“Would you like to try our latest avocado mousse dessert madam?” and before I have a chance to say no, a sample is incarnated before me with a great flourish. I look at it, green and cool as the exotic tropical garden that the Tangerine restaurant sits in and as unusual in its cocktail glass design as the stunning azure blue infinity pool next to it. Not wanting to offend the gorgeous team of staff, I take a spoonful and by the second mouthful I am addicted and wondering how many more I can order before leaving.
‘Dos and don’ts’
It is hardly surprising, with five such good chefs cooking out-of-the box recipes like avocado mousse, that Calamansi Cove by Jetwing cooking classes are a sell-out success, because even their chicken curry cookery demonstration is done with a philosophy that food is like art and must be done in inspirational new ways. Of course, like everything at this stunning resort, there is a fun twist, as they will get you picking the Calamansi fruit, grown at the front entrance of the property so you can have the freshest taste of this tropical jewel. From tropical fruit feasts and colourful traditional mask-making classes in the garden, to a personalised arts and artisan tour of the area, it is impossible not to feel the pull to return and learn more about this little known area with its private cove that could almost be a scene set out of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five, Five Go to Smuggler’s Top. I half expected, as I wandered with my children along the beach, that we would find buried treasure as we all had fun digging holes in the sand and would then jump off the rocks and come up for air with stunning finds from the rock-pools full of mesmerising sea creatures and pretty shells.
For any busy parent, this is a perfect place to base yourself for a family holiday, as the staff love kids and take them off your hands between meals so you can rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit and also see the very best of what the island has to offer. Nothing is more than an hour or two away, such as the city of the arts of Ambalangoda, the fascinating historic fort city of Galle and, on the way, you can stop at one of the endless idyllic beaches, where the team can organise surfing lessons for the uninitiated. For the more experienced surfers, an early morning trip or an evening to ride the spectacular Hikkaduwa waves, with characters like the legendary Mambo boys, are easy to organise with the superb General Manager, Shalini Gamage, who grew up in the area and is worth listening to on ‘dos and don’ts’, so you can spot the clever local scams.
Rich in heritage
The area is a hub of artistic talent akin to the South of France and one of the many reasons the owners, who come from the incredibly exciting world of advertising, decided to build their resort in this hidden gem that ‘those in the know’ are calling Asia’s Southern Riviera. Eveline, one of the partners in the business, loves to encourage creativity both in the kitchen and with the daily activities. Every chance she gets to explore the area with her own family is an adventure as the location has no shortage of extraordinary characters and special things to see and do. With this in mind she has designed tours to give you a unique insight into the real lives of local artisans. You can see the four owners’ different passions are woven into every aspect of this breathtakingly beautiful resort that is exquisite in both its well thought through architecture and exciting new experiential experiences.
After all, where in the world can you go, with a top artist, on a tour whose picture hangs on your villa wall and discover why he has won a host of awards, including the Presidential one for being the island’s number one artist, while meeting puppet makers in their homes cum workshops, who have been producing masterpieces in puppetry for more than seven generations?
Art and artisan guide Janaka De Silva’s artwork, whether created with a porcupine quill or an ice cream stick, embodies a painting tradition rich in heritage and island traditions. Janaka’s work takes inspiration from the era of the great Kings and the Dambulla cave painters to the contemporary and the political, which you can see in his Galle Fort Art Gallery in the ancient fort citadel, only a short drive from Calamansi Cove by Jetwing.
From winning awards to having his own art shop at the Dutch Hospital complex in Galle Fort on Hospital Street, De Silva’s merging of the ancient with unusual canvases, like Dutch boxes and wooden hand painted bowls, have left an indelible impression in the South. He has also built his own Salon of leading artists, who are now movers and shakers in the Asian art world.
Indigenous artists
De Silva’s tours celebrate the re-creating of wooden Jaffna horses for the front verandas of stylish fashionista Southern villa owners, which he does from his own studio in Ambalangoda. Always looking back and yet moving forward with different items to paint on, from door stops looking like colonial characters to Dutch chests with the tree of life painted on them, he challenges us all to think about the real meaning of life. De Silva is considered by many as the Sri Lankan version of Modigliani, and, as part of his tour, will show you his studio workshop in action. He will then take you to see medicine-mask makers and explain the contrast in carving style between masks made for theatrical purposes and those made to protect houses from evil spirits. His tours are interactive so you can have a go at making your own and learn in the process just how hard it is to carve details into wood. Although he says children never find it difficult to be creative resulting in some pretty special masterpieces from his classes. He picks wood from broken branches and tree stumps in the surrounding Sinharaja Rain Forest, and talks avidly about how it is better to use natural colours by mixing the grated pieces of bark with clay and vinegar to make a range of earthy warm colours.
The half-day tour takes you into several homes of indigenous artists, handicraft makers and batik workers. De Silva happily answers questions on how modern life has taken a heavy toll on ancient practices and how some of the traditional performing families, such as the puppeteers, are the last in the country, with only three historic puppetry families remaining, who have been in the trade for generations. The cultural and historical significance is high and the preservation of this traditional art is now paramount, because without those special individuals who make up this heritage-rich town, the ancient crafts will be lost forever.
As I return to Calamansi Cove by Jetwing for dinner and to sneak in another delicious avocado mouse, I notice an amusing cartoon in the local papers saying, “We are only puppets, our strings are being pulled by unknown forces.” All I can say as I dive into the pool as the sun sets and cocktails are prepared, ‘you won’t regret whatever forces cause your heartstrings to book this oasis of inspiration reflected in the beautiful tropical garden that each of the villas seem to float within like water lilies on the Great Kings tank in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa. In truth there really is nothing else out there quite like it.’
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