Teardrop Hotels adds three tea plantation experiences in Sri Lanka this year

Three former tea planters’ houses from Teardrop Hotels are opening in 2018.

Following the launch of Camellia Hills in July 2017, the portfolio expands with Goatfell, Nine Skies and Pekoe House, all fully-renovated vintage managers’ bungalows along the tea country route.

The opening of these bungalows will see Teardrop Hotels transform the hill country’s boutique hotel scene, bringing a modern vibe to traditional tea plantations and offering contemporary aesthetics and modern Asian-British dining.

Opening in April 2018, Goatfell is a former superintendent’s residence located on a working tea estate and at one of the highest elevation points above Nuwara Eliya. Goatfell consists of four ensuite bedrooms in the main house and two standalone chalets, with living and dining rooms and a swimming pool.

Meanwhile, Nine Skies is also set to launch in April 2018 and will be located near Ella. It is built on a grander scale as befits a director’s bungalow. The six-bedroom luxury hotel is set within several acres of private gardens, with a croquet lawn, swimming pool and sun deck, and panoramic views across the valley to the working tea factory and famous Demodera loop.

The final tea estate, due to open late 2018, is Pekoe House, located in the Kandy area. Within reach (and view) of the Knuckles Mountain Range, Pekoe House will have six double bedrooms, a swimming pool, croquet lawn, and living/dining space, as well as excellent food. Activities will include tea factory tours and treks up Hunas mountain.

Details:

Rates start from US$495 per room per night based on double occupancy and on an all-inclusive basis.

SilkAir adds Colombo to network

SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, has launched its inaugural flight to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, joining its parent carrier in serving the route. With the launch of this thrice-weekly flights, SilkAir’s route network is now extended to 53 destinations across 15 countries.

The thrice-weekly flights to Colombo are scheduled on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with same-day return flights operating as MI427. The flights will rely on Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with both Business Class and Economy Class cabins. Customers on board the flight will enjoy a full-service experience, including inflight meals, in-flight entertainment on SilkAir Studio, as well as baggage allowance of 40kg and 30kg for Business and Economy class respectively.

This new SilkAir service will complement Singapore Airlines’ current daily flights to Colombo. Together, SilkAir and Singapore Airlines will offer a total of 10 round-trip services a week.

“Colombo offers a rich heritage and a variety of experiences to travellers to explore the beauty of Sri Lanka. The launch of the Colombo flight route as our 53rd destination presents an opportunity for SilkAir to continually provide our customers with increased connectivity to the region via Singapore. We are confident that this will be a destination that will interest many travellers as they embark on their Sri Lankan adventures,” commented SilkAir’s Chief Executive, Foo Chai Woo.

Detailed flight schedules

Flight	Routing	Days Operating	Departure*	Arrival*
MI428	Singapore - Colombo	Wednesday, Saturday	Singapore 8:50am	Colombo 10:05am
MI428	Singapore - Colombo	Thursday	Singapore 7:30am	Colombo 9:15am
MI427	Colombo - Singapore	Wednesday, Saturday	Colombo 11:05am	Singapore 5:30pm
MI427	Colombo - Singapore	Thursday	Colombo 10:30am	Singapore 5pm

*All times stated are local

Interested?

Flights will be made available for booking through the SilkAir website, call centre and travel agents

SilkAir to take over SIA SQ466 and SQ467 flights to Colombo

SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines (SIA), will commence flights to Sri Lanka’s commercial capital Colombo on 8 April 2017. Colombo is a multiethnic, multicultural city and also the most populous city in Sri Lanka.

SilkAir will operate three flights per week, taking over SIA’s SQ466/SQ467 service. SIA will continue to operate its daily night flight SQ468 and return flight SQ469. The addition of SilkAir to the Singapore-Colombo route will optimise the utilisation of the SIA Group’s resources and present a better match of capacity to demand. It will also extend the SilkAir network to 53 destinations across 15 countries.

The new service to Colombo, MI428, will be scheduled on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with a same-day return flight operating as MI427, similar to the current SIA timing. The services will be operated with Boeing 737-800 aircraft, featuring both Business Class and Economy Class cabins. Customers will be provided with a full-service experience, including in-flight meals, in-flight entertainment on SilkAir Studio, baggage allowance of 40kg and 30kg for Business and Economy class, respectively, as well as through check-ins if they are connecting to or from another SilkAir or SIA point via Singapore.

Commenting on the launch, SilkAir’s Chief Executive Foo Chai Woo, said: “Colombo is a fitting addition to our network. SilkAir is happy to continually bring our customers to more unique cities in the region, and increased connectivity via Singapore.”

Interested?

Book flights through the SilkAir website, call centres and travel agents. Customers who have made advance bookings to fly the Singapore-Colombo route on Singapore Airlines will be re-accommodated on SilkAir’s new services or alternative Singapore Airline services.

MI flight schedule (with effect from 8 April 2017):

Flight	Routing	Days of operation	Departure (local time)	Arrival (local time)
MI428	Singapore - Colombo	Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday	Singapore 8:50am	Colombo 10:05am
MI427	Colombo - Singapore	Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday	Colombo 11:30am	Singapore 6pm

*Subject to regulatory approvals.

Yellowfashion.in now available in Sri Lanka

Source: Yellowfashion.in website. 

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 First curated online women ethnic wear store of its kind to foray overseas

- Eyes over Rs15 crores in revenues over the next three years

Yellowfashion.in, one of India's curated online women ethnic wear destinations, has expanded into Sri Lanka. The venture, well-known for its selection of sarees from across India, is betting on the fast growing Internet user base (6 million according to the ITU) and cultural similarities in clothing preference in Sri Lanka. 

The company estimates 15% of its revenues from 2016 and 2017 to come from the Sri Lankan market, with Sri Lanka contributing Rs15 crore over the next three years. Yellowfashion.in has signed up DTDC as a fulfilment partner to ensure delivery in three to six days to Sri Lankan customers, and put in place an international payment gateway. 

Darshan Patodi, Co-founder, Yellowfashion.in said, "Our in-depth market research revealed that the country, besides witnessing a growing Internet user base, is also very similar in nature to the Indian market when it comes to women ethnic wear choices. (The) Sri Lankan economy has since bounced back, it is geographically proximate and the partnership with DTDC gives us the logistical support required to ensure or track record of happy customers, which is retained in the new market as well. We look forward to the foray contributing significantly to our growth and profitability in the years ahead."

"What really is exciting about the market is that for a lot of women in Sri Lanka (the) saree is both regular wear and a fashion/lifestyle statement. Their affordability levels are high and they are seeking both design and quality which we are known for. Yellowfashion.in's approach of curating what is available on its online store vibes well with this need. Not to mention it being an untapped market. The initial response is encouraging," added Pallavi Patodi, Co-founder, Yellowfashion.in.

According to a Google India study, apparel is the highest contributor after electronics when it comes to e-commerce. The study has found that apparel is purchased 30% more times than any segment, making it one of the most stable domains in the Indian e-commerce landscape. Apparel contributes 34% to the value of total online purchases, says KPMG India.

Emirates plans additional daily service between Dubai and Colombo, Sri Lanka

Source: Emirates.

Emirates has introduced an additional daily service between Dubai and Colombo, Sri Lanka. Effective 1 August 2016, the airline will operate five daily flights between Dubai and Colombo every day except Wednesdays, when it will operate four flights. The new flight will add another 2,520 seats and up to 161 tonnes in cargo capacity per week in each direction, and brings the weekly services on the route to 34.

“The increased frequency provides our customers with greater flexibility in their travel plans, allowing them to explore this exciting destination and connect seamlessly to other flights on Emirates’ extensive global network,” said Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations- West Asia and Indian Ocean.

From 1st August, Flight EK648, operated by a modern Boeing 777-300 ER, will depart Dubai at 1355 hours daily and arrive in Colombo at 1955 hours, all times local. The return flight EK649 leaves Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) at 2210 hours and arrives in Dubai at 0100 hours the following day.

As with all Emirates flights, passengers on the new flight will benefit from a baggage allowance of 30kg in Economy Class, 40kg in Business Class and 50kg in First Class. Passengers travelling in premium cabins will also enjoy lounge access in Colombo as well as Emirates’ Chauffeur-drive service in Dubai.

Travel with Emirates also earns passengers Skywards Miles on the airline’s award-winning frequent flyer programme. Accrued Skywards Miles can be redeemed for free tickets, travel upgrades or other benefits.

The airline currently operates four flights a day between Dubai and Colombo all days of the week except Wednesdays, when it operates three flights. One of these daily services to Dubai is via Malé, the capital of the Maldives. Emirates also operates a daily service between Colombo and Singapore, offering convenient connections to Australia.

Templeberg Villa receives TripAdvisor award

Source: Templeberg Villa website.

TripAdvisor has awarded Templeberg Villa, a five-bedroom villa in the Dutch colonial style that is over a century old, a Certificate of Excellence for the second consecutive year. The Certificate of Excellence is given to properties that consistently achieve outstanding traveller reviews on the travel review site.

"The Excellence Award pays tribute to our unique Antipodean style of customer service and tailored local experiences that guests receive from choosing a villa stay over a hotel room," said  Brent Carey, Owner, Templeberg Villa, which is situated on a five-acre working coconut plantation in Galle, Sri Lanka. "We are continually finetuning our operation with an eye to delivering on our brand promise of laid back luxury."

 

Carey shared that the Templeberg Villa experience is undergoing enhancements. "Guests will soon be able to enjoy our 25 m jungle edge infinity pool and may book private cooking lessons with Tricksey, our cook, through a new site devoted to Sri Lankan cooking classes," said Carey.

Sri Lankan Airlines offers free Mobitel SIM and free data for visits to Sri Lanka

Those who book tickets online with SriLankan Airlines are entitled to a free SIM card, free data, and a rented dongle for surfing in Sri Lanka.

The airline has partnered with data network service Mobitel to provide travellers with a 100MB data SIM card free. If a dongle is required, one can be provided for 30 days for a refundable deposit of Rs3,490.

The terms and conditions are spelt out here.

Rotana Jet to fly to two cities in Sri Lanka

Rotana Jet today announced new routes to Colombo and Mattala in Sri Lanka,  effective 9 April.

The airline will operate three flights per week from Al Bateen Airport in Abu Dhabi to Sri Lanka's commercial capital Colombo, and to the Mattala Rajapaska International Airport using Airbus A319 aircraft. The flights will feature both business and economy classes.

The airline currently operates flights to Bahrain, Muscat and Salalah in addition to the flights to Sir Bani Yas Island, Fujairah, Delma and Dubai.
Rajendran Vellapalath, Rotana Jet's Commercial and Planning Director, said: "Rotana Jet is glad to announce Colombo and Mattala as its first international destination's outside the GCC." 

Through a partnership with Sri Lankan Airlines, Rotana Jet passengers can connect directly to and from South Indian destinations like Chennai, Trichy, and Trivandrum via Colombo.