Life style
Ferncliff– elegant, colonial style boutique
by Vijaya Chandrasoma
Ferncliff today is an elegant, colonial style boutique chalet nestling in the mountain resort of Nuwara Eliya, the City of Light. Often referred to as “Little England”, Nuwara Eliya has the feel of a British hamlet, with colonial-style homes, hotels and guest houses. It was originally earmarked as a pastoral resort where the British indulged their favourite pastimes of hunting, golf and horse racing in the pseudo-aristocratic atmosphere of the British country-home circuit. Nuwara Eliya remains an escape even today, not only for Sri Lankans who flock there during the “season” in April, but for tourists from the world over, who can enjoy, even for a few days, the life of a colonial past.
Describing Nuwara Eliya in his wonderful book, “Running in the Family”, Michael Ondaatje wrote: “Nuwara Eliya was a different world. At an elevation of 6,000 feet, the families could look forward to constant parties, horse racing and the All Ceylon Tennis Tournament. This was the Nuwara Eliya in the twenties and thirties. Everyone was vaguely related, and had Sinhalese, Dutch, British and Burgher blood in them going back many generations”.
Ferncliff also boasts a storied pedigree. The earliest recorded owner was His Excellency Lieutenant General Edward Barnes, in 1831. The property came into the hands of the de Saram family in 1883, and has been in its ownership since, managed today by the latest generation of Sproule-de Sarams.
The bungalow remains one of the last of its kind, authentic and historic, distinctive among the ever-changing, oft-times garish dwellings of modern Nuwara Eliya. It has four large and superbly furnished double rooms and two garden suites; cosy and comfortable sitting and dining rooms with the roaring fireplaces of a bygone era that leave one with a touch of nostalgia for simpler times.
Ferncliff’s beautifully maintained garden, with its manicured lawn and a profusion of multicoloured flowers, is a joy to behold, and provides an ideal niche to read or have an afternoon siesta. This description does scant justice to one of Ferncliff’s signature features, so I sought expert advice for a more pictorial account:
“The Ferncliff gardens are resplendent with ancient camphor and cedar trees, and tree camellias standing like sentinels, watching over the lush lawns. The garden teems with birds and butterflies, surrounded by lilac osbeckias, Chilean firebush plants and lantana flowers. Cherimoya trees in the courtyard are surrounded by wild ferns and orchids, nestling below vistas of Mount Pedro, the highest peak in Sri Lanka”.
The garden has not always been so green. Its checkered history was perhaps best described by Michael Ondaatje, in the 1930s: “Anyway, a few years later, we decided to work at the lawn of Ferncliff, which was turning brown. So we arranged to have some turf delivered from the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club. And when we started digging we found about thirty bottles of Rockland Gin buried in the front lawn by your father”. The father under reference was a scion of a previous generation of the de Saram family, males of which have a predilection for the demon drink, second only to mortal fear of their formidable wives; and when those wives happened to be of the de Saram clan, one could assume they had Teutonic blood coursing through their multi-cultural veins.
My personal memories of Ferncliff go back well over 50 years, when it was a holiday home in Nuwara Eliya. The owner let any and all of his friends use – and sometimes abuse (in the nicest possible way) – the house whenever we wanted a few days away from the rat race in Colombo. My personal memories of Ferncliff are numerous, perhaps even too indiscreet to list, but I will never forget a holiday spent one April in the early 70s. Four close golfing friends and wives, all of us in that first flush of post-nuptial euphoria, decided to spend the April “season” at Ferncliff.
A perfect holiday, four men playing golf in the mornings, with more than a little convivial time spent with like-minded friends at the 19th hole of the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club. Returning to Ferncliff to a scrumptious lunch, planned by the ladies, and prepared and served by the wonderful staff, we were welcomed by our new and adoring wives with not a hint of complaint at our late arrival in various stages of inebriation. Any expectations we were foolish enough to entertain that this kind of docile and tolerant behaviour would persist in the future were shattered before long.
Before we visited Ferncliff, we had been warned about the ghosts who roamed the house at ungodly hours, making eerie noises. These warnings were so ominous that we were persuaded to fortify ourselves with copious amounts of alcohol to face these horrors. The fact that the ghostly sounds were ultimately revealed as the groans of the creaking wooden floors did not inhibit the continued flow of the good stuff.
It may be relevant to quote from the extracts of a few comments expressed by recent guests: “Ferncliff was top notch in every way. It is a most beautiful, characterful holiday bungalow, now converted to a small boutique hotel, set in a stunning garden – all very private yet very central in Nuwara Eliya. It is just a 10-minute walk to central Nuwara Eliya, with the hustle and bustle of a hill country town located in the environs of the beautiful Victoria Gardens and the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club. A warm welcome from the start with tea and homemade biscuits. All the food was beautifully prepared to order, tea on the lawn in the afternoon and roaring fires in the sitting and dining rooms in the evening. And the hot water bottles in our beds stayed miraculously hot all night”.
A truly unique experience in an authentic colonial atmosphere, a style of life of a forgotten era blended with traditional Sri Lankan hospitality.
Institute of Hospitality Sri Lanka
The 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the UK-based Institute of Hospitality’s Sri Lanka Chapter was held recently at the Ramada Hotel Colombo,.The event provided an evening of camaraderie , reflection of the past and present achievements,setting new benchmarks for the future
The AGM had the presence of two distinguished guests, the Chief Guest Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, and the Guest of Honour British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick. Their inspiring speeches were lauded by all hoteliers who were present at the occasion
A special thanks was extended to Robert Richardson, CEO of the Institute of Hospitality UK, along with his team, sponsors, committee members, and all attendees for making the event memorable.
Dr. Harsha Jayasingh, Past President of the Institute of Hospitality (UK) Sri Lanka Chapter, emphasised the Institute’s longstanding history and the strength of its Sri Lankan branch. “The Institute of Hospitality (IH) UK has a history of 86 years, and we are proud to be the Sri Lanka Branch. IH Sri Lanka is much stronger now with many members from all areas of the hospitality industry,” he stated.
Dr. Jayasingh highlighted the significant role of tourism in Sri Lanka’s economy,. He said tourism it is the third-largest source of revenue for the country. “Tourism accounts for about 13.3% of total foreign exchange earnings and employs 450,000 people directly and indirectly. The hospitality industry in this island of pearl holds tremendous potential for economic growth, job creations, and cultural exchange,” he added.
He also pointed out more women should be attracted to the industry and advocated for the use of technology in hospitality sector to attract the younger generation.
The newly appointed Chairman Ramesh Dassanayake spoke about the challenges faced by the industry, including the reluctance of youth to join the sector. . Dassanayake expressed concerns over the migration of staff between hotels and the overall ‘brain drain’ in the sector. ” We must maintain high standards in the hotel We must try to attract tourists to Sri Lanka, we must have with many facilities Hence, hotel schools and other professional institutions involved in skills development mustincrease their intakes,” he pointed out.
Chief Guest Sajith Premadasa emphasised the importance of eco tourism and said “We need to have an environmental policy related to tourism in place,” . .
The 32nd AGM of the Institute of Hospitality UK, Sri Lanka Chapter, was a testament to the strength and potential of Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry. The insights and commitments shared during the event set a new benchmark for the future.(ZC)
Pix by Thushara Attapathu
Life style
He recognizes human identity beyond boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
Visit of Sri Gurudev to Sri Lanka
Humanitarian, spiritual leader and Global Ambassador of Peace Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Sri Gurudev) was in Sri Lanka on a three day tour on the invitation of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dinesh Gunewardene. Gurudev who inspired a wave of volunteerism and service to moot one of the largest volunteer-based organisations in the world – The Art of Living – visited the various projects under the aegis of the foundation and launched twelve vocational and technical centers around the island. He was accompanied by thousands of followers from Sri Lanka and around the world.
Gurudev who visited Sri Lanka for the sixth time also had a first day cover launched in honour of his visit. He is a strong proponent of spreading happiness, using the unique Sudarshan Kriya, yoga, meditation and practical wisdom to unite people, empower individuals and transform communities. His programmes provide techniques and tools to live a deeper, more joyous life, while his non-profit organisations recognize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
The Art of Living which has more than 30,000 teachers and over one million volunteers across 180 countries has touched in excess of five hundred million people around the world. CNN called it “Life Changing” and The Washington Post headlined it, “Fresh air to millions”.
In Trincomalee, Gurudev met with war victims and had a heartwarming engagement with the children from the children’s homes run by the Foundation. He also visited the Koneswara Temple in Trincomalee and graced the Kumbhabhishekam at Seetha ecogPnize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion. Amman temple at Nuwara Eliya. He held discussions with the trustees on the progress of the foundation’s social service projects, while also holding a special event – Ekamuthuwa – attended by a large number of dignitaries and his devotees from around the world.
His time with the Prime Minister was spent discussing the prospects of unity in diversity and uniting Sri Lanka by adding happiness into the formula of living. In addition he had discussions with the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, prominent business stewards and civil society leaders.
by Zanita Careem
Envison your dream wedding day come to life at the Epitome Hotel, a prestigious city hotel in Kurunegala offering an unrivalled luxury rendors experience for weddings.
The venue is designed to embody opulence and luxury from all quarters for a spectacular wedding in kurunegala,Thier ballroom is the largest banquet facility in Sri Lanka It can be divided into six luxurious pillarless wedding halls on the ground floor and 25pax smaller banquet halls.
It can be easily named as a five star heaven in the heart of the city contributing to a myriad of immense experiences tailored to inspire and delight wedding experiences.
From opulent décor set up to exquisite table decor, lavish food, every detail is meticulously curated to spark your imagination and ignite creativity for a perfect wedding. The previous prestigious wedding shows season one and season two attracted large crowds
were unique events which gave the wedding vendors and potential clients had an opportunity to connect and interact with each other. Beyond being a showcase it was a chance for the wedding vendors to unite and contribute to the vibrancy of the wedding industry. The wedding show covered all area of the bridal industry providing a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became the most popular bridal exhibitions in Kurunegala.This bridal exhibitions allowed brides and grooms to experience first hand the products and services available from suppliers in Sri Lanka
These wedding shows held at The Epitome created a benchmark and gave an opportunity for vendors to create connections to the utmost satisfaction said Harshan Lakshita Executive Director. of the magnificent Hotel
Our wedding shows featured experts and professionals in every field‘ It covered all areas of the bridal industry provided a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became most popular bridal exhibition in this region.We are always open to everyone to join us at our wedding shows in the future. It is an opportunity to discover the incredible talent within our local wedding and bridal vendors to make meaningful relationships and plan thier special day at our breathtaking hotel The Epitome said General Manager Kavinda Caldera
The Epitome Hotel’s bridal show which will be held end of June will buzz with great ideas,advice and inspiration for all those who plan thier dream wedding
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The Hotel Epitome’s Wedding Season 3 will marked excellence, celebration and inspiration for those in the wedding industry. The exhibition halls will resonate with ideas on exquisite bridal wear to decor, florists , photography etc and showshowcase the rich tapestry of talent within the local wedding industry. .
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