Sour the Ocean!

It’s that time of year when the ocean’s gentle giants can be spotted with ease around the south coast of Sri Lanka. Mirissa is renowned for being a major hotspot of whale watching between the months of November and April. Dondra Point, just off the coast of Mirissa, lies within the migration path of these whales and therefore is an ideal location for whale watching. You are almost guaranteed a sighting of either the mammoth Blue Whale or the unusually shaped Sperm Whale.

Last year our team from Nature Odyssey, the nature and adventure arm of Walkers Tours, visited Mirissa along with the BBC film crew- including the likes of Doug Allan and Didier Noirot to shoot their documentary ‘Ocean Giants’ that aired on BBC1.

The BBC crew whilst on tour

For more information on these phenomenal mammals check out the link attached below. Featured in this video is naturalist Chitral Jayatilake of John Keells Hotels & Resorts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5MPbZZ4xJA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Introducing Walkers Green !

For the first time in Asia, a Carbon Neutral Fleet was launched by Walkers Tours. The Company takes pride in being the undisputed leader in the Leisure Industry and this initiative is testament to this fact. The ‘Walkers Green’ initiative aims to promote sustainable tourism in line with the John Keells Leisure Group Pledge, “I Will Be Green”.

In its commitment to environmental sustainability, the Company will ensure that carbon emissions of its entire fleet, comprising of over 600 vehicles, are offset utilising carbon credits from the CarbonNeutral Company in the United Kingdom. This includes the fleets of 70 cars from Cinnamon Grand and Cinnamon Lakeside Hotels as well.

Additionally, Walkers Tours announced the launch of their ‘Green Tours’.  These tours will be operated using a specialised hybrid fleet of vehicles. Clients will exclusively visit green properties which operate using similar green best practices and participate in a number of community-based volunteer programmes.



The Walkers Green Fleet

 

The need for sustainable practices in the tourism industry is vital. Helping local communities by enhancing their quality of life has become an integral part of business today. As the industry moves forward, Walkers Tours strives to train and employ people from the community as well as buy local produce. It is equally important to conserve the eco-system by minimising pollution and reducing waste, energy and water consumption.

Through this initiative, Walkers Tours aims to improve sustainable practises within the tourism industry in Sri Lanka.



Mr. Vasantha Leelananda - EVP, JKH, Head of Destination Management Sector recieveing the certification 



The Rainforest Ecolodge, Deniyaya

Last weekend I was lucky enough to be hosted at The Rainforest Ecolodge, a project that has been undertaken by a number of private sector companies in the leisure industry, including Walkers Tours. The sprawling property sits atop a tall mountain, 1000 metres above sea level.

The ascent to the Ecolodge is quite steep and winding, but is well worth the slight dizzy sensation you might feel once you reach the top! My first impression was that the view was absolutely breathtaking. The air is crisp and fresh, with pleasant gusts of cool wind greeting you. It can get quite chilly, especially at night. Upon entering the main building, you are heralded with the most magnificent view of the property and the tea plantation sprawling before us. If you look beyond the tea bushes you will be able to see thickets of the Sinharajah rainforest encircling the property.

View of the property and the surrounding rainforest

We were taken on an invigorating trek through the rainforest, where we saw many colourful endemic flowers and trees. The trek lead us across tiny streams to a large area of flat plain that gave way to the most spectacular views of the valley that surrounded us. For a first time trekker like myself, I was astounded by the lush greenery that enveloped me. The naturalists were ever ready to assist us with any questions and geared up to scare away leeches with spray cans full of Dettol!

On our trek

Mist covered mountains

Getting doused with Dettol

Attractive leech socks!

The property houses 16 chalets that line the sides of the tea plantation. What is truly unique about the chalets is that they are built on an incline, which enables one to be at eye-level with the canopy of the surrounding rainforest, each one presenting a different perspective from the ground up.

The Rainforest Ecolodge stands true to its mantra of being environmentally friendly as well as practicing sustainable tourism. Every single detail has been carefully constructed to mirror the property’s pledge. For example, each chalet is an old shipping container that has been re-designed to create a surprisingly plush deluxe room. None of the chalets are air-conditioned neither do they have any fans, but gusts of heady wind are bound to keep you cool all day long and therefore such amenities become dispensable. We were all impressed when we caught sight of the head chef walking around the property collecting fresh produce grown in the garden for our lunch. What’s even more impressive is the work that The Rainforest Ecolodge has done for the surrounding community. An outreach programme was initiated to enrich and develop the quality of lives of the surrounding community who lived in squalor, prior to the help provided. The communities have now been equipped with new homes, a crèche, health clinic and school.

Glass bottles and No Smoking sinage

Inside the shipping container!

Local children at the Child Development Centre

It struck me that the entire tourism industry, competitive though it may be, had come together to create such a unique project. With sustainable tourism at its core, I was convinced that everyone who worked at the property was genuinely committed to enhancing the lives of the local community whilst also providing clients with a luxurious, eco-friendly stay.

All in all we had a pleasant stay at The Rainforest Ecolodge. The food was delicious (especially the Sri Lankan meals), the staff were hospitable and I cannot forget the best part about the property – the spectacular verdant scenery.

Photo credit - Ms. Annelie Wambeek

Congratulations to our team at Walkers Tours!

Walkers Tours won an astounding six awards at the Sri Lanka Tourism Awards held on the 30^th of August 2012. The Company managed to clinch the hotly contested award for the ‘Best Inbound Tour Operator (large category)’. Displaying our strength at multiple channel promotion, Walkers Tours also won the award for the ‘Best Destination Promotion Website’.

The secret to our success lies in the fact that we have a team of innovative and dynamic professionals across all levels of the Company. The fact that four of our national guide and chauffeur guide lecturers won awards for excellence in service is testament to this fact. Below are a couple of pictures of the event.



Mr. Vasantha Leelananda (EVP & Sector Head of Leisure Inbound) recieving the trophy for Best Inbound Tour Operator




Mr. Umeshi De Fonseka, Head of Leisure Inbound IT recieving the award for Best Destination Promotion Website 




Mr. Aloy Diaz - Most Outsanding National Guide Lecturer



Mr. Nalaka Pallipana - Most Oustanding National Guide Lecturer - Nature

Mr. Ajith Wijesinghe - Best Chauffeur Guide Lecturer - Culture & Heritage



Mr. Ranjith Sudasinghe - Best Chauffeur Guide Lecturer



The entire John Keells Leisure Group (City Hotels, Resort Hotels and Destination Management Companies) won 12 key awards at the Sri Lanka Tourism Awards, the largest haul of awards won by a single company.

Live Like a Local at Tamarind Gardens, Digana

Walkers Tours has established a ‘Live Like a Local’ experience with sustainability at its core. Its essence is to give back to the community whilst giving visitors an insight to rural Sri Lanka. The home of our project is the village of Digana, located 20 kilometers outside the Hill Capital of Kandy. Overlooking the Victoria Reservoir, the construction of this quaint and unique property is nearing completion. Most of the building and even the fittings are made by village craftsmen. Designed to reflect typical Sri Lankan village houses, the eight rooms at Tamarind Gardens will consist of an en suite bathroom, mosquito net and a pedestal fan.

The property is home to a working farm which includes cattle, goats and poultry. Vegetable and fruit gardens on the property contribute to the fact that all meals are prepared with home grown produce, whilst meat is sourced from the local village. Other services like laundry, maintenance and housekeeping are outsourced to villagers in the vicinity to ensure that the community directly benefits through tourism. Guests are given an unforgettable opportunity to immerse themselves in typical village life. They are encouraged to volunteer in several activities like assisting in the preparation of meals, growing fruits and vegetables and caring for livestock.





Digana is situated at the border of the dry-zone, with harsh conditions for cultivation for crops – often the only means of making a living for these villagers. The difficult environment contributes to local community needing to struggle for survival and Walkers Tours firmly believes that supporting them in any way is critical.

As a result, many projects have been introduced to help create some form of financial stability to villagers. These include helping to build chicken coops or goat pens and donating water storage tanks to ensure that families have access to clean, safe water.

This exciting new project will give visitors an enriching experience. Here, they can take a break from fast paced metropolitan life and strike a balance between having a great time and being considerate to the planet and its people.

Go Fly a Kite!

Kite flying in Sri Lanka is considered a relaxing past time. It is an activity that is mostly enjoyed by young children, especially during this time of year, as it falls in the midst of school holidays.

This year the Sri Lanka Kites Community is organising an international kite festival. The festival hopes to draw in kite flyers, regardless of age. Internationally kite flying is often considered a professional sport, with countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and India holding similar festivals each year. The Sri Lanka Kites Community aims at creating a platform for kite flyers to promote the sport professionally with participants hailing from over 30 countries across the globe.

Galle Face Green is most definitely one of the best spots in Colombo for this event, as it has ample space for all participants and is blessed with a steady flow of wind. The skies will be dotted with many colourful and imaginative shapes. Why not try making your own kite? All you will need is coconut eakles or bamboo skewers, gum, yarn and tissue paper. Try out a variety of shapes, from the most aero-diametrically favourable structures to the more complex forms.

Come fly your kite along with the rest of us on the 13^th and 14^th of October at the Galle Face Green!

Office Olympics 2012

In true Leisure Inbound spirit, our colleagues at Walkers Tours and Whittall Boustead Travel Limited (our sister company) won the overall silver medal in the Office Olympics, held on the 28^th of July 2012.

The Office Olympics was organised by a popular local radio station, with an impressive thirty two teams participating in the event. Our six member team who named themselves ‘The Y-NOTS’ included the likes of Andre Power and Asitha Jayawardana of the Nature Odyssey department, Shanendra Fernando from our Data Entry team, Sidath Jayaweera from the Chinese Market, Gayanga Botejue from Whittall Boustead Travel and Nanduni Rajapakshe of Web Sales.  The Olympics comprised of six exciting events, four of which required team effort. Out of the six grueling events held at the Olympics, our crafty colleagues managed to secure positions in an astounding four events! This meant that the Y-NOTS were the overall silver medalists for the Office Olympics 2012 walking away with Rs. 120,000 as prize money!



Rubberband Archery



Wastepaper  shootout



Concentration at its peak during an intense game of rubberband archery




Our Olympians



The Y-NOTS managed to bag medals for the following events:

Gold medal - Office chair hand ball (team event)

Bronze medal - Obstacle course race (team event)

Silver medal - Waste paper shootout

Bronze Medal - Pin your boss (darts)

Congratulations to the well deserved winners!

Fruit salad

Sweet, sour, juicy, round and even the downright strange - we have them all. As Sri Lanka is located in the tropics, it comes as no surprise that the island is blessed with a variety of exotic fruit.

A drive around the island, mostly on the outskirts of towns and cities will take you past a number of roadside stalls selling colourful fruit. If you are a fruit enthusiast, then this is going to be a gastronomical ride of a lifetime! Although I cannot describe every single fruit found in Sri Lanka (this would require me writing an entire book), I will touch on a few favourites enjoyed by locals.

At any given time of the year, you are bound to run into bunches of bananas sold by the gazillions at any fruit stall. Choose from the larger savoury bananas like Kolikuttu or the smaller sweet/sour kinds like Ambul Kesel. You are bound to go bananas over the numerous varieties and flavours waiting to be chomped on!

Mangos are my personal favourite fruit. When eating mangos, one generally looks for big flavour and little fiber. If you’re lucky enough, you will be able to get your hands on mangos from Jaffna, undoubtedly the best in the island. These deliciously sweet mangos are juicy, full of flavour and are just the right consistency when ripe.



Jaffna Mangos

The wood apple is a strange looking fruit. This peculiar bulbous fruit is brown in colour and has a hard outer layering. Once cracked, the fruit reveals a sticky brown pulp within that has a jam like consistency. The wood apple is used to make a popular drink called divul kiri, which is a definite must try on your list of Sri Lankan specialties to taste whilst on holiday.

I cannot forget to mention a few seasonal favourites. Jambu is one such fruit. These small bell-shaped, blushing fruits have a very subtle flavour comparable to a snow pear. They are often enjoyed raw or eaten with a pinch of salt and chilli for an added Sri Lankan kick!

Next let me introduce you to my dear old friend, the rambutan. Rambutan is found in South East Asia and is yet another strange looking fruit. Its red skin is covered with hairy protuberances and cannot be eaten. However once the skin is peeled away, the succulent opaque fruit is revealed. Its flavour is slightly sweet with an acidic after taste that will leave you begging for more! Rambutans are not found all year round, however when they are, you will find them piled up in glorious red bunches by the roadside and at any fruit stall. Other popular fruits include the pineapple, papaw, watermelon and of course the coconut.



A delicious mound of rambutan

Yes, our tiny island is jam-packed with a vast array of delicious fruit. Be astounded by the variety of colours, smells and tastes that greet your senses when visiting a local fruit market. It’s amazing that such a large variety of produce is grown locally in various parts of the island. I think that Sri Lanka’s fruit platter can be paralleled to its society. There are so many ethnicities found in the island, resembling one colossal fruit salad. 

International Hotel Chains in Sri Lanka

A number of international hotel chains have recognised the infinite potential of the tourism industry in Sri Lanka. Many of the world’s biggest brands have shown interest in opening luxury hotels in the island.

The global giant Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, the owners of the famous Sheraton brand has made an investment of USD 80 million. The Sheraton Colombo will be a 306-room hotel which will include a Presidential Suite as well as a number of other themed suite rooms. The property will house 4 restaurants and will be located in central Colombo. The Sheraton Colombo is expected to open its doors in October 2013.

Another leading hotel brand, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has made an investment of USD 550 million on its first ever hotel project in Colombo. The hotel will overlook the famed Galle Face Green promenade and is projected to be complete by the end of 2015. Offering some of the largest hotel rooms in the city, each room will be approximately 484 square feet by 592 square feet. The Shangri-La Colombo will include a wide range of specialty restaurant concepts and numerous dining opportunities.

The most recent chain of hotels to join in on the bandwagon is the Hyatt Hotels and Resorts Group. The Hyatt Regency Hotel will be a 43 story luxury 5 star property. The property is expected to feature 565 rooms, banquet facilities, numerous food & beverage outlets and a fitness centre.

Foreign investment continues to flood in as Sri Lanka’s popularity in the tourism and leisure sector grows. The industry benchmark in terms of product offered and service standard will be raised, with well established international brands joining in and heightening competition amongst city hotels.

Chicken Curry for the Soul

Sri Lankan’s pride themselves in being culinary experts when it comes to rice and curries. We boast of the most flavourful curries that are a complex blend of spices ingeniously layered to form a fiery explosion of deliciousness. Once you try a typical traditional Sri Lankan curry, you will never turn back – I kid you not!

Rice is the staple diet for most Sri Lankans and is eaten with a variety of curries that are prepared in different methods. Various spicy condiments or ‘sambols’ also accompany any meal, adding that extra bit of punch (in the guts?) to your meal!

If rice does not interest you, do not fret! You can try out other traditional specialties such as string hoppers (a stringy noodle made out of wheat flour), hoppers (a crispy bowl shaped pancake), roti (flat bread) and thosai (a savory pancake).

Additionally Sri Lankan cuisine has been heavily influenced by Western invaders (Dutch and Portuguese), South Indians as well as Arab tradesmen.

Biriyani is an aromatic rice dish. What makes biriyani unique is the fragrant stock that the rice is cooked in. This stock is prepared with a number of various spices and meat that complement the rice perfectly. This delectable dish is extremely popular and enjoyed by all Sri Lankans.

Lamprais is yet another way of preparing rice, influenced by the Dutch. The rice is prepared in a complex mixture spices, turmeric and coconut milk. Once again the stock plays an extremely important role in its preparation, with a combination of meat being added to enhance the flavours. A number of different curries and sambols are added as accomplishments and it is packaged and served in a banana leaf. Among these curries and side dishes is blachang (a ball of finely ground prawns), frikadels (crumb fried meat balls) and brinjal pahi (brinjal fingers fried in traditional spices).

Yes, in case you didn’t believe me the first time, Sri Lanka is definitely a foodies haven. Explore the complex flavours and exotic spices of Sri Lankan cuisine and prepare to be delighted!

In the West, people often crave a warm comforting bowl of hot soup after a hard days work or when sick. Unsurprisingly this is not the case with me. As a Sri Lankan, I crave chicken curry! I yearn for a thick steaming curry comprising of tender chicken, coconut milk, garlic, cinnamon sticks, ginger, chilli powder and a number of other spices.

I believe a chicken curry a day will most definitely keep the doctor away! So forget the soulful chicken soup of yesteryear and try our chicken curry!

Here’s the recipe for those of you who would like to try it out for yourselves.

RECIPE FOR CHICKEN CURRY

Serves 4

Ingredients:-

1 large broiler chicken

1 cup thick coconut milk

2 cups diluted coconut milk

1 sprig curry leaves

1 small stem of lemon grass, chopped

1 large onion, chopped fine

2” piece of ginger, crushed

6 cloves garlic, chopped

4 cardamoms

4 cloves

3” piece of cinnamon, broken up

3 heaped teaspoons roasted curry powder

3 teaspoons chillie powder

½ teaspoon saffron

Salt and pepper

Juice of 2 limes

2 tablespoons oil

Method:-

Remove outer skin of chicken. Cut into 2” cubes or pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil and then lightly fry onions, garlic and ginger until translucent. Add curry leaves, lemon grass and cook for a minute. Next add pieces of chicken. After a minute, add diluted coconut milk, curry powder, saffron and chillie powder. Allow to simmer until chicken is cooked. Add spices and the thick coconut milk followed by lime juice. Taste and add more salt if required. Simmer on a low fire until the gravy is thick.

Time to grab that snorkelling mask!

It's the perfect time of year for snorkelling in Trincomalee. This shot was taken off the the cliff of the Koneswaran Temple. I happened to noticed a couple of people snorkelling by the rocks. Unfortunately since I was leaving for Colombo I could not do the same, but I'm sure they must have spotted the most colourful coral and exotic fish!

Enticing don't you think?

Outbound training

Last weekend the Leisure Inbound team headed to Chaaya Tranz Hikkaduwa, for our annual outbound training. It was a wonderful change for many, who spend most of their days planning exciting tours for others. I won’t lie, the schedule was rather strenuous and the heat did get the better of us all! But we left Hikkaduwa with some food for thought. These fun-filled activities were used as a starting point to foster team spirit and also to highlight the importance of creating a culture that is conducive to change through effective and open communication.

Whilst this trip was all about building team spirit, we did manage to have a bit of fun at our social as well! 

Just thought I would share a few pictures of us hard at work!

Have a great weekend all! :)

CASA Colombo

This retro-chic hotel is making headlines the world over! Winner of the ‘2011 Asia Pacific Hotel Award’ for ‘Best Interior Design’ and ‘2011 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence’.

Additionally the hotel has been nominated for the titles of Asia’s Leading Boutique Hotel, Sri Lanka’s Leading Hotel and Sri Lanka’s Leading Business Hotel (World Travel Awards 2012).

The hotel is located in the heart of Colombo, easily accessible as it is just off the

Galle Road.

Casa Colombo is a 200 year old mansion that has been painstakingly restored and is now a vibrantly luxurious boutique property. What’s unique about the property is its eclectic style that has a youthful appeal, nothing like Colombo has ever seen before.

Surround yourself with stylish living spaces, mosaic flooring, elaborate embellished materials and muted lighting that creates an intimate atmosphere. Each guest has their own personal Domo who will attend to their every whim and fancy. Lounge on one of the white poolside beds right next to the exclusive pink pool and taste delicacies from around the world, in a decidedly different ambiance!

                             

                                                                        

The Library

 

                       Casa Colombo has 12 uniquely designed suites that excude comptemporary style

                                                            

White poolside beds

                                                                




HVN Restaurant



Dusk at CASA Colombo

                                     

The exclusive pink pool



Art Installation



Verandah