Latest news with #GeoffreyBawa
Telegraph
7 days ago
- Telegraph
The 20 best restaurants in Sri Lanka
The food scene in Sri Lanka is increasingly diverse, offering both sophisticated venues for high-end dining and relaxed ocean- or paddy-view venues with no dress codes. Sri Lanka's spicy, coconut-rich cuisine, alongside fish and seafood, plays a starring role, crafted from a huge array of home-grown produce such as cinnamon, cardamom and clove, nutritious gotukola (Indian pennywort) and moringa, jackfruit and banana flower, and a rainbow of fresh fruits. This is all woven into traditional menus or novel dishes fusing Western and Eastern flavours. Capital city Colombo has the widest variety of restaurants, particularly smarter establishments, though there are plenty of places to eat along the south and west coasts. Inland, the dining scene is more restricted to roadside cafes and hotel restaurants. All our recommendations below have been hand-selected and tested by our resident destination expert to help you discover the best beaches in Bali. Find out more below, or for more Sri Lanka inspiration, see our guides to the best hotels, bars, things to do and beaches. Best all-rounders Best for families Best for cheap eats Best for fine dining Best for walk-ins Best for atmosphere Best all-rounders The Gallery Cafe Housed in the atmosphere-laden former offices of the late architect Geoffrey Bawa, this brick-floored restaurant spills tables onto a courtyard while rotating exhibitions of contemporary art (all for sale) adorn the walls. Start with a fierce tamarind chilli martini before tucking into a smoky black pork curry with leafy gotukola sambol. The puddings and on-display cakes celebrate chocolate and fruit and include a legendary passion fruit meringue pie. Monsoon This converted former tea warehouse, with high ceilings and industrial-style decor, is a stylish setting for South Asian food, particularly classic street food dishes. The waiters will help you pick items off the all-day menu, such as cloud-soft bao buns (go for the honey and sriracha chicken) or steaming bowls of beef broth with chilli and lime. It's in the heart of Colombo's vibrant Park Street Mews – an intimate cobblestoned precinct of restaurants and bars.
Listly
23-07-2025
- Listly
Things to experience in Ahungalla - The next charming destination
For those with an appreciation for art and horticulture, a visit to Brief Garden is highly recommended. If you're staying at a hotel like Heritance Ahungalla, you can add this excursion to your stay there. This enchanting garden was once the home of Bevis Bawa, the renowned Sri Lankan landscape architect and brother of the famous Geoffrey Bawa. The garden is a masterpiece of design, blending tropical flora with captivating sculptures, serene water features, and charming nooks and crannies. It's a place where art and nature intertwine harmoniously, inviting visitors to wander leisurely, discover hidden pathways, and simply soak in the tranquil ambience.
Vogue Singapore
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue Singapore
Design reissues are 2025's biggest interiors trend
Some of the most coveted furniture designs today were created decades ago, their enduring appeal untouched by trends old and new. As homeowners look to timeless pieces that continue to make a statement, a new wave of iconic mid-century and modernist designs have been brought back into production with faithful reverence, meticulous precision and, often, a touch of sustainable innovation. Much like fashion's archival revival, these design reissues carry a certain sense of pedigree, drawn up by some of the biggest names in the industry. Earlier this year, the 63rd edition of the acclaimed Milan Design Week saw the reveal of many of such pieces. Saint Laurent brought back four pieces by pioneering 20th-century designer Charlotte Perriand—three created for her own home and one for a diplomat's residence, all of which have previously been unseen until now. Phantom Hands also revived a collection of works by acclaimed architect Geoffrey Bawa, known for his distinct way of weaving classic modern simplicity with unique Sri Lankan flair. In today's homes, these celebrated designs are conversation starters, subtle centrepieces and for those in the know, the marks of a tastemaker. Below, we round up the most coveted design reissues of the season. Courtesy of Mohd 1 / 14 Marset Lauro table lamp, by P Aragay and J Pérez Mateo in 1973 Courtesy of Ligne Roset 2 / 14 Ligne Roset Kashima armchair, by Michel Ducaroy in 1976 Courtesy of Ikea 3 / 14 Ikea Skålboda armchair, by Niels Gammelgaard in 1983 Courtesy of CB2 4 / 14 CB2 Pill lamp, based on archive sketches by Bill Curry in the late 1960s Courtesy of Wiener GTV Design 5 / 14 Wiener GTV Design Boomerang desk, by Enzo Mari in 2001 Courtesy of Thayer Coggin 6 / 14 Thayer Coggin Cruisin' lounge chair and ottoman, by Milo Baughman in 1965 Courtesy of Tacchini 7 / 14 Tacchini Africa chair, by Afra and Tobia Scarpa in 1975 Courtesy of Mohd 8 / 14 Santa & Cole La Bella Durmiente floor lamp, by Gabriel Ordeig Cole and Nina Masó in 1987 Courtesy of Saint Laurent 9 / 14 Saint Laurent Indochina guest armchair, by Charlotte Perriand in 1943 Courtesy of Carl Hansen & Søn 10 / 14 Carl Hansen & Søn Spherical bed, by Kaare Klint in 1938 11 / 14 Molteni&C Monk armchair, by Afra and Tobia Scarpa in 1973 Courtesy of CB2 12 / 14 CB2 Memoria table lamp, by Gianfranco Frattini in 1961 Courtesy of Phantom Hands 13 / 14 Phantom Hands Kandalama Cafe chair, by Geoffrey Bawa in 1994 @commedesgarcons 14 / 14 Comme des Garçons No. 2 chair, by Rei Kawakubo in 1983
The Hindu
06-06-2025
- The Hindu
Experience life by Odisha's Chilika Lake at the Rambha Palace, a boutique hotel with European aesthetics
A forgotten palace, with peeling walls and cobwebbed ceilings, once stood at the far end of a quaint village in Odisha. Locals called it Rani Palace. Today, it stands with its original sheen intact, as a boutique hotel, by the Chilika Lake in Rambha, a town in Ganjam district. Rambha's streets come alive in the evenings with shops selling fresh catch off the Chilika. It is home to several families who depend on the river for a living. Rambha Palace, a walkable distance from the lake, lets one experience life by a lagoon in a setup fit for the kings. We arrive at its gates on a humid afternoon from Bhubaneshwar, that is around 120 kilometres away. The palace was restored over a period of six years by Chana Daswatte, a protégé of the popular Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. Walking past the foyer, the walls of which have photos of the palace from its previous life, we instantly feel the antiquity of the building. Everything, right from the billiards table, crystal chandeliers, terrazzo tiles, lime plaster walls, sabai grass carpets, and ikkat-inspired interiors, feels right out of a museum display, yet, retains a certain newness. This is the result of the restoration team's guiding principle — to retain the soul of the original 18th Century structure. Himangini Singh, co-founder, Hunch Ventures and partner, Rambha Palace, who has taken the property on lease from the royal family, says that the village and the palace always take her back to her childhood when she would visit the Chilika with her parents. When she first saw it in its decayed state, she says, 'It felt like it was quietly asking for a second chance.' They set out to restore it using materials and techniques that were used in the original architecture. Himangini, who played an important role in its restoration, adds, 'Throughout the journey, we often asked ourselves: If Rambha's Rani were restoring this palace today, what choices would she make? How would she have lived? What aesthetics would she have embraced? This imagined narrative became our compass. We drew inspiration from her envisioned values, her love for her people, her affinity for local talent, her refined yet grounded sensibility.' European roots After a late afternoon lunch of a typical Odia thali — their in-house restaurant serves local as well as Continental and Chinese food — head chef Gaurav Juyal walks us through the sprawling lawns with ornate fountain centrepieces. The palace, he explains, was built by Thomas Snodgrass, who was the Collector of Ganjam from 1791-92. 'It was built by European architects and engineers,' he explains, adding that it was eventually bought by king Rama Krushna Mardaraj of Khallikote and later, by king Harihar Mardaraj, who played a crucial role in the Odia Movement until his death in 1909. An important monument in the history of Ganjam, it was here, explains Gaurav, that the foundation stone of the Utkal Union Conference (UUC) was laid. The palace played host to thousands of delegates from the various Odia Speaking Tracts, and the UUC eventually lead to the unification of Odisha. The main structure is flanked by a printing room and ice mill room on one side, both of which have also been renovated. Himangini says that the only modification they did was for the roof. 'Originally divided into six smaller sections, it has now been unified into a single, stronger roof,' she says, adding that the revival was a 'careful, deliberate process.' The property, spread across six acres, has 15 rooms for guests. It was opened to the public on April 1, 2024. While the queen was not able to witness the palace after its restoration, Himangini says her family visited it, walking through the halls and lawns. 'It was an emotional moment,' she says, adding that their response was 'one of the most meaningful validations of everything we had hoped to achieve.' Markets and rain hats An important part of the itinerary for guests at the palace, is a visit to the village. Rambha is home to several artisanal fishermen. On the highway by the village, is an ancient dry-fish market that is run entirely by women. Prawns are a mainstay at most of the shops here. At Renuka Bahera's stall for instance, there are over five dried prawn varieties, that she sells for ₹200 to ₹400 a kilogram, depending on the size. How can we not visit their fish markets? Here, one can see gigantic, freshly caught prawns that are still alive and wriggling — a rare sight, as any regular at seafood markets would agree. Ragunath Behera, a middleman between fishermen and sellers, explains that most of what is caught at Chilika is taken to a fish depot at nearby Balugaun town, the largest in the region. 'This is then purchased by sellers who have shops at the markets here,' he explains. Rambha is also home to bamboo artisans from whom one can buy baskets and the exquisite talari, hats worn by workers in the fields. These hats, used for protection against the sun and rain, are huge — so huge that they do not fit into even the largest suitcase. We buy one nevertheless and lug it around the airport on our journey back, drawing curious glances. But there can be no better souvenir from Odisha. Room tariffs start from ₹30,000. There are special fares for summer and monsoon months ranging from ₹19,000 onwards. Rambha can be reached by road or train from Bhubaneshwar. The writer was at Odisha on invitation from Rambha Palace
Sydney Morning Herald
10-05-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Can a second trip somewhere outdo the first? Follow these tips for recapturing the magic
This story is part of the May 11 edition of Sunday Life. See all 13 stories. The most content I've ever felt in life was when I lived by a beach for six months in Sri Lanka. After working for seven years in the Middle East, my wife and I decided to take some time off and learn to be parents to our infant son before we submitted to the grind of daily life back home in Melbourne. Mirissa, the coastal town we settled in, is close to the island's most southerly point. Ordinarily, it would be busy with backpackers who'd stay in cheap lodgings and spend their days lazing about on its coconut palm-shaded beach. But a sharp dip in tourism, caused by a brutal civil war that raged across Sri Lanka's northern and eastern regions until 2009, meant that we were often the only foreigners in town. We rented an upstairs apartment with five bedrooms, cold showers and a rudimentary kitchen, and shopped at the local markets. Several times a week, we'd stroll down to the beach to order fresh seafood in ridiculously affordable restaurants while gazing out to sea and feeling the sand between our toes. When friends and family came to visit, we'd traipse off to different parts of the island with them, stopping to hike through tea plantations, amble through ancient ruins or spot leopards and elephants on safari. On one occasion, a friend splashed out on a night at a hotel called Kandalama. Clinging to a hillside among house-sized boulders, it was deliberately shrouded in vegetation to the point where it looked like the jungle was slowly devouring it. I'd never seen a hotel like it. I learnt that the architect who designed the hotel was Geoffrey Bawa and that he'd designed numerous others around the country, as well as prominent public edifices like the parliament and the residential home of the president, both in Colombo. I also discovered that guests could stay in Bawa's retirement home on a former cinnamon and rubber plantation in Bentota, midway between Colombo and Mirissa. Loading Years later, during my most recent Sri Lankan visit, I included a two-night stay at Lunuganga – a Sinhalese word meaning 'salt river'. Bawa purchased the property as a weekender in 1948, then spent 40 years transforming it into a tranquil haven where he would live out his final years (Bawa died in 2003, aged 83). Ten rooms accommodating 20 guests are spread across a 15-acre (six-hectare) estate wrapped inside the embracing arms of Dedduwa Lake. I'm escorted to a spacious room that once served as a gate house. It contains timber ceiling beams and columns, teak furnishings, a king-sized bed, courtyard plunge pool and concrete floors that are cool underfoot. Other options include Bawa's personal suite, a glasshouse and a gallery that previously housed the architect's art collection. While my room includes Wi-Fi connectivity, there's no TV. Lunuganga is unapologetically designed as a distraction-free getaway for canoodling couples, so on that point I feel isolated. However, there's no shortage of melodious songbirds to keep me company.
