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| Sunday, 10 April 2005 |
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Serenity Leisure Park - a nature lover's paradise The Serenity Leisure Park at Wevila Kalatuwawa spanning over 50 acres is a nature lover's paradise with its cool climate and an abundance of trees bearing fruits and vegetables. It is 48 kilometers away from the capital, 14 kilometers away from the Padukka town on the boundary of the Colombo and Ratnapura districts.
The resort has five chalets, which includes a family chalet. The chalets are built with wood with all modern amenities. The specialty in these chalets is that you can enjoy a bath in the natural atmosphere though it is from a shower. The chalets have different themes and characters. The restaurant built with wood is open from all sides. The restaurant serves typical village food and those who prefer western dishes could request it, as the chefs are capable of turning out any dish. Nimal Amarasinghe, the owner himself designed the resort together with architect Gamini Sarath. He said that though the resort opened in January this year he had planned this place for a long time by planting trees and landscaping it. "I have invested over Rs 16 million and I am planning many more attractions for the visitors who want to enjoy a holiday close to nature." The Morayakanda dola, which joins the famous water stream at Nachchimale, flows across the resort. A fresh water swimming pool is built by the waterway. There is also a small reservoir for fresh water fishing and rowing. Cycling across the rural surroundings and trekking in the woods and paddy fields are added activities for the eco tourist. Adventure holidaymakers who visit the resort have enough sites to camp and engage in other activities. There is a well-known meditation centre about five kilometers away from the resort. Serenity Park is also close to the Labugama and Kalatuwawa reservoirs. On request we can also arrange day trips to Ratnapura and the Sinharaja forest. Outlining future plans he said that he wants to build 10 more chalets within the next two years. The chalets will be built of clay with coconut thatched roofs. The 10-acre paddy field will be converted into chena cultivation. He said that earlier villagers did Chena cultivation but gave up due to the scarcity of land. The villagers will be given land to cultivate. This will help revive traditions, he said. Amarasinghe, a resident of UK spends most of his time in Sri Lanka. ******** Goodwill tourism envoy to woo Chinese tourists by Jayampathy Jayasinghe She was tall, young and pretty. Draped in a silk saree, sporting a charming smile the Chinese actress looked quite confident in her new attire. Asked whether she felt any discomfort wearing the saree, the acclaimed Chinese actress and celebrity, Xu Jingle smiled and replied that she felt fine to be in a saree.
She looked radiant with a minimum amount of make up when she appeared at the Colombo Plaza along with Chinese and the Tourist Board Chairman Udaya Nanayakkara to be introduced to the local media. Ms. Xu Jingle was appointed as the "Honorary Goodwill Tourism Ambassador" for Sri Lanka in Bejing last month by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board when she took part in a gems and jewellery exhibition, organised by the Sri Lanka Embassy to raise money for tsunami-affected children. Although Ms. Xu Jingle did not converse in English, an interpreter made her task easy. "Sri Lanka is a beautiful place. People here have big eyes, and they always kept smiling at us. When I get back to China I like to tell my people about Sri Lanka. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Nuwara Eliya", she said. Asked whether she intends making a film in Sri Lanka she replied that part of the film will be made here while the other parts will be filmed elsewhere. She became an idol of the younger generation especially of college students and young students because of her youthful, elegant beauty and graceful personality. Ms. Xu has been described as one of the hottest idols for television and big screen fans in her homeland China and is extremely popular. She became very popular after the screening of her latest film " Letter from an unknown woman ". Born in Bejing and trained as an actress at the Bejing Film Academy, Ms Xu graduated in 1997 and shot to stardom for her roles in several TV drama series. She won the prestigious Film Makers Association's Best Performance Award for her first major film role in "Spicy Love Soup " In 2003 Ms. Xu moved her career in a different direction by writing, directing, and producing her first feature film "My father and I". The film won her a Golden Rooster and a Hundred Flowers "Best Directing Debut award " in her homeland. The film attracted attention at Toronto and Tokyo film festivals. As the Sri Lankan tourist ambassador Ms. Xu Jingle visited Negombo, Dambulla, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, the temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy, the Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawela, Nuwara Eliya and Beruwela. "The Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha is steeped in ancient history. The serenity of the temple surroundings had brought me peace of mind." "Dambulla caves, the ancient cave paintings and beautiful statues of Lord Buddha were equally unique and spiritual." she said. Her visit to Sri Lanka was sponsored by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board. Nanayakara said that China is a very important and emerging market for Sri Lanka. Ms. Xu's visit here as a tourism ambassador for Sri Lanka will go a long way in projecting Sri Lanka as a popular holiday destination in China. He said China and Sri Lanka has had historical ties dating back to several centuries. The Sri Lanka Tourist Board has been promoting Sri Lanka since 2003. "We have had major promotions in Chinese cities and will bring in tourists from June this year. Sri Lankan chefs will be trained in Chinese cuisine to cater to the
Chinese tourists", he said. |
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