Random News From Fire Dragon Hideaway
GalleryEarly-Bird Booking Offer For December 2017
If you’re planning on a pre-Christmas trip to Sri Lanka, we’re offering special rates between 1st December and 19th December if you book before 16th September 2017. Bed & Breakfast rates are as follows:
Single: $29 USD
Double: $34 USD
Triple: $44 USD
Quadruple: $49 USD
All rooms have a balcony, satellite TV, ceiling fans, air-conditioning, hot water showers, complimentary toiletries, pool towels, mini-fridge, WIFI, tea & coffee making facilities and complimentary drinking water.
Return airport transfers cost 3500 LKR; 1500 LKR for an airport drop and 2000 LKR for an airport pick up.
Please email us on info@firedragonhideawaynegombo.com or whatsapp us on 0094 7719 71157 to book your room.
Terms & Conditions
Subject to availability.
Rates advertised are bed and breakfast only. Additional fees apply for additional meals.
Bookings must be secured with 50% payment by Paypal or Bank transfer. Balance payment by cash or card on arrival.
Offer available for direct bookings only.
Offer valid only for room bookings between 1st and 19th December 2017.
All occupants of the room are charged for.
Offer not valid in conjunction with any other offer.
Special Room Rates for Health Check Ups – Autumn 2017
You may have seen our post about low cost health checks at Nawaloka Hospital in Negombo, Sri Lanka. Nawaloka Hospital in Negombo town offers a wide range of Out Patient Heath Check Packages ranging in price from a basic diabetes check up for less than $10USD to a comprehensive full body check up for about $195USD +VAT for women and $160USD+ VAT for men.
In the spirit of good health, we’re offering 3-night stays at Fire Dragon Hideaway for $30 USD/night for a single and $35 USD/night for a double on bed and breakfast basis if you’re flying into Sri Lanka to get your health checked. Let us know when you’re coming and we’ll even set up an appointment for you. A return tuk tuk to Nawaloka Hospital costs 1000 LKR and takes just 12 mins.
Airport pick ups cost 2000 LKR and airport drops cost 1500 LKR.
Please email us at info@firedragonhideawaynegombo.com or whatsapp us on 0094 7719 71157 to make your booking and we’ll help you get everything arrange before you arrive.
Terms & Conditions
Offer valid from 1st September – 20th October 2017.
Offer applicable only for 3-night stays.
Offer not valid in conjunction with any other offer.
Offer valid for direct bookings only.
Offer subject to room availability.
GalleryColombo Airport 8-Hr Transit Offer – Autumn 2017
If you’re transiting through Colombo Bandaranaike International airport and you have a few hours to spare, why not enjoy a peaceful snooze at Fire Dragon Hideaway for up to 8 hours?
If you exit the airport on a transit visa, it’s absolutely free. Without your luggage you’ll pass through the airport quickly and once you’ve been collected by our driver you can be with us in just 20 minutes.
You can jump in the pool, enjoy a snack, watch a film on satellite TV or just rest your bones and freshen up. All rooms have satellite TV, tea and coffee making facilities, complimentary toiletries and toothbrushes, WIFI, hot water showers, ceiling fans and air conditioning. We have real Italian coffee and a professional cappuccino machine, so whether you’re craving a coffee and a snack or a full meal from our à la carte menu, we have what you need to refuel before your next flight. At Fire Dragon all tea, filter coffee and drinking water is included in your room rate.
You can have a private room for up to 8 hours and we’ll collect you from the airport and send you back again for the following Room Only fees:
Up to 2 people – 6500 LKR
3 people – 7000 LKR
4 people – 7500 LKR
What’s more, if you don’t want to take out any Sri Lankan money you can pay for everything on arrival by Visa or Mastercard or in cash using LKR, USD, GBP, AUD or EUR.
Just let us know when your flight lands and we’ll have someone waiting for you in the arrivals zone to transfer to your transit hideaway. We’ll then confirm your outbound flight and make sure you’re at the check-in desk 90 minutes […]
A few useful phrases in Sinhala for travellers
Sinhala, also known as Sinhalese is the mother tongue of the Sinhalese people, who make up the largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka, numbering about 16 million. Sinhala is also spoken, as a second language by other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka, totalling about 3 million. It belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. Sinhala is one of the official and national languages of Sri Lanka. Sinhala, along with Pali, played a major role in the development of Theravada Buddhist literature.
Sinhala has its own writing system, the Sinhala alphabet, which is a member of the Brahmic family of scripts, and a descendant of the ancient Indian Brahmi script.
The oldest Sinhala inscriptions found are from the 6th century BCE, on pottery;the oldest existing literary works date from the 9th century CE.
The closest relative of Sinhala is the language of the Maldives and Minicoy Island (India), Dhivehi.
It’s good to learn a few words if you’re planning to come to Sri Lanka. Here are a few that will help you on your trip.
English
Sinhala
Welcome
Sadarayen Piligannawa, Ayubowan
Hello
Halo
How are you?
Good, thank you
Kohomadha?
Hondhin innavā
Istuti mama hodin innava
What’s your name?
My name is …
Oyaagee nama mokakda?
Magee nama …
Where are you from?
I’m from …
Oba kohedha?
Mama ….. vella
Pleased to meet you
Oba dhana ganima sathutak
Good morning
Subha udhaasanak
Good afternoon
Subha sandhavak
Goodbye
Gihillaa ennam
Hari, gihin enna – ok goodbye
Mama yanawaaa = ‘I’m going’
Good luck
Vāsanā vēvvā!
All the best
Mama obata suba pathami
Have a nice day
Subha davasak
Do you understand?
Tērenavā da?
I understand
Mata teerenavaaa
I don’t understand
Mata obava therum ganna baahaa
Do you speak English?
Oba ingreesi kathaa karanavadha?
Do you speak Sinhala?
Yes, a little
Oba sinhala kathā karanavadha?
Maṭa eya kiyanna pūl̠ūvan
Excuse me
Samāvena
How much is this?
Kiyeda?Kiyeda meka?
Sorry
Mata samāvenna
Please
Karunakarala
Thank you
Response
Istuti
ehkata kamak na
Where’s the toilet?
Wasikiliya koheda thiyenne?
I’m lost
Mata pāra waradilla
Go away! Or Go This Way
Metanin yana!
Help!
Fire!
Stop!
Mata udaw wena
Gini gannawa!
Navatinna!
Call the […]
GalleryThings to do in August: Madhu Church Festival, Mannar
If you’re in Sri Lanka in August, there are a couple of things worth seeing. The closest to our heart is the Elephant Gathering in Minneriya National Park – we LOVE elephants when they’re roaming free in protected areas 🙂
On the other side of the island in early August is the Madhu Church festival, which is a huge draw for Sri Lankan catholics and very interesting to see. Thousands of Catholic devotees flock from all over the island to the Church premises to celebrate the day of assumption of the hallowed Virgin Mary.
Festivities begin after a ceremonial hoisting of the flag and religious observances. Sermons held in both Sinhala and Tamil, and the same with high masses, usher offer praise. The shrine of the Virgin Mary is carried on the shoulders of her followers in and around the Church premises in an immense procession. Throughout the duration of this procession, crowds can be heard reciting the Rosary and singing hymns. Time and time again “Hail Marys” and “Amens’ rise harmoniously into the air, in admiration of their idol.
The celebrations continue for up to ten days, with food, garment, cutlery and many more vendors entertaining the crowds that linger on for as long as the festivities last. This is probably a day visit as places to stay in Mannar are few and far between. Mind you, just a 2.5 hours from Jaffna and a couple of hours from Anuradhapura, you can combine some very interesting sight seeing and Mannar itself gives you access to a lesser developed Sri Lanka.
GalleryHealth Screening at Nawaloka Hospital for Less than $200 USD
If it’s been a while since you had a full health check up, you might want to consider getting a once over in Sri Lanka. It’s professional, it’s significantly cheaper than Europe and Australia and after a 3-day stay in the Negombo area and just a couple of visits to the hospital you can have a comprehensive health check up and gain peace of mind for the rest of the year.
Nawaloka Hospital in Negombo town offers a wide range of Out Patient Heath Check Packages ranging in price from a basic diabetes check up for less than $10USD to a comprehensive full body check up for about $195USD +VAT for women and $160USD+ VAT for men. You don’t even need to make an appointment, although it’s good to arrange it in advance as many of the blood tests require a 12-hour fast.
It’s simple, fast (often just 4-5 hours of tests) and then you wait for the results to come back before you have a full consultation with each of the relevant medical specialists.
So, if you’ve had a nagging health issue that you want to investigate, or you’re due for an annual check up, perhaps you can incorporate it into your holiday and go home with happy memories and a bill of clean health.
Nawaloka also offers the same services in Colombo.
CLICK HERE find out more information for a Negombo check up or contact them
By Phone : +94(0) 31 5 777 777 or Fax: +94(0) 31 2 222 955
By Email : info.neg@nawaloka.com
If you’d like to arrange a health check up or vaccination while you’re staying with us please email us at info@firedragonhideawaynegombo.com for help with any arrangements.
GallerySally The Snake Pops In For A Snack
Usually, when the dogs start barking in the house it’s because the doorbell rang or because they’re being teased by one of the neighbour’s cats. Today, much to our delight, they were somewhat bemused by the arrival of Sally the snake (our friendly grass snake) who’d popped in to eat her prey in a quiet corner.
Here she is with the frog in her grip, and then having swallowed the poor gelatinous mite some 90 seconds later. She really is beautiful up close!
We were even more delighted when we looked up the meaning of a snake entering your house. We discover this means that good fortune and transformation is on the way. Thank you universe – we welcome in the new with open arms!
GalleryMerlot Helps Out With Paperwork
So, we’re trying to get organised with our accounting work this year. Let’s be honest, getting paperwork in order is not the most exciting of jobs, so we like to tackle it in large chunks. Luckily we have Merlot (Moo-Moo) on hand to help out.
Here she is, preventing the filing from flying away in the breeze, well that’s her excuse.
Thanks Moo-Moo!
GalleryTalented Guests – Thanks to Thilde Jensen
Last month we had the pleasure of hosting the Jensen family at the start and end of their trip to Sri Lanka. Not only did our rescue animals benefit from a wealth of cuddles from the entire family, we discovered that Thilde is a very talented artist and aims to be an art teacher in the future. She’ll have no challenge with this kind of talent.
Thanks to Thilde and all the Jensen family for your lovely gifts and we hope to see you again in Sri Lanka … the animals will keep their paws crossed 🙂
GalleryWherefore art thou rain?
Arid times in Sri Lanka this year. We’re experiencing the worst drought for about 40 years and we’re doing a little rain dance, every day.
In Negombo, on the western coast of Sri Lanka the rainy season seemed to pass us by. Usually, we experience heavy monsoon rains from October through to December, breathing life back into the soil, the plants and bringing a sense of renewal.
What actually happened was 1 night of very heavy rain in November and about 4 days of light drizzle – and nothing since.
What’s more, the scorching temperatures are causing havoc with our swimming pools, wells and plant life. On the hottest day we can literally see a half inch of water evaporate from the swimming pool in front of our eyes. It’s requires creativity to manage!
Scientists are saying that we’re unlikely to see proper rain until June or July 2017 and in general we can expect temperatures in the area to soar over the coming few years. This really is climate change ‘in your face’ and it brings to life the absolute requirement for improved management of plastics and other waste.
How will drought affect our guests and other travellers?
There are two things that travellers may notice.
Sri Lanka runs on Hydropower. So, lack of water will create more country-wide power cuts (already seen in 2016). If the property you’re staying in doesn’t have a back up generator then you might want to prepare for a few warm hours.
If you stay at properties which are slightly off the beaten track, they may not have access to a government water supply and might only have a well. As a result, their gardens and plants may be suffering from the weather […]