Travel

Refurbished to star-class:

Avissawella Rest House

THE Avissawella Rest House, which belongs to the Urban Development Authority (UDA), is now run by Wins Management (Pvt) Ltd on a long-term contract.

Since the Wins Management take-over, the famous rest house has been fully refurbished and given a gloss making it a star-class attraction at Avissawella. All guest rooms have been furnished with modern fittings and colourful interior decor.

The 300-seat capacity fully-air conditioned banquet hall has become a popular venue in Avissawella for weddings, banquet functions, workshops and seminars for which all modern facilities are offered.

The rest house has 10 guest rooms of which four are fully-air conditioned with modern facilities offered to both business and leisure travellers.

Since the Avissawella Rest House was given a new look, it has become a popular stop-over for tourists travelling to Hatton, Badulla, and Nuwara-Eliya on the Colombo-Nuwara Eliya highway.

It offers delicious western, eastern, Chinese and typical home made spicy Sri Lankan dishes at very attractive prices.

A modern kitchen with high hygienic standards has been constructed and the services of expert cooks will offer guests the very best of International and Sri Lankan cuisine.

A friendly and courteous staff has been recruited to provide guests the traditional "service with a smile". A well stocked bar and "room service at the touch of a button" are some of the new services offered.

The re-designing of the Avissawella Rest House has been the hard work of Chairman/Managing Director, Avissawella Rest House and Wins Management (Pvt) Ltd., Wimal Perera, who is the President of the All Island UDA Rest House Managers' Association. A product of S. Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia, Perera returned to Sri Lanka after a 15-year period of work in the United Kingdom. - LJ

First 5-Star in Negombo:

Jetwing donates fishing gear at 'The Beach'

JETWING together with the Rotary Club of Amsterdam International and Wilde Geese Foundation gifted 13 complete catamarans to 13 fisher families of Negombo who were affected by the December 2004 Tsunami.

It all started with a kind-hearted guest of "The Beach" Negombo, Caroline Allertz of Amsterdam who stayed at the hotel during the tsunami.

Realising the dire straits of the fisher families of Negombo after the tsunami, Caroline together with her sister Janet Poot, who is a Board member of The Rotary Club Amsterdam International, on the request of the Jetwing Relief Fund established just two days after the tsunami, undertook the project, Assistant Manager "The Beach" Ravi Ramsay said.

When I visited "The Beach", in Negombo, formerly known as Royal Oceanic Hotel, I was greeted with a hospitable "Ayubowan" smile by charming Hyacinth Gunawardena, General Manager, "The Beach", Negombo.

She is probably the first female General Manager of a 5-Star hotel in Sri Lanka. I went around the hotel to visually savour the massive refurbishment it has undergone since Jetwing decided to give it a fitting name.

This 5-Star Jetwing property is built among palm trees along a breathtaking sun-kissed beach. Each of the 75 deluxe rooms and three luxury suites are equipped with all 5-Star plus facilities, including a balcony facing the blue waters of one of Sri Lanka's finest beaches, the gorgeous Negombo beach.

The Childcare and Water Sports Centre operated by world renowned Markwarner Company, UK, has added value to this exquisite hotel.

The culture and nature tours organised by Hasantha Lokugamage, the well experienced Resident Naturalist, is an unforgettable adventure experience "taken home" by foreign tourists, from Sri Lanka, a country blessed with a host of natural tourist attractions.

The food at "The Beach" is out-of-this world, the very best attractions of international and Sri Lankan cuisine are offered to guests. The spicy dishes of crabs, prawns, lobsters from the Negombo beach are extremely popular among tourists.

Tourists at the "The Beach" can also enjoy catamaran joy rides with instructors, which is extremely popular among both foreign and local tourists. Among the other sports offered by the hotel are water-skiing and skateboarding. - LJ

Adventure has a new name...

TAKE a trip on the wild side and visit Yala Village, the newest addition to the wide range of hotels and resorts courtesy John Keells.

Bordering Sri Lanka's largest and most famous wildlife sanctuary, Yala Village is the ultimate holiday destination for adventure seeking travellers in search of that adrenaline rush generated by the wild outdoors.

Located in what is the embodiment of the island's diverse geography, Yala Village is bounded by the stark landscape of the wildlife park and the cerulean blue of the Indian Ocean, with cultural venues such as the ancient metropolis of Tissa and the shrine of Kataragama in close proximity to the hotel.

Just 250 kms from Colombo, in the country's deep south, is the chance to journey into the exotic world of the animal kingdom, to witness the prowling leopard or the lumbering elephant as you immerse yourself in a Keells holiday experience.

With 60 chalets, each located to ensure complete privacy, the Yala Village offers guests the opportunity to commune with nature, while enjoying the luxury of a Keells hotel.

The villas comprise six different styles and are decked out in themes inspired by nature.

The air-conditioned accommodation comes equipped with every amenity to ensure guest comfort, from satellite television to a complimentary hair dryer.

The hotel is set up to take full advantage of its fantastic location; the observation deck provides an astounding view of nature's grandeur, allowing guests to drink in the sheer power and beauty of the wildlife that abounds the Yala Sanctuary.

The hotel's swimming pool is the perfect choice for the stimulation of a brisk swim or to simply laze around and take in the view, while sipping from any number of delicious concoctions provided by the poolside bar.

Or if the need is for the satisfaction of a well-cooked meal, try the hotel's restaurant, which serves cosmopolitan cuisine off ... la carte and table d'hote menus.

The Yala Village also offers a range of services such as laundry and babysitting facilities, safe deposits, a souvenir shop and internet access.

Take in the thrill of the great outdoors with an assortment of hotel activities including wildlife excursions, beach hikes, cycling and cultural tours such as a trip to Situlpahuwa.

Nature enthusiasts can also indulge in bird watching-the Yala reserve lays claim to at least 130 different species-and lake fishing at the Yala Village.

The hotel's main attraction, which is the Yala Wildlife Sanctuary, boasts the world's largest leopard population. The cat's soporific purr can be heard even in the distance, and the sight of this feline basking in the sun atop a thirty foot rock is one guests will be hard pressed to forget.

The park also boasts elephants, bears, deer, wild boar, buffaloes, crocodiles and monkeys, and the hotel provides guests with the optimum safari experience to take in the many wonders of the park.

So, for an exhilarating, adventure-laden holiday, come to Yala Village, now part of the Keells Resort Hotels, where your every indulgence is met with that brand of hospitality, which is uniquely Keells.

Special offers from Hotel Atlantic

HOTEL Atlantic, Bambalapitiya is offering discounted rates to tourists, both foreign and local valid up to end March. This offer is being made to boost the tourist season.

The hotel which specialises in authentic Indian cuisine, also offers the very best of Italian, Chinese, Western and Sri Lankan specialities in the hotel's "Les Spice" restaurant.

Hotel Atlantic is located on the Galle Road, at Bambalapitiya in a central shopping area, with walking distance to Sri Lanka's popular shopping malls.

The sister company of the hotel, Ideal Travels and Tours offer special packages to both in-bound and out-bound tourists to visit Sri Lanka's popular tourist destinations, at a very reasonable price, said Resident Manager, Hotel Atlantic Stanley Dissanayake.

"Our intention is to give the average income group an opportunity to explore Sri Lanka's tourist potentials at an affordable price," Dissanayake said.