Home & Away with Robert Walshe
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Holiday Hotspot – Yala National Park Sri- Lanka YALA National Park in the south of Sri Lanka is the country’s second largest and most popular national park. A diverse landscape it is made up of wide-open plains, thick forest and a beautiful coastline with towering sand dunes. Yala at the turn of the century was reserved for the pleasure of British residents in Sri Lanka as a shooting playpen. The area now is an important for conservation and a visit offers fantastic opportunities to see some of Sri Lanka’s unique wildlife. A safari in Yala National Park offers
■ Yala National Park Leopard
visitors the chance to see famous birds, water buffaloes and mammals out of which most of them are endemic - elephant, leopard, sloth bear, spotted deer, wild boar, porcupine, civet cat and giant squirrel. Nearly 100 species of water birds inhabit the wetlands and half are exotic migrants. Visiting species that mingle with residing forest birds is breath taking during the migration period in particular. The coastal line of the park is often visited by five species of globally endangered sea turtles and the colourful peacock is the most stunning bird you can spot here. December to July is the optimum time to visit when water tables are low however be mindful this time of year is peak season and much busier. The Sri Lankan leopard, also known as “The Prince of Dusk” is the dominant predator in Yala and arguably the most versatile of all felines on earth. The BBC named Yala National Park one of the best wildlife destinations in Asia and they had many good reasons for doing so. Sri Lanka’s leading hotel group
Jetwing combines amazing luxury with awe-inspiring wildlife in their latest creation of Jetwing Yala, existing in perfect harmony with its natural surroundings. This beautiful and elegant hotel features 80 rooms with balconies & terraces offering lookout points onto the wilds of Yala or Indian Ocean when you awake or go to sleep. The rooms are decorated in earthy tones with a splash of red and green to accentuate the colours of the wild making it a home away from home. Jetwing Yala has been created from the beginning of its construction to be as sustainable as possible. Energy conservation initiatives include illumination through 100% LED lighting and feature LED backlit TVs in guest rooms; plus a biomass boiler that burns cinnamon. My dining experience here was by far the most impressive of the trip dominated by an Asian culinary influence with a Western twist. The hotel is also in close proximity to many tourist destinations like Bundala National
For our best deals call 0044 28 9038 1111 or visit www.mooneyhotelgroup.com
■ Jetwing Yala Sr
i Lanka
Park, shrines like the Tissamaharama temple, the Kataragama shrine, Sithulpawwa and Mulkirigama, www. jetwinghotels.com JF Tours provide tailor made packages offering flexibility and enjoyment of independent travel with an excellent team of well experienced, knowledgeable chauffeur guides driving a modern fleet of luxury cars & 4 wheel drives. www. jftours.com Turkish airlines offer 10 flights a week from Dublin to Istanbul with daily onward connections to Colombo in Sri-Lanka. On longhaul flights, first and business & economy class passengers feast on authentic Turkish and international dishes and the experience leaves the other Middle Eastern carriers like Emirates trailing far behind.
w w w . turkishairlines.com For turkishairlines.co travellers from Northern Ireland or Ulster counties the Hilton Dublin airport offers a perfect stop off point before you catch your Turkish Airlines flight the following day. This homely Hilton offers short & long term parking, a complimentary shuttle to the airport, good sized rooms and a friendly service at Burnell Bar & Grill. www.hilton.com Robert Walshe is a travel broadcaster with Q Radio Network and Travel Editor for River Media newspaper titles across the island of Ireland. www.robertwalshe. com