Explore Sri Lanka

Explore Sri Lanka " Once discovered, you must explore..."

The very first publication of BT Options, Explore Sri Lanka that began in 1987, celebrates 30 years of offering readers articles on travel destinations, off-the-beaten-track, retreats and getaways, serendipitous discoveries, cultural events, personalities and lifestyle, accompanied by captivating photography. The magazine caters to a broad readership including resident expatriates, local residents

and Sri Lankan missions overseas.Distributed through a large subscriber base, the magazine is available at the Bandaranaike International Airport, hotels and resorts island-wide, onboard the national airline and lifestyle stores
exploresrilanka.lk

Explore Sri Lanka January 2026This month features articles on: Duruthu Full Moon Poya; The Thinnai, Jaffna; Apple store ...
08/01/2026

Explore Sri Lanka January 2026

This month features articles on: Duruthu Full Moon Poya; The Thinnai, Jaffna; Apple store opening in Ginza; Colomboscope; Dennis Candy's exhibition at the Paradise Road Galleries; Naadha Gama; Zayed National Museum opening in Abu Dhabi and Occidental Paradise Dambulla.

Visit: https://exploresrilanka.lk/

Cover: Courtyard view of theheritage-inspired lobby atdusk at The Thinnai, Jaffna.

Duruthu Full Moon Poya DayDuruthu Poya Day is a significant Buddhist observance celebrated on the full moon day of the m...
08/01/2026

Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day

Duruthu Poya Day is a significant Buddhist observance celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Duruthu, which usually falls in January. This auspicious day marks three significant events in Buddhist history, all of which are associated with the life of Lord Buddha.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/duruthu-full-moon-poya-day/

The Thinnai Hotel: A Story You’ll Want to LiveThere is a place in the quiet heart of Jaffna where time slows down and th...
08/01/2026

The Thinnai Hotel: A Story You’ll Want to Live

There is a place in the quiet heart of Jaffna where time slows down and the rhythm of life is shaped by tradition, nature, and warm smiles. It is not just a hotel. It is a feeling. A memory waiting to be made.

A journey waiting to unfold. That place is The Thinnai Hotel in Tirunelveli, and it is calling to travelers who seek more than a destination. You arrive to the sound of soft temple bells in the distance and a warm tropical breeze carrying the scent of frangipani. The gates open to reveal a property that feels more like a Tamil ancestral home than a modern resort. The walls breathe history. The verandahs curve in welcome.

The red brick, the wide courtyards, the lush gardens with palms swaying gently above—all whisper a single word. Rest. The name itself holds meaning. Thinnai refers to the raised verandah in a traditional Tamil home, a space where guests are welcomed, stories are shared, and hospitality begins.

At The Thinnai, this spirit of welcome is not a theme or a concept. It is lived in every moment. You’re led to your suite through a shaded garden path. Along the way, birds flit through the trees and the golden sunlight catches the edges of carved wooden pillars. Your room is not just a room. It is a cocoon of comfort and elegance. Large windows open to a private balcony where flowering trees bloom in pink and white. Inside, the soft cotton linens and hand-carved furniture remind you that this is not just a stay. It is an invitation to slow down and breathe.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/the-thinnai-hotel-a-story-youll-want-to-live/

Colomboscope: Rhythm asserts its power in many formsColomboscope has grown with Colombo itself, breathing alongside the ...
08/01/2026

Colomboscope: Rhythm asserts its power in many forms

Colomboscope has grown with Colombo itself, breathing alongside the city’s streets, stories, and shifting identities, and over time becoming inseparable from its ever-expanding artistic community. Since its beginnings in 2013, the festival has continuously opened space for artists across generations, inviting collaboration and conversation to shape one of Colombo’s most vital cultural gatherings at the heart of the city. What began as a platform rooted in literature, urban histories, and Colombo’s emergence as a post-war cosmopolitan capital has evolved into something far more expansive. When Colomboscope returns for its ninth edition from January 21 to 31, 2026, it does so with Rhythm Alliances, a city-wide, free-to-enter program that brings together more than fifty artists, collectives, musicians, choreographers, filmmakers, and cultural organizers. The festival unfolds across Colombo through a diverse range of venues, including Barefoot Gallery, Colpetty Town House, Kamatha at BMICH, Music Matters, Radicle Gallery, Rio Complex, Soul Studio, and Liberty by Scope Cinemas, transforming the city into a living, resonant map of sound, movement, and memory.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/colomboscope-rhythm-asserts-its-power-in-many-forms/

Apple reopens iconic Ginza store to customersFoster + Partners partnered with Apple to redesign Apple’s first store in J...
08/01/2026

Apple reopens iconic Ginza store to customers

Foster + Partners partnered with Apple to redesign Apple’s first store in Japan, Apple Ginza, bringing together the best of Apple’s products, services, and experiences in one reimagined space.

The store’s reimagined layout brings natural daylight into every space and offers balcony-like areas overlooking the streets of Ginza. Inside, warm wooden paneling nods to traditional Japanese design. Floors are connected by double-height openings to enhance vertical connectivity and visibility. The store also features varied table and seating heights to support all customers as they shop for their favorite devices, and dedicated spaces for services, including a Genius Bar on level four.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/apple-reopens-iconic-ginza-store-to-customers/

Artistic and Soulful: The Beauty of Slow ArtPicture-perfect describes Dennis Candy’s drawings. He doesn’t just use a pen...
08/01/2026

Artistic and Soulful: The Beauty of Slow Art

Picture-perfect describes Dennis Candy’s drawings. He doesn’t just use a pencil; he breathes life into paper.

Soulful eyes blink back at you. Young men in loincloths. N**e anatomy. Flexed biceps. The crouched man – evocative and sexy. Faces staring into the distance. Waves. Boats. Dennis Candy is unmistakably a master of hyper-realism. His pencil and charcoal por traits rival high-resolution photography. He captures every nuance, eyelash, pore, hair, wrinkle, and contour with astonishing clarity. He preserves emotion, personality, and the story within each face, anatomy, and scene. His drawings show remarkable sensitivity and control.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/artistic-and-soulful-the-beauty-of-slow-art/

Naadha Gama: Uniting Hearts Through MusicIn a world that moves relentlessly fast, music often becomes a refuge — a place...
08/01/2026

Naadha Gama: Uniting Hearts Through Music

In a world that moves relentlessly fast, music often becomes a refuge — a place of calm amid chaos. It has the power to soothe the mind, spark joy, create connection, and transport listeners to an entirely different emotional space. Studies show that music can enhance focus and emotional well-being, and in Sri Lanka, few experiences embody this sense of peace and connection like Naadha Gama.

Naadha Gama is a collaborative concert series created by a collective of seven artists — Methun SK, Ridma Weerawardena, Dinesh Gamage, Kanchana Anuradhi, Dhanith Sri, Supun Perera, and Manuranga Wijesekara — who work together as a unified creative unit.

United by a shared vision of simplicity, emotional honesty, and connection, the collective has shaped a musical experience that feels both intimate and expansive. What began as a small, intimate live music gathering has grown into one of Sri Lanka’s most distinctive and widely celebrated musical series among the youth. Rooted in emotional depth, simplicity, and authenticity, Naadha Gama creates a space where music feels personal, communal, and deeply human.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/naadha-gama-uniting-hearts-through-music/

Zayed National Museum: Architecture Rooted in HeritageThe National Museum of the United Arab Emirates tells the story of...
08/01/2026

Zayed National Museum: Architecture Rooted in Heritage

The National Museum of the United Arab Emirates tells the story of the land and its people, standing as a tribute to the legacy of Sheikh Zayed, the nation’s founding father. The museum’s opening marks the culmination of an unprecedented cultural year for the UAE, with the openings of teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi and the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, as well as the reopening of Al Ain Museum.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/zayed-national-museum/

Unwrap your Holiday Story at Occidental Paradise DambullaThere’s a moment when busy families realize they need a pause f...
08/01/2026

Unwrap your Holiday Story at Occidental Paradise Dambulla

There’s a moment when busy families realize they need a pause from the everyday — a chance to laugh without schedules, to wake up without alarms, and finally to say yes to quality time. At Occidental Paradise Dambulla, by Browns Hotels & Resorts, those precious moments unfold naturally.

While it’s a favorite among families, the resort is just as perfect for couples seeking peaceful escapes and friends looking for a relaxing, nature-filled getaway in Sri Lanka.

Nestled within a lush wilderness in the heart of the cultural triangle, the resort invites guests to step away from the city and settle into a world where nature entertains, comforts, and inspires. The Duplex Rooms at Occidental Paradise are designed exactly for this kind of joy. Spread across two spacious floors, they offer the perfect blend of togetherness and freedom — where kids can turn the upper floor into their own adventure zone, complete with board games that make lazy afternoons feel extra fun, while parents can unwind downstairs with a warm cup of tea. Every window frames a lively display of cheeky monkeys, color-changing chameleons, peacocks on parade, and butterflies that seem to pose for photos. It feels like living inside a nature documentary.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/unwrap-your-holiday-story-at-occidental-paradise-dambulla/

Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi CompletesZayed National Museum has opened its doors to the public. Located at the hea...
08/01/2026

Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi Completes

Zayed National Museum has opened its doors to the public. Located at the heart of the Saadiyat Cultural District in Abu Dhabi, the new national museum of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) traces the history of the Emirates, from the earliest evidence of human habitation to the civilizations that shaped its culture and identity, rooted in the values of the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The building’s form addresses the challenge of sustaining life in a desert environment and the strong cultural traditions of the UAE.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/zayed-national-museum-in-abu-dhabi-completes/

Textiles as Testimony: The Art of T. VinojaT. Vinoja is an artist who uses textile mediums to express experiences relate...
08/01/2026

Textiles as Testimony: The Art of T. Vinoja

T. Vinoja is an artist who uses textile mediums to express experiences related to war, displacement, and trauma in Sri Lanka.

Vinoja began working with textiles in 2018, choosing this medium for its marginalized status and deep symbolic connections. Fabric is like a “second skin” of the human body, used from birth to death, used for bandaging wounds during wartime, and employed in creating bunkers for shelter during airstrikes, explains Vinoja, concluded an exhibition titled Contours of a Breathing Land that brought together her artwork from her projects for the Sharjah Biennial 16 and her post-graduation exhibition at Beaconhouse National University in Lahore. Vinoja sees textiles as a powerful medium to express the scars that exist everywhere – on human bodies, in the landscape, and in collective memory. Her works are a collection of wounded histories, sutured by hand, carrying the marks of both human loss and environmental devastation—lands poisoned, waters rendered toxic, and generations made to inherit both memory and absence.

For Vinoja, there is personal inspiration for working with textiles that is derived partly from her mother, who was a seamstress, giving her an early experience with hand stitching, hence rendering a closer connection when working with textiles, finding the process more engaging and personally meaningful. Vinoja describes the hand-stitching process as meditative and healing. Small stitches require patience and deep engagement, creating a calm mind. “Unlike painting, stitching involves personal investment and patience. Each of my artworks begins as a personal conversation but becomes public when displayed, creating dialogue with audiences who bring their experiences and perspectives to interpretation,” explains Vinoja.

Read more: https://exploresrilanka.lk/textiles-as-testimony-the-art-of-t-vinoja/

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The very first publication of BT Options, Explore Sri Lanka that began in 1987, celebrates 32 years of offering readers articles on travel destinations, off-the-beaten-track, retreats and getaways, serendipitous discoveries, cultural events, personalities and lifestyle, accompanied by captivating photography. The magazine caters to a broad readership including resident expatriates, local residents and Sri Lankan missions overseas.Distributed through a large subscriber base, the magazine is available at the Bandaranaike International Airport, hotels and resorts island-wide, onboard the national airline and lifestyle stores exploresrilanka.lk