We are already in the eighth month of 2013! I am in constant awe of the rapid passage of time. Hope you had a good summer, and enjoyed time with family. The past months in Sri Lanka has been “cool” with light breezes bringing the temperatures slightly below the average for this time of the year. So, it has been extremely pleasant. Whether going for a morning walk or an evening out, it has indeed been more pleasurable than before.

The Colombo landscape is also changing pretty fast. The second phase of the Dutch Hospital (in Colombo Fort) is being completed now with more restaurants and shopping experiences added. Evenings are lovely, as there are musicians who provide some fabulous music to the food lovers who frequent the many eateries and the shoppers who want to add on to their purchases. The atmosphere is indeed very inviting and exciting!

The Race Course (Colombo 7) is now almost nearing completion and one can imagine what a glorious past it would have had, with Colombo’s elite in their best European attire coming out to watch horses race to the finish. We will not be having the racing horses (at least not yet) but the entire area has been cleaned and redeveloped and is a great place to chill. Another must see during your next visit to Colombo is the Laksala shop just opened near the Nelum Pokuna Theatre and the Viharamahadevi Park, also in Colombo 7. It is just by the National Museum and has some lovely artifacts in store. The shopping and dining experience in Colombo is getting a huge boost with all these developments.

We just completed our Jetwing Sports Day in Colombo and participants from hotels all over competed with the other units of Jetwing Travels. 3 of our “sumo” wrestlers won the tug of war beating all the other teams! The girls from Sigiriya (Jetwing Vil Uyana) are little running machines. Everyone had a great time and returned to their respective locales.

At Jetwing, we are excited about our new property, Jetwing Yala. Work is scheduled to be completed in 2 months and the Hotel will welcome its first guests soon after! Yala has bitter-sweet memories for us, having lost some of our great colleagues, guests and a beautiful property (my favourite) to the Tsunami in 2004. After 9 long years, we are now ready to place our footprint once again in this fabulous part of Sri Lanka. We will let you know more once it is completed.

Let’s hope we can accumulate more great moments in the remaining 4 months of 2013!

Warm Wishes

Tucked away in the island’s north central province, Minneriya National Park is the ideal venue for wildlife enthusiasts for spotting herds of wild elephants in one location. During the dry season when waterholes in the forests evaporate into cracked mud patches, almost three hundred wild elephants gather each evening along the banks of the Minneriya Tank for food, water, shelter – and match-making.

During the season spanning from August- September each year, you will be lucky enough to spot more than two hundred and fifty wild elephants in their natural habitat in one safari ride alone

Jetwing youth development project at Tissamaharama

Furthering its commitment to community development and upliftment, Sri Lanka’s premier hospitality brand Jetwing, held the graduation ceremony for the most recent Jetwing Youth Development Project, which covered the Hambantota District.

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Sri Lanka’s Yala National Park to be closed during next month (September)

Sri Lanka’s best known nature reserve, Yala National Park will be closed for the visitors during the month of September, the Minister of Wildlife Resources Conservation Vijith Vijayamuni Soyza has said.

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Rice Paddies and Cloud Forests: The Top Ten Boutique Hotels in Sri Lanka

From Portuguese to Dutch to British colonizations, Sri Lanka has a turbulent and colourful history that has left cultural and architectural traces.

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Jetwing Yala set to open‘

Once again Jetwing Hotels combines amazing luxury with awe-inspiring wildlife in their latest creation of Jetwing Yala. Another link in the family of Jetwing properties, Jetwing Yala is one of the newest ventures of Sri Lanka’s premier hospitality brand which is opening its doors in the untamed and fascinating world of Sri Lanka’s most well known animal kingdom.

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Clash of the titans: Amazing pictures of killer whales attacking pod of sperm whales

These unique pictures show the moment a group of killer whales attacked much larger sperm whales on a relentless hunting expedition.

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Sri Lanka’s Colombo Port Expanded

With a new breakwater, deeper basin, and the first of three modern new terminals now open, Colombo Port can accept the latest generation of 18,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEU) container ships and has facilities to send goods faster and more cost efficiently to other ports in the region.

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Special offer for small group travellers

It’s smarter to travel in small groups!! Take a small Van!!! Collect your friends and family and experience an exclusive Holiday in Sri Lanka for a very special discount. For more details, Click Here

Middle East Special Offer

Only 66,00sq km in area, yet a treasure trove of diverse and astonishing surprises, Sri Lanka is a cornucopia of magnificent beaches, rain forests, charming villages, hill country tea plantations, centuries old ruined cities, emerald green paddy fields, fascinating cultural traditions, spectacular pageants and festivals, spicy, exciting cuisine and so much more. For more details, Click Here