Northstar

NEWS www.travelweeklyweb.com An eco-friendly shipping container resort SRI LANKA – Taking the notion of sustainable tourism to a different level, Templeberg Villa, a five-acre property that is perched on a hill top in southern Sri Lanka, has engaged award-winning architect Damith Premathilake to lead in its expansion plan, with a recycled shipping container, as part of its accommodation concept. Templeberg Villa is an Australian and Kiwi family run villa rental service in Galle, Sri Lanka. Its history dates back to 1864, when One of Premathilake's works, involving a shipping container the property was first established as an Old Dutch Colonial Merchant House. Open to guests just last year, the style of the property is befitting of a colonial manor house that has been lovingly restored and furnished with period antiques by a German expatriate family. It offers a master suite, three double rooms and a double room hideaway bungalow, all furnished with four poster beds and period furniture. The resort is also a working coconut plantation. The new project will blend interiors and exteriors, old and new, public and private using modern and eco-friendly materials. Cantilevered structures, draped over 200-year-old hand-cut stone walls, will meld beautifully with the lush, surrounding landscape. "Green" will not only underpin the energy conservation, and sustainability principles of the project but will blur the lines between the jungle and the built environment. "The resort will be designed to integrate naturally into the hillside contours and forest surroundings with an environmentally sensitive, contemporary and respectful architectural style showcasing the location's striking natural attributes," said Damith Premathilake, principal architect of Damith Premathilake Associates. "It's important to myself and the Villa's owners that the shipping container project incorporates and show cases sustainable practices and indigenous materials wherever possible, with ample use of recycled materials," added Premathilake. Strategic positioning of the twobedroom pool chalets on secluded slopes throughout the property will provide privacy and relaxation. At 2,600 square feet (160 square metres), the new chalets will include entertaining spaces, a swimming pool, and open air bathrooms. "Within the cultural triangle of Galle's famous sitting and standing Buddhas, its world heritage fort and lush tropical surrounds Templeberg guests will feel 'at peace' with the earth and forest," said Templeberg Villa proprietor Christopher Shields. Recounting the high adventure in Colonial Vietnam HALONG BAY – Emeraude Classic Cruises has produced a 112-page narrative history that details the high adventure of a colonial French family on board the historic paddle steamship and its contemporary namesake. The Jewels of Halong Bay: A Tale of Adventure in French Indochina and a Curious History of 6 | ■ TRAVELWEEKLY ASIA | SEPTEMBER 2013 the Emeraude — recounts the story of three French brothers who sought and made a fortune in colonial Indochina. Browsing through the pages, you'll notice the vintage shots of landscapes in the former French colony, images of the original Emeraude which cruised Halong Bay from 1906 to 1937. The story is based on research by Eric Merlin, who built the latter-day vessel and the text was prepared by Pam Scott, a longtime Hanoi resident. "This story has captivated me since I first saw a postcard of the old Emeraude in the St. Ouen flea market in Paris in 1999," said Merlin. At its core, the book tells the story of the Roque Brothers, who set sail from Bordeaux in early 1858 and whose entrepreneurial skills fuelled their fortune, against the backdrop of France's deepening involvement in Vietnam, from its beachhead in Tourane (Danang) in the 1860s, through the rise of Saigon in the 1870s, and its move to Hanoi in the 1880s. Published by Nha Xuat Ban Lao Dong, with production by Duong Huynh Advertising, The Jewels of Halong Bay is available for sale at US$15 at Emeraude Classic Cruise Sales Office and the Press Club in Hanoi, at the Emeraude Cafe on Halong Bay, on the Emeraude itself and at La Residence Hotel & Spa in Hue. www.travelweeklyweb.com

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