Life in Sri Lanka Archives

A New Year's resolution - to swim every day.

Gardening followed by a swim

Holiday, Life in Sri Lanka, Natural Swimming Pool, Organic, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka / By Mikeez

Gardening followed by a swim

After a hard days gardening at GlenMyu Estate, it is great to finish off the day with a swim in our natural pool.

You can imagine that with five acres of land there would be a lot of gardening to do.

We did not realise what we had taken on when we built GlenMyu Estate which is located in the beautiful Sri Lankan hill country.

If I had realised how much work was created by putting in so many grass pathways along with a lawn in front of the house and around the swimming pool, perhaps I would adopted another strategy!

The Garden at GlenMyu Estate

When GlenMyu Estate was purchased by Ru, it was overgrown and had not been touched for many years.
The land had been part of a larger tea estate and subsequently used for sugar cane production.

We didn’t realise that leaving the land fallow for so long would provide great quality topsoil that gave the items we planted a great start in their life.

The garden is still a work in progress. With five acres to manage, I believe it will always be a work in progress!

However, what we have created so far, has gone down very well with our guests.

We have tried to work with the landscape. If we push it too much we believe that nature will bite back. This has created a natural looking landscape which is where the gardens beauty really lies.

Our Swimming Pool at GlenMyu Estate

We love our swimming pool.

Surrounded by nature and for the exclusive use of the guests that stay at the estate, it really is a piece of paradise.

After spending a day gardening, it is a fabulous place to end the day easing the muscles I have used

Sometimes I swim twice a day, early morning and early evening.

It’s a remarkable experience and one that changes everyday. The light and the sounds of the birds is never the same. It’s one of the beautiful things living in the Sri Lankan Hill country where the weather changes so often.

A Healthy Lifestyle - gardening and swimming

I’m sure that my wife would like me to be a bit healthier. I always say that it took many years for me to end up with the body I deserved! It will take several years to get the body that we both would like.

I feel a little bit like the Tortoise in the story of the Tortoise and the Hare.

In the long run I will win!

A Garden Tour

Ru likes to offer a tour of the garden at GlenMyu Estate.

It is one of the things that our guests really enjoy.

You will see a variety of spices, fruits and vegetables that we grow.

Perhaps Ru will ask you to pick some vegetables or leaves that will be used in your evening meal!

I love the feedback after the garden tour. It makes all those hours I spend gardening worth it!

Stay at GlenMyu Estate to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

Stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

See sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

Gardening followed by a swim Read More »

We met dancing, and moved to Sri Lanka

Hiking in Sri Lanka, Holiday, Horton Plains National Park, Life in Sri Lanka, Lipton's Seat, Haputale, Sri Lanka, The Pekoe Trail, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka, Travel / By Mikeez

We met dancing..... and then moved to Sri Lanka

My wife and I met dancing in London , may years ago.

Little did I know that I would end up moving to Sri Lanka many years later.

I’m so glad that we did.

Sri Lanka is a magical island and we have created an amazing place to stay, off the beaten track, in the Sri Lankan hill country.

Find our more about our story and also about our luxury bed and breakfast, GlenMyu Estate.

The photo is of us dancing at our wedding in Negombo. I had a full head of hair when we met!

Ceroc - the perfect type of dancing for me!

A friend of mine in the UK introduced me to Ceroc.

I had no idea about what this dance style was about. He had taken me to a Salsa club in London, but I was overwhelmed with the dance steps and it didn’t appeal to me.

Ceroc was a completely different for me.

I loved it as I could pick up the simpler dance moves.

After some weeks of practice and some ‘beginners weekends’ I managed to grasp what was needed. I loved it so much that I would dance at various venues around London at least three times per week.

What is Ceroc

Ceroc explains on their website that “Our dance moves incorporate a wide variety of dance forms such as Jive, Ballroom, Latin, Tango, Salsa, West-Coast Swing, Blues, Bachata, Zouk…..the list goes on”.

The format in the same every night. There is a beginners class and an intermediate class. In between the classes you get to practice the moves that you have learnt.

You have no rhythm!

At one of my ‘beginners weekends’ I was told by one of my partners that I had no rhythm. She told me to listen to the music.

As much as this was hard to hear, she was right. I could mechanically master the dance moves but I hadn’t connected them to the beat of the music at that stage.

It was a time where I could have easily given up hearing this crushing view of my dancing ability.

However, I was determined to go forward as I enjoyed dancing this style so much.

Over the coming weeks I listened to more music and it clicked.

At the Ceroc sessions that followed, I would be asked to dance by the ladies rather than the other way around.

She happened to be Sri Lankan

I met my future wife through Ceroc dancing.

One of the venues was at International Student House near Great Portland Street station in London.

Ruwanthi was working in London at the time and a work colleague brought her along for a night out. She regularly attended the venue when she was in London and we danced from time to time.

The rhythm was good between us and we really enjoyed dancing with each other.

Ruwanthi was from Sri Lanka. Little did I know that several year later I would be living with her on this beautiful paradise island. I also did not envisage that we would both give up our successful careers and build and operate GlenMyu Estate.

Are we still dancing?

It certainly was a lot easier to dance when you have the lure of a great fun dance venue to go to.

We don’t dance as often as we would like to as there are lots of things for us to do with our time at GlenMyu Estate.

I’m inspired when there is some music on and when you see our lounges we certainly have the setting to dance.

Perhaps this will be a joint New Year’s resolution for us in 2025. Dancing more often as the sunsets at GlenMyu Estate!

Stay at GlenMyu Estate to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

Stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

See sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

We met dancing, and moved to Sri Lanka Read More »

Population in Sri Lanka

Hiking in Sri Lanka, Holiday, Life in Sri Lanka, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Koslanda / By Mikeez

Population in Sri Lanka.

The Population in Sri Lanka.What is the population in Sri Lanka?

What are the numbers?

Does it feel overpopulated

Is Sri Lanka too touristy and where should I go?

Population of Sri Lanka

The population in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s population has risen significantly since independence in 1948. At that date the population in Sri Lanka was 7.2 million people.

According to Sri Lankan government statistics the population in mid 2023 was just over 22 million.

The island is similar in size of that of the Republic of Ireland and the population is around four times in amount.

Does Sri Lanka appear to be overpopulated?

During the financial crisis the population reduced by around 1 million people.

However, once you leave the larger cities of Colombo and Kandy, it doesn’t appear to be overpopulated.

The lush vegetation also appears to hide buildings and residences which gives the appearance of space.

Is Sri Lanka too touristy?

Although there is a large population in the country who enjoy the wonderful sights around the island, the number of tourists visiting the country is small compared to others in South East Asia.

Tourist numbers for the year ended December 2023 were 1,487,303.

This was just over a 100% increase from the previous year. The countries tourism industry had been recovering from the effects of the global pandemic and subsequently a financial crisis which delayed its recovery as a popular tourist destination.

Tourist numbers are minor compared to Thaland (28.15m), Vietnam (12.6m), Indonesia (11.68m – Bali -5.2m), Singapore (13.6m), Cambodia (5.5m), Philippines (5.5m), Laos (3.4m) and Malaysia (20m).

An increase is planned

Sri Lankas’ peak tourist numbers were 2.3 million in 2018.

There are plans to increase tourist numbers from 1.5 million (2023) to 2.3 million in 2024.

As reported in the Sri Lankan Financial Times in May 2024, the plan is to achieve 5 million tourists by 2030

Where are the less populated and touristy places

Finding places that are off the beaten track.

Most tourists to Sri Lanka take a circular route around the island visiting the country highlights.

At GlenMyu Estate we think that this is the right thing to do on your first visit. Sri Lanka is a place which has so much to see and do, it needs to be visited again and again.

On your second visit you should dive deeper into the country and the culture to get a fuller experience of Sri Lanka.

Love Sri Lanka highlight Gal Oya, Kitugala, Mannar, and Hambantota as off -the beaten path destinations. You can read more about these places in their article.

Selecting places to stay with fewer rooms

Finding places to stay where there are less numbers of guests is the best way to

There are lots of villas and smaller properties that only have two of three rooms for guests. This will mean that you are not sharing the property with many other guests and are able to spend some time on your own.

Avoid large branded hotels that have lots of rooms. Hostels are usually places where there are lots of travellers packed into rooms.

Go for homestay, small guest houses or villas. Look to see whether there are lots of other properties nearby. It may be a small property but it could be surrounded by lots of other buildings which defeats the purpose of what you re looking for.

Some of these properties may be a bit more expensive, but if you like your privacy, it may be worth the additional; price.

GlenMyu Estate - off the beaten track

Ruwanthi created the boutique Bed and Breakfast, GlenMyu Estate, which opened in 2022.

With only three bedrooms in the main house in the five acre estate, it is truly off the beaten track. Guests regularly take day trips to Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Horton Plains and also to see the sights around Ella.

The Cliff Lodge - an off grid experience

The awareness of Cliff Lodge was heightened earlier in 2024 as it featured in an episode of Ben Fogle’s “New Lives in the Wild”.

Anke and Naveen have created an off grid experience in the Sri Lankan Hill country near to Haputale. It’s a huge contract to the popular tourist town of Ella which is also nearby.

Hiking the new 300 kilometre trail

Sri Lanka launched the Pekoe Trail in 2023.

This is a new hiking trail which covers 300 kilometres over 22 stages. It starts in Kandy and passes Hatton Nuwara Eliya, Haputale, and Ella.

As this is a new trail you are likely to have stretches to enjoy all by yourself for parts of your trek.

Visit Sri Lanka before tourist numbers increase

There appear to be headlines everyday about over tourism and local people protesting against the number of people visiting their home. Several tourist spots such as Barcelona, Venice and Machu Picchu have limited the number of visitors.

One of the main reasons for the protests is the effect that tourism has on property prices and the lack of affordable accommodation available for local people.

You can read which places are restricting tourist numbers in Tourism Analytics article.

Sri Lanka is a great country to visit now as tourist numbers are not at the stage where there is pressure on accommodation. If new hotels and infrastructure is not developed to cope with the planned tourist numbers, then either room prices will increase or you will find it difficult to source suitable accommodation.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate and avoid the crowds

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

See sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more.

Population in Sri Lanka Read More »

No televisions, no problem

Animals that live at our visit GlenMyu Estate., Birds, Birdwatching, Hiking in Sri Lanka, Holiday, Life in Sri Lanka, Natural Swimming Pool, Our Animals at GlenMyu Estate, Our dogs, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka / By Mikeez

No Televisions, No Problem!

No Televisions, No Problem

I don’t know about you, but I really didn’t enjoy watching television when I was away on holiday.

Whenever we would get to our hotel room my wife and I would flick through the channels to find something that we would like.

There is something about watching television when you are in your own country.

You know what you like, you know when the program is on and you know where to find your favourite programme.

I can't find it, there are too many advertisement breaks.

We tended to watch a lot fo BBC programmes in the UK and therefore didn’t to have to deal with advertisement breaks.

There is something about the rhythm of the programme, even when you watch commercial tv, that is quite comforting. You are used to the timing and the length of the advert break. Years of programming our brains makes it alright.

Television abroad - no thanks

However, I used to get frustrated watching television on holiday as the rhythm wasn’t comfortable for me.

It was a real turnoff.

So, I didn’t watch any television programmes when I went on holiday.

The world has changed

Since moving to Sri Lanka in 2016 the world has been through some incredible changes.

Sitting down in front of the television to relax after a stressful day in the office is no longer the norm.

The global pandemic left lots of people stuck at home looking for entertainment to while away the hours.

Netflix and other streaming services became the go to place for entertainment. Binge watching box sets was what everyone was talking about.

When we were in the UK we only watched a few programmes when they were being broadcasted. Most if what we viewed was on catch up.

No televisions at GlenMyu Estate, no problem

Since living in Sri Lanka we have been weaned off television.

I could see from our first six months on the island that we really craved our favourite programmes that we enjoyed together.

However, as we couldn’t get our usual BBC programmes, we used to buy the occasional DVD and watch them together.

The environment in the Sri Lankan Hill Country has changed our requirements in life. It’s hard not to be affected by the surrounding nature. Whether it’s the noise from the birds, the ever changing view from the lounges or spending time on the five acre estate, sitting in front of a square box does not seem to be important now. If we don’t know who is in Masterchef, the Bake Off or Strictly, it really doesn’t matter.

Immersed in nature

Living in London for many years we were really out of touch with nature. So many people living in big cities must be in the same position.

I don’t know what happened to me.

In the UK I wasn’t interested in birds and trees. My inquisitiveness appears to have been injected into my veins since living here. Planting trees and watching them grow, getting up early to catch the birdsong or making sure I catch the sunset sky.

It’s hard to get the feeling over to you. You really need to come and experience this for yourself.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

No televisions, no problem Read More »

Internet Speed in Sri Lanka

Holiday, Life in Sri Lanka, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka / By Mikeez

Internet Speed in Sri Lanka

Internet speed in Sri Lanka.

How good is it?
Is there free WiFi?
Will I be able to work online when I am in Sri Lanka?

We try to answer your questions.

Why is it important?

You are on holiday. Surely, you want to leave your life back home behind!

We realise that we are living in the real world, and being connected is very important.

One of the important things on my list when we check guests in at GlenMyu Estate is to provide the WiFi password.

It's great being off -grid but.......

Ben Fogles’ New Lives in the Wild visited the unique off grid clamping experience at Cliff Lodge, Haputale. The programme was aired in February 2024 and both Anke and Naveen won the hearts of viewers.

Being off grid, with no internet or phone connection is an excellent experience where you can really connect with nature.

We didn't go down that route.

When we originally planned GlenMyu Estate, which is also near Haputale, some of our friends suggested that we didn’t provide an internet connection.

We provide a different experience from that to an off grid holiday. However, we do find that our guests do connect with nature and are abler to switch off.

WiFi is an important service that we provide to our guests and we leave it up to them on how much they use it.

Keeping connected with family and friends

If you are travelling to Sri Lanka for the first time your family and friends will be happier to know that you are safe and enjoying your holiday.

Sharing your experiences

It’s really important to share your experiences with others when you are on holiday. Perhaps it will inspire your friends and family to do a similar trip.

We love it when our guests share pictures and videos of their stay at GlenMyu Estate.

Those important work calls

No one likes taking work calls when they are on holiday, however sometimes it is really important. We have hosted several business owners at GlenMyu Estate and we realise that some information or decisions have to be made by the boss, whatever country they are in

Working on holiday - Digital Nomads

Working love has changed since I left the UK in 2016.

The global pandemic changed the view on working from home and now it is the norm. I would have even loved hybrid working when I was in London. Imagine all those tube journeys that I would not have needed to take!

Here are some videos that will provide some additional information about being a digital nomad in Sri Lanka.

Lots of our guests work and play

At GlenMyu Estate, many of our guests have had to do some work whilst they have been on holiday.

Is there free WIFi in Sri Lanka?

We provide free WiFi to our guest at GlenMyu Estate. This would be a normal offering when you stay in a hotel in Sri Lanka. Unfortunately you cannot guarantee that you will have a fast enough connection to do what you plan.

We had an unfortunate experience when staying at a hotel in the south of the island recently. The WiFi speed was dire. We also could not connect using our own data on our Sri Lankan SIM as there was no coverage there.

Clearly, some hotels, restaurants, bars and cafes have good internet speed. However, you may have to look for them.

Buying a local SIM card

Many of our friends and guests buy a SIM card at the airport when they arrive.

If you are on a vacation for two or three weeks this is a good way to keep connected around the island. You can manage your data package by using free WiFi when you are at your accommodation.

For a longer stay, it is worth buying a local SIM card from a Communication Shop around the island. This will work out a bit cheaper as you will be able to buy a monthly data package.

Internet providers in Sri Lanka

There are lots of internet providers in Sri Lanka. You will see the vendors at the airport after you collect your bags.

Dialog and SLT Mobitel would be considered the main providers. However, Airtel, Hutch and Lanka Bell are others to consider.

Improving Wifi speed for our guests

We are looking to improve our offering to our guests and plan to put in a fibre line which will improve internet speed.

A word of warning - no guarantees

I am writing this article after 36 hours of using a WiFi router rather than the fibre line we have at GlenMyu Estate.

The internet connection stopped working yesterday and we send a message to Sri Lanka Telecom to alert them to the problem.

It turned out that a bees nest had been made at the cable line at the main road which had broken the connection. The brave souls from the repair team managed to move the bees on and repair the line.

So, a word of warning. We will do our best to provide a good, fast and secure internet connection for our guests. However, sometimes nature gets in the way!

Stay at GlenMyu Estate to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country.

Hopefully, you will not need to work too much!

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

Internet Speed in Sri Lanka Read More »

Practice Friluftsliv in Sri Lanka in 2024

Hiking in Sri Lanka, Holiday, Horton Plains National Park, Life in Sri Lanka, Lipton's Seat, Haputale, Sri Lanka, Little Adam's Peak, Natural Swimming Pool, Sri Lanka, The Organic Garden at GlenMyu, The Pekoe Trail, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka / By Mikeez

Practice Friluftsliv in Sri Lanka in 2024.

Why you should practice Friluftsliv in Sri Lanka in 2024.

The Swedish concept of friluftsliv (open-air living) is something we aspire to do at GlenMyu Estate.

It’s not just Sweden, this practice is also a common philosophy in Denmark, and Norway.

Unwinding outdoors is engrained in the culture in Norway.
Some firms make it part of their working week.
Going for a jog or a walk during your lunchtime, despite plunging temperatures is a common sight.

What is Friluftsliv?

Frilufstliv was first popularised in the 1850s by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in his 1859 poem “On the Heights”.

The concept is much older.
Its literal translation is “free-air life”, but Ibsen used it to convey a spiritual connection with nature.

To modern Norwegians, it means participating in outdoor activities, but also has a deeper sense of de-stressing in nature and sharing in a common culture. Could this outdoor life hold the key to Norwegians’ health and happiness?

Friluftsliv is not a specific activity.

Hiking in the forest, kayaking along the fjords and skiing in the mountains could all be part of it, but so could picking cloudberries or simply sitting in the woods.

How do I practice Friluftsliv?

Unwinding in the open air is so ingrained in the culture, some companies build it into the working week.

I make sure that I take some time out every day to spend time on the five acres we have at GlenMyu Estate. As the land is in the Sri Lankan hill country walking up and down the inclines can increase the heart rate. The lowest part of the land is around 90 metres lower than height at the entrance gate.

Walking around the pathways and surveying what grass cutting and weeding needs to be done. I get ideas on what we should plant or whether we should put in another seat to enjoy the surrounding nature.

Swimming in the natural spring fed swimming pool surrounded by the hills and the birds providing a musical backdrop is another way that I practice Frilutftsliv.

Friluftsliv and GlenMyu Estate

An outdoor culture is a bit easier in the tropics due to the climate.

Unless you really suffer from the heat or sunburn, being outdoors is the natural place to spend your time in Sri Lanka.

Spending time at the beach or hiking through the rainforests or the tea estate of the Pekoe Trail all reflect friluftsliv.

In our opinion, swimming at the pools at Upper Diyaluma Waterfall is the perfect way yo practice Friluftliv.
After the twenty minute hike to the top of Sri Lanka’s 2nd tallest waterfall you will enjoy the cold water pools.

Being out in an unspoilt natural environment will make this a memorable experience.

We normally send guests off after breakfast from GlenMyu Estate so that they can enjoy the nature before the larger crowds arrive later in the day.

Horton Plains National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of our favourite places in the Sri Lankan Hill Country.

Walking through the fresh air, at an elevation of 2,200 metres is exhilarating. The beauty of the flora and fauna in this montane cloud forest is amazing.

It is certainly a place where you can practice friluftsliv.

Even our staff at GlenMyu Estate practice Friluftsliv.

One of our staff members at GlenMyu Estate always takes the long way round to the house rather than a direct approach.
When asked why, he said that it was beautiful walking on the far side of the land.
It’s something we encourage him to do as we know that it is good for him.

Enjoy the outdoors at GlenMyu Estate.

Average annual temperature in Beragala is 21.3 °C / 70.4 °F.

The temperature range in at Beragala is a maximum of 26.4 °C/(79.5) °F in July.
Minimum night time temperature is 16.5 °C
(61.7) °F.

This means that you can enjoy the temperatures during the day and get a good nights sleep.

Connect with nature

As you walk around the five acres at GlenMyu Estate you will come across some animals, birds and insects.

There is a large variety of birds that visit the estate. We also have to types of monkey that regularly visit the trees to forage (and annoy our dogs!).

Connecting with nature is an important part of the enjoyment when you stay at GlenMyu Estate.

Spend time with our dogs, ducks, chickens and cows.

Guests love the connection that they make with the rescue dogs that we have on the estate. Clove will give you a great welcome. The other dogs will say hello and them leave you alone as they go about their day (or sleep!).

The ducks forage around the estate and swim in the ponds that are scattered around the estate.

One of my favourite images of 2023 was seeing a French executive lying on the ground, looking upwards to the trees whilst petting one of the dogs.

He really loved the dogs whilst he was here and really connected with them.

We really enjoy guests that connect with our animals.

A Swiss lady arrived in early 2024 and had a passion for cows. I suppose that Switzerland has an abundance of the animals eating lush grass in the mountains.

Whilst showing the couple around the garden at the estate we had to wait for a while. It was the time for the cows to be put to bed in the cowshed. We waited for our new bull calf to arrive.
He was petted by his new admirer before heading to his bed.

It was a beautiful sight and a great memory for both the guest and also myself.

A walk around the garden

Ru normally does the garden tour.

I also do to but I miss quite a few plants of interest because Ru designed and planted most of the grounds.
Of course, I am very proud of how my Jackfruit, Mango and Avocado trees are coming on, but there is much more to see.

It’s a delight when guests smell the leaves of the mandarin and lemon trees trying to guess what it is.
The curry leaf gets a variety of reactions.
If someone bites onto one of the pepper pods they are normally seeking some water to cool them down

You walk, you see, you learn.

I love it when guests discover that a pepper is grown as a vine.
The amazement that green coffee on the tree becomes a breakfast drink.

Seeing a Jackfruit on the tree and then eating a Jackfruit Burger later on is an experience.

Harvesting sap from the Kithul Tree becomes the syrup that they pour over their breakfast for sweetness.

Some people are a little embarrassed that they didn’t know where some of the food they eat comes from. I was the same.

I used to enjoy cloves in my mulled wine over the festive period when living in the UK. I didn’t have a clue about where a clove comes from .

Here, at GlenMyu Estate, we have planted thirty clove trees. In around five years we will be harvesting our own cloves from the trees we have planted.

When I was living in London, I had no idea about where my food come from and how much work went into producing it.
I thought that peanut grew on a tree.
I’m sure that I got this belief from an advert I saw in television as a child.

They are grown on the ground. I was amazed when we grew them and how delicious they tasted.

Removing the shells however, is another story and I appreciate the work that went into producing the packet of peanuts that I enjoy with a Lion lager!

Are you ready to practice friluftsliv?

We think that everyone should be able to practice Friluftsliv.

GlenMyu Estate and the places you can visit on a day trip are ways that you can get closer to nature on holiday in Sri Lanka.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate and practice friluftsliv.

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

Practice Friluftsliv in Sri Lanka in 2024 Read More »

Podcasts that I love, enjoy and tolerate.

Life in Sri Lanka, Photography, Sri Lanka, The Organic Garden at GlenMyu, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka, Travel / By Mikeez

Podcasts that I love, enjoy and tolerate.

Podcasts that I love, enjoy and tolerate.

Life on a paradise island in the Indian ocean. Passing time, learning & amusing myself in Sri Lanka in the Sri Lankan Hills.

When the rest of the world is watching Netflix, my preference it to listen to a podcast.

I was addicted to TV when I was living in the UK. However, I have now eased myself off the screen and I feel that I have a lot more time my hands.

Listening to podcasts as I work around the estate is so much better and healthier than sitting and watching the square screen.

You can subscribe to Netflix in Sri Lanka, and many of my neighbours do. However, after a taste of Netflix in Melbourne, we were put off and look at other options to pass the time.

Of course some of what we listen to is educational, motivational, emotional and sometimes shocking.

Variety is the spice of life and we think that to is important to have a wide range of podcasts which have differing views, so we can make our minds up ourselves.

We are trying to baulk the algorithms so we are not fed the same old same old and things that Big Brother assumes we will like.

Educational podcasts - ones to help me grow.

As I was a Banker in the UK, educational podcasts are swayed towards business topics.

Since living in Sri Lanka, I have become more interested in the environment, growing plants for the garden and

One of my favourite television programmes when I was in the UK was Dragons Den.
Nowadays I only see clips on Facebook of some of the pitches which is enough to keep may interest.

One of the newer dragons, Steven Bartlett, has a podcast called “Diary of a CEO”. It’s really interesting learning business techniques from a range of different people.

One particular thing that I learnt from one of the episodes is that you should also listen to people that you don’t agree with.
I have taken this on board and it gives me an insight of someone else’s view that I may not have ordinarily heard.

When I want to catch up on the news, I make sure that I read a wide range of online newspapers to get writing from different standpoints.

It's not about the money - but it is.

The Rest is Money is hosted by business journalist Steph McGovern and economics guru Robert Peston.
I enjoy the relationship that the two hosts have, which helps listening to a subject, that could easily be a little boring.

Newspaper podcasts

Following the theme of getting different perspectives I regularly listen to the Guardian and the Times podcasts.

The Guardian is historically a more left leaning newspaper whilst the Times is part of Rupert Murdoch’s empire. I enjoy both the Guardian Podcast “Today in Focus” and also the Times Podcast “Stories of our Times”.

A step to the left.

For a proper left wing view from a legendary comedian, I listen to the Alexei Sayle Podcast. This really does show me a view from the other side and it is quite enlightening.

On a completely different theme, I love his BBC Podcast “Strangers on a Train”. I find this such a comforting Podcast, especially when I live so far way from the UK. It is a gentle and interesting podcast where Alexei interviews random passengers on train journeys in the UK. It is one of my favourite podcasts.

A bit of politics

The Rest is Politics with the former Downing Street Director of Communications and Strategy Alastair Campbell and cabinet minister Rory Stewart

I like to keep up to date with both UK and World politics. Having hosts who are from the opposite sides of the spectrum makes it interesting and enjoyable listen.

Food and Drink

Out to Lunch was hosted by food critic Jay Rayner and now is hosted by Ade Edmonson.

Accompanying the host is a famous celebrity and the mix of conversation and discussion about food works well. It’s a good advert for the restaurant and I keep adding them to my wish list.

Sport

I love sport and don’t get to watch much in Sri Lanka due to the time difference to the UK.

Rugby

Rugby was my sport when I was in the UK. I used to play, catch and support my local team. Twickenham was a regular event in the calendar during the six nations.

The BBC Rugby Weekly has a good vibe and the hosts, a broadcaster and ex rugby players are a good mix.

My favourite rugby Podcast however, is Flats and Shanks. I love this because it is more about book and tv recommendations rather than rugby.

Football

My New Football Club is my favourite football podcast. It is hosted by comedian David Earl and Jon Beer who support Exeter City FC. The 49 year old and 22 year old make a good team and have created a funny and interesting podcast.

I listen to the BBC Daily Football Podcast to keep myself up to date with the drama and the theatre of the English Football league.

Radio 5’s 606 phone in podcast is hosted by ex football players Robbie Savage and Chris Sutton. A good combination of (I’d better not says as I will get in trouble!).

Gardening

Roots and All podcast is the only gardening podcast that I regularly listen to. Hosted by horticulturist, Sarah Wilson, there are interviews with guests from all areas of gardening and around the world.

Ones that I dip in and out off

There are lots of Podcasts that I have listened got regularly in the past but have taken a break.

As much as I enjoyed them, sometimes you need a little variety. I do dip back into them from times to time.

Distraction Pieces with Scroobius Pip.
Reasons to be Cheerful with Geoff Lloyd and Ed Milliband.
Full Disclosure with James O’Brien
The Political Party with comedian Matt Forde
The High Performance Podcast with Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes.

Just for Laughs

I’m not a parent but during the pandemic I started listening to Lockdown Parenting Hell with Josh Widdicome and Rob Beckett.

The name has now changed to Parenting Hell and I still love listening to the podcast. They have interesting, funny guests and also give an insight to their own parenting challenges weekly.

Their section Boomer Parenting stories is a must listen.

I also listen to The Wolf and Owl Podcast with Romesh Ranganathan and Tom Davis. It is bizarre, and passes the time making me laugh.

Awkward but funny

I have listened to Geoff Lloyd and Annabel Ports’ podcast “Adrift” from the start. A podcast titled “A comic tragedy for anyone flailing in the sea of their own inadequacy”.

I find that listening to podcasts like this help my empathy levels for others and make me more accepting of the uncomfortable moments in my life.

How do you find the time?

There are some podcasts that are a must listen to and some that I can miss and not feel guilty.

If you scan the amount of podcast that are available to listen to, you would never be able to skim the surface.

It really depends on what I feel like at the time and this determines what I will listen to.

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Stay at GlenMyu Estate to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

Podcasts that I love, enjoy and tolerate. Read More »

An inspirational landscape to paint

Accommodation, Holiday, Life in Sri Lanka, Photography, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka / By Mikeez

An inspirational landscape to paint in Sri Lanka

An inspirational landscape to paint in the Sri Lankan Hill Country.

This landscape need painting and photographing!

The continual changing view from GlenMyu Estate really needs to be captured in paint or by camera.

Using painting a stress relief.

Focusing on painting allows mne’ mind to relax and let go of all the problems and demands that may have led to stress.
Creating something beautiful through painting stimulates the creative mind while also relieving mental strain.

A comfortable temperature in an inspirational landscape

The temperature in the hill country means that it is easy to paint outdoors for a long part of day.

It’s worth bringing a hat as the sun can be intense at midday.

The best light is in the early morning an mid to late afternoon.

Whether a portrait, landscape, cloudscape, flora or fauna, there is something to fit most interests at GlenMyu Estate.

The elevation delivers a unique and inspirational landscape

GlenMyu Estate is around 1,000 metres above sea level. Sometimes the clouds are above a below the house. At certain times of the year the mist touches the glass windows for a while providing a unique atmosphere.

The colours in the sky change throughout the year providing an array of colours or shades of grey during the rainier months.

Whatever the weather, this inspirational landscape is inspiring and needs to be captured.

There are lots of opportunities around the five acre estate to find yourself a quiet place to practice your art.

The changes in light in the Sri Lankan Hill Country and the array of colours provide you with a varying landscape.

Looking for the best light

Capturing the colours as the light goes down, especially the we have a beautiful sunset sky would be a good way to record your stay at GlenMyu Estate .

A distraction to everyday life

Painting on holiday serves as a distraction to everyday life and gives some balance in your life.

It allows you to get into a flow and focus your attention on the job at hand. It gives you time to disconnect from the real world and have time for yourself.

An inspirational landscape - Surrounded by nature.

Our natural spring fed swimming pool is a place to relax and get some inspiration.

One of our guests spent time with her pencils and sketchpad and spent some hours drawing next to the pool. It was a relaxing experience whilst carrying out her passion which she couldn’t do in her busy workalike at home.

Animal and bird photography

There are lots of opportunities for bird and animal photography around the estate. We can’t guarantee what visitors we will have but you are likely to see a variety of birds and two types of monkeys during your stay.

Surrounded by inspirational landscapes.

There are also many places near to GlenMyu Estate that need to be captured on canvas.

Inspirational places like Horton Plains National Park, Diyaluma and Bambarakanda Waterfalls and Lipton’s Seat are all iconic places.

I dint remember seeing any paintings or drawings of these vistas. and therefore, perhaps you can be the trailblazer artist in the area.

Pack all your painting equipment when you come on holiday.

Make sure that you have all that you need for painting or drawing on your holiday to capture this inspirational landscape.

In the Hill Country you will not be able to pick up a spare brush or paint easily.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate and practice your art.

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and get inspired by the landscape and surroundings.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

An inspirational landscape to paint Read More »

A writers retreat in Sri Lanka

Accommodation, Life in Sri Lanka, Photography, Sri Lanka, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka, Travel / By Mikeez

A writers retreat in Sri Lanka.

A writers retreat in Sri Lanka.

Where can I stay when I want the peace, tranquility and inspirations to write when on holiday in Sri Lanka?

We have been asked by several guests whether we would offer a discount for a longer term stay at GlenMyu Estate.

The main reason a writer would request a longer stay is to be in a place which is comfortable for that length of time.
It also provides the opportunity to write or pursue their artistic endeavour.

Some guests have been completing or editing their book whilst staying at GlenMyu Estate.

During this stage of the writing process you need to be in a place of tranquility where you can concentrate on your masterpiece. Having the occasional guest of travellers pass through on their exploration of the island provides some relief and conversation from the endeavours of work.

As long as our internet speed is fast enough for you, and you don’t mind the odd dog or two breaking up the monotony of the day, we are happy to accommodate writers and artists.

What does a writer want from a writing retreat?

A writing retreat could be just what you need to start that novel, finish your chapter, book or poetry. Perhaps it’s a time to revise the short story you’ve been meaning to send out.

The main thing is that your writing retreat gives you a focused break from the trivial distractions of life that keep you from deep diving into the big picture of your personal story.

At GlenMyu Estate we offer a peaceful environment where you can concentrate on your artistic endeavours.

As there will be other travellers coming and going during your stay, you will have the opportunity to meet new, interesting people, outside your normal circles. You never know what conversations may generate an idea or storyline for your to develop.

A chance to get over what's in the way of you finsing your book.

One of the best ways to handle any and all writer issues is to take some time out for a writer’s retreat. Shutting your outside world out and go on a writing vacation may help you progress your writing or get some new inspiration.

A change in environment may help you and the Sri Lankan hill country offers something different that being at home.

You can unwind and not be concerned about distractions of everyday life. Escaping from all the responsibilities and sentiments for a short while will enable your to give 100 per cent to your writing.
No need to worry about the next meal, Ru will make sure you are fed with great home cooked food.

An inspirational landscape.

We believe that the landscape in the Sri Lankan Hill country has not been the subject of many paintings and drawings. It’s a landscape that appears to asking to be recorded.

The variation in the vista from the lounges with clear skies turning into fluffy clouds. Sometimes mist touching the windows of the house makes it a view that novel gets boring.

A temperature range that won't send you to sleep.

In the tropics, it’s easy to get into the habit of a siesta in the balmy weather.

The Sri Lankan Hill country however, is not as warm as the coasts and cities like Colombo, Galle and Kandy.
As the average annual temperature in Beragala is 21.3 °C ( 70.4 °F)/maximum temperature of 26.1 °C ( 78.8 °F ) you will not be knocked out by the heat.

Wake up and be ready to write after a dip in the swimming pool.

A swim in the natural spring fed swimming pool will also provide you with a refreshing wake up. This will ensure that you are ready to write. The natural surroundings may even inspire you writing your next chapter.

Press that WhatsApp button and contact us about a longer stay.

The peak season in Sri Lanka is from mid December to Mid April. During this period it will be more difficult to accommodate a longer stay at GlenMyu Estate.

We only have three bedrooms and we are finding that we are receiving some booking a year in advance.

Therefore we would recommend that you provide us with as much notice as possible to enquire about a longer stay.

Please press the WhatsApp button on our website to make your enquiry.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate and write your book or paint the landscape.

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

A writers retreat in Sri Lanka Read More »

Holidays in Sri Lanka in 2024

Holiday, Life in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka, Travel / By Mikeez

Holidays and Public Holidays in Sri Lanka during 2024.

Holidays and public holidays in Sri Lanka in 2024.

There are lots of long weekends in Sri Lanka in 2024 and the tourist sites will be busy.

Most Sri Lankans work on Saturdays, but you will see from the calendar below that there are several holidays on a Saturday. This will mean that tourists will be competing with local Sri Lankans for hotels, restaurants and sightseeing on a lot more weekends this year.

So, we would recommend that you book early.

Here is a list of Public and National Holidays in Sri Lanka during 2024 so you can plan your holiday.

Public Holidays in Sri Lanka - What is a Full Moon Poya Day?

A Poya Day is a civil and bank holiday.

The full moon day is normally considered as the Poya day in every month.

Poya is the name given to the Lunar monthly Buddhist holiday of Uposatha in Sri Lanka.

Usopatha is a Buddhist Day of observance.

The Buddha taught that the Uposatha day is for “cleansing of the defiled mind”.

On each Poya day, both lay and ordained members of the sangha (community) intensify their practice, deepen their knowledge and express communal commitment through acts of lay-monastic reciprocity.

It is a day for practicing the Budda’s teachings and meditation.

Lay followers make a conscious effort to keep the Five Precepts or traditionally Eight Precepts.

For further information regarding the Precepts https://thebuddhistcentre.com/buddhism has some further reading.

Public Holidays in Sri Lanka - The Poya Days in 2024

Date

Day

Holiday

15th January

Monday

Tamil Thai Pongal

25th January

Thursday

Durutha Full Moon Poya Day

4th February

Sunday

National Day

24th February

Saturday

Navam Full Moon Poya Day

24th March

Sunday

Madin Full Moon Poya Day

29th March

Friday

Good Friday

10th April

Wednesday

Id Ul-Fitr

12th April

Friday

Day prior to Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day

13th April

Saturday

Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day

23rd April

Tuesday

Bak Full Moon Poya Day

1st May

Wednesday

May Day

23rd May

Thursday

Vesak Full Moon Poya Day

24th May

Friday

Day following Vesak Full Moon Poya Day

17th June

Monday

Poson Full Moon Poya Day

20th July

Saturday

Esala Full Moon Poya Day

19th August

Monday

Nikini Full Moon Poya Day

17th September

Tuesday

Binari Full Moon Poya Day

31st October

Thursday

Vap Full Moon Poya Day

15th November

Friday

III Full Moon Poya Day

14th December

Saturday

Undavap Full Moon Poya Day

25th December

Wednesday

Christmas Day

Please note that these date were researched and found at a Sri Lankan Government website providing dates for public holidays.

Public Holidays in Sri Lanka - What does it mean for me as a tourist to Sri Lanka?

Some of the Five Precepts have a noticeable effect on Poya Days for visitors.

Meat, Fowl and Fish products are not available to buy.

Alcohol is not available in most places.

All the Wine Stores and Supermarket alcohol sales are closed. Most bars and restaurants also are not allowed to sell alcohol on the day.

Buddhist Temples will be busy

A special Buddhist program is conducted by temples on Poya Days and is called Sil (sometimes spelt Sill).

Typically it starts early in the morning around 6 a.m. and comprises of sermons, discussion, blessings and meditation. It can last for 12 hours and the attendees are normally provided with food and drinks during the day.

If you do decide to visit a temple either during a Poya Day or outside the holidays please remember to dress and act appropriately.

What should I wear?

Trousers/pants/skirts or any other dress long enough to cover the knee.
A shirt/t-shirt/blouse or any other dress should cover the shoulders.
No hats and head cover.
No shoes/sandals or slippers.

When taking pictures.

It’s really important also not to take photos with your back to the Buddhist Statue.

Please do not touch, sit near or climb on a Buddhist Statue.

Please also get permission to take photos and never take pictures during worship.

Whatever you plan to do on your holiday in Sri Lanka we hope that you enjoy your time on this Paradise Island.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

Holidays in Sri Lanka in 2024 Read More »

Things I am Looking Forward to in 2024.

Hiking in Sri Lanka, Holiday, Life in Sri Lanka, Lipton's Seat, Haputale, Sri Lanka, Music, Photography, Sri Lanka, The Pekoe Trail, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka, Travel / By Mikeez

Things I am looking forward to in 2024

Things I am looking forward to in 2024.

A year of exploration, meeting new people, learning and getting more balance in my life.

Time to reset and look to the future.

Did you set a New Year’s resolution?

I set my early so that I didn’t have to wait until January the 1st.

However, the beginning of the year is a good time to spend some time thinking and planning what I want from 2024.

Sri Lanka in 2024 - it's going to be a busy year at GlenMyu Estate.

Our to the number of tourists expected to visit Sri Lanka in 2024, we are expecting a busy year. The government’s plans are to substantially increase tourism

We only have three bedrooms at GlenMyu Estate so there is limited capacity.

We can already see that we have a lack of availability in early 2024. This is the main tourist season in Sri Lanka and the number of enquiries reflect this.

Tourist numbers reached 200,000 in December 2023. The curve in visitor arrivals is going upwards.

It’s important for a country that needs foreign income after some difficult years.

It's not about money.

As we expect to be busy it’s important to take some time to reflect on what we achieved in 2023. And what we can improve on in 2024.

But, it’s as important that we look at what we want to achieve personally for ourselves in 2024. It’s not about the money, it’s about our health, wellbeing and achieving a balance in our lives.

We love meeting new people and having visitors, but we will need to take some time our for ourselves. This will mean some time away from the estate.

Our visitors have been to places that we have not been.

Since arriving in Sri Lanka in 2016 and being busy with the construction and development of GlenMyu Estate, we have had little time to enjoy this paradise island ourselves.

So many of our guests arrive in the Sri Lankan Hill country and are able to tell us about places that we haven’t visited ourselves.

Originally, when my then Sri Lankan girlfriend and I started dating we did travel around Sri Lanka on annual trips to visit her family. We started coming during the civil war and there were parts of the country that we were unable to visit.

Since the end of the civil war in May 2009, visiting the North and East of the country has opened up.

Friends from the UK who were visiting Sri Lanka for a wedding that travelled to Jaffna. They loved it there and said that we must explore the region before it gets spoilt.

Exploring Sri Lanka.

One of the things we aim to do in 2024 is to explore Sri Lanka.

We will need some time out for ourselves and will travel during the quieter times of the year.
By visiting more if the island we will be able to pass over our experiences and recommendations to our guests at GlenMyu Estate.

Learning to relax and meditate from our guests.

It’s amazing what each new guests brings to our lives at GlenMyu Estate.

Neither my wife or I were in the hospitality business and we were a little nervous when we started. However, it did not take us long to love hosting new people and learning more about their lives. We love it!

Each new visitor brings a new story and experience to GlenMyu Estate and they add colour to our lives.

I like to do some research on where our guest live, but I learn so much more from our conversations with them. There are places that I have not been, however, I feel that I have a good insight when I meet our guests.

Appreciating the environment and being closer to nature.

One of the main things that we see in our guests demeanour at GlenMyu Estate is how quickly they manage to relax.

The stresses of work and everyday life appear to be lifted in the hill country.

Guests are able to rest and get a good nights sleep.
The temperature at GlenMyu Estate is typically between 22 and 26 degrees Celsius during the day and the humidity levels are not that at the coast.

We often see the sense of relief and relaxation as guests emerge from the vehicle that has brought them here.
The shades of green from the trees and the plants that greet you appear to provide a sense of calm and belonging.

Meditating at the waterfall - or watching the ducks!

One of our first guests at GlenMyu Estate asked me whether I meditated. He was a little surprised that I didn’t.
Living in Sri Lanka and with Buddhism being the dominant philosophy, one may expect that I would meditate.

Our German guest and his wife climbed down to the waterfall here. His wife stayed for a while.

However, he stayed for around three hours meditating, surrounded by nature and with the sound of water in the background.

I am often inspired by guests, and although I have not learnt to meditate, I have found my own substitute.

We have around twenty ducks at the estate. I enjoy passing some times watching them go about their business.
Whether foraging in the undergrowth or bathing in the streams, this is my version of meditation.

Working on me, working on us.

My early New Year’s resolution was to swim every day and improve my level of fitness. It’s going well and it is starting to become a daily habit.

Before we moved to Sri Lanka, my wife and I didn’t spend much time together due to long working days and the amount of foreign travel my wife had to do.

At GlenMyu Estate we are together twenty four hours of the day. We both have our own designated work to do so we do spend a fair time apart, albeit only a distance of fifty to one hundred metres.

Being busy with the bed and breakfast, we do know that we need to spend more time together.

There will be some downtime during the year, despite the expected tourist numbers, and we will be able to spend some time alone.

We are looking forward to meeting you!

As mentioned, we love meeting new people and seeing their experience of GlenMyu Estate.

Hopefully we will meet you soon.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

Things I am Looking Forward to in 2024. Read More »

Swim as the sun goes down in fresh water

The best places to swim in Sri Lanka.

Bambarakanda Waterfall, Sri Lanka., Holiday, Life in Sri Lanka, Natural Swimming Pool, Sri Lanka, The Organic Garden at GlenMyu, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Koslanda, Waterfalls / By Mikeez

The Best Places to swim in Sri Lanka

The best places to swim in Sri Lanka.

We love swimming on our Natural Spring Fed pool in the Sri Lankan Hill Country at GlenMyu Estate.

Okay, we are a little biased because of where we live and what we like.

However, here are our favourites.

GlenMyu Estate is located in the Sri Lankan hill country and provides a unique experience for swimming on your holiday in Sri Lanka.

We like the coolness of the water which we find quite refreshing and encourages you to swim. It’s a great place to get some exercise and work off some of the calories from the delicious meals served by Ru.

I love swimming either in the morning or in the evening (or both).

It’s a great way to start and end the day.

5 of our best places to swim on you holiday In Sri Lanka.

Our 5 best places to swim when on holiday In Sri Lanka.

Here are our five best places to swim in Sri Lanka.

1.The Natural Spring-Fed Infinity Swimming Pool.

Our natural spring fed swimming pool at GlenMyu Estate is a really special experience.

We do not use chlorine in the pool so you come out from your swim smelling refreshes rather than with that chlorine smell.

The pool is located a small walk away from the house and you are not overlooked by other guests.

I love it when the birds provide the background music as I swim surrounded by nature.

2. Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Koslanda

As Upper Diyaluma is located just forty minutes drive from GlenMyu Estate.

There are lots of pools to swim in as you descend from the top of the waterfall. It’s an amazing experience, especially as it is relatively untouched.

It is becoming a favourite Instagram spot as there are stunning carvings in the rocks to sit and admire the views.

Upper Diyaluma is the second highest waterfall in Sri Lanka,

3. Maalu Maalu Hotel, Pasikuda

The East Coast of Sri Lanka is a less touristy detonation on the island. More hotels have been built in the last ten years or so and it is becoming a more popular place to holiday.

The beaches are best to visit during April to September while the rest of the island is experiencing monsoonal rains.

Although my wife and I are not massive sun worshippers we like the beaches in the East Coast of Sri Lanka.

There are less people at the beach, it safer as there is a shallow shelf and the scenery is stunning.

We really enjoyed our stay at Maalu Maalu Hotel by Thema Collection.

4. Bambarakanda Waterfall

Bambarakanda Waterfall is the tallest waterfall in Sri Lanka and has a beautiful pool it’s foot.

It is a stunning place to swim in the cooler waters.

Bambarakanda Waterfall is the tallest waterfall in Sri Lanka. It’s quite easy to access and is just around an hours drive from GlenMyu Estate.

5. Arugam Bay

Arugam Bay, on the South East coast of Sri Lanka is a great place for swimming and surfing.

During the season, there is a good buzz as the number of surfers inhabiting the town increase.

Although we are not surfers, we like the atmosphere and the stunning location.

There are lots of great beaches around this island.

Our five places to swim in Sri Lanka are just our preferences. Not being sun worshippers we really enjoy the freshness of the water in the waterfalls within reach of GlenMyu Estate.

Many of our guests arrive from the South Coast through December to April and rave about their time at the beautiful beaches.

We are building a number of beaches that we want to experience from our guests recommendations.

Rekawa, Hiriketiya and Talalla beaches are our current top three that we want to visit in 2024.

We have a special spot in our hearts for Negombo beach because we got married at one of the hotels there.
Our friends, who attended our wedding, had a great time there, especially at the bride v groom cricket match we arranged at the beach.

Our 5 best places to swim in Sri Lanka.

GlenMyu Estate Swimming Pool
Upper Diyaluma Waterfall
Pasikuda on the East Coast
Bambarakanda Waterfall
Arugam Bay

Stay at GlenMyu Estate and enjoy our Natural Spring-Fed Infinity swimming pool.

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

The best places to swim in Sri Lanka. Read More »

A view from the lawn of the the house at GlenMyu Estate, Hotel and Bed & Breakfast, Haputale, Sri Lanka.

5 things I love about gardening.

Holiday, Life in Sri Lanka, Natural Swimming Pool, Our Animals at GlenMyu Estate, Our dogs, Sri Lanka, The Organic Garden at GlenMyu, Travel, Vegan, Vegetarian / By Mikeez

5 things I love about gardening.

5 things I love about gardening.

From London banker to unpaid gardener in Sri Lanka.

The money is lousy but I wouldn’t change it for the world!

When I moved to Sri Lanka, I did not envisage ending up changing my office job for one outdoors.

A career banker, based in and around London, I had no idea where I would end up.
My destination was working for free on the 5 acre estate in Sri Lanka that we have developed into GlenMyu.

I had little experience as a gardener in London. Why would I when the only outside space was a small terrace? There was very little room to plant anything at all!
I had little idea also that I would end up having a love for gardening and don’t find it like work at all.

1. Things I love about gardening- Gardening is my form of meditation.

I get lost in my thoughts as I use my brush cutter keeping the pathways and lawn in good shape.

It’s amazing how calming and relaxing it is. I do make sure that I am alert enough not to have an accident though, so it’s not like I’m in a trance.

Maybe the hum from my brush cutter through the ear plugs I use gives a sense of comfort.

Trying to get the grass as even I as I can do, on the hill country slopes, is my continuous focus.

I don’t practice meditation, however, this is the closest I get. I love it!

2. Making the GlenMyu Estate garden look good, makes me feel good!

I take a lot of pride in my work and try to make the grounds as attractive as possible.

When guests say that the garden looks good, I feel good. Actually I feel great. It makes all my efforts worth it.

I say my efforts, however there is a team at GlenMyu Estate who all contribute to making the garden look good.

Ru is the designer of the garden (and most things) at GlenMyu Estate. Some of our daily workers are so adept at using the besom to sweep up the grass cuttings and leaves, I could never be as efficient or fast.

Doesn’t everyone like a pat on the back for the work that they have done?.

3. I get to feel closer to nature and I feel that I am improving the estate as a home for wildlife.

One of our aims at GlenMyu Estate is to restore the land from an abandoned tea estate to a home for wildlife. Encouraging biodiversity on the land which makes it a healthy place for plants and animals to visit and live.

GlenMyu Estate was part of a larger abandoned tea estate prior to being bought by my wife. It had also been a sugar cane estate which had failed when the government started to import sugar cane.

Over the years the land was overrun by Guinea Grass which was brought in during Colonial times as a fast growing cattle feed. This fast growing plant takes th light and nutrients from the endemic plants of Sri Lanka and dominates the landscape. It is not a good environment to welcome biodiversity.

Out with the old, in with the new. Things I Love aboutgardening

We have slowly removed the Guinea Grass over the years and replaced the plants with a fruit forest to feed us and the animals. Hundreds of endemic species have been planted and are starting to establish themselves on the five acre estate.

We regularly see dragon flies during the day, a variety of butterflies and some fireflies at night. This, we understand, shows that the land is healthy.

There are no chemicals or pesticides used at the estate and everything that we grow is organic.

4. Things I love about gardening -Getting to enjoy the fruits of my work.

It’s a pleasure walking around the garden on attractive paths and weed free borders.

The order calms the mind and allows me to concentrate on the nature that surrounds me.

Listening to the birdsong, watching the parrots flit from tree to tree and the Kingfisher fish in our stream.

The sound of the water softening any vehicle noise, the feel of the ground on my bare feet and playing with the dogs on the lawn.

A landscape that could be painted.

An inspiring landscape which brings out my hidden artistic side which was out of sight during my banking career.

One of the best things about GlenMyu Estate is our swimming pool.

The pool is fed by a natural spring and the only heating is from the daytime sun.
We don’t add chlorine to the water so I swim in a completely natural environment.

An evening swim is refreshing and eases the muscles that I have used during the day.

Finishing off the evening with a well deserved bottle of local Lion lager beer puts icing on the cake!

Our dogs turn up from time to time looking for a petting.
Maali our cow comes over and looks for her head to be patted. It’s as if she just wants me to remember she is around.

I sometimes have to chase the Eagles when it perches on branch eyeing our chickens and ducks.

Moving on the monkeys when they are trying to eat our Jackfruits, Mangos and Avocados when they are in season (don’t worry there is plenty for them to eat on the periphery of the estate).

There are lots that I love about gardening at GlenMyu Estate.

It's more than just cutting the lawn.

I don’t just cut the lawns and paths around the estate in my gardening duties.

Cutting and replanting coleus, cutting down fallen branches and general weeding is all part of my day in the garden.

It’s great to get variety in my day.

5 things I love about gardening - Summary

Gardening is my form of meditation.
Making the GlenMyu Estate garden look good, makes me feel good!
I get to feel closer to nature and I feel that I am improving the estate as a home for wildlife.
Getting to enjoy the fruits of my work.
The reward of a swim at the end of the day (and perhaps a Lion lager!).

Stay at GlenMyu Estate and enjoy the gardens.

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

5 things I love about gardening. Read More »

We have some exciting news.

Animals that live at our visit GlenMyu Estate., Holiday, Life in Sri Lanka, Our Animals at GlenMyu Estate, Sri Lanka, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka / By Mikeez

We have some exciting news at GlenMyu Estate.

We have some exciting news at GlenMyu Estate that we will be sharing soon.

Hopefully you will be as excited as we are when we reveal it.

We have been waiting for a while for the right opportunity.

Ru and I have been talking about this for some time.

It is something that we really feel that is needed as an addition to GlenMyu Estate.

Our exciting news - Not quite ready to be revealed.

We still have a few things to do before we can reveal our news.

The main thing is that we have to build something for what we are going to get.

As it is now mid-December, we hope that the builders are available to construct what we need.

You may be surprised. We hope you are.

The new addition to the estate has already been given a glimpse of what is here.

Keep an eye on our website and social media channels for our exciting news.

We will let you know our news as soon as we can.

The exciting new arrival will be released on our social media channels as soon as we have everything in place.

We are really very excited!

Hopefully, you will be as pleased as we are when you see what we are going to add to the estate.

We know that at least one of the family at GlenMyu Estate is going to be so pleased and happy.

The news will be announced as soon as we are in a position to do so.

In the meantime we will leave it to your imagination.

Perhaps you can guess what is coming to GlenMyu Estate before we reveal it?

Stay at GlenMyu Estate to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

We have some exciting news. Read More »

Ru' Sri Lankan Egg Hoppers with a twist.

5 reasons Trying New Food is the Best part of Travelling

Cookery Courses, Holiday, Life in Sri Lanka, Recipes, Ru's Recipes, Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan Cooking, sri lankan recipes, The Organic Garden at GlenMyu, Vegan, Vegetarian / By Mikeez

5 reasons Trying New Food is the Best part of Travelling.

5 reasons trying new food is the best part of travelling.

We all love traveling. There’s so many good elements to that two-week break and it’s good for your heart and soul.
Some of the benefits are:

Sight-seeing
Meeting new people
Exploring new places.
Getting away from everyday life at home.
Resting and reenergising.

and let’s not forget about the endless amounts of Instagram posts.

But the best part of all is the food.

Different countries of the world have so many new flavours and dishes that you would not come across at home. It’s unlikely that you would try these dishes at home and travelling gives you the inspiration to get out of your comfort zone.

It’s probably not the main thing that you research before you go on holiday and the beauty is getting out of your comfort zone a trying new tastes.

We find that our guests at GlenMyu Estate, Sri Lanka are really open to trying new dishes that Ru serves. The delight and discussion about the new flavours are music to our ears.

Here are why we think that food is the best aspect of traveling.

1. You Discover Foods You Have NotTried Before.

There are so many dishes in other countries that you would never try if you do not traveled outside you own country. And my what would you have missed if you didn’t sample some of these amazing flavours!

Traveling somewhere new provides you with the opportunity to opens your eyes and your taste buds to a new world of flavour.

In Sri Lanka, even eating local Mangos, Papaya and Avocados (which have not done those food miles) are a discovery. At GlenMyu Estate we have experienced guests’ joy at eating something that tasted different in their home country.

Fresh coconut juice from a King Coconut is delicious and good for you.

Sri Lankan food is favoured with lots of different spices that are grown on the island. If you pop into a supermarket you will see that there is only a limited range of groceries on offer.

As a result Sri Lankans use very little processed food and favour locally grown fresh ingredients.

Even on a small island like Sri Lanka, there are regional variations of the way food in prepared, the ingredients used and how it is served. So on your holiday in Sri Lanka you will experience different flavours around as you travel.

2. You Will Experience Foods You Eat at Home in a New Way.

While you will discover completely new foods when you visit a foreign country, you will also be able to try food you’ve eaten many times before at home. However, you will probably discover a completely new flavour in it.

There’s nothing like eating pizza or pasta in Italy. Or they say that Guinness tastes different in Ireland.

It makes sense that when foodstuff has to travel it will lose its’ freshness. Some food is sprayed with chemicals to preserve it or make sure it does not ripen quickly before it ends up on the supermarket shelves.

Foods local in other countries have so much more flavour because they are authentic and have not been adjusted for a foreign market. They are also fresher and the cooks and chefs are used to preparing dishes with the locally grown ingredients.

3. A Country’s Food Tells You So Much About Their Culture.

Your guide book will give you an insight into the local culture, however, getting into a kitchen or sampling local food will tell you much more.

We have lots of guests that visit GlenMyu Estate that have seen cows in fields and on the roads as they have travelled around the island.

They are surprised when we tell them that Sri Lanka was not historically a culture that used milk. You can imagine, if a farmer milked a cow, years ago they had no way of keeping it cool in the tropics.

So butter, milk and cheese are not products that are used in many of the local recipes. Coconut milk and coconut oil is used in most dishes. Coconuts are grown all over the island and in many home gardens. You will be surprised on how many coconuts a tree will deliver to a family during the year.

Our informal Sri Lankan Cookery Demonstration.

One way of getting to understand the culture is to take part in a local cooking course when you are in Sri Lanka.

We at GlenMyu Estate, offer an informal cookery demonstration when guests order our Sri Lankan Sharing Platter. Ru’s mother, who has at least 50 years experience in the kitchen, loves sharing the intricacies of her version of Sri Lankan cooking.

There are many regional variations in cooking styles on this small island. Ru’s mum is from the Matara district and the way she cooks is a reflection of that if the south coast.

4. Food Brings People Closer Together.

We have three bedrooms at GlenMyu Estate. Sometimes all three rooms are booked by one party. Eating their meal together as a group allows the guests to bond and have a shared experience.

At other times the rooms are booked by individual parties who are exploring the island. We are delighted when these guests experience new food and tastes with others around the table, especially when they are ecstatic about what they have sampled. It’s also a chance to share their views on the travel around the island and their plans after leaving GlenMyu Estate.

The community feeling and bond creates from this shared experience is one that we treasure. We think that it really adds value to the travel experience around Sri Lanka.

Food is also a good conversation opener for people that have met for the first time.

We have seen friendships created, contact details swapped and photos shared.

5. You Benefit From Discovering New Flavours and Dishes to try at Home.

Going to a new country and trying new dishes and experiencing new flavours means you get to come home with so many ideas to try in your own kitchen.

Of course, the ingredients that you will be able to buy at home may have travelled a bit, so it may not taste exactly like that when on holiday.

But at least it will provide you with a taste of your holiday and bring back memories of what a wonderful time you had.

We have been amazed and delighted that several of our guests have tried our recipes at home. There was a Norwegian couple that sent us a picture of the family trying their version of Ru’s mums Aubergine curry.

A German lady sent us photos of her Sri Lankan Egg Hoppers which she made in Berlin.

We also had a Polish couple who had some fast food restaurants in Poland stay with us at GlenMyu Estate. They worked out that they could get substitute ingredients for the coconut symbol that they eat here and would add it to their restaurant menu.

Ru likes to share her recipes and ho they are cooked. We have a YouTube Channel “Ru’s Recipes” which will we add content to over time to show you how to make the food you enjoyed at GlenMyu Estate.

5 reasons Trying New Food is the Best part of Travelling - Summary

You Discover Foods You Have NotTried Before.
You Will Experience Foods You Eat at Home in a New Way.
A Country’s Food Tells You So Much About Their Culture.
Food Brings People Closer Together.
You Benefit From Discovering New Flavours and Dishes to try at Home.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate, try new food and take part in our cookery demo.

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country gives you the opportunity to sample a variety of local and fusion cuisine.

We are developing a good reputation for our food (read our guest reviews) and guests enjoy the variety of dishes we offer.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

5 reasons Trying New Food is the Best part of Travelling Read More »

Swim twice a day, is it indulgent?

Holiday, Life in Sri Lanka, Natural Swimming Pool, Sri Lanka, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka, Travel / By Mikeez

Is it indulgent to swim twice a day?

I was swimming in the swimming pool at GlenMyu Estate and the question came into my mind “Is it indulgent to swim twice a day?”.

We had recently had different sets of guests from the UK and then from Australia that had inspired me to get back into the water.

In the past I had occasionally swum in the morning and the evening. It was something that I really enjoyed and, like many things, I had gotten out of the habit.

However, my thoughts about swimming more than once a day made me realise how lucky I am. Also, when I see guests loving using our Natural Spring-Fed Infinity Swimming Pool, it gives me great pleasure to share this unique experience.

Is swimming good for you?

Website Swimming.Org list 8 Benefits of Swimming.

They include

A fully body workout
Great for general wellbeing
De-stresses and relaxes
Burns those calories
Lowers the risk of diseases
Supports the body
Increases your energy levels
Exercising without sweat

These are all very good reasons to swim and there are of course many more you could add to the list.

One that I would add is that it makes you feel great!

Famous swimmers - I'm in good company.

There are lots of notable people that enjoy a daily swim.

America – the White House.

The website Whitehouse History has an article about “A pool for the President”. Apparently Gerald Ford was an avid swimmer. The White House Press Room was converted into a swimming pool during Richard Nixon’s Presidency.

Nixon didn’t use the pool very often. Harry Truman, John F Kennedy and Lyndon B Johnson were regular users of the swimming pool.

The original indoor pool at the White House was installed for Franklin D Roosevelt in 1933. Due to his polio diagnosis he swam for regular exercise.

I wonder how many swam twice a day?

Swimmers from the stage and screen.

Australian Actress, Nicole Kidman claims it was her favourite form of exercise. Nathalie Portman started swimming to ease muscle pain when filming the “The Black Swan” to ease the pain of rigorous training.

Kelsey Grammar, who plays Dr Frasier Crane takes about swimming for exercise.

Actress Hilary Swank was a good age grade swimmer and went on to compete in the Junior Olympics.

Even a podcast host.

In order to keep up with current events and politics in back in the UK, I listen to several podcasts.

One podcast that I subscribe to is “The Rest is Politics” is hosted by Alistair Campbell and Rory Stewart.

I regularly hear Alastair Campbell gushing about his morning cold water swim in the Hampstead Heath Ponds and Lido in London. He is quoted in the Standard Newspaper that “You can have a proper swim. We go very, very early and there’s a crowd there with some good chat.”

Swimming twice a day - I don't feel indulgent.

When we don’t have guests at GlenMyu Estate I often do a lot of manual work around the grounds.

My main responsibility (and enjoyment) is to keep the grass on the lawns and pathways looking good. I can spend hours maintaining the land and it is quite physical work for a “fiftyish” year old.

Swimming before brush cutting and then at the end of the day is really good to ease those muscles and makes me feel great.

Swimming is great after a days hiking for our guests.

Lots of our guests enjoy a day trip from GlenMyu Estate to hike at Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Horton Plains National Park, The Pekoe Trail, Lipton’s Seat, Ella Rock or Mini Adams Peak amongst others.

Most guests, although they are quite fit, find the hikes some strain other bodies. Swimming in the pool at GlenMyu Estate is an enjoyable way to ease those muscles and spend some more time with your friends or your family.

We love it when our guests swim twice, three times....and more each day.

I really like to encourage our guests at GlenMyu Estate to use the pool.

Some part of the year, when there is less sun, it is a little chilly when you enter. However, you really feel alive and it wakes you up.

The pool is situated away from the house and our guest love the privacy. Don’t you hate going to a pool with bystanders watching from their hotel rooms that look onto the pool. I admit that I was always conscious that my body was quite far from looking like the Rock Johnson or Arnold Schwarzeneggar!

We also don’t use chlorine in the pool so you don’t leave the water smelling of chemicals.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate, Swim and explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

Swim twice a day, is it indulgent? Read More »

Changing jobs at 50 – moving to Sri Lanka

Holiday, Life in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka, Travel / By Mikeez

Changing jobs at 50.

Changing jobs at 50 – inspired by Gina d’Albiac of True Colours Coaching I thought I would write about my experience of changing jobs at 50 yeas old.

Some of the items that True Colours Coaching can help you with resonates with my move from a career in Banking in the UK to a new life in Sri Lanka:

Explore your purpose and how to live a more fulfilling life
Uncover a career- or life-path where you are free to be yourself and to do something that is in line with your values.

These two elements reflect my change in life and what happened when I changed jobs (and countries) at the age of 50.

And that was then.

A career in Banking in London was fulfilling for a long period of my life.
I was motivated, learning, challenged, energetic, ambitious, happy, rewarded, developed, and much more.
Most of my work was a happy experience and of course there are always ups and downs. I did feel, at the time, that I had a fulfilling life.

My wife and I had a good lifestyle and really enjoyed living and working in London.

There is a saying that “familiarity breeds contempt”. Although these words are a bit too strong a description of what I went through, being in a career for so long eventually creates a desire for change.

I had experienced credit booms and busts over my career and there were periods where the enjoyment and fulfilment were stressed. In addition to this, despite earning well, my wife and I were not able to spend as much time together as we would have liked.

Business travel and long hours became the norm and it was clear that we both needed a change.

50 - a good moment to change my job.

My wife and I had a plan to relocate to Sri Lanka. Shortly after my 50th birthday we landed on this Paradise Island. Ru is Sri Lankan and this would enable her to spend more time with her parents and reduce the amount of work travel she was enduring.

I had some projects to do in Sri Lanka before deciding on next steps so was engaged for a while.

My change of job at 50 had not yet been determined.

It didn't go to plan.

After some months being based in Colombo, it became clear that the work travel and stress my wife was experiencing was not going to change.

Same experience, different location.

We ran to the hills!

Maybe this is a little bit of an exaggeration. My wife had purchased part of an abandoned tea estate in the Sri Lankan Hill Country many years ago. We planned to build a small holiday home for ourselves so we could escape from the heat of Colombo from time to time

Once we started building, we added some additional rooms and eventually we ended up with GlenMyu Estate.

Changing jobs at 50 - From Banker to Gardener??????

My job role changed once GlenMyu Estate was open. I became an unpaid gardener maintaining the grass pathways and lawns around the estate. A far cry from my work in London, but I really do feel fulfilled and love it. I’m very proud when I see the results of my efforts trying to get the grass as flat as Lords Cricket Ground. (I’m still working on that!).

Fulfilment is added to when meeting our new guests on a regular basis. I really enjoy talking to them about their experience of Sri Lanka and providing some recommendations on what to do and se when they are staying at GlenMyu Estate.

The pay is lousy but my new job is the best.

Sure, I was better off financially when I was living in the UK. I was able to drive in a nice car, eat in a good restaurant and holiday a few times a year.

I now am able to spend more time with my wife, the stress levels are lower and it doesn’t really matter whether I have the latest i-Phone. We keep on dropping our older phones around the estate so a new phone wouldn’t be shiny for too long!

I really enjoy my new job and my new life. I’m very happy that I decided to change my job at 50.

We both feel privileged to be in a position to live our new lives and know that continuing to work hard and do the best for our guests at GlenMyu Estate should result in a long and fulfilling job and life.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate to experience the Sri Lankan Hill Country

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

Changing jobs at 50 – moving to Sri Lanka Read More »

New Year in Sri Lanka – what is it like?

Holiday, Life in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka / By Mikeez

New Year in Sri Lanka

What happens at New Year in Sri Lanka?

If you Google “New Year in Sri Lanka” you may be surprised to find that rather than the 1st January, a date around the 13th/14th April normally comes up.

Sri Lankans do celebrate the New Year on the 1st January, however it is not as important as the April celebration of Tamil and Singhalese New Year

If you are on holiday in December through to the New Year (1st January) you may be interested in how you can celebrate.

Our experience of New Year in Sri Lanka.

Prior to moving to Sri Lanka, we visited the island regularly to visit my wife family and to explore this paradise island. We happened to be in Sri Lanka over some New Years and were spent them at one of the larger hotels.

At Hotel Club Dolphin, some years ago, the staff had created some amazing ice sculptures which adorned the banquet served outside in the evening. The feast had a vast array of cuisines on offer from local dishes and western for those that wanted to avoid the spices.

There was a DJ and dancing up until the fireworks were lit to welcome in the New Year. I remember “Boney M” hits being played quite often who were big in the charts as I grew up. Sri Lankans love Boney M and it is a good fit with life on this island..

The bizzare moment of the early hours of the 1st January that year was sitting through a Beauty Contest which lots of the foreign guests took part in. I was wondering whether I had drunk too much on the run up to the New Year. It was certainly an odd start to the New Year. Who won? I think that the results were in line with the number of visitors from that particular country! It kept everyone happy and I’m sure that the winners cherish their prizes and memories

Colombo - our experience of New Year.

When we were living in Colombo and had a friend visiting from the UK we went to the Hilton Hotel for Christmas and Waters Edge Hotel for New Year. I mention the Hilton Hotel because the buffet that they served that year was amazing and sticks in my memory. My early morning walk the next day was essential to burn off some of the calories I had enjoyed the previous evening!

Waters Edge for New Year was a different experience however, as enjoyable. We had reserved a table at the Bavarian Bar and Boardwalk which is an outside restaurant near the lake. The buffet was good (but not as good as the Hilton), we had towers of Lion Lager beer and a band played Baila music which we danced to as we saw in the New Year.

The Hill Club, Nuwara Eliya

Prior to the Covid 19 Pandemic we spent New Year with friends at the Hill Club in Nuwara Eliya. This was a formal occasion and an opportunity to wear my kilt. The food was fantastic and there was a lot of dancing in the hotels main function room. We were ushered outside to see in the New Year with a glass in hand.

The fireworks display was the best that I had experienced seeing in the New Year in Sri Lanka. Nothing compares to the New Year fireworks in London, Sydney, Dubai and the other large cities around the world. To be honest, I’m pleased that the fireworks displays on the island are low key as Sri Lanka should prioritise the harmony of the animals and many get spooked with loud unwanted bangs in the night.

What do you do at GlenMyu Estate?

Since opening the hotel we tend to close on the 31st January and see the New Year in with friends. As we only have three bedrooms I don’t think we could provide a worthwhile experience for visitors that a larger hotel could offer.

Also, as we are getting on a bit, staying up until midnight can be a challenge!

What would you recommend to do to see in the New Year in Sri Lanka?

Well, it depends on what you really want to do. The simple solution (but perhaps an expensive one) would be to book a table at a larger hotel where they have advertised a New year function.
It is a good experience and at least you would be spending the time with lots of people who all want to celebrate together.

Be flexible and book your New Year Celebration late?

If you are on the South Coast I would probably suggest that you see what other people at your hotel are planning to do.

There would be a risk booking late however it may be worth doing something on the spur of the moment.

I can imagine that if you are at a surf camp there would be some fun ideas to see in the New Year. You also may want an early night so you can get on the waves early in the morning.

What about Sinhalese and Tamil New Year if I'm here in April?

In Sri Lanka, New Year celebrations start on 13th of April and end in 14th.

Sinhala and Tamil New Year is the biggest celebration in Sri Lanka for local people.

There are a lot of rituals and customs that take place over the two days.

You will hear firecrackers and see fireworks at various times which signify certain elements of the New Year and direct participants on what they should do.

Special food and sweets are prepared for this special celebration.

To provide you with more of an idea of what happens here is the Auspicious Times that were published for 2023’s Sinhala and Tamil New Year that we’re published in Newswire.

They include:

Bathing for the old year
Nonagathana – the neutral time between the ending of the Old year and start of the New Year.
Dawn of the New Year
Preparing of meals
Start of work, transactions and consuming meals.
Anointing of oil
Leaving for work.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country (but not on the 31st December!)

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

New Year in Sri Lanka – what is it like? Read More »

Reading a book? When did you last read a book?

Holiday, Life in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka, Travel / By Mikeez

Reading a book

When did you last read a book?

When did you last read a book? GlenMyu Estate is a perfect place to spend some downtime and get back into the habit of reading a book.

One of the reasons I was happy to move to Sri Lanka was so that I would have more time to do things that I enjoy like reading a book. I often hear the questions “when did you last read a book?”, “what book are you reading at the moment?”, “what book would you recommend?”.

A busy life in London with lots of distractions meant that I had lost the habit of reading for pleasure. As a part of my role at work, I would read lots of technical papers, business books and self help publications to help develop myself and my career.

We brought a lot of books over from the UK and I also have many downloaded on my kindle app. The guilt that I am not reading enough is still with me and I’m sure that it always will be.

I want to read more, but as we experienced in the West, things get in the way.

I think back to when I was a child and I had a voracious appetite for reading and how much joy and pleasure it brought me. Every so I often I would have the opportunity to delve into some fiction and I really enjoyed the experience. However, it was difficult to get back into that habit.

Reading a book - My intentions were good.

I have so many books! Unfortunately I appear to have become a collector, thinking that I may get around to reading this one or that. When the number of books you have that you intend to read is daunting, then perhaps it’s time to declutter and sieve out the ones that you are really going to read.

The good thing about having a surplus number of book for us at GlenMyu Estate, is that there are always plenty of books that can be borrowed whilst you are here.

Distractions that stop you reading a book.

There are many distractions around you that puts reading for pleasure at the back of the queue.

It is so easy to spend too much time on social media scrolling through Instagram reels after reels, YouTube shorts after shorts after ‘Big Bad Brother” has hooked you into a rabbit hole.

The game is to keep you there longer and longer with the hope that the subliminal advertising will impregnate your imagination and create the desire to buy the product that they want to sell you.

We were hooked on TV series when we were living in the UK. An essential diet of “Strictly Come Dancing”, “Who do you think you are?”, Graham Norton’s Friday night chat show and so on stole our time. Sure, we enjoyed it, but if I had my head in a book, would it have been better?

There are so many distractions in everyday life. I wonder what are yours?

Holidays are a perfect time to start that reading habit.

Going on holiday is a great time to release yourself from the rate race and hamster wheel and spend some time with your nose in a book. We find that lots of our guests at GlenMyu Estate are able to relax and start reading a book after a day of adventure seeing the local sights.

Pick up a book at the airport

It’s easy to pick up a book that takes your fancy at the airport. There are rows of eye catching books in WH Smith (and other good book retailers) which are great to take your mind away from home.

Download on you Amazon Kindle or e=book reader.

Maybe you want to pack lighter and take less things with you on holiday due to luggage space and weight restrictions. Downloading some books on your kindle or tablet is a great way to carry your reading matter.

What book should I read?

There are plenty of bestseller lists that you can scour before you travel to see what you would like to read on holiday.

There are lots of recommended reading from celebrities and business leaders that are released very year such as Stephen Fry, Bill Gates, Barack Obama ( I’m not sure whether Mr Trump releases his reading recommendations).

Podcast book recommendations

Several podcasts regularly recommend books. There are some podcasts that do book reviews which may give you some pointers.

At GlenMyu Estate, I like to listen to podcasts Flats and Shanks (ex professional rugby union players: David Flatman and Tom Shanklin), Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewarts: The Rest is Politics, who regularly recommend books to read.

Josie Long’s podcast “Your Booked” will also provide you with plenty of ideas on what is an interesting read.

Books of the year lists, prizes and so on.

Every year there are lists published of the most popular and recommended reads of the year.

There is the Booker Prize, Nobel Prize for Literature, The Bookseller/Diagram award for the Oddest Title of the Year, Franz Kafka Prize, European Union Prize for literature, America Award and many more.

Time Magazine has “The 100 Must-Read books of 2023” (There’s a challenge!) and The Guardian “The 100 Bbest books of the 21st Century” and so on.

Don’t feel guilty about not reading enough books.

According to Wordsrated the total number of new book titles released annually is around 4 million.

It can be estimated that between 500,000 to 1 million of these new titles are published through traditional publishers.

At least 1.7 million self-published titles each year are considered to be produced.

However, as many self-published authors do not use a trackable ISBN, this number would be increased further.

So you have no hope of reading anywhere near a small percentage of the number of books published a year, so don’t feel guilty!

No TV’s at GlenMyu Estate creates an opportunity

I don’t know about you but whenever I travelled abroad I really didn’t enjoy watching television. All this adverts we’re irritating and out me off. Before we left the UK we either watched programmes on catch up is we avoided adverts. Our favourite programs on the BBC had no adverts so we didn’t have to deal with the bombardment of adverts for things we were never going to buy.

We left the UK before the global pandemic and therefore missed the window for binging on Netflix Series. Honestly, at GlenMyu Estate, we don’t think we have missed anything at all.

Now you live in Sri Lanka, how much do you read?

Well, disappointingly, not enough. In life so many things keep getting in the way – or is it just an excuse?

I love reading

Reading brings back memories of joyous times as a child where i would get lost in a book. Time was not important and I entered into a wonderful world which was good fir the imagination and the soul. I am too old for the Harry Potter generations, but I envy the kids that were able to immerse themselves into that world. It must have been the same for readers of Tolkien, Pratchett and King.

The joy I had when my nieces in Colombo were fixed in a book desperate to find out what the next page had in store. I yearn for those times again.

I know that I won’t be able to read as many books as I would like, but I’m determined to allocate more time and try.

How can I increase the number of books that I read?

There are lots of different avenues that you can go down to get the discipline and habit to read more books.

Reading a book - The Book Club

My mother is part of a book club where a book is chosen by one of the group. At the end of the month the book is critiqued and discussed by all. This is a great way to be disciplined into reading a book a month at least.

Taking a tip from a neighbour who has years of experience

One of our friends and neighbours sets aside an hour every evening to read in his balcony. A bachelor, he is accompanied by his dogs while he sits and finds it a good way to end the day.

I admire his discipline and will try to follow his example and discipline.

Time to get some discipline into my life!

What I need is some discipline that will create the habit of reading books again. A goal needs to be set and the first step needs to be taken.

When should I start reading a book?

There’s no better time than the present. Turn off the phone, set aside one hour and get on with it.

Now I am off to pick up a book. Hopefully you are too!

Take some time out to read on holiday in Sri Lanka.

GlenMyu Estate is located in five acres of the Sri Lankan Hill country.

There are lots of places to sit and take time out to read a book whilst surrounded by nature.

Find out more about GlenMyu Estate by visiting our website.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

Reading a book? When did you last read a book? Read More »

The Natural Spring Fed Infinity Swimming Pool at GlenMyu Estate

The Joy of a morning swim

Holiday, Life in Sri Lanka, Natural Swimming Pool, Sri Lanka, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka / By Mikeez

The Joy of a morning swim

The Joy of a morning swim. I found this again in the Sri Lankan Hill Country.

Inspired by recent guest from the UK I am now back enjoying a morning swim at GlenMyu Estate. Habits are easy to break. My wife and I were swimming on a regular basis before going on a short trip back to the UK.

A lame excuse!

We had an excuse when we returned.
In October it is our rainy season during the inter-monsoon.

Usually, we plan our swim for the afternoon after working on the estate when we don’t have guests. I really like swimming around 4.30 pm as the severity of the sun starts to weaken.

So, with downpours in the afternoon we made us a flimsy excuse and missed our daily swim. It’s not a great excuse and with hindsight there was no reason why we should not have swum every day.

The mornings are also good.

Swimming in the afternoon allows the sun to warm up the water a bit. This means that the first entry into the spring water fed pool is a little more gentle. We have no heating in the pool so you really have to have mind over matter sometimes, and just dive in. Once you have swum a couple of lengths then the temperature is lovely.

There are times during the year when we get a lot of sun in the Hill Country, particularly in May when the sun is directly over Sri Lanka. Also during mid June to early September it is quite warm with little rain. When there has been sun I don’t have to be as courageous and it is easy to jump in the water. Actually, during some times of the year my wife and I think that the water is a little too hot and we don’t enjoy swimming as much at those times.

A morning swim makes you feel alive!

There have been times when I have done a morning swim and an afternoon swim, depending on my workload at the estate. I feel really healthy and refreshed swimming twice a day. It is a really a joy to swim in the morning and I really feel alive.

Have a look at our YouTube videos and Shorts by visiting our YouTube channel.

During October, generally, the rains came in the afternoon. So my pathetic excuse for not swimming was not valid.

Inspiration needed, inspiration comes.

Our most recent guests have just left and their last words were that they hoped we would start using the pool and wanted to see photographic evidence!

The couple were from the UK and they swam every day during their four day spell at GlenMyu Estate. Although the inter-monsoon rains were due to be completed, it still did rain quite often during their stay. This did not stop them from swimming and they did not make up an excuse like I did.

It turns out that the husband of the couple grew up with a swimming pool at his parents house and was used to swimming every morning. It’s a good habit and excellent that this has stayed with him all his life. You could see the joy that this lovely couple had swimming every morning, and some afternoon.

Another way I was inspired to swim in our fresh water pool was from listening to one of the many podcasts I subscribe to. “The Rest is Politics” podcast is hosted by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart and is a regular listen. Alastair Campbell goes for an early morning cold water swim in Hampstead Heath Pond and Lido. Here is a quote from and interview with Felix Online (the student paper of Imperial College London).

“By August 2022, I was three months into my cold-water swimming obsession. I had been swimming regularly at the Mixed Pond on Hampstead Heath and, supported by the friendly lifeguards and fellow swimmers, had become hooked on the experience of immersing myself in both cold water and nature”.

Well, this was the inspiration that I needed.

The couple left yesterday and I was in the pool this morning. What a joy! The fresh start to the day was really energising and I feel so good. I regretted missing this experience which I could have enjoyed every day.

So, hopefully, this is the start to a good new habit. A joyous morning swim every day – and perhaps one in the afternoon — rain permitting!

Stay at GlenMyu Estate to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and swim!

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

The Joy of a morning swim Read More »