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Wild wild Wilpattu !
When you talk about the Wildlife of Sri Lanka, the common name which pops up in the ordinary guidebooks is . Of course, it is simply because of its high density of leopards, making them a common sighting. Unfortunately, with fame comes overcrowding, especially with wildlife photographers who will at times flock together with fifty other jeeps just to get a perfect photo of a leopard.
While there are still some ways to avoid big crowds in Yala. For now, let’s leave it aside and focus on Wilpattu, the real Wild Wild Wilpattu! If you think that a Sri Lankan safari is more than just a leopard sighting and if natural landscapes make you happy, Wilpattu National Park is the place to visit.
Beautiful shallow natural lakes
The government declared Wilpattu a National Park in 1938, making it one of the oldest national parks. The park is in the North-Western region of the island. The areas of Wilpattu span across 1,300 km2 making it the largest national park in Sri Lanka. Even though Wilpattu National Park is located in the dry zone, the flora is very luscious most of the time.
Wilpattu derives its name from the fact that it is home to more than one hundred natural lakes which are called ‘.’ Now, you can perhaps imagine why no other national park can even come close to Wilpattu when it comes to natural beauty. Most areas of the park are covered with dense scrub forest, large trees, and grass. The western sector of the park is especially full of forested areas and heavy bushes.
Wilpattu is teeming with wildlife
Sri Lanka is known as one of the best places to visit for the greatest experiences in wildlife attractions in the world. Due to the gigantic size of the Wilpattu National Park and its fertile nature. It has become one of the finest wildlife watching locations in Sri Lanka.
Willpattu National park has more than 30 species of mammals. It is home to Sri Lankan elephants, sloth bears, spotted deer, water buffaloes, and Langurs. It is also home to the animal that attracts many tourists: the Sri Lankan leopard.
Perhaps the most elusive cat in the world, the Sri Lankan leopard reigns supreme in Sri Lanka. With no lions or tigers to threaten its position, leopards in Sri Lanka are more casual than they are anywhere in the world.
They can often be seen lying around in the treetops. They are also much bigger than leopards in Africa or India. In addition, there are countless species of birds in Wilpattu National Park. These include the Sri Lankan junglefowl, the pintail, the peafowl, and many more species.
Moreover, there are several reptile and amphibian species that live here. For instance: the mugger crocodile, the soft-shelled Turtle, the Indian rock python, and the Bengal monitor. Wilpattu is not only home to wildlife but also to many species of flora and littoral vegetation. These include salt grass and low scrub monsoon forest.
If you happen to visit just after the rains around March, the landscapes will bear witness to that. The willus often attract a wide array of wildlife that fancy a sip or a dip. This occurs especially during the dry season from March to October, making it the best time to visit Wilpattu. Because of the enormous size of the park we recommend a full-day safari. Patience is the key when exploring Wilpattu so take your time and be surprised by what it offers.
Our last visit to Wilpattu was in September 2020. We purposely visited on a weekday to avoid crowds. It was therefore probably one of the best safari experiences we’ve ever had. Apart from us, there were only five other jeeps that had entered the park and it almost felt as if we were on our own private reserve.
Sightings experiences
Our first sighting was of a big male lone elephant who gave us a mock charge as if to say “Welcome, but remember you are in our territory!” Afterward, we saw hundreds of spotted axis deer and a few crocodiles sunbathing. We also observed a couple of sloth bears in the distance enjoying some of their favorite Palu fruits for dessert. We were also lucky to see many birds such as bee-eaters, kingfishers, Serpent Eagles, and also a rare sighting of a Brown Fish Owl staring at us from a tree.
Then came the cherry on top: we got to follow a leopard walking through the jeep track for about 10 minutes. He then decided to climb a tree nearby and stared at us, as if posing for our cameras. Just when we thought we had seen it all, he crouched and took aim from the top of the tree before jumping at a couple of axis deer that were passing by. Alas, he missed the target and had to wait longer for a proper meal. With that fitting finale, we bid goodbye to Wilpattu.
Khiri Travel Sri Lanka
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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