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| Saturday, 5 July 2003 |
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Oruthota chalets - a nature lover's paradise by Ravi Ladduwahetty
Situated 17 kilometres on the Kandy-Mahiyangana Road and bordering the Hulu Ganga in the Victoria Reservoir catchment, Oruthota resorts is a nature lover's paradise. Firmly entrenched in the salubrious climes of the Central Province and sandwiched in cocoa, pepper and coconut plantations, Oruthota is an ideal venue for birdwatchers. There is a diversity of birds which include the Sri Lankan Visiting Crush, Taylor Bird, Hill Mynah, Capped Babbler, Hanging Parrot, Red Vented Bull and the Woodpecker.
The most salient feature of the venue for all travellers is that it is the focal point and a stopover from most of the other well-known travel destinations. It is two and a half hours away from Sigiriya and the Wasgomuwa National Park. Dambulla is a mere 90 minutes. The other venues which are of relative proximity is the Hunnasgiriya Mountain Range, the Mini World's End at Meemurai and Mahiyangana. There are leisure activities for travellers who want to relax. A modern swimming pool, billiards, carrom, chess and table tennis are some of them.
The e-mail address of the resort is oruthota@sltnet.lk. The website address is: www.oruthota.wb.ys which was operational from June 12. ######### Weekday holiday packages from Keells
Strategically located around the island and boasting of guest comfort and facilities to match, the Keells group of hotels, certainly invites blissful indolence whatever may be your holiday choice. For the nature and history buffs, the Lodge and The Village Habarana are ideal choices, given the many opportunities to be close-to-nature, or admire the ancient splendour of the land. Just an hour's drive away from the Cultural Triangle, the two resorts are popular choices for many a local and foreigner looking for a quiet holiday stay or a more adventurous vacation. On offer are plenty of activities that include bird trails and bike hikes bordering the Sigiriya Rock or around the seven historic lakes in the area. A must for the adventurous and nature enthusiast looking for close encounters, of the natural kind. For the beach bums, Hotel Bayroo, Bentota Beach Hotel and Hotel Swanee offer plenty of fun in the sun. If you seek heavy rushes of adrenalin, the hotels have on line a range of water sports at the Club Intersport Centre to offer you enough spills and thrills. The Bentota Beach Hotel, which has gained a reputation for offering 'fine dining' under the stars, is also the ideal place to pamper your palate with good food and wine. For those of you who are looking for a new holiday experience, the recently refurbished Club Oceanic Hotel on the East Coast provides a chance for a great vacation on the beach, not to mention the opportunity to take in the sights and sounds of the area. The chalets overlooking the picturesque coast set the pace for a truly unique holiday experience. If the cool climes, is more your kind of holiday-choice-of-stay, The Citadel Kandy, offers a chance to wind down in style. Take your pick, since the special discounts and rates for weekday holiday packages are available only for a limited time. TG ######### French food festival at the Galadari The Galadari Hotel will hold a French Food Festival at the California Grill Rooftop Restaurant from July 10 to 15 in association with the Franco- Sri Lanka Business Council. The Food Festival has been organized in connection with the French National Day which falls on July 14. Two master Chefs from France will be brought down by Qatar Airways, all ingredients for the food festival, the Cheeses and Wines will be brought down for the Food Festival from the gastronomical capital of France "Lyon". The Chief Guest who will grace the opening ceremony will be Ms. Marie France Pagnier French Ambassador in Sri Lanka. Do not miss to experience true French Cuisine at the California Grill Rooftop Restaurant of the Galadari Hotel. ######### Capture nature on a snap - and Win!
If you are a wildlife enthusiast with a knack for taking good photographs, remember to stock on a few extra rolls of film when you head to the wild. For who knows, there's a good chance that you will be able to capture a 'winning moment', be it a playful bear rumpus, or pirouetting butterflies in the wind. It could even be a golden sunset or simply a beautiful bird on a tree. The idea, is to 'capture nature and her creatures' in their many moods- enchanting, amazing, memorable, breathtaking, awesome or simply bizarre!
If you do succeed, then hurry along with the photograph or photographs to Fuji Film Image Service, 501, Union Place, Colombo 10. An array of exciting prizes and a grand cash award of Rs. 100,000 including the coveted Nature Photographer of the Year Award, is yours for the taking, if you snap on a 'winning moment'. Runners-up are also entitled to a series of fabulous prizes. Gehan De Silva Wijeratne, Director Eco-Tourism Jetwing Hotels, the main organiser of the contest says "the judges will be looking for images with visual impacts or images that can tell a story." Entry is by the submission of prints in each of five categories for mammals, birds, other animals, plant life and landscapes. Entries close on July 15. Tharika ######### CWE Holiday Resort at Kataragama by Murali Jayadeva
The resort was inaugurated on June 25. It also has a multicuisine restaurant which can provide whatever food the guests require. Present Board of Management and its energetic Chairman, K. K. Jayalath Prematilleke, worked tirelessly to make this venture a success. Kudos for its successful operation and management certainly goes to its Manager, Ajantha Chandrasekera whose consistent rapport with the customers have made this a favourite location among the local tourists and pilgrims. The Chairman said he has positive plans to upgrade the hotel to greater levels of strength and service in the near future. |
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Produced by Lake House |
Are you looking for a venue to soothe your weary nerves? Then, Oruthota
Chalets at Digana may be the answer.
Oruthota is a much sought after destination by senior private sector
executives who want to be away from it all. There are also groups of
school children who want to spend the day. The venue is popular for
conferences and meetings, while it is also a much sought after destination
among honeymooners and other holidaymakers.
There is also a modern dining area which serves typical Sri Lankan and
western cuisine. The resort has 15 chalets which have all the amneties of
a modern resort which make living there very nerve soothing as the natural
vegetation in which the venue is embodied in and the salubrious climes
make it enticing for anyone wanting to get away to a stress-free
environment.
If you can getaway from the grind of weekday, work pressure, perhaps
even for a day or two, John Keells Hotels group is offering a special
holiday package for a relaxing vacation in any one of their eight chains
of resorts.
The CWE Welfare Society has constructed an A Grade Holiday Resort at
Kataragama at a cost of Rs. 15 million with a capacity of 26 guest rooms
with AC facility.
