DavidTravel

We are LOVED our stay at Ceylon Tea Trails, a stunning Relais & Chateaux small boutique hotel among the tea plantations!

I highly recommend this property with beautiful interiors, attention to every detail, great service, and great food.

There are 5 bungalows and about 5-6 guest rooms in each. We stayed in Castlereagh. We also visited Dunkfeld and Sommerville and this post has photos of those 2 bungalows.

These historic “bungalows” feel more like tea plantation manor homes. Each is beautiful!

We got very spoiled by having wonderful Butler service, too.

https://www.resplendentceylon.com/teatrails

FACES of Sri Lanka!

We will be heading home soon and we have loved exploring, the beautiful and fascinating island called Sri Lanka. We have an especially loved meeting and interacting with the lovely Sri Lankan people.

We are LOVING our stay at Ceylon Tea Trails, a stunning Relais & Chateaux small boutique hotel among the tea plantations! This is a highly recommended property with beautiful interiors, attention to every detail, great service, and great food.

Our beautiful room in the Castlereagh Bungalow is perfect. It will be hard to get Michael to agree to leave 🙂.

These photos are of the 5 guest room Castlereagh Bungalow. The Ceylon Tea Trails lodge is made up of a total of five bungalows. Three are near each other and two are about a 30 minute to 1 hour drive away.

We are getting very used to and spoiled by having wonderful Butler service, too.

https://www.resplendentceylon.com/teatrails

We LOVED our stay at Kandy House, a wonderful, small boutique hotel in a 200+ year old, stunning manor house.

It is an historic and idyllic sanctuary from a former era. The food, service, and attention to every detail is great and so is the AC. Plus, it is just a short drive (4.5 miles) to Kandy Temple and lake, which are highlights.

In 1804, the last Chief Minister of the Kandyan kingdom built a palatial villa touching local, moorish and dutch styles in the beautiful countryside near the former capital. 200 years later, it was converted into Kandy House.








https://www.manorhouseconcepts.com/our-spaces/kandy-house/

In Kandy, we enjoyed a stop for lunch the lovely King’s Pavilion, a small boutique hotel very close to the Kandy Temple.

https://www.kingspavilion.com/

En route to Kandy, we stopped to see the Geoffrey Bawa designed hotel, now call Heritance Kandalama.

This iconic hotel was designed by Sri Lanka’s most famous architect, Geoffrey Bawa.

The hotel is a dramatic and imposing structure standing tall against the cliffs of a huge granite outcrop and seemingly blending in with the jungle as vines and greenery growing on the facade of the building.

The hotel overlooks a huge, ancient man-made lake and stunning views can be enjoyed for miles around and out to Sigiriya Rock in the distance.

We loved our stay at the Water Garden Sigiriya hotel with an amazing view of the rock fortress of Sigiriya, a UNESCO archaeological heritage site. It is a beautiful, luxury property with great AC in the rooms and in the indoor part of the restaurant. The pool is great with Sigiriya rock fortress view!

https://www.watergardensigiriya.com/

Wow…. and must visit site is the Sigiriya “Lion Rock fortress, a UNESCO archaeological site.

It is one of the best preserved examples in the world of ancient urban planning.

The fortress complex includes remnants of a ruined palace, surrounded by an extensive network of fortifications, vast gardens, ponds, canals, alleys, and fountains.

I recommend climbing the steps to the top to fully appreciate Sigiriya!

Sigiriya is one of the most valuable historical monuments of Sri Lanka. Referred to by locals as the Eighth Wonder of the World, this ancient palace and fortress complex has significant archaeological importance.

Sigiriya is located in the Central Province of Sri Lanka.

According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicles, King Kashyapa (AD 477–495) built his palace on top of this rock and decorated its sides with colourful frescoes. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock he built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. The name of this place is derived from this structure; Sīnhāgiri, the Lion Rock.

The capital and the royal palace were abandoned after the king’s death. It was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century.

Sigiriya today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The frescoes depict n**e women and are considered to be either portraits of Kadapa’s wives and concubines or priestesses performing religious rituals. Despite the unknown identity of the females depicted in the frescoes, these unique ancient paintings celebrate female beauty and have incredible historical significance.

One of the most striking features of Sigiriya is its Mirror wall. In the old days, it was polished so thoroughly that the king could see his reflection. The Mirror wall is painted with inscriptions and poems written by the visitors of Sigiriya.
The most ancient inscriptions are dated from the 8th century. These inscriptions prove that Sigiriya was a tourist destination over a thousand years ago.

Loving our travels around Sri Lanka, formerly called Ceylon. Love these vintage travel poster images!

We visited and liked Uga Ulagalla Resort

A highlight is the reception and dining room in the very beautiful 150 year old former village chieftains mansion with rich history and cultural significance.

The resort is well located…a 30 minute drive to the archaeological sites in Anuradhapura and an hour away from the great rock fortress of Sigiriya, a UNESCO World Heritage site.









https://www.ugaescapes.com/ulagalla/

Sri Lanka. Dec 1-3. We had a wonderful stay Jetwing Vil Uyana, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH).
Jetwing Vil Uyana’s doors opened in 2006, and as of 2022, the faunal diversity has swelled with the stabilisation of the wetland. The property currently boasts over 157 species of birds and over 29 mammals, with the numbers of butterflies, reptiles, and amphibians also showing significant growth. Alongside the overall increase in biodiversity at the hotel’s premises, the story of the Grey Slender Loris has garnered special consideration since being discovered on site in 2010 in an area earmarked for expansion; their existence prompted the management to abandon the development plans and declare the area as a loris research and conservation site – the first of its kind in the world.

https://www.jetwinghotels.com/jetwingviluyana

Greetings from Sri Lanka. We arrive last night, 29 November (my birthday) and it is lovely. We are staying the 1st 2 nights in Colombo at Timtagel Paradise Hotel. It is a beautiful old colonial mansion. This is where King,l Charles and Camilla stayed on the recent visit. It is lovely and has just 10 suites.
https://paradiseroadhotels.com/tintagel

We arrived in New Delhi India on 28 November en route to Sri Lanka. We had a wonderful overnight at the beautiful Trident Gurgaon Hotel. It is near the airport and part of the Oberoi Hotel group. Everything was great including the service, the food, the pool, the fitness center, etc. It is a fantastic oasis just about 15 minutes from DEL airport.
luxurytravel

The Bergdorf Goodman windows were disappointment…but best when viewed with the reflection of neighboring buildings!

A must see is the exhibit of 16 of Barkley Hendrick’s “Portraits at the Frick” …. currently at the former uptown Whitney Museum.

We loved our quick visit to the Museum of Natural History enjoying excellent exhibits: The live butterfly exhibit, the insect exhibit, and the mineral & gem collection.

Enroute to our arrival on my birthday (29 Nov) in Sri Lanka, we visited in New York City with family and friends for Thanksgiving!

If you're planning to explore a new country, take some time to acquaint yourself with your destination's local customs and traditions. Showing respect for cultural norms, dressing suitably, and picking up a few basic phrases in the local language can greatly enhance your overall experience!

When would you prefer to enjoy Amsterdam: night or day?

🌚 For night owl travelers, you'll find cozy bars and inviting cafes. Plus, Dutch treats, local beers, and the energy of the city's nightlife. In December and January, enjoy a light festival!

🌞 For daytime travelers, explore the iconic Anne Frank House and the vibrant blooms of the flower markets. Rent a bicycle and take in the architecture and lush green parks!

Comment your preference! Night or Day, Amsterdam is a treasure trove of delight!

Iceland, Indonesia, or India - which one would you choose? 🤔

If you're looking to bring some more color to your life, check out the La Boca Barrio of Buenos Aires! The brilliantly hued Caminito (little path) is a street museum with brightly-colored houses, colorful cobblestones, street art, and lively happenings. It's sure to bring a smile to your face!

These two amazing marvels of the National Parks Service are breathtaking, but each is different. One is more of a rocky desert landscape, and the other mountainous and with a lush green forest. Based on the images and the type of park they are, which would you rather visit?

TOP: Arches National Park in Utah, U.S.A

BOTTOM: Sequoia National Park in California, U.S.A

Comment your preference!