Blog Archive: February 2022
Bentota Beach in Sri Lanka
Bentota is a small coastal resort town, about a 2-hour drive away from Colombo, Sri Lanka.
We visited Bentota and Bentota beaches at the start of January 2022, while staying at the 5-star resort hotel Taj Bentota and Spa
It is said that Bentota has been the water sport capital of Sri Lanka with the hoteliers in the area actively promoting water sports from adrenaline filled speed boat and jet ski riding, wind surfing, boogie boarding, water skiing, kite surfing, to a leisurely ride on a banana boat for the family & kids.
During our stay here we both built sand castles, surfed and anf course get some tan at the lovely white sand beaches of Bentota.
If there is a reason to Visit Sri…
And drones fly at Pasanauri
'Un droni lido Pasanauri '- or another strange but awesome weekend has been in our tapes - it was planned to visit Gudauri, but 16km from the skiing resort the road was blocked, we turned our car around and visited Ralph Schmidt in Gudaleti, with nice views toward Mount Kazbek instead.
Bandaranaike International Airport / Colombo, Sri Lanka
Bandaranaike International Airport, commonly known as Colombo International Airport is the main international airport serving Sri Lanka.
It is named after former Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and is located in a suburb of Negombo, 32.5 kilometres (20+1⁄4 miles) north of the nation's longstanding capital and commercial center, Colombo. It is administered by Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd and serves as the hub of SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier of Sri Lanka, and domestic carrier Cinnamon Air. The other airport serving the city of Colombo is the Ratmalana International Airport, primarily serving domestic destinations.
We first visited Colombo airport at…
Villa Park Gori
If there is a reason to visit Gori in Georgia, then a visit to Villa Park Gori restaurant in Georgia would be at the top of my priorities.
Villa Park Gori is an elite-class restaurant in Gori, with comfortable spaces and a variety of dishes. Located on Tskhinvali highway a few kilometers out of the Gori town.
My friend David took us here at the end of January 2022
Tasty Georgian and European cuisine. Live music. English speaking staff. Awesome.
We spent here a few hours drinking red wine David took from his home. Trying many dishes, badrijani, lobio a lot of mcvadi. The Bill? Under 100 GEL.
If you happen to be in the area - I highly recommend visiting Villa Park Gori
Cinnamon Island, Sri Lanka
Cinnamon Island is situated in Bentota in Sri Lanka. This is a little, but a charming island that offers a few fun activities for you. Here you will be able to learn about cinnamon cultivation and if lucky will meet a monkey or at least a dog.
We visited Cinnamon Island at the start of January 2022, during our trip to Sri Lanka, and in particular during the Madu Ganga River Boat Safari.
Cinnamon Island is situated in the Southern Province in Sri Lanka. This is the place where you will be able to learn about the cinnamon harvesting and even the whole process of cinnamon cultivation. You can even visit this place with your friends and family as this is a very informative place and there’s…
Sri Lanka Chronicles: A Tropical Escape to Colombo, Bentota, and Galle
Ahoy, fellow wanderers! Join me in this travelogue as I take you on a sun-kissed journey through the gem of the Indian Ocean – Sri Lanka. In January 2022, the island nation unveiled its wonders as I explored the vibrant cityscape of Colombo, basked in the coastal bliss of Bentota, and wandered through the historic charm of Galle. With the Indian Ocean as our constant companion, infinity swimming pools beckoning, and a myriad of flavors to savor, this was a trip to remember. Buckle up for tales of exotic fruits, fish curry feasts, encounters with elephants and varans, tuk-tuk adventures, and the warmth of +38°C. Welcome to the tropical paradise that is Sri Lanka!Colombo: A Tapestry of…
Taj Bentota Resort & Spa Hotel Review in Sri Lanka
Taj Bentota Resort & Spa - is located in Sri Lanka's Galle District, offering breathtaking views of the Indian Ocean. Pampering spa services, an outdoor pool, and 5 dining options are provided.
We booked this 5-star hotel for a 3-night stay at the start of January 2022, while traveling near the Ocean in Sri Lanka. For a 3 night stay here we paid about USD 580.
The room seemed a bit small at the first glance, but after all it was quite perfect (as most of the time we did spent near the Indian Ocean or at the swimming pool)
The property's well-lit rooms come equipped with a minibar and tea/coffee maker. It provides a cable TV and safety deposit boxes. Private balconies have…
Royal House Gori
The Royal house is said to be a 4-star hotel located in Gori, Georgia.
I booked this place for a one-night stay at the end of January 2022. The pictures on Booking.com and reality are totally different. Luckily the price I paid was just GEL 64 (that's about EUR 20) and the stay was only one night.
Now, the so-called hotel is decent, there is a bed (a lot of beds) heating, shower. Just hard to call it a 4-star hotel, more like a hostel or a guest house.
As we had a lot of wine that night, the stay was OK.
ideally suited for backpackers or you get what you paid for. Really I was hopiing to get a 4-star hotel for 20 EUR? LOL
If you are looking for a cheap and decent stay…
Galle Face Green
Galle Face is a 5 ha (12 acres) ocean-side urban park, which stretches for 500 m (1,600 ft) along the coast, in the heart of Colombo, the financial and business capital of Sri Lanka.
The promenade was initially laid out in 1859 by Governor Sir Henry George Ward, although the original Galle Face Green extended over a much larger area than is seen today. The Galle Face Green was initially used for horse racing and as a golf course, but was also used for cricket, polo, football, tennis and rugby.
i had a chance to visit Galle Face green park at the start of January 2022, during our 11 day trip in Sri Lanka. To get here I was using the tuk-tuk service.
We our Tuk - Tuk driver at …
Sulfur Bath N5 in Tbilisi
Sulfur Bath N5 is located in the Tbilisi Bath district of Abanotubani.
We have been heading to these bathhouses a lot in the past (back in 2011-2013), since then we have changed our location, visiting other, not so fancy ones on Kyiv street, but lately again, we have started to visit sulfur bathhouses in the old town district.
Chreli Abano Sulfur Bath in Tbilisi
This time we visited Bath house N5
The bathhouse is located near the Heydar Aliyev park
We got this small but deep sulfur bath for about GEL 70.
Tea with jam after or during the bath.
Place seems bit neglected, but also price for private rooms is bit lower. I guess they also have public bath…
Experienced my second Earth Quake in Tbilisi
On February 13, 2022, late evening for the second time in my life, I felt tremors of an earthquake and they happened in Tbilisi, capital of Georgia. According to the sources the magnitude of the earthquake was 5.4 with the epicenter in Armenia.
My previous experience with earthquakes dates back to June 2014, when I experienced tremours from a 4.8 magnitudes strong earthquake.
We were watching a TV show, when the tremours started, the bed was shacking quite well. I bit panicked, ran to the child room and quickly thought how to evacuate in case of something serious, but couldn't figure nothing better than just to cover our child with my body. Luckly the tremours soon stopped, but I still…
Bakuriani ski resort in Georgia
Bakuriani COOL - another awesome weekend has been on our tapes. The little one for the first time on skates and skis. Paragliding, chariot riding, and some investment opportunities. Enjoy the video and thumbs up!
Independence Memorial Hall in Colombo
Independence Memorial Hall is a national monument in Sri Lanka built for commemoration of the independence of Sri Lanka from British rule with the restoration of full governing responsibility to a Ceylonese-elected legislature on February 4, 1948.
It is located in Independence Square (formally Torrington Square) in the Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo. It also houses the Independence Memorial Museum.
I first visited it at the start of January 2022 during our first sightseeing trip around Colombo. Got here by a tuk-tuk.
The monument was built at the location where the formal ceremony marking the start of self-rule, with the opening of the first parliament by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester…
Galle Fort in Sri Lanka
Galle Fort is located in the Bay of Galle on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka. The port was built first in 1588 by the Portuguese, then extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards. It is a historical, archaeological, and architectural heritage monument, which even after more than 432 years maintains a polished appearance, due to extensive reconstruction work done by the Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka.
We first visited Galle Fort and Galle city at the start of January 2022, during our 11 day trip to Sri Lanka. We arrived here by a taxi from our hotel in Beruwala (Cinnamon Bey Beruwala Hotel)
The fort has a colourful history, and today has a multi-…
Gori Railway Station
Gori Railway Station, a small stop on the Georgian Railway line, is an intermediate station on the Tbilisi-Batumi route which sees more than a dozen trains passing through each day.
Whether you are looking to travel to Gori from Tbilisi by train or just prefer wandering about Soviet Architecture, the Gori railway station might be the answer.
The train station is located in southern Gori, 2 kilometers from the city center and away from all of the tourist sights.
There were several taxis located in the fron of the railway building, so this shoudn;t eb a problem to get to the city center, or if you prefer, you can always walk.
Gori Railway station building reflects a Soviet…
Cinnamon Bey Beruwala Hotel Review
Surrounded by coconut trees and vast green lawns, Cinnamon Bey features bright and spacious rooms with a private balcony. It provides an outdoor pool and 6 on-site food and beverage options.
We booked this 5-star hotel at the start of January 2022, and for a 3-night stay here we paid about $540. By accident, we booked a superior room, but I was able to get a free upgrade to a deluxe room, which was amazing and included access to deluxe pool.
The sea-facing rooms are air-conditioned and include a minibar, a safe and satellite TV. The private bathrooms have a shower and a hairdryer.
It was a pleasure swimming here, just a few meters away from the Indian Ocean.
In the beach next…
Viharamahadevi Park Colombo
Viharamahadevi Park, formerly Victoria Park, is a public park located in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, situated in front of the colonial-era Town Hall in Sri Lanka.
We had a chance to discover this lovely park and try some mango drinks in the park at the start of January 2022, when a tuk-tuk driver showed us some of the top sightseeing places in Colombo.
It was built by the British colonial administration and is the oldest and largest park of Colombo. The park was originally named "Victoria Park" after Queen Victoria but was renamed after Queen Viharamahadevi, the mother of King Dutugamunu on July 18, 1958.
The park features include a huge Buddha statue which replaced the statue of Queen…