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| Sunday, 18 May 2003 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Ruskin Island holiday homes : A fresh breath of air by JAYANTHI LIYANAGE Do you long to recapture the unsullied natural ambience of living years ago? While soaking in the hurly-burly of urban suavity, do you yearn for the twittering of birds, a fresh breath of air, a cooling stretch of water and a quiet island leisure home beneath the open skies within a low density of people?
In a highly cluttered age when healthy homes and sustainable living have become the elusive key luxuries of living, Ruskin Island, the Bolgoda Lake hideaway, just a 30-minute drive away from Colombo, could well be the location of your exclusively-owned holiday home. As you sit in your vehicle while it is being ferried over to the banks of Ruskin, absorbing the swelling sun, greenery and the soothing brown of the earth, you are struck by the expanding panorama of the sky-line as opposed to the shrunk bit of sky you view from your congested suburban home. In the 44 acre extent of Ruskin Island, Ceylinco International Realty (Pvt) Ltd. has divided an exclusive residential area of 53 blocks of 40-50 perches each. Some blocks have been purchased by residents in Colombo, with the intention of maintaining their holiday homes. The circle of housing blocks cradle a core of 13-acre natural jungle in its centre which Lakkana R. Abeynayake, Deputy General Manager of Ceylinco International Realty (Pvt) Ltd. assures will be left untainted by the human hand, together with a 5-metre green belt running round the island. The jungle is home to grey langhur, rabbits, porcupines, tortoise, deer (olu muwa) and the bird sanctuary, "Kuruluduwa", borders a part of the island, bringing in eagles, parrots and kingfishers among others. The Ruskin holiday home project seeks to offer the prospective buyers the cream of natural living. "Polythene is totally banned in the island and we are growing fruit trees right round the Club House, to entice as large a bird life as possible," says Abeynayake. "The roads will remain untarred and the holiday makers will have the opportunity of purchasing Bolgoda-bred prawns, "Irawa" fish (a delicacy found only in this lake) and fresh jak and vegetables from the villagers around, to concoct a truly rural meal." Amidst the holiday residency, the Club House complex of Ruskin Island explores its theme of green, white and brown within the frame of a low country village mansion, and mingles into the surrounding rusticity. All the paraphanalia requisite for modern leisure and for weekend partying are offered at the Club House, beginning from a restaurant, a spacious lounge area with high ceilings and windows bringing in natural ventilation, a fully-equipped gymnasium, squash court, indoor badminton court, out door tennis court, a large swimming pool, a mini golf putting green, facilities for table tennis, carrom and chess. Architect Kumudu Munasinghe designed the Ruskin Island project for Ceylinco. |
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