Ayubowan,

All the excitement, eagerness and sense of new beginning inevitably felt at the commencement  of a brand new year is upon us. The Christmas season is my favourite time of the year and I sincerely hope all of you had a blessed season, enjoyed time and shared memories with your near and dear ones. Even a tropical country like Sri Lanka has a nip in the air and the roads are lit, shops are full and the general sense of fun is all around. Most hotels are beautifully decorated, various choirs sing familiar carols and have put out their festive menus. I hope some of you will be able to experience this in the future if you have not already done so. Although you may never have a white christmas in Sri Lanka you are guaranteed to be infected by the joy and excitement of the naturally fun loving Sri Lankan people and have an experience of a lifetime.

Once again I had the opportunity to travel to the north of the country recently. It was precisely a year after my last visit and the development that has taken place since is huge. I met with someone who was excited about the various activities that can be undertaken in places like Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Jaffna and Mullativ. Within the next 24 months this area will definitely have some new experiences that can be offered to all of you, we will keep you updated of course!

As for Jetwing, the Xiengthong Palace in Luang Prabang, Laos, a hotel managed by Jetwing Indochina was officially opened on the 15th of December, (www.xiengthongpalace.com). This ancient and dilapidated palace was re-designed by renowned Sri Lankan architect Vinod Jayasinghe and stands overlooking the majestic Mekong. In case your travels take you to that part of the world, please do visit the property.

On 19th December, 2011 Sri Lanka recorded its 800,000th visitor to the country. It is by far the highest number of arrivals recorded during a year. There are many international brands planning to come in to Sri Lanka and the country is also busily improving its infrastructure. The 1st ever Highway, the Southern Expressway opened in November reducing the travel time to Galle from Colombo by 1 ½ hours! It will be further reduced to an hour once the ring road to the start of the Expressway is completed. The highway to the airport is also progressing well.

Colombo opened 2 new attractions recently. The old Dutch Hospital in Fort has been renovated and elegantly turned into a beautiful Courtyard of shops and cafes, a must visit next time you are in Colombo. A brand new auditorium that can seat up to 1200 pax in Colombo, was also opened in December. This venue can host many productions and we are looking forward to same.  Many similar transformations are in progress and we will let you know in due course.

We are also excited about the wonderful opportunities we now have to share with our visitors and are eagerly looking forward to the next 12 months to enhance the experiences of all our valued guests. On behalf of all of us at Jetwing, I take this opportunity to wish you a year filled with happiness, good health and lots of love.

Warm Wishes,

The Galle Literary Festival is reputed as one of the most anticipated literary events in the international literary circuit. It is an intimate, relaxed affair set in the atmospheric surroundings of the port city of Galle, which will take place on January 18-22, 2012. The festival started in 2007 amidst a three decade old war which ended two years later. The festival has since gained recognition and Sri Lanka itself has become a safer destination for travelers. Galle Literary Festival will feature several award winning writers, historians, poets, philosophers and biographers from Palestine, Ireland, Sierra Leone, Singapore, India, Canada, England, the United States, Germany and Sri Lanka. The writers participate in solo and panel discussions, readings and workshops, concerts, picnics, gourmet lunches and dinners, tours of the Fort and surrounds, cultural activities and late night revues.  Thousands locals and foreigners descent on Galle, a historic city with an old Dutch Fort during the festival, pumping an estimated 400 million rupees into the local economy.

Whales Ahoy!

Mirissa in Southern Sri Lanka has now established itself as the world’s top spot for watching the Blue Whale, the largest creature to have inhabited our planet. During the season, Blue Whales can be seen virtually every day at a strike rate of over 95% just a few nautical miles from the shore.

Read more

Thirty Five New Hotels On The Cards

The Galadari and Hilton Hotels in the heart of Colombo, Be ready for a change in landscape with the construction of 35 new hotels AND Eleven five star hotels to be constructed in Colombo.

Read more

Newly opened Sri Lanka Expressway has earned Rs. 6.7 million in less than a week

The Sri Lankan government says that authorities have collected Rs. 6.7 million from the vehicles that have traveled on the Southern Expressway from Kottawa to Galle since its opening on November 27th.

Read more

Kingfisher Calendar shot in Sri Lanka

The sensual shoot spread to cover 12 months of picturesque beauty in a stupendous environment is shot across Jetwing Hotels, Sri Lanka – Lighthouse, Galle; Jetwing Hotels Era Beach; Jetwing Hotels Blue, and Jetwing Hotels Pavilion.

Read more

Sri Lanka named among emerging travel destinations

The global travel and tourism industry has identified Sri Lanka as part of a group of emerging countries with potential as attractive holiday destinations behind the so-called BRICS nations.

Read more

Entering the city of Galle itself is a memorable experience: walk its streets and alleys, and see the remnants of the truly multicultural, multi ethnic city it once was. The Fort stands out, now recognised as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Life inside the Fort is idyllic, with treasure at every turn… Welcome to the Galle Heritage Villa, located inside the Fort. An example of the different architectural influences, the villa was originally intended to be a representation of a circa 1950’s Beverly Hills Mansion, now a Colonial Dutch villa. Come, stay, and listen to the echoes of history through the ages.

Whilst on holiday with us all our customers experience and have countless service encounters  and experiences that truly delight them. We at Jetwing believe each of these encounters or ‘Moments’ are an opportunity for us and our staff to truly connect with them. We have published above and will do so in every issue just such instances to highlight bonds and friendships that will never be forgotten.

You are welcome to log into our website or Facebook Pageupload your images and share your experience with us.