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Business Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Times
Kalkudah, Sri Lanka: Beauty and the beach
THE STORY OF SRI LANKA'S Kalkudah Beach House begins as almost all home-buying stories do: with someone falling in love with a place and imagining a forever life in it. And, as too many such tales go, purchase was quickly pursued by a stalled renovation. But unlike your standard contractor issues, these problems were more challenging than most. To wit: a civil war that lasted 26 years, and a devastating tsunami that wiped much of the estate out. Owner Jon Stonham's love affair with the house never waned, though, and for four-plus decades, he continued shaping it into his dream home. Kalkudah Beach House, managed by boutique luxury hotel group Teardrop Hotels, opened on Jun 1. PHOTO: TEARDROP HOTELS But with time inevitably came life changes that brought Stonham, a Briton who founded the villa rentals company Elite Havens, back to Europe. To make sure the house would be cared for, he invited Sri Lankan boutique luxury hotel group Teardrop Hotels to manage the property – on the condition that the contract included booking blocks for him to visit every year. This is how Kalkudah Beach House, which opened on Jun 1, was born. Kalkuda Beach House is a six-hour drive from Colombo, on the eastern coast of Sri Lanka. PHOTO: TEARDROP HOTELS Paradise found Kalkudah is located on Sri Lanka's remote eastern coast, a melting pot of diversity that was also once known for some of the country's most beautiful beaches. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up In this largely Tamil-speaking region, Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist cultures intertwine, their dominions marked by ancient kovils, mosques and monasteries. But the war years and the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami – both of which hit the east especially hard – have long erased it from the tourist radar. A Hindu temple in Kalkudah, a diverse region where numerous cultures intertwine. PHOTO: AUDREY PHOON Having Teardrop run what is essentially the area's first luxury boutique hotel by a hospitality group is significant, because it puts this under-visited region on travellers' maps once again. 'We were drawn to Kalkudah Beach House because it offers something rare – a sense of place on a truly pristine stretch of coastline in a region that's long been overlooked,' says Teardrop Hotels CEO Henry Fitch. To experience the hotel for ourselves, we take a six-hour drive from Colombo, fresh from an overnight stay at Teardrop's charming Wallawwa property near the airport. The bucolic Kalkudah estate is set amid 25 acres of coconut trees – a theme that continues with our welcome drink: a fresh coconut from the plantation, served with a warning not to linger under the trees' gently swaying branches. 'You need to watch out for falling coconuts!' resident manager Azhar Mohamed says, only half-joking. The estate is surrounded by 25 acres of coconut trees. PHOTO: TEARDROP HOTELS What stands out for us is how private the place is. Granted, we're its very first guests, but with only five suites (from US$350 a night), you're guaranteed an almost-exclusive stay even if it's fully booked – a rare privilege these days, not to mention at this price point. The suites – three in the dignified historic Main House with its Dutch-style arched doorways and windows that survived both the war and tsunami, and two in a modern new annexe called the Palm Villa – are bright and contemporary, with relaxed vibes and views that take in the verdant lawn in front of the property and picture-perfect Kalkudah Beach beyond. Although there's a tempting pool between the Main House and Palm Villa, we plump for a post-arrival stroll along the 15 km crescent-shaped beach, the fine golden sand and sun-toasted waters warming our toes. Pre-war, this would have been dotted with beginner surfers riding the small waves that break, like firecrackers going off, against the shore. But these days, the only sign of human presence is a few colourful oruwa – twin-hulled local fishing vessels – drawn up on the sand, and tiny, thatch-roofed shacks used by fishermen as shelters. Incredibly, after nearly an hour of exploration, we don't meet a soul. The subsequent days follow a similar rhythm: rise, eat, chill, beach, sleep. Meals here – crab and prawns fresh from the market, beef and butter from local cows – are tasty, hearty affairs, the work of Teardrop's group executive chef Sumudu Kadawata, previously of One&Only Reethi Rah in the Maldives. Meanwhile, a petanque court, a pool table and croquet on the lawn provide welcome ways to work off these feasts. Meals in the hotel, such as this Sri Lankan crab curry feast, are tasty, hearty affairs. PHOTO: AUDREY PHOON A 15 km crescent-shaped beach surrounds Kalkudah Beach Hotel. PHOTO: TEARDROP HOTELS Genuine charm If you don't feel like languid days in, the surrounding neighbourhoods are full of rich local experiences that the hotel will organise for you. One afternoon, we visit the fishery harbour at the nearby town of Valaichchenai, one of Sri Lanka's main fishing hubs, where deep-sea fishermen dock and distribute their catch. A fisherman with his catch at Valaichchenai fishery harbour. PHOTO: AUDREY PHOON Under the eaves of its open-air market, we watch goggle-eyed – the only non-locals around – as man after man hauls in barrel-like yellowfin tuna, hoisting them onto massive weighing scales. The cheery workers seem unbothered by our ogling, grinning merrily whenever a particularly large catch comes in. Another morning is spent at a produce market, observing meatmen skinning cows hanging from ceiling hooks, and bantering with stallholders over dried fish and gleaming fruit and vegetables grown in their own gardens. A meatman at the local market. PHOTO: AUDREY PHOON Here, coconuts take centre stage, too – so plentiful are the local food staple that they're categorised and sold by size and weight across one whole side of the market. Although agriculture is the main economic activity in the east coast, the production of textiles – Sri Lanka's top export, along with apparel – is also a major income stream for the region. One day, Azhar takes us to Palamunai, a small village filled with families of home weavers, where we pile into the corrugated-iron home of Rubia, a self-taught artisan. As the sprightly 68-year-old clacks away with hands and feet on her wooden loom, thread turns into fine-woven fabric, and we see the beginnings of a sarong emerge. Rubia, a self-taught artisan, turns thread into fine-woven fabric at her home in Palamunai. PHOTO: AUDREY PHOON Finishing one will take an hour of non-stop weaving and bring in 330 rupees – hard work, but Rubia waves it off good-spiritedly and with a cackle. 'This is nothing. I'm getting exercise free of charge!' The way ahead Sri Lanka's surging popularity means that our intimate east-coast experience will almost certainly morph in future. Post-pandemic international tourist arrivals have already climbed to more than 75 per cent of what they were before, with more than a few celebs – from Eminem to Ronaldo – visiting in recent years. But there's hope that change will be positive for all involved, with the government's Tourism Vision 2025 plan to support high-value, sustainable tourism that will benefit local communities. On our last day, we swap the road back to Colombo for an hour-long domestic Cinnamon Air flight that gives us a spectacular bird's eye view of the coast's clear waters and forested islets. The landscape is full of such brilliant blues and greens, it feels like we're looking at a painted map. The domestic flight back to Colombo gives a bird's eye view of the coast's clear waters and forested islets. PHOTO: AUDREY PHOON As the Cessna's propellers carve their way through azure skies and plump clouds, we think about how rare it is, in these travel-mad, social media-obsessed times, to visit a region as unselfconscious as Kalkudah, and what a privilege our stay has been. For now, at least, a fairytale awaits those lucky enough to spend time in this paradise. The writer was a guest of Teardrop Hotels
Eater
11-06-2025
- Business
- Eater
A Portland Boathouse Is Reopening As a Kid-Friendly Destination for Fish Sandwiches
A year-round indoor and outdoor restaurant on Hayden Island is set to open in less than a month. Pal's will open in early July with all day, seven days a week service. Donald Kenney, raised in Oregon and one of the partners behind the project, is one of the minds behind the buildout and the menu. Hayden Island sits in the Columbia River as a natural divider between Washington and Oregon states. In the mornings from 7 to 11 a.m. it'll be coffee and pastries, with grab-and-go items meant to provide what a grocery store might. Then a lunch and dinner-focused menu will be on throughout the afternoon until 10 p.m. This will be the only upscale outdoor restaurant on the island of about 4,000 people, including the houseboat residents. That menu is seafood-forward as can be. There'll be Oregon albacore tuna salad, oversized fish sandwiches with the goods spilling out the side, and Oregon's own Bay shrimp on a local rendition of a lobster roll. The fish comes breaded in Panko and dusted in kettle chips, shoved between those comically tiny buns. Dungeness crab should make an appearance when it's in season. There's soft serve on deck, too. Fellow business partner and cocktail wiz Sean Ford is behind the no-joke drinks program. He's got his own cocktail syrups company, was the Teardrop general manager, and is part-owner of various bars. He's rolling out classics including the Dark and Stormy alongside more inventive beverages like a Banoffee Bahama Mama riff served with Hamilton dark rum, banana liqueur, a shot of soft serve, and a spoon. For his part, Kenney helped open the lakeside resort the Suttle Lake Lodge & Boathouse in Sisters back in 2015. The resort and restaurant sits by the 380-acre Suttle Lake in the Deschutes National Forest. The idea was to bring an egalitarian and approachable food option that kids would remember stopping at once they're older. Much of that same energy is brought to Pal's by Kenney and his team. The vibe is going for somewhere between the original Dairy Queen's and Maine's classic Bagaduce Lunch. He's got the opportunity thanks to a friend who owns the Pal's space asked him if he'd be able to run that Suttle Lodge playbook on Hayden Island. The space is a some 40-year-old leasing office in the marina. The building and grounds are getting a facelift into a big lawn with space for kids and families to sit and enjoy the food. Kenney got this idea from his experiences working in Austin, Texas where he says it's much more common for wide open private spaces that are attached to a restaurant. Pistils Nursery is helping design the buildout and provide plant life. The hope is for families to come here again and again, to spend warm days down by the water eating soft serve late into the night.'I see the kids running around throwing food for the geese to eat,' Kenney says, 'and people pulling their boats up for a bite to eat.' Pal's (515 NE Tomahawk Island Drive, Portland) will open in early July. Opening hours are 7 to to 10 p.m. everyday. See More: Portland Restaurant Openings
Daily Mirror
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Huge band demand removal of 'unethical' adverts at venue before gig
Massive Attack - which consists of bandmates Robert '3D' Del Naja and Grant 'Daddy G' Marshall - criticised Barclays in a statement ahead of a gig at Co-op Live in Manchester Massive Attack have criticised Barclays and shared their views, claiming it is an "unethical corporate identity" ahead of a gig at a venue sponsored by the company this week. The band were set to take to the stage at Co-op Live in Manchester before they made the statement. It follows the news of a partnership between the indoor arena and Barclays last month. Two weeks ago, it was announced that the bank has become a "founding partner" of Co-op Live, which opened in the city last year. Massive Attack - comprised of Robert '3D' Del Naja and Grant 'Daddy G' Marshall - hit out over the partnership in a statement shared on Instagram just hours before their concert at the venue last night. They referenced both fossil fuel extraction and Palestine, and accused Barclays of being a "profoundly unethical corporate identity". The band, known for songs such as Unfinished Sympathy and Teardrop, said that the gig would still go ahead, though. They told fans that organisers had agreed to remove Barclays promotional material from the arena for it. In their statement shared with their 401,000 followers, the band wrote: "We're so happy to be back in Manchester, and to be playing in this city tonight. We confirmed this show at Co Op Live arena back in January, not least because of the venue's strong sustainability credentials and ethical sponsorship." They continued by writing: "15 days ago, without any advance warning or notification, the arena ownership announced a new corporate sponsorship with Barclays: a commercial identity synonymous with the large-scale financing of new fossil fuel extraction, and billions of dollars of investments in arms companies that supply Israel in its genocidal onslaught of Gaza, and war crimes in the West Bank. "Objectively, Barclays is a profoundly unethical corporate identity. We believe Barclays has no place in any of our cultural or sporting arenas and only learned (with disbelief) of the arena partnership via a local media story." Massive Attack added: "As a band, we do not want to disappoint fans who have spent their hard-earned money on tickets and are looking forward to the show, especially at such short notice. Co Op Live ownership have agreed to our insistence that all physical and digital Barclays livery and logos be completely removed from both the arena itself and our show page on the arena website, and that no show tickets - for sale or complimentary - will be given to Barclays." The band's statement concluded: "At a time when the world works to tackle climate emergency, and watches on in despair and horror at the scenes of civilian slaughter in Gaza, we're stunned that the arena ownership took this decision to partner with Barclays - especially in a progressive city like Manchester - and then attempted to retroactively apply that sponsorship to artists who would have been deeply uneasy, or refused to align their performances with a venue with Barclays as partner. See you tonight, Manchester. In love and rage, Massive Attack." Shortly after releasing their statement, Massive Attack shared posts promoting the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, which is an initiative to "accelerate a transition to renewable energy". It included posting a photo of themselves as part of a group holding up a sign for it whilst in Manchester. Among the group of five was Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester. The band wrote in the caption of the photo: "Proud to be part of this story: endorsing the [initiative] with Mayor of Greater Manchester [Andy]." Co-Op Live previously said it had a "shared mission" with Massive Attack to "lead the future of sustainable live entertainment". On a page for the gig, it said it would commit to a "fully plant-based" menu for the show in alignment with the band's "longstanding dedication to environmental action".
The Guardian
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘I was the only person who didn't know the words to Coldplay': Anoushka Shankar's honest playlist
The first song I fell in love withTana Mana by my dad, Ravi Shankar. In the late 80s he was experimenting with synthesisers and released an album called Tana Mana, an anomaly in his discography. I remember my imagination would light up with the title song – I would picture a village dance, and I'd be acting it out in my living room for my mum. The first single I boughtWhatta Man by Salt-N-Pepa. I was living in California in the 1990s and there was a lot of R&B around. I bought a lot of Salt-N-Pepa and TLC as a teenager. The song that changed my lifeI was at Luz Records in California and they put Teardrop by Massive Attack on. I had a visceral response from the first beat. The song that gets me up in the morningBedia by Rajery is uplifting and happy. There's a strand of my heart that belongs to music from Africa; these incredible melodies are unabashedly joyful. The song I sing at karaokeI fucking hate karaoke. I despise it with a fiery passion. I don't understand what's fun about it. I remember being at a party in my early 30s where everyone started belting out a Coldplay song and I was probably the only person in the room who didn't know the words. The song I inexplicably know every lyric toI Swear by All-4-One. I was about 13 and had my first crush. I'd slow danced with him to this the night we met. Unfortunately, he lived in India. We would write letters – it was very romantic. I ended up completely obsessed with this song, I would listen on repeat. If it comes on, I act out the whole thing. It happened a couple of months ago; my kids were mortified. The song I can no longer listen toAnything from my first three albums. The first one came out when I was 17, but I recorded it when I was 16. I was given an incredible opportunity, but there is not the inner passion that makes it unique. I took a break and released Rise, my fourth album, when I was 24. From then on, I love what I was doing. The best song to have sex toCome Away With Me by Norah Jones. The funny thing is how many people over the decades have felt the need to tell me that my sister's first record is great to make love to. Clearly I'm not having sex to that record, but apparently it's a good one. The best song to play at a partyJimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja by Parvati Khan. There was a magic moment where Bollywood tied with early disco in such a perfect way in the 70s and 80s. If I put this on, without fail, everyone's up and dancing. The song that makes me cryStill Feel It All by Maro. This is sparse, there is a quality to her voice that is spacious, minimal, you hear the emotion, but it leaves space. It is a beautiful song. The song I want played at my funeralShanti-Mantra by Ravi Shankar, which has always been a favourite of my dad's. It means prayer for peace. It feels hallowed and uplifting. Anoushka Shankar's Chapter III: We Return to Light is out now. She is guest director of Brighton festival, 3 to 26 May.
