Sri Lanka’s enduring appeal for visitors, stems from a seductive combination of superb beaches, tropical sunshine, a very warm welcome and a quite unique puzzle of cultures epitomised by the extraordinary relics and temples recalling the power and dignity of their ancient, lost empires. Despite the turbulence and tragic recent history of 30 years of civil strife, this bustling island has now dusted itself down and got back on its feet, making it a truly desirable holiday destination.
GALLE FORT – The AMANGALLA – grandeur and traditions
Nothing can quite prepare you for the reality and bustle of life in Sri Lanka. As you career through the most incredibly dicey streets which approach Galle Fort, you find yourself clutching the guardrails on the TukTuk as it swerves past policemen, cows on roundabouts, cars, vans and hand-painted lorries…it is a quick introduction to how we are going to get about in the next 10 days.
We are driven up a cobbled road and dropped off outside an elegant staircase, marked by two huge potted papyrus plants and there is it, very discreetly languishing in the heart of the 17th fort: The Amangalla. Set in the heart of one of the Unesco World Heritage sites, the hotel exudes an air of grandeur married with the traditions of by-gone days, amidst Dutch heritage, pillared verandahs and Victoriana tiles originally from Wandworth….
Olivia Richli, the General Manager of the Amangalla, took on the Aman project nearly 20 years ago, and the hotel, originally the private home of Nesta Brohier, has all the ingredients Adrian Zecha is keen on for his AMAN resorts.
The charm of Amangalla has a close connection that it lives through every day, to its valued heritage. When you wake, the soft morning sunlight pours through the louvered shutters onto the rich, polished timber floors, much like it did years and years ago. Outside you hear the gentle sweeping of the terraces surrounding the green-tiled swimming pool, where fallen frangipane flowers are collected after the night winds.
TANGALLE – The AMANWELLA – space and balance
The town of Tangalla is once again an explosion of traffic, stalls, colours, markets, banana bundles, fresh coconuts and the toots of TukTuks and scooters trying to avoid each other. If you have travelled this far south, take a small dusty track off the main drag, and trust your driver! The end of a fresh leafy path brings you to THE MOST spectacular out-look you can possibly expect. Once again, nothing can prepare you! A beautiful green grassy glade rolls down towards the golden beach-front, flanked by the Amanwella which sits proud and majestic overlooking the bay. This hotel and its Ocean Suites are about pure ease and indolence….
The beach resort below the Ocean Suites, stretches along the beach front and 10 widely spaced-out wooden loungers. A large black yoga platform built on the sea front is prepped with yoga mats and water bottles for sun salutations at 6pm.
Soon enough, the Expressway, the half-built bridges, unmanned motorway exits and mounds of earth you drive past from Galle to Matara, will all connect, taking Sri Lanka’s transportation to a new level all the way to Hambantota International Airport, the newly built airbase which saw its first test commercial flight landings in December 2012. They are really and truly connecting their dots in Sri Lanka.
