Sri Lanka Hotel Guide

Jetwing Blue Negombo location
Jetwing Beach Negombo [ formerly Blue Oceanic ] is located is just 3km from the Negombo city centre in the beach of Ethukala, Negombo. Jetwing Beach Negombo is12 km [20 minutes by motor road] from CMB Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport at Katunayake, Negombo. The city of Colombo is 39km [80 minutes] to the south.
Jetwing Blue Negombo’s sister hotels, i.e. Jetwing Beach Negombo and Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions too are located withing the walking distance on the same road called Porutota.

Setting of Jetwing Blue Negombo
Jetwing Beach Negombo is beachfront hotel with an extensive beach frontage in Negombo.

Sri Lanka Holidays Sustainable tourism (Green i.e., eco) credentials of Jetwing Blue Negombo: to be edited.

Architecture & Interior deco of Jetwing Blue Negombo
Jetwing Blue Negombo is built in the architectural concepts developed by Sri Lanka’s most renowned architect, Geoffrey Bawa. Jetwing Blue Negombo brings in a combination of rich dark furniture and soft colors.

Type of the Hotel and Star rating of Jetwing Blue Negombo: 5 star; beach hotel.
Jetwing Blue Negombo is a member of the prestigious small Luxury Hotels of the World.

Accommodation at Jetwing Blue Negombo
Jetwing Blue Negombo consists of 112 spacious bedrooms including 82 Deluxe Rooms, 21 Super Deluxe Rooms and 3 family rooms and 6 suites. All rooms have its own private balcony that affords grand views of the beach and ocean.
In-room facilities include a/c, overhead fan, plasma TV with satellite channels, DVD player, IDD telephone, mini-bar, tea/coffee facility, room safe. Ensuite bathrooms have bathtubs and h/w showers.

Facilities at Jetwing Blue Negombo
Dining
The Kitchen
As the name suggests, The Kitchen is a Show Kitchen. It is the Main Restaurant and offers a la carte menus and an American Breakfast buffet. The Kitchen features a health corner.
Jetwing Blue Negombo also affords you all its signature dining: In room, Beach BBQ, the Terrace for al fresco star lit dinners or a romantic spa dinner.
Centre Point Grill & Bar
Herein you all are served light meals with succulent snacks and the beverages to keep you up in good spirits throughout the day.
The Float
Fine wines, great spirits and heady mixes of cocktails are served at anytime night or day.

Leisure at Jetwing Blue Negombo
Swimming Pools
Jetwing Blue has two swimming pools with one having lounge chairs immersed right in the water to keep your feet cool on a hot tropical day.
Spa
There is also a spa offering rejuvenating massages.
For extensive Ayurvedic wellness as well as yoga, guests are welcome to use the facilities at the hotel’s sister property, Ayurveda Pavilions located 600 meters south of Jetwing Blue Negombo
Others
Gym, squash courts and a banquet hall.

Excursions off Jetwing Blue Negombo
Boat ride into  Muthurajawela marshes Sri Lanka Holidays bird sanctuary [23km south of Jetwing Blue Negombo], home to numerous species of birds and fish, dragon flies and monitor lizards.
Visiting Portuguese period Catholic Churches, ruins of the Dutch Fort and cemetery.

Jetwing Beach Negombo Hotel location
Jetwing Beach Negombo Hotel is located in the beach of Ethukala on the outskirts of the western coast town of Negombo at a distance of 12 km [20 mintues by motor raod] from CMB Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport at Katunayake, Negombo.
170 meters south of Jetwing Beach Negombo Hotel, on the same road, i.e. Portutota Road is its sister hotel Jetwing Blue. Further 580 south, also on Portutota Road is its other sister hotel Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions.
The nearest railway station is at the village of Kattuwa.

Setting of Jetwing Beach Negombo
Jetwing Beach Negombo hotel is beachfront hotel that sits prettily on the sandy beach of the village Ethukala lined by groves of coconut palm trees.

Sri Lanka Holidays Sustainable tourism (Green i.e., eco) credentials of Jetwing Beach Negombo hotel: to be edited.

Architecture & Interior deco of Jetwing Beach Negombo Hotel
Jetwing Beach Negombo is built in the architectural concepts developed by Sri Lanka’s most renowned architect, Geoffrey Bawa. Jetwing Beach Negombo brings in a combination of rich dark furniture and soft colors.

Type of the Hotel and Star rating of Jetwing Beach Negombo Hotel: 4 star; beach hotel.
Jetwing Beach Negombo is a member of the prestigious small Luxury Hotels of the World

Accommodation at Jetwing Beach Negombo
Jetwing Beach Negombo consists of 75 spacious rooms made comfortable with furniture made of tropical hardwood teak. Every room features a broad balcony that brings in views of the Indian ocean to the west.

Deluxe rooms
Deluxe rooms are equipped with individual air conditioning, telephone and IDD facility, mini bar, tea & coffee making facilities, safety locker, cable television, CD DVD player, hair dryer, & magnifying shaving mirror,

Suits
The three 3 luxury suites with a large open courtyard, an open rain shower and a Jacuzzi are supplemented with butler service.

Facilities at Jetwing Beach Negombo
Spa: The spa has two Single Treatment rooms
Thai & Shiatsu Room equipped with a Jacuzzi
Rama / Sitha Room equipped with a Jacuzzi, and a steam room

Dining: two restaurants & two bars
Black Coral that serves delicious à la carte specialities.
The Sands Restaurant
Bars: two bars within and one at the adjoining Jetwing property
On the beach
Within the Sands restaurant
The bar at the Jetwing Blue

Facilities for Meetings and Business at Jetwing Beach Negombo
Centrally air-conditioned meeting room with podium is well equipped with PA system, wall mounted speakers, multimedia, overhead projector with screen, white Boards, flip charts, TV, recording facilities, DVD / CD player
Dedicated operator in attendance during the proceedings.

Excursions off Jetwing Beach Negombo
Angurukaramulla Temple at Negombo
Kelaniya Royal Temple in the city of Kelaniya located 37 km south of Jetwing Beach Negombo
Venture off to Negombo and explore the fishing villages.
A fishing ride on a catamaran with the local fishermen.
Churches in Negombo and surrounding built during the eras of Dutch and Portuguese colonialists.
Boat ride in Muthurajawela marshes, a Sri Lanka Holidays bird sanctuary and Negombo lagoon.

Location of The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden Colombo
The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden Colombo, as its name suggests is an airport hotel located at a mere distance of 3.5 km from CMB Bandaranayke Int’l airport at Katunayake, Negombo, Sri Lanka on Colombo-Negombo A3 main road. It adjoins the Katunayake Free Trade Zone too. The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden Colombo (30 km from the heart of Colombo) has been first choice airport hotel in Sri Lanka Holidays since the beginning of its operations.

Setting of The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden Colombo
The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden Colombo is built on a 38-acre coconut plantation bordering the tranquil and picturesque Negombo Lagoon, the largest brackish water lagoon in Sri Lanka. Negombo lagoon surrounded by coconut palm groves brings in a memorable tropical sight while arriving aircrafts descend for landing at CMB Colombo Bandaranayke Int’l airport at Katunayake, Negombo.

Sri Lanka Holidays Sustainable tourism (Green i.e., eco) credentials of The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden Colombo: Green Globe certified eco-friendly hotel.

Type of hotel & star rating of The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden Colombo: a four-star luxury hotel

Accommodation at The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden Colombo
The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden Colombo consists of 107 centrally air-conditioned rooms and 03 suites, equipped with modern amenities and conveniences.

In-room facilities include a/c, overhead fans, cable TV, IDD telephone, internet, mini-bar, tea/coffee facility and safety lockers.
Facilities at The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden Colombo
Swimming pool, volleyball, tennis, wind surfing & children’s park
fully equipped fitness centre, spa, beauty salon
Business centre, conference facilities, doctor-on-call
shopping arcade, and Heli pad.

Facilities at The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden Colombo: restaurants and bars

Golden Dragon
Golden Dragon at The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden Colombo is the restaurant of choice of the epicureans staying in the hotel. Its conventional Chinese Blush designed in cozy seating patterns. A range of Szechwan and Canton cuisine Chinese Szechuan cuisine is served at the restaurant.
The Buzz
The buzz, a 24 hour restaurant overlooking the swimming pool serves Sri Lankan, Indian and continental cuisine.
Society Coffee Shop
Society Coffee Shop is a 24 hour Coffee Shop that serves an array of dishes that cut across geographical boundaries suits all sorts of travelers and Sri Lanka Holidays makers: those who need to have power breakfast, business lunch & romantic dinners.
Cricketer’s Arms Pub
Cricketer’s Arms Pub, a well stocked bar that sets up a ambience that soothes your find serves a wide range of liquors and spirits together with your favorite cocktail.

Leisure and recreation at The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden Colombo
The well maintained swimming pool
Fully equipped Gymnasium

Business Centre
The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden’s Business Center is open round the clock; day in, day out. It is well equipped with Internet connectivity, work stations, multimedia computers, printers, lap tops, photocopy machines and cellular phones.
The secretarial services too is extended to the business man making the Business Center complete in every sense.

Excursions off The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden Colombo
Angurukaramulla Temple located 8km north of The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden Colombo
Kelaniya Royal Temple in the city of Kelaniya located 35 km south of The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden Colombo
Venture off to Negombo and explore the fishing villages.
A fishing ride on a catamaran with the local fishermen.
Churches in Negombo and surrounding built during the eras of Dutch and Portuguese colonialists.
Boat ride in Muthurajawela marshes, a Sri Lanka Holidays bird sanctuary and Negombo lagoon.

Jetwing Colombo scheduled to be opened in January 2014, will have 70 deluxe rooms and 28 serviced apartments designed by a leading architectural firm in Singapore.

Jetwing Colombo will be fully equipped to deal with  the whole range of  travelers from business (with a state of the art conference facility and business centre) to leisure.

Rooftop swimming pool, nature spa. gym and fitness centre.

The Swiss hospitality chain Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts will begin its first ever hotel, Mövenpick Hotel Colombo, the 19-floor, 180-room hotel, in a half an acre property in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka  in January 2014.

Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts President and CEO Jean Gabriel Peres has recently visited the country to sign the management agreement with Softlogic Holdings to build the 200-room five-star property in Kollupitiya area of Colombo.

Mövenpick Hotel Colombo – being designed with sustainable build and operating requirements – will feature contemporary architecture and room sizes vary from 36sqm for standard rooms up to 70sqm for a suite.

Alongside one speciality restaurant will be an all-day dining venue, rooftop bar and nightclub, and guests will be able to unwind in the fitness centre, spa and pool and receive 24-hour room service, while executives will be able to avail of the Boardroom and Business Centre.

“With the growing business traveller in mind as well as holiday guests, Mövenpick Colombo will be cozy, warm, exquisite, premium quality, and an upscale five-star hotel,” Peres has told the Daily FT in an exclusive interview.

The executive said that Sri Lanka tourism has the potential to be successful as Thailand is today as hospitality is natural for Sri Lankans.

“Sri Lanka’s natural hospitality and warmth is legendary. Sri Lanka is a gorgeous country. Following the end of the conflict Sri Lanka has great potential for the future,” Peres has said.

The hotelier has noted the cleanliness of the capital city and has said that the country has vastly improved.

Peres has said that he was impressed with the quality of new hotels and the entry of several new brands in Colombo and encouraged by the support infrastructure as well as real estate.

The global brand is also looking for opportunities to manage a beach resort to complement and expand its offering in Sri Lanka.

Coral Rock by Amaya

Location of Coral Rock by Amaya
Coral Rock by Amaya is located at 100km south of Colombo at the beach resort town of Hikkaduwa of the south-western coastal belt. Further 15km down south is located the UNESCO World heritage site of VOC Galle Dutch Fort.

Setting of Coral Rock by Amaya
Beachfront: in a narrow strip of land with Indian Ocean to the west and Colombo – Galle A2 coastal road on one side and the sea on the other.

Sri Lanka Holidays Sustainable tourism (Green i.e., eco) credentials of Coral Rock by Amaya: to be edited
Type of hotel & star rating of Coral Rock by Amaya: a four-star luxury boutique resort

Architecture and Interior Décor of Coral Rock by Amaya:
Coral Rock by Amaya, a luxury boutique resort features antique detailing and modern amenities.

Accomodation at Coral Rock by Amaya
Coral Rock by Amaya consists of 32 air-conditioned rooms with most of those bringing in sea-views. En-suite bathrooms are equipped with hot and cold water head showers.
Superior Rooms: The 14 Superior Rooms brings in the tropical greenery of the land side. Four of the Superior Rooms with interconnecting rooms are ideal for families.
Deluxe Rooms: 14 rooms have private balconies with sea views. Two rooms built on the ground floor have private terraces overlooking the beach.
Super Deluxe Rooms: two spacious Super Deluxe Rooms with sea views suit well for families.

Restaurants and bars at Coral Rock by Amaya
The main restaurant that accommodates 75 guests. The Master Chef well supported by a culinary team serves international cuisine as well as local cuisine.
Lobby bar: a range of alcoholic beverages are available at the lobby bar.

In-room facilities at Coral Rock by Amaya
Entertainment: 32 inch flat screen TVs with satellite channels, wi-fi internet, tea/coffee facility, mini-bar, safe,
Bed and bath: Extra bed, baby crib, extra blankets and towels on request
Internet facilities: Wi-Fi Internet Access
Amenities: tea/coffee facility, mini-bar, safe
Services: room service, 24 hour laundry service, daily housekeeping

Leisure and recreation at Coral Rock by Amaya
Full length swimming pool
Surfing, diving and deep sea fishing
Boat rides in a glass bottom boat to enjoy to sight of corals
Swimming in the sea right in front of the hotel isn’t advised in view of the coral reef. However, beginning with a short stroll on the beach from the hotel, there unravels a long stretches of fine beaches for safe swimming.

Excursions off Coral Rock by Amaya
Hikkaduwa beach: water sports including surfing, windsurfing, diving oncoral reef.
Bentota beach, lagoon and river: boat safari in the river Bentara ganga and jet skiing, waterskiing in Bentota lagoon
Kosgoda beach: Kosgoda Marine Turtle Conservation Project
Galle sea port: 17th century VOC Galle Dutch Fort, a UNESCO-protected World Heritage Site, the main Sri Lanka Holidays colonial attraction.

Two main forms of Black tea in consumption
High quality loose leaf Black tea packed in metal containers comes in two forms: pure teas & blended teas. Paper sachets of Black tea, popularly called tea bags (one bag for cup) packed in light cardboard cartons aren’t for those who love high quality Black tea.

Ceylon Tea Plantations in Kandy, Sri Lanka

Blended Black tea
Blended Black tea is precisely what the name carries with it: a blend of Black teas grown & manufactured in different areas of the world. Low quality Kenyan Black tea is often blended with Ceylon tea, the finest tea in the world. If you go for high quality stuff in life, such blends aren’t what you would enjoy.
Then again there are high quality blended Black teas marketed by the blenders by blending Black teas from Sri Lanka (Ceylon tea-finest tea in the world) & Assam of India. Assam of India produces high quality Black tea too. You would definitely go for the blend of Ceylon tea & Assam tea if you like superior stuff.

Ceylon Tea Plantations in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka

Pure Black tea
Pure Black tea is plucked in the same country. Then again, you could have a tin container of Pure Ceylon tea with its metal printed label indicating it’s a blend. Very true, that’s definitely a blend, but with the unmistakable Lion logo of Ceylon tea, there’s no need for you to get upset. You have just bought a blend of Ceylon teas grown and manufactured in different parts of the island of Sri Lanka exclusively. You are someone who would go for nothing less than The Real McCoy.
Blended Ceylon tea brings off the best in the distinctive flavors & aromas of all the teas involved in the blend. The concept would a ring a bell: Blended Scotch Whisky.

Formerly a Ceylon Tea Factory at Nuwara Eliya, now a Sri Lanka Holidays Luxury Tourist Hotel.

Black tea branding by the region of origin
Flavor, aroma & quality of Black teas, as in the case of wine, vary on the climatic & geographic conditions of the area of cultivation. Pure Ceylon teas grown & manufactured at different elevations in the beautiful tropical island of Sri Lanka are called after the area: Nuwara Eliya (2000 meters above sea level), a Sri Lanka Holidays tourist destination, Dimbula (1200-1700m), Uva (1000-1700m), Uda Pussellawa (1200m), Sri Lanka Holidays attraction of Kandy (650-1300 m), Ruhuna (sea level to 600m) each have its own distinctive taste & aroma.
Among the varieties of Black tea from all tea producing countries, quality & popularity of Ceylon tea from Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka is akin to the standing of Champagne among wine.
High quality Black teas are grown & manufactured in Indian provinces of Darjeeling, Assam, and Nilgiri too are known by their respective provinces of cultivation & manufacture.

High Grown Ceylon tea, Medium Grown Ceylon tea & Low Grown Ceylon Tea from Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s tea plantations are mainly located in the Central Highlands of the island stretching from Kandy of Mediterranean climate to Nuwara Eliya of salubrious climate. Black tea is grown in Ruhuna of Sri Lanka too. Dimbula, Uva, Nuwara Eliya & Uda Pussellawa of higher altitude produce High Grown Ceylon teas of Sri Lanka. While Black tea produced in Kandy [a Sri Lanka Holidays Tourist Attraction] is called Middle Grown Ceylon tea, Black tea produced in Ruhuna is called Low Grown Ceylon tea.

Ceylon Tea Plantation, Central Highlands, Sri Lanka

Ceylon tea: Black tea to suit every pallet
Sri Lanka’s production of varieties of Black teas to go with every pallet has been the hallmark of Ceylon tea, the Black tea industry of Sri Lanka. Dimbula & Nuwara Eliya teas are sought after by blenders from all over the world; Uva Black teas too are used for high quality blends mainly in West Germany & Japan; medium grown Ceylon tea is popular in Europe, Australia, Japan & North America; low grown Ceylon tea from Sri Lanka is popular in Western Asia & Middle Eastern countries.

Black tea from India
The main areas of Black tea cultivation in India are Darjeeling, Assam & Nilgiri. Black teas produced in these areas vary with one another in terms of aroma & flavor. In India Black tea is also grown in Arunachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim, Orissa, Bihar, Nagaland, Mizoram & Meghalaya Tripura, Manipur Dooars and Terai of West Bengal.

Tea gradings By the processing method
The main products of evergreen tea plant (Camellia sinensis) are fermented (black tea), producing an amber-colored, full-flavored beverage without bitterness; semi-fermented (oolong), a slightly bitter, light brownish-green beverage; and unfermented (green tea) a mild, slightly bitter, pale greenish-yellow beverage.

Black tea gradings by the size of leaf processed by orthodox method as well as CTC (crush, tear & curl) method
Teas are also classified by the size of the processed leaf. Orthodox manufacturing method as well as CTC manufacturing method produces larger leafy grades and smaller broken grades. These grading terms are usually used for teas from Sri Lanka & India. The system is based solely upon the size of the processed and dried black tea leaves. The size of the processed Black tea leaves is determined by the means of sifting teas on wire meshes.

Orange Pekoe (O.P) is the main grade in tea production. Orange Pekoe consists of long wiry leaf with tips (buds). The High Grown Orange Pekoe consists of long, thin & wiry leaves containing tip or bud.
Broken Orange Pekoe (B.O.P) with superior color & flavor consists of smaller leaf & tip.
Pekoe Fannings which are smaller than B.O.P. brew quickly & give a liquor of good color when the beverage is prepared.
Dust, the black tea with smallest particles is very useful for quick brewing. The liquor produced by the Dust gives strength as well as color.

Tea & emergence of Samurai
The gradual emergence of a new warrior class “Samurai” (8th-19th century) indoctrinated in the concepts of absolute commitment of loyalty unto death to their lords, single minded discipline & superior physical courage bordering madness put forth by the newly emerging ideology of “Bushido” began to shatter the social fabric & imperial reign of Japan during the 11th and 12th centuries. With the deep seated belief that the increasing turmoil in Japan could be calmed by a spiritual renewal (as we believe today, that the end to violence borne of ignorance could be achieved by means of education & rehabilitation), Japanese Buddhist priest Myoan Eisai (1141- 1215) spent his life promoting Zen Buddhism and the secular use of tea as a Buddhist ritual, as well as an elixir capable of curing many ills and even extending life. Many Buddhist monks closed ranks with Eisai in a crusade to bring the spirit of Zen Buddhism and the virtues of tea to the masses.

Tea, a medium of spiritual enlightenment
Eisai’s unflagging devotion to studying the virtues & merits of tea led him to inscribe the first treatise on tea in Japan, a two-volume treatise entitled Kissa Yojo Ki (Preservation of Health Through Drinking Tea) in the year 1211. His outstanding promotion of the ritualistic preparation of tea was essentially the genesis of Cha-no-yu in Japan.
Eisai’s propagation of tea was to meet with glorious success. It even produced a result that wasn’t originally intended: his followers began to view the habit of consuming tea as an alternative means of spiritual enlightenment. It would, however, be another two centuries before an official Japanese Tea Ceremonywould be formalized with a deep sense of aesthetics & the concept of humility imbued therein.

Zen & Samurai
With the spread of traditions, the reverence towards the Buddhist monks, the pioneers of traditions, by the populace begun to grow in leaps & bounds. As in china, the Japanese feudal lords were to become restless over the sphere of influence Buddhist Temples had over the populace. Eventually the Samurai were ordered to put the Buddhist temples to fire & sword. Ironically, the raging flames of insane violence made Buddhist monks even more influential.

Caffeine & Tannin in Tea
The beverage of Tea has the quality of being refreshing & calming at once. Once the boiling water is poured into tea leaves, for the first couple of minutes, the caffeine is drawn out; in the very next minute Tanin is drawn out. The unique combination of the two chemical compounds accounts for the quality of the beverage of tea.

Ceylon Tea Plantation, Central Highlands of Sri Lanka

The Samurai encounter Buddhist monks
The Samurai, the fierce warriors in calamitous era, honor bound to hold their lives subservient to the unwavering loyalty towards their feudal lords had assumed the Zen Buddhist monks would run for their lives at the first sight of blood. But then the Buddhist monks indoctrinated in the impermanence of all worldly matters couldn’t be ruffled from their serenity even in the face of mindless violence. The Samurai, who had been simmering with violence at all times, who had thought of the ordinary populace & monks as living testimony to cowardice, were taken aback to witness that there were means other than violence which would make one infused with indomitable courage.
Some of the Buddhist monks continued to meditate even as their temples were raging with fire & their fellow monks were put to sword. Such was the lasting impression of the phenomenon made on the Samurai, who aspired to be on par with the nobility & imperial court of Japan in terms of literary skills & intellectual faculties during the 11th & 12th centuries, took to Zen Buddhism with great fervor.

During the 13th century, upper class Samurai were already highly literate as a result of introduction of Confucianism from China during the 7th to 9th centuries. The practice of Zen Buddhism by Samurai resulted in them overcoming the fear of death & tendency towards killing at a mere whim. The 13th century also saw the formalization of Bushido, the Japanese code of conduct of Samurai warriors. In time the Samurai were to become an outstanding community among the most zealous disciples of Zen and tea.

The Samuari takes to Zen & tea
The Samurai found Zen as well as tea served a purpose in their very existence, which could be cut short at any moment in the battle if not at a mere whim of their feudal lord. Feudal lords of Japan called Shoguns developed a practice of gifting special jars of tea to Samurai for exceptional display of valor in the battlefield so that they could invite his kith & kin to a tea ceremony celebrating the occasion.

Tea ceremony begins to take shape
In time the tea drinking habit of Zen Buddhist monks was to create an extension into the wider, secular culture of Japan in the form of tea rituals. The initial incursion of tea habits into aristocratic circles of Japan resulted in evolving the order, art and simplicity in Japanese tea ceremony encapsulating the four principals of Japanese code of ethics: harmony with people & nature; respect for others; spiritual purity & tranquility.
With aesthetics of tea ceremony on ascendance, the ritual was formalized by the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa in the 15th century. An everyday activity was brought up to a level of awareness that would detach all from the militarized feudal system albeit for a limited duration of the tea ceremony. Guests sat in serenity & took their own sweet time to taste & enjoy their tea in the calm atmosphere devoid of chatter & babble.
Within the confines of the tea house, all guests were put on an equal footing: nobody carried arms. Social status & military statues of the guests seized to exist: the peasant was held in the same esteem that the emperor was held. Tea ceremony was a far cry from then existing feudal system, a far cry from today’s calamitous modern world.

The logo of Pure Ceylon Tea, the Finest Black Tea in the World

The Finest Black Tea in the World: Ceylon tea from Sri Lanka
The Finest Black Tea in the World, since the British Colonial era has come from the Indian Ocean island of Sri Lanka. Originally grown by the Scotsman James Taylor and in good time marketed by the Irishman Thomas Lipton, Black Tea of Sri Lanka came to be known as Ceylon Tea, after the British colonial name of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Tea is grown mainly in the Central Highlands, the one and only mountain mass of the tropical island. The southern district of Galle, the district of Badulla and the district of Ratnapura too produce a considerable volume of Black Tea. Of all the tea growing zones of Si Lanka, Sri Lanka Holidays health sanatorium of Nuwara Eliya [the modern city, 1800 meters above the sea-level was founded By Samuel Baker, the discoverer of Lake Albert and the explorer of the Nile] of Central Province produces the finest of the High Grown Ceylon Tea of  Sri Lanka.

Of all the Black Tea growing zones of Sri Lanka, the Central Province encompassing the Central Highlands i.e. the districts of Kandy [altitude: 500 meters] and Nuwara Eliya [altitude: 1800 meters] are largely instrumental in making Sri Lanka one of top three Black Tea exporters of the world year after year since the British Colonial era of the island.

Location of The Kingsbury Colombo
The Kingsbury Colombo [formerly Ceylon Continental] is located in the heart of the city called Fort: at the northern end of the Galle Face Green in the immediate backdrop of the Indian Ocean to the west and Hotel Galadari Colombo and Hotel Hilton Colombo immediate to the east. Immediately to the north of Kingsbury Colombo is the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the banker to the state.

Setting of The Kingsbury Colombo
The Kingsbury Colombo  stands majestically on a strip of land nesting between the Colombo Fort marine drive called Chaithiya Road [Sinhala: Stupa Road] and the Colombo Galle A2 main road [CGHW] that connect to the Janadhipathi Mawata [Sinhala: President’s Avenue] [called Queen’s Street during the British Colonial times].

Sri Lanka Holidays Sustainable tourism (Green i.e., eco) credentials of The Kingsbury Colombo: to be edited.
Type of hotel & star rating of The Kingsbury Colombo: a five-star luxury hotel

Architecture and Interior Décor of The Kingsbury Colombo
Colonial grandeur blended with luxuries of twenty first century living.

Accommodation at The Kingsbury Colombo
One Presidential suite, 21 suites & 207 luxurious bedrooms (Superior, Deluxe, Premium and Executive Rooms)
The views from the rooms at feature Galle Face Green or the Colombo harbor and Indian Ocean.
The rooms have views of the Galle Face green or the Colombo harbour and the Indian Ocean. The room interiors blends classic charm with contemporary living and are furnished with twin or king-size beds.

In-room facilities at The Kingsbury Colombo
All rooms of The Kingsbury Colombo are furnished twin or king-size beds
a/c, overhead fans, LCD TV with satellite channels, IDD telephone, tea/coffee facility
wi-fi internet, digital safe, room service and laundry service.
En-suite white marble bathrooms are equipped with hot water and cold water showers.
In house facilities at The Kingsbury Colombo
Ballrooms: The Balmoral, The Victorian and The Winchester.
Other hotel facilities include a swimming pool, fully equipped fitness centre, spa offering relaxing massages and beauty treatments, business centre and banquet facilities.

Restaurants and bars at The Kingsbury Colombo
The Ocean (world cuisine: an all day restaurant serving international cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner
Yue Chuan (Chinese): serves up Cantonese and Szechuan dishes
Fisherman’s Wharf: seafood specialties
The Gourmet Station: specialty teas brewed of Ceylon Tea, the finest Black Tea in the world, chocolates, cakes and pastries.
The King’s Pub, the lobby bar: a range of alcoholic beverages.

Excursions within Colombo district
Kaleniya Royal Temple at the city of Kaleniya, located 11km east of Fort, Colombo
Seemamalaka and Gangaramaya temple located 3 km south of Fort, Colombo on the eastern bank of Beira Wewa [Sinhala: Beira Lake]
Bellanwila Raja Maha Vihara [Sinhala: Bellanwila Royal Buddhist temple] at Bellanwila, off Dehiwale, 14km south of Fort, Colombo and 5km east of Sri Lanka Holidays Mount Lavinia.

Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea? Me? Working Girl (1988): Harrison Ford, Melanie Griffith

The beverages Black Tea , Green Tea & Oolong Tea are products of the leaf of Evergreen shrub Camellia sinensis, family Theaceae. Slight variations in the manufacturing process have resulted in our need to identify these beverages specifically. Among the numerous factors instrumental in the popularity of tea was its ability to retain the manifold qualities of the fresh leaves even in the dried form. But it was not only dried Black Tea that first traveled out of China: seeds too were taken to Japan. Though tea was brought into Japan as early as AD 593 by the Japanese Buddhist priests, it was the seeds planted in the Kyoto temple of Japan by the Japanese Zen Buddhist priest Myoan Eisai (AD1141- 1215) that popularized  Tea as a beverage in Japan.

Tea takes root in Japan: Tea with Zen
Eisai’s association of Black Tea with Zen Buddhist meditation coupled with imperial contributions towards the cultivation of tea paved the way for the phenomenal popularity of tea in Japan. Having established its status as the national drink of Japan, Black Tea quickly found its place in the spiritual aspect of the Japanese society too. Making & serving tea was elevated into an art form called “Tea Ceremony”. While there are numerous ways in which the tea ceremony is conducted, some of them such as night tea, sunrise tea, evening tea, morning tea, and afternoon tea are firmly established.

Quote Irish-Greek journalist-historian Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904), also known as Koizumi Yakumo, one of the few foreigners ever to be granted Japanese citizenship during this era. “The Tea ceremony requires years of training and practice to graduate in art…yet the whole of this art, as to its detail, signifies no more than the making and serving of a cup of tea. The supremely important matter is that the act be performed in the most perfect, most polite, most graceful, most charming manner possible”. Unquote

Black Tea finds a sea-route China to Europe
In 1517, Portuguese seafarers presented their king with a gift of tea brought from China. However, it took almost another hundred years for the Europe to receive a substantial consignment of Tea by way of Dutch ships returning from China. Although Tea was introduced to England, France & Holland in 1600s, the beverage was used basically as a herbal medicine. During the 18th century, most possibly owing to the availability of Caribbean cane sugar at affordable prices, tea established its rightful place among the finest beverages of the world.

Black Tea extends a timely hand towards industrialization
Quote: The World That Trade Created: Society, Culture and the World Economy, 1400 to the Present by Kenneth Pomeranz, Steven Topik
And changes in social life no doubt mattered, too. More & more artisans came to labor in workshops (or in some cases, early factories) separate from their homes; work hours became more regimented, & going home at midday for a long lunch less likely. In such a setting, short breaks that provided a shot of caffeine & sugar became an important part of work routines. And even if these early stirring of industrialization did not quite cause the taste for tea, they certainly benefited from it. Tea, after all, replaced gin & beer as the national drinks in England-early factories were dangerous enough as it was without stupefied workers fumbling about their duties. Had tea & sugar not replaced alcohol as the country’s principal cheap drink & source of supplementary calories), the situation could have been far grimmer yet. Unquote

Russian tea drinking tradition: samovar,pancakes, jam, cubed sugar, sliced lemon, porcelain set

Tea takes the land route from China to Russia
If the sea voyage from China to Europe was long & treacherous, the land route from China to Russia was no better either. The 16 month journey to & from Moscow consisted of roughly 11,000 miles of barren and mountainous terrain. The first few parcels of dried Black Tea leaves were brought to Russia by Russian Ambassador to China Vasily Starlove in 1638. Though the qualities of Black Tea were appreciated in no time, it was only in 1769 that Russians made a trade agreement with China for the delivery of Black Tea. That was following a gift of Black Tea from China brought in by Russian Ambassador to China Ivan Perfiliev. The long journey from China to Russia having raised the cost of Black Tea, the beverage had remained a luxury item in Russia. However, by the end of the 1700s, Black Tea became an affordable commodity to the Russian peasants.

Lumen Martin Winter, Peter Stuyvesant’s Legion Oil on canvas, 30 in. x 80 in. 1953, Jacob Ruppert Brewery

Tea arrives in the new World
Peter Stuyvesant (1612-1672), the fourth and last Director-General of New Netherlands (1646-1664) is credited with introducing tea to the New World in 1650. The settlers of New Amsterdam (later renamed New York by the English) were known to consume more tea then, than all of England put together. American love affair with Black Tea lasted for 124 years to take a swift turn in the history of the world, if not precisely the history of tea.

John Tenniel's original illustration of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party by kind courtesy of Disney

The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party
In 1774 tea parties were hosted in Philadelphia, New York, Maine, North Carolina, and Maryland. And those were tea parties like no other. In Boston alone, 45 tons of tea brought in by East India Company was unloaded to the waters of the Boston harbor by Sons of Liberty disguised as Native Americans. There was a method in the madness of the mad hatter’s tea party: no ships were damaged. It was the Crown’s tax against Black Tea, a staple of colonial life that spurred the colonists to revolt. Boston Tea Party leading to the American Revolutionary War, the colonists were destined to become the most powerful nation of the world.

The Finest Black Tea in the World: “Ceylon Tea” from Sri Lanka
The finest Black Tea in the World comes from the Indian Ocean island of Sri Lanka. The capital of the tea growing zones of Sri Lanka is Sri Lanka Holidays Nuwara Eliya is located in the Central Highlands, the one & only mountain mass of the drop pearl shaped tropical island. Nearly 700 factories in the Central Highlands & the southern zone of the island produce a exceedingly wide range of Black Tea in Sri Lanka still being marketed by the colonial brand of “Ceylon Tea” the world over.  Tea auctions are  held twice a week in Colombo. Colombo is home to Kelaniya Royal Buddhist Temple, where the Sri Lanka Holidays begins in view of the acclaimed mural therein depicting the landmarks of the 2500 year long glorious history of Sri Lanka.