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| Sunday, 25 January 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Club Concept : a haven for elephant lovers by BEVERLEY JANSZ Club Concept, Randeniya, Pinnawala is not only a haven for elephant lovers but also an eco paradise, built just three kilometres from the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.
The hotel cum elephant resort stands on 10 acres of land surrounded by jungle and is owned by Carmine Samarasinghe, Chairman/Managing Director of Club Concept who has extraordinary affection towards elephants. In fact she owns eight elephants. The Samarasinghe family has owned elephants since the 1960s and in 1997 the 'Samaragiri Estate' was opened to visitors as a private owned 'Elephant Bath'. The 'Elephant Bath' at Club Concept is a place where visitors are invited to come and interact with the captive elephants housed on the estate. They get an opportunity to interact with the elephants by going on an elephant back trekking, bathing an elephant or having an elephant shower. After visiting the 'Elephant Bath' at Club Concept, visitors can learn about the history of elephants in Sri Lanka, an insight into elephant behaviour, the relationship between elephants and their Mahout, and a greater awareness of the important role elephants play in Sri Lanka's culture. Club Concept has 15 guest rooms built in a eco-environment surrounded by jungle, and are equipped with hot/cold water, and room service. The concept also has a Speciality Restaurant Deck by the side of the stream where the elephants are bathed. Tourists savour delicious cuisine at this restaurant while watching elephants being bathed in the natural stream which runs through the concept. The main restaurant at Club Concept offers breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets on a daily basis, not only to in-house guests but outsiders who flock to Club Concept to enjoy the novel concept, says General Manager of the concept, Ainsley Adams, an experienced hotelier who is also an ardent elephant lover. At Club Concept there is also an Art Gallery with paintings and a small liosk where food can be purchased to feed the elephants. A visit to Club Concept is a unique experience and an adventure not soon forgotten. Consultants for Club Concept are Legend Hospitality Consultancy Services, Nugegoda. Its Managing Director is Shiran Samarasinghe. ###### France honours Emirates Chairman with top award French President Jacques Chirac has honoured Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Emirates Group Chairman, with France's highest award. French Transport and Tourism Minister, Gilles de Robien, presented Sheikh Ahmed with the "Commandeur de l'Ordre de la Legion d'Honneur" - the Legion of Honour - on behalf of President Chirac during the Dubai Air Show. Sheikh Ahmed received the award at a ceremony organised by the French ministry in Dubai attended by 250 leading French officials and businessmen, including Francois Gouyette, French Ambassador, and Robert Jongeryck, Consul General in Dubai, during the ongoing 8th International Aerospace Exhibition. In attendance from Emirates were Maurice Flanagan, Vice Chairman and Group President, Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, and Tony Tayeh, Senior Vice President Planning, International and Industry Affairs. Thanking M. de Robien, Sheikh Ahmed said the UAE's success could not have been achieved without the support of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, its President, and called the medal "an accolade both for him and for everyone working at Emirates." |
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