Archive for September, 2009

Sri Lanka Elephants – The capture of the gentle giants

23 September 2009 by

This week we are delighted to have Sidantha Kumara as our guest blogger. Sid is one of our finest guides – a fantastic guy who has taught us so much about Sri Lanka. He shows a side of Sri Lanka not often seen and his passionate belief and strong ideas on the positive power of tourism has led him to develop some quite extraordinary tours. His main project is the Abode, but if you are looking for an alternative view of the cultural triangle or the Kandy region Sid is very definitely your man. He also organises and guides treks miles off the beaten track – for travel hardy adventurers only! One of his treks goes deep into elephant country – and elephants are a subject he feels deeply about as the following article shows:

“Safari tours first came to light in the early 18th centaury. The west made inroads in the spheres of discoveries. Before this large parts of Asia remain obscured form travelers eye. The post war period saw a massive boom in the world population driven by successful runs in the health and pharmaceutical industry. The earth became a crowded house to live in and the ever increasing pressure on natural resources further fueled the diminishing flora and fauna. The notion to create protected sites was born as a result.
The following account has been extracted form various travelers note books and compiled unfolding timeless events in Ceylon. (more…)

Sri Lanka’s Tea Trails scoops more prestigious acolades

17 September 2009 by

Tea Trails, Sri Lanka

Ceylon Tea Trails – The world’s first integrated tea bungalow resort has recently featured in the National Geographic magazine’s latest compilation of ‘Journeys of a Lifetime – The World’s Greatest Trips’. Managed by Forbes & Walker Leisure, Managing Director, Thilan Wijesinghe, said
‘This is a remarkable achievement for a Sri Lankan resort and destination to be featured in such a prestigious publication.’ Tea trails consists of four unique luxury estate bungalows flanked by tea plantations and lakes.

Vegetarian Thai delights at Ariyasom Villa, Bangkok

15 September 2009 by

Yummy Thai food

Ariyasom Villa is one of our favourite hotels in Bangkok and is one of the city’s more unusual and unique places to stay. Beyond the superb location, luxururious rooms and sense of old Bangkok history that runs through the original 1940 building, the hotel has a very special food angle in its restaurant. Owner David Lees has been a devout vegetarian for many years and the ‘Na Aroon’ fine dining restaurant at Ariyasom serves no meat at all (fish dishes are served though).

But this is only the beginning. The team of cooks and David himself are incessantly creative and experimental in the kitchen, serving a huge range of classic Thai cuisine suitable for vegetarians. On top of the Thai side of the menu are a rotating selection of fusion dishes, European influenced dishes and seasonal favourites. (more…)

Trip Advisor

11 September 2009 by

I recently waded into a discussion on the fantastic Travel Rants website. Much to my surprise I then got a call from the producer of ‘Fasttrack’, BBC World’s travel programme, asking me if I would mind making the same point on a programme he was making.

I did and they did an interesting and thoughtful piece, which among other things, put my argument up against the CEO of Trip Advisor in the UK…. Which we found fairly amusing. Last heard it was still available on the BBC website.

I do feel there is a point to be made though. (more…)

Bangkok airport ‘Skytrain’ link to open in December

8 September 2009 by

“The long-delayed Airport Rail Link project, providing direct rail service to and from Suvarnabhumi Airport, will start providing service to the public from this December 5 which coincides with the birthday celebrations of His Majesty the King, said State Railway of Thailand (SRT) Governor Yuthana Tupcharoen. (more…)