Tintagel, Colombo

Tintagel

Tintagel (Tin-ta-jel) is one of my favourite places to be in Colombo. If it is any coincidence, this historical mansion turned boutique hotel is also associated with my favourite gallery/ art brand 'Paradise Road' and (again, my favourite) The Gallery Cafe. If you can have 3 favourites in one sentence, I think hell yeah this deserves a little bit more photos than the usual posting!


Dining at The Courtyard; Paradise Road Hot Chocolate- Rs. 450 (RM12)

Located at Rosmead Place within the Cinnamon Gardens postcode which is regarded as the elite neighbourhood where embassies, government offices, and big colonial mansions scatters around, Tintagel stands tall and beautiful among all. With a history dating back to 1930 where it was the residence of Dr. Lucien de Zilwa, an eminent Sri Lankan physician, gynaecologist and writer. In the following decade, it was made the British military quarters, and later sold to Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranaike for his son Solomon West Ridgeway (S.W.R.D.). It is this point that the mansion became known as the Bandaranaike's Residence where S.W.R.D. became Prime Minister in 1956 and assassinated at the verandah of the mansion. His widow, Srimavo Bandaranaike became the world's first female Prime Minister and longest serving PM in Sri Lanka. She lived in the mansion till her demise in 2000. Subsequently, the following generations of Bandaranaike also became political leaders in the island.


A touch of 'dark' luxury in private dining

In 2005, Tintagel is leased to Udashanth Fernando, designer and proprietor of the Paradise Road group and it has since been turned into a luxurious, unique historical boutique hotel. Every little item put into Tintagel can be traceable to the items sold at the Paradise Road galleries but in a very subtle way... you will almost think that it is a coincidence. The mansion is huge, housing a beautiful courtyard for dining, a dark luxurious 'The Private Dining Room', a flawless glass-like swimming pool, a tastefully decorated library, the distinct Red Bar, the lobby which smells of fresh beautiful small white flowers, and above all 10 exclusive suites.


The scent of fresh flowers everywhere!


A room for the bookworms, The Library


Beautiful glass-like flawless long narrow pool

My favourite part of the house would be the swimming pool. It was love at first sight when I saw it during my maiden visit and I knew I have to show this to my visitors from Malaysia! It is too beautiful to even dip your foot in, just so that the glass-like illusion is not spoilt!


Tintagel Executive and Superior Suites from USD200+ onwards

I had the privilege to be shown some rooms and they are amazing- tastefully decorated with a special view for every room. I was told that rates starts at USD200 onwards and you can do the reservation here. If you're willing to splurge USD200 for a room, I would strongly suggest Tintagel as it is more private yet warm than the big hotel chains.


Inside 'The Red Bar'

Unfortunately, Tintagel does not have a lliquor license due to historical importance and status of the building, however you can BYOB and pay for the corkage. A friend of mine asked me, "I wonder what they serve in the bar if they don't have alcohol?" Virgin pina colada, virgin bloody mary, virgin cosmopolitan, virgin margarita, virgin mojito.... maybe??!


Fresh strawberries and cream- Rs. 625 (RM17); Roast pork on a bed of potato mash with sauteed vegetables, apple mousse and mustard sauce- Rs. 995 (RM27); King Coconut- Rs. 90 (RM2)

I was actually pretty happy with the food on my first visit as I wasn't expecting much (hotel food usually looks better than taste). I did not hesitate to bring my family here for our CNY reunion dinner + Eiling's birthday, I'm sure they will love it too!


Complimentary bread; Spicy Sri Lankan crab soup- Rs. 645 (RM18); Avocado, Prawn and Lobster salad- Rs. 835 (RM23); Fettuccine with lobster, prawns, crabs and spicy sauce- Rs. 1,485 (RM41)


Sri Lankan pork curry and rice; Pan fried red snapper with rocket pesto risotto and roasted cashew nut- Rs. 1,795 (RM49); Crispy duck with apricot and plum sauce, stir fried beans and roasted pistachios- Rs. 2,145 (RM59); Steamed fish; Braised pork belly topped with poached egg- Rs. 1,585 (RM44)

That said, we had a very different and western dinner this year and perhaps also very memorable as we have not sat together as a family for a meal at least in the past year!


The Tintagel High Tea- Rs. 1,750/person (RM48): Finger sandwiches; Selection of savoury and sweet pastries; Plain and fruit scones with strawberry preserve and fresh cream; Slice of 'cake of the day'; Tea/Coffee


Ceylon Tea- Have your cup and drink it too

When my friend came down for a week-long visit, this warrants a 3rd visit to Tintagel in a month! We had the high tea menu where it came in 3-tiers of pastries, cakes and sandwiches. I like the scones but felt slightly below average for the finger sandwiches and just so-so for the cakes. But I suppose the ambiance more than makes up for it if not for the super annoying and deadly mosquitoes in the evening!


Happy Chinese New Year from the Lims!

I hope everyone had a very good Chinese New Year, I'm finally coming home this Friday. But before that, I will be flying to Maldives tonight to enjoy my well deserved ho-ho-holiday (the beginning of ticking off my 2011 Travel Resolutions).

* Prices are excluding 10% service charge and 13% VAT.

If you like this, you may also be interested in:
Yiling - The Gallery Cafe
Eiling - The Gallery Cafe
Eiling - Tintagel


Tintagel
65, Rosmead Place,
Colombo 07,
Sri Lanka.
Tel: +944602121 or +944602060
Website: www.paradiseroadhotels.com/tintagel/index.php

[Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. Please don't sue me, I don't have money. Kthxbye.]

Hotels Along Negombo Beach, Sri Lanka

As with any beachfronts and coastal towns, you'll find many guesthouses, hotels (the posh & the unposh), budget hostels, villas and accommodation lining along the streets. The question is always "How much does it cost, and what's in it?"

Villa Araliya


Villa Araliya- DEFINITELY NOT RECOMMENDED!

I had initially booked a 2-night stay at Villa Araliya (apartment unit - 2 rooms, 2 bathrooms, living area, and kitchen) for USD336 (RM1,019) after seeing that it looks pretty nice and decent and would make a good place for a family getaway from Colombo when they were down to visit during Chinese New Year. The location was a little hard to find as it's not exactly on the main street. After we checked in and nearly got ourselves settled, mom suddenly stomped back to the apartment furiously. Apparently, she got into a row with (whom I suspect would be the owner) about some cups in the apartment. You see, I think it's only fair and common that if you have kitchen facilities, basic cooking utensils or at least cups be provided. The owner said that if we were only staying for 2 days then none of the facilities will be provided (even cups!) unless if our stay was for at least a month! To cut the long story short, he refuted that if we were so fussy about it, then move out!

That's a very rude way to treat your guests and I think giving some cups for use for 2 days is not life threatening or cost you in any way.... so we moved out and got my refund. Well I guess I am not surprised at this behaviour as I've also read similar aggressive and rude attitude by the owners in Tripadvisor.

As guests who are paying (it's not cheap anyways), I don't think we should be treated rudely and especially if it wasn't even an overboard/ impossible request. To save the trouble, I won't even bother giving you the address.

Goldi Sands Hotel


Goldi Sands Hotel

We found Goldi Sands Hotel somewhere 50m down the road after moving out from Villa Araliya. They were fully booked but some cancellations gave us 2 rooms for a night at USD110 (double) and USD125 (triple). It is more expensive on per night basis compared to Villa Araliya but at least the staff were more hospitable and the resort is smack infront of the beach.


Goldi Sands Hotel

I think the rooms are pretty nice and the view was great too, accessibility to the pool and beach were just 5 mins walk away. Our only grudge perhaps is the stuffy bathroom which doesn't have much ventilation.


Lunch: King Coconut; Tender Pork Scaloppine- Rs. 600 (RM16); French Onion Soup- Rs. 200 (RM5); Baked Crab- Rs. 675 (RM18); Sri Lankan rice and curry- Rs. 450 (RM12); Special Fried Noodles- Rs. 450 (RM12)


Dinner: Deluxe Seafood Platter- Rs. 1,300 (RM36); Goldi Fried Rice- Rs. 550 (RM15); Mixed Grill American- Rs. 800 (RM22); Magic show to entertain the guests

Meals weren't great and the restaurant didn't look that appealing but when you have no choice, I suppose anything goes... the breakfast spread was a little better though.


Goldi Sands Hotel
Ethukale, Negombo,
Sri Lanka.
Tel: +94332279021
Website: www.goldisands.com

Jetwing Blue Negombo


Jetwing Blue Negombo

While having our stroll down the beach, we spotted a nicer looking resort just next to our hotel and decided to check it out. It was the Jetwing Blue hotel and I know that the Jetwing group of hotels and resorts are pretty expensive. We asked the reception how much a night would cost and considered staying here the next night since we could not secure another night at Goldi Sands. It was at a staggering USD300+! Well no wonder, things are always nicer at the other side of the beach ;-p


Jetwing Blue
Ethukale, Negombo,
Sri Lanka.
Reservation: resv.blue@jetwinghotels.com
Tel: +94312279003 or +94773421755
Website: www.jetwinghotels.com/jetwingblue

Matara in pictures, Sri Lanka

During the weekend (my weekend actually stretches 10 awesome-day long, with weekends, a couple of annual leaves and the Christmas holidays in between), I headed down south from the hustle bustle of the city to the more peaceful and serene seaside of Matara. It is about 3.5 hrs journey by car.


My way, your way or the highway

The distance from Colombo to Matara is only about 140km, much less than KL - Ipoh which only takes about 2.5 hrs. The issue here is the roads, unlike M'sia where all the states are connected by at least 4 lane highways, to get around the country here is through what we call trunk roads back home: 1 lane to and 1 lane back. The driver skills and precision is put to test when overtaking slow vehicles especially lorries, buses and tuk tuks.


Scenic journey

While a journey on the M'sian highways may seem boring (all you see is trees, trees and trees), the scenic journey here makes up for the lengthy car ride. Now, I know most of us get excited at the sight of passing by the seaside, and that's what you get here! Clear blue seas, the locals having a frolicking good time, fishermen hauling up their trade, and the colorful tuk tuks parked at the roadside... just to name a few sights.

Well, less words and enjoy the pictures of Matara- these are some of my favourite shots!


The locals having a splashin' good time at the sea during sunset


This was the view I wake up and sleep to every day


And when sunset takes place


The iconic stilts fishermen of Sri Lanka


Fisherman of Matara


Fishmerman of Matara clad in sarong


A lonely fisherman trying to have some small catches


Nature taking its course


Boys catching fish


Smile for the camera!


Look what we've caught!


I've got some fishes too!


A typical seaside village

********************

I've dedicated a label on 'budget hostels' which aims to provide other budget travelers an honest and pictorial review of the budget accommodation that I've stayed in. I usually book my budget stays through hostelbookers.com or hostelworld.com. Most of the time, it is price vs. comfort, you can't have both on two extremes. What I ultimately look for in a budget accommodation is hygiene, condition of the place, price and location. I'm not too bothered with service criterias or the facilities. I have had a few experiences with budget accommodation when I traveled to Vietnam and China so I didn't hesitate to go budget again in Matara.


Beach Inns surrounding

I had initially wanted to go to Hikkaduwa or Unawatuna but all of the budget hostels in the two towns were fully booked and finally I found Beach Inns in Matara which coincidentally also runs a diving school. There wasn't much reviews on it but it was going on a steal of only USD14 a night, so I did not hesitate further and placed my booking for 4 nights with a 10% deposit (which only equate to about USD5).


Beach Inns; breakfast in the morning; clean bathroom; decent and basic room

Beach Inns is located at the Polhena beach front. Matara itself is less touristy and popular compared to Unawatuna or Hikkaduwa, hence it is generally quiet and serene and a few of the budget holidaymakers that I spoke to told me that is the reason they enjoy their stay at Beach Inns. The rooms are basic and decent, refurbished due to the destruction caused by the tsunami a few years ago, with clean bathroom and an amazing view. The service staff is helpful, courteous and polite and the manager is also a dive instructor who is well traveled, hospitable and speaks good English. Beach Inns also has a working kitchen so there's always food available. Perhaps the only grudge I have is the annoying bugs at night (mosquito net is readily available though)! I think overall, Beach Inns has surpassed my expectations of being not only value for money but also a great place to meet other like-minded travelers and having a taste of the local non-urban culture.

A Dummy's Guide to Hang Zhou

Hang Zhou West Lake

My recent trip to Hang Zhou- Shanghai was a very last minute booking. I had always wanted to pay a visit to the World Expo which Shanghai is hosting this year till 31st October 2010. Got the AA flight booked and accomodation arranged a month before July and the next thing you know, we're off to HZ! My previous only experience with the Chinese (aka 'Tong San' as our politicians would call it) territory was HK and Shenzhen when I was about 7-8 years younger.

Now I've really 'balik Tong San'! (literally meaning "went back to China"... where the M'sian Chinese should belong, if we're not happy with the country, said our circus-politicians).

1. Accomodation


My Inn Hang Zhou (我的客栈)- budget rooms on offer at as low as 99 Yuan (RM50/night)

As we are on a tight budget (especially when this is an unplanned trip! and since we were going to Bandung in August and Bali in September), we opted for a budget hotel- nothing fancy schmanzy, just enough to put our heads to rest and shower. My Inn HZ is a very affordable budget hotel, clean and is quite popular amongst the younger travellers within China itself as besides ourselves and a Korean boy, the rest of the check-in occupants were Chinese. The first 2 nights we got a small room (big enough to accomodate a double bed and some space for luggage and an ensuite bathroom). The final night when we rechecked-in upon returning from Shanghai, we were lucky to get a much bigger room (about 3 times the size of the initial room) for only 99 Yuan. Internet is available at 20 Yuan/day and there is a computer in every room.

My Inn Hang Zhou (我的客栈)
Address: 264, Qiutao Road (opposite of South Long Distance Bus Station or 'Chang Du Qi Che Nan Chang' 长度汽车南站)
Address in Chinese: 杭州市上城区秋涛路264号
http://www.myinn.cn/

2. Getting Around Hang Zhou


Motorized bikes are a norm on the streets, but despite that the air still feels stuffy and polluted

Cars- yes alot. People- yes alot. Bad air- yes alot. Rude cabbies- yes alot.

Just like another other cities outside your own country, the best and most convenient way to get around is by taxi/cab. There are plenty of cabs available and easily spotted (usually in Hyundai Sonata or Volkswagon) and they have a green light flashing 'For Hire' if they are available. Be mindful though that you cannot flag down cabs whereever you want as there are designated taxi stands in some areas. Most cabbies cannot speak English and cannot read road names translated into English (i.e. My Inn Hang Zhou (我的客栈- Wo De Ke Zhao) is situated at Qiutao Road or 秋涛路 in Chinese- you have to tell them in Chinese 'Qiutao Lu'). The cabs do charge by meter but there are some instances where they will charge at their discretion.

Don't be surprised if they start to scold you for not speaking Chinese! I don't think they understand the concept of 'looking like a Chinese but I am a tourist who can't speak your putong hua goddamnit!!' but lucky for us, we can hear/ speak enough to scrape through). Oh and point to note, even in hot scorching summer, the cabs don't turn on their air cond- you'll just have to be patient with hot stuffy air blowing your face.

3. Getting Out of Hang Zhou


Hang Zhou Train Station

The cheapest, fastest and most comfortable way to get to Shanghai from Hang Zhou is by train, or at least this is what every travel website would recommend. It is important that you do a little bit of homework on what travel time, train class, and destination you want to head to before going over to the train station ticket counter to get your tickets. As they have so many people to service to each minute, the attendants will not be too happy if you hog the line by not knowing what you want. Moreover, customer service in China is generally non-existant even if there's obviously someone dedicated to answering enquiries.

Not wanting to compromise on the level of comfort and hygiene, we opted for the most expensive train class at 64 Yuan/way (RM32) to Shanghai. It is recommended to get the Dong Che Zhu (动车组), as it is the fastest, clean and most comfortable, so do lookout for trains that carries the 'D' initials, for i.e. D5668. The journey to Shanghai takes about 1.5 hour and takes off/ arrive very punctually, so remember to be early at your departure gate!

Points to remember:
1. Ask for Hang Zhou Railway Station (Hang Zhou- 杭州). The other railway station in HZ is called Hang Zhou East (杭州东) which is known to be run down and old- so try to avoid arriving here if possible.
2. Ask for Shanghai South Railway Station (Shanghai Nan- 上海南).
3. At Hang Zhou Railway Station, there is a counter window that can be easily differentiated as it has a English signboard that says "Ticket Window". If you cannot speak Chinese, do queue at that counter instead as it is dedicated to tourists.

Hang Zhou Railway Station ( Hang Zhou Hua Che Zhan- 杭州火车站)
Located at Shangcheng District

Shanghai South Railway Station (Shanghai Nan Zhan Hua Che Zhan- 上海南站火车站)
Located at Xuhui District

Train timetable- http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china-trains/hangzhou-schedule.htm

4. Food at Hang Zhou


Local streetside delights- pan fried dumplings and rice noodles

Much to our dismay, food is not as easily to come by in Hang Zhou, perhaps we were a little picky on the level of hygiene at some stalls. Dumplings are a common staple for the Chinese and it's something we would love to give it a try too! Food is generally cheap though.


PTime Dessert: Red Bean Ice with Condensed Milk- oh yums; Mango Dessert; Guilin Gou with fruits and milk


Looks very much like a homecook meal- available at Intime (Yintai) Department Store food court


Hotpot option?

The Chinese love their hotpot or steamboat. So if you're a fan of swishing meat, boiling soup and dipping meatballs into the many types of sauces, then you can try Paradise Hot Pot as it offers decent hotpot and clean establishment.

Paradise Hot Pot
Address: 501, Qingtai Road
Address in Chinese: 清泰街501号


Mini lobsters; Steamed prawns; Fish and toufoo soup


Steamed scallops; Grilled lamb in skewers; Octopus; Bamboo clams

This is a seafood dinner place that we stumbled upon by chance while taking a walk near the hotel. It is known as Jinjiang Seafood Street and as the name suggests, one whole street dedicated to pick-your-own seafood. While we are not sure which shop offers the best deal, there just seems to be equal distribution of diners for all the shops. Food is good and cheap here, so remember to put this in your list if you're looking for something local.

Jinjiang Seafood Street (近江海鲜美食街)
Address: Jinjiang Street (next to Jinjiang Trust Mart)
Address in Chinese: 近江路 (近江好又多超市旁边)

5. Shopping at Hang Zhou

For grocery or convenience:

Trust Mart (similar to Wal-Mart)
1-3 Fengqi Road (凤起路1-3号)
1, Jinjiang Street (近江路1号)
Huang Long Sports Centre, 138 Shuguang Road (曙光路138号黄龙体育中心)

For shopping:

Intime (Yintai) Department Store
530, Yan'an Road (延安路530号)

Hang Zhou Department Store Mansion
260, Yan'an Road (延安路260号)

Hang Zhou Tower Shopping Center 杭州大厦购物中心
1, Wulin Square (武林广场1号 )

6. Hang Zhou Scenery


Hang Zhou Night scene and the famous West Lake

Hang Zhou is famous for the West Lake (西湖 Xī Hú) and have been immortalized in many poets', painters', artists' works. It is best to come at night when the city lights are up and the dark background exudes more feelings than a bright sunny day. See the famous pagoda across the lake and the one that I love most is the lighted hills at the background of the lotus lake. It's quite nice to take a walk after dinner here and you will see that even the locals love it here.

Point to remember: Do your research on where you want to visit. If you can't speak Chinese, it's best to print along travel cards with the Chinese name of the place so that the cab driver knows where you want to go.

Next up....



* awesome photos from calvingsc