake House |
Beginning this Saturday is an entirely new opportunity to view our
country's landscape as never seen before, as Adventure Centre Asia
launches their first commercial ballooning operation. For the first time,
tourists and locals alike will have the novel chance to drift across the
skyline experiencing the 'sensational tranquillity' of a bird's eye view
of the Island.
