A TWO-HOUR
DRIVE NORTH along the west side of the teardrop takes you
up the tsunami coast, where signs of devastation still can be seen,
even four years later. So many lives were lost and so much property
ruined that the local population has yet to forget: the landscape
is dotted with monuments and memorials.
But there is a rash of reconstruction along the way
as huge new beachfront resorts are rising. There appear to be a
number of smaller boutique hotels functioning as well, among all
levels of lodging. Along these shores are some of Sri Lanka’s
finest surfing beaches, a mecca of sorts. And the bustling route
into Galle announces a regional hub of activity. Not much has changed
inside the battlements of the Galle Fort in the last 250 years.
Once you pass through the New Gate you’ve time-travelled back
to the colonial era.
Fortunately, Aman has taken over management of the venerable
New Oriental Hotel, cherishing the original ambience of the place,
and bringing up the property, now called Amangalla, to the brand’s
lofty standards. This is a superb place to situate as you explore
the fort and its surroundings.
Of the four excellent dining venues (the terrace, the
dining room, poolside, room service) I kept finding myself on the
terrace, sipping a drink, eating my lunch, taking afternoon tea,
doing nothing as I watched the world go by. This should not in any
way demean the en suite breakfast which was splendid, beautifully
presented, brilliant tasting, and delivered at the exact moment
requested. Dinner in the dining room was wonderful, worthy of a
visiting nabob and featured a fly-through by a bat, a poignant reminder
of how little we interact with naturalistic world in the west. Try
the seer fish curry if it’s on the menu. The afternoon tea
taken on the terrace can’t be beat for US$15,
a huge meal that lasts for hours.
The hotel also features a world-class spa with modernist
hydrotherapy pools and calming décor, well deserved on your
odyssey. You will find no more welcome sight than this hotel at
the end of a grueling day of tourism.
The team at this property deliver outstanding service
with a gracious attitude. With my 2 m of batik tucked under my arm,
on the referral of the Amangalla concierge, I rode a tuk-tuk
into town to Samee Tailors, facing the old vegetable market. I brought
along a shirt which fit me well, and Samee stitched a copy with
the batik cloth, overnight, for US$4·50,
delivered to the hotel, a small indulgence and a unique memory.
Amangalla
10 Church Street
Fort Galle
Galle
Sri Lanka
Telephone +94 91 22-333-88
www.amanresorts.com
Samee Tailors
No. 32, Green Market Oroppuwatta
Galle
Sri Lanka
Telephone +94 72 636-2525
ON A WALK THROUGH the gently sloping
streets of Galle Fort, I stumbled upon Olanda International, a repurposed
warehouse filled with everything crazy, old and new you can imagine:
armoires, doors, furniture, china, rickshaws, junk, vintage signs.
This place is worth a wander just for the weird, vast, wonderful
array of things. They’ll ship anywhere.
Along Hospital Road I popped into Orchid House, a very
well-arranged store with high standards. There you can find local
clothing designs, teas, spices, ceramics, postcards, and the owner
has a nicer selection of semi-precious stones. I’d feel more
confident buying from him than the gem merchants around the block.
I took a very agreeable tea break up on the roof of
Mama’s Guest House on Leyn Baan Street. It’s cheap,
rudimentary and the people are nice. You get a breezy view of the
lighthouse, the white tower of the local mosque, and a panorama
of the Arabian Sea over red-tiled rooftops.
Galle also has several small museums. The Museum of
Marine Archæology housed in a heritage building across from
Amangalla is of interest more for the building than the exhibits.
Nearby, I was able to eavesdrop on a divorce hearing in progress
down in Court Square, another unexpected bit of local reality which
proved fascinating. Teams of lawyers faced each other across a long
table and uniformed men hovered in doorways ready to testify.
Olanda International
30, Leyn Baan Street
Fort Galle
Galle
Sri Lanka
Telephone +94 91 223-4398
www.olanda.lk
Orchid House/Yameen Hussein
28A Hospital Street
Fort Galle
Galle
Sri Lanka
Telephone +94 91 742-9090
www.orchid-house.net
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka’s capital
city and most probably your port of entry and exit, has a limited
menu of attractions. There’s a famous Buddhist temple with
an elephant munching palm fronds, an old quarter in deteriorated
condition, and not a lot more. Alcohol has a 400 per cent tax, so
beer is a cheaper option than wine or spirits.
For eating, there’s a great down-and-dirty seafood
place on the south side of town, called Beach Wadi. Your table is
literally on the sand facing the waves, the bill of fare is fresh,
the grilling is super, and the people are extremely nice.
There’s also the upscale Gallery Restaurant in
the impressive former office space of Geoffrey Bawa, boasting a
very fine kitchen, with European prices. They have a nice seating
area where people sip cocktails all afternoon and work on their
laptops. A cool little gift shop.
There’s also the family-friendly Park Street Restaurant
which has European style dishes at reasonable prices, and entertainment
some evenings.
You can find western-style lodgings in monolithic hotels
like the Cinnamon Grand and the Radisson, both close to the Galle
Face promenade, where the rich colonials used to parade in their
finery. Now it’s a sparse oceanfront place often crowded with
locals, and there are some very funny public signs with wacky admonitions.
Business is done down at the Galle Face Hotel, a former
colonial jewel now in need of an angel. It’s an interesting
old place with more character than most, and a bustling lunch and
dinner business as well as a popular Sunday brunch. You could spend
a couple nights in the old wing, in a spartan room with amazing
wood floors, and get a feel for the rhythms of the city. But there
are only two real reasons to be in Colombo: to be in transit, or
to do business. Otherwise, head for the wild as fast as you can.
Galle Face Hotel
2, Galle Road
Colombo 3
Sri Lanka
Telephone +94 11 2541010
www.gallefacehotel.com
LIKE MOST EMERGING ECONOMIES, travel
from point-to-point in Sri Lanka is hard, and selecting the best
itinerary and lodging requires specialist knowledge. Sri Lanka in
Stylewho your correspondent worked withhas a dedicated
staff of experts with contacts throughout the isle. They put together
a terrific itinerary for me for an 11-day visit. Don’t try
and assemble a trip without this kind of help. Talk to the professionals,
and it will ease your journey.
Sri Lanka In Style
Telephone +94 11 239-6666
www.srilankainstyle.com
Stanley Moss is travel editor of Lucire.
| |
Aman Resorts
Amangalla, a classic colonial style hotel, with beautiful accommodation
such as room 28.
Aman Resorts
Aman Resorts
More shots from inside Amangalla.
With my 2 m of batik tucked under my arm,
I rode a tuk-tuk to Samee Tailors, facing the old vegetable
market. I brought along a shirt which fit me well, and Samee stitched
a copy with the batik cloth, overnight, for US$4·50, a small indulgence
and a unique memory
From inside the Galle fortifications, you can see a mosque to the
left, and lighthouse to the right.
Galle Forts Orchid House.
A friendly welcome at the Galle Face Hotel, by a 91-year-old man
who has been employed by the Hotel for over 70 years.
Dinner on the terrace of the Galle Face Hotel.
|