TRAVEL

Global Towers Hotel hosts Yaal Samayal

The Global Towers Hotel Colombo will host Yaal Samayal an authentic Jaffna food fiesta from March 30 to April 6.

Sujith De Silva, Food and Beverage Manager, Global Towers, said that the entrusting feeling of Jaffna will be felt in the heart of Colombo when the famous crispy dosas ,chicken kolambu ,odiyal kool stemming hot Jaffna crab curry in addition to many other authentic Jaffna dishes prepared in the traditional manner by the experienced cooks would be on offer at the event.

In addition traditional Jaffna live music too would be accompaniments to the good food and its homely dedicated service team from the masterminds at the global towers hotel will line this rare opportunity for patrons enjoying spicy and healthy Jaffna dishes.

Jaffna cuisine is famous for its unique and taste and the use of specially prepared Jaffna curry powder and ingredients exclusive to the northern province enhances the dishes and they are outstanding among other kinds.

 

Sorowwa Resort and Spa gets HCCAP, ISO 21000 certification

The Sorowwa Resort and Spa in recognition of their efforts towards quality of service and food preparation have been awarded HCCAP & ISO 21000, certificate. "This is a great achievement for a very young property," said Chaminda Amarasinghe, General Manager of the property from its inception.

"We have also applied for the coveted Green Globe award for our environmental friendly practices and is currently in the process of streamlining Sorowwa Resort and Spa," he said. The hotel comprises a spa, swimming pool, lounge & bar, main restaurant and a fourth floor roof top café called the "Balum-gala" with a views of the imposing Habarana lake and Ritigala.

The uniquely designed hotel located over looking one of the best vistas of Habarana, was an insight of Dr. Nawaz Jiffry, a motivational lecturer, the energetic chairman of Sorowwa Resort and Spa (PVT) Ltd, owners of this 23 room property situated just 350m from the Habarana junction.

The rooms are categorized as boutique, with family rooms and a suite, with the best vistas over the ancient lake into great beyond of the Habarana jungle.

"We have not forgotten the differently abled tourists and have kept the design very friendly to such tourists, with special access ramps and special rooms on the ground floor with a trained staff to handle any eventuality," said Dr. Nawaz.

Sorowwa Resort and Spa in Habarana is famous owing to the nature friendly design of the hotel, in fact, the hotel is considered as one of the most nature friendly hotels in Sri Lanka because of the efforts that had been done to preserve nature as much as possible, while building the hotel.

Being nature friendly and close to the forest, does not mean that such hotels lack the necessary facilities. All rooms have been equipped with the best of modern amenities a hotel could offer and it is considered among few of the more expensive hotels outside Colombo.

The hotel's unique location gives it access to few of the most visited tourist places in Sri Lanka. Sorowwa Resort & Spa is located relatively close to five of the seven world heritage sites in Sri Lanka and with lots of national parks and reserves around it, is one of the best places for tourists who are looking to enjoy wildlife in Sri Lanka.

More information could be obtained from [email protected]

Pakistan hopes for Buddhist tourism boost

Religious violence may be on the rise and the Taliban still a threat, but Pakistan is hoping a rich Buddhist heritage will help it boost international tourism to its troubled northwest. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with its balmy climate in the mountains and its wealth of history on the border with Afghanistan, was once a playground for colonial adventurers and a favourite holiday destination for upper-crust Pakistanis.

But after the 9/11 attacks ushered in war in Afghanistan and an insurgency against the Pakistani government, it has become synonymous with Pakistani Taliban and other Islamist militants who have killed thousands in recent years.

A group of around 20 Buddhist monks from South Korea made the journey to the monastery of Takht-e-Bahi, 170 kilometres (106 miles) from Islamabad, and close to the tribal areas that are a haven for Taliban and Al-Qaeda linked militants.

"We really felt it is our home town, it was a great feeling which it is not possible to describe in words," Jeon Woon Deok, a senior Korean monk, told AFP by email of the visit last year. "We only regret that we waited so long to come here." And it was no straightforward pilgrimage.

The monks defied appeals from Seoul to abandon their trip for safety reasons and were guarded by Pakistani security forces on their visit to the monastery, built of ochre-coloured stone and nestled on a mountainside.

From around 1,000 years BC until the seventh century AD, northern Pakistan and parts of modern Afghanistan formed the Gandhara kingdom, where Greek and Buddhist customs mixed to create what became the Mahayana strand of the religion. The gardens of Takht-e-Bahi host picnicking families and daydreaming teenagers, as well as students from nearby Koranic schools. But foreign visitors are rare.

"There used to be foreign tourists here in the past, but after the attacks there are hardly any," said local guide Iftikhar Ali.

The flow of adventurous tourists from east Asia is no more than a trickle at the moment -- Ali said he saw only one or two visitors a month on average.

"For them this place is like Mecca," said Zulfiqar Rahim, the head of the Gandhara Art and Culture Association, which is dedicated to the promotion of Pakistan's Buddhist heritage. Last year monks from Bhutan also came to visit, but the government wants to boost numbers quickly.

"We are currently working to promote religious and archaeological Buddhist tourism," said Syed Jamaluddin Shah, the deputy minister of tourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

For now it is mostly local visitors who come to the remains of the Buddhist sites in Pakistan. Reflecting on his country's woes, Sajjad, a teacher gazes at a Buddha statue and sighs: "We need this calm so much."

AFP