Last evening I visited my son and his family who were staying at Tintagel – the elegant boutique hotel in the heart of Colombo. The rooms are large and elegantly furnished but the black-clad staff appeared rather bored and not quite quick off the mark. We had a drink in the courtyard dinning area but…
It was reported today that Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka has suspended two mahouts and a curator following the death of a 23-year-old male elephant in their care. The elephant is said to have died of wounds suffered when its keepers had poked it with sharp implements in November 2009 at the orphanage. The…
I had dinner with an old friend in Colombo yesterday who has the most remarkable cellar of over 4000 bottles – Rheingau Rieslings from Tony Jost, Frescobaldi‘s Brunello, Ornellaia, Sasacaia, Hill of Grace, Grange etc. Untill his new air-cnditioned cellar is ready, he keeps the wine in 25 Eurocaves!
Today, I wrote to Sri Lanka Tourism about taxi fares in Sri Lanka: “About 40 UK visitors attended my daughter’s wedding in Sri Lanka last week. Almost all of them made adverse comments about how much the taxi drivers demand from foreign visitors even for short journeys.They all wanted me to book transfers to the…
My daughter Renuka married Nick Compton on Thursday 6th January 2011. The wedding with sixty invitees – mainly immediate family and close friends – was held at Villa Bentota in Sri Lanka. The overseas guests arrived at the Villa on the 5th and a simple dinner with Sri Lankan specialties was held at a restaurant…
Mount Lavinia beach was packed with New Year’s Eve revelers. The placid blue ocean lapped against the long crescent of golden sand. Fairylights glittered and fireworks exploded overhead. There was music and dancing and lots of eating and drinking. “People are out enjoying their new found freedom” a ‘Wealth Manager’ in a black silk shirt…
Should one visit Myanmar? Yes. It is a beautiful country with lovely and friendly but desperately poor people who badly need the tourist dollar. How difficult is travel in Myanmar? Entry formalities are relatively uncomplicated and independent travel is possible. There are good local travel agents who can book hotels and arrange transport. There is…
Today I took the morning flight from Yangon in Myanmar to Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airways. There was no problem with the flight itself but the service in economy class left a lot to be desired. The stewards were glum faced and unhelpful and the lunch served was one of the worst, no choice inflight meals…
I had dinner at Van Zeller’s in Harrogate yesterday. The food was good without being great. The wine list was uninspiring and the markup was ridiculous. I have no problem with restaurants charging a fair price for good food but a 300 – 400% mark up for grape juice they did not ferment is immoral.
I had my first game of the season the other day. A good friend who shoots on Sundays brought me a few partridges and a grouse. They were roasted wrapped in bacon and served with Anna Potatoes and red cabbage. Ployez-Jacquemart 1996 en magnum set the scene for the Josmeyer Alsace Grand Cru Hengst 1997,…
Bandi's Blog 