Experience
GEOFFREY BAWA: AN ISLAND VISIONARY
NEGOMBO I DAMBULLA I KANDY I COLOMBO I BENTOTA I GALLE I TANGALLE
WHEN TO GO
NOVEMBER – MAY
IDEAL LENGTH
13 DAYS
FLIGHT TIME
15 HOURS 45 MINUTES FROM AUCKLAND
DESTINATIONS
7
This tour draws pure inspiration from the late, great and talented Sri Lankan architect, Geoffrey Bawa. Sri Lanka is often visited for its dreamy beaches and balmy weather, but it also holds a strong modern design and architectural history that’s often overlooked. Bawa helped give Sri Lanka an individual and sophisticated sense of style and produced sustainable architecture long before it became a fashionable trend. On this exciting and stirring itinerary, not only will you visit the places he lived in, designed and drew inspiration from but you will also stay in some of these places.
MAKE THIS ITINERARY YOURS
Inspired by what you see? Remember we design each itinerary around you, so this suggested itinerary is a starting point that we can tweak or transform into something that is entirely you. If we need to start from scratch, lets start with a conversation.
ARTIST
Start your Bawa journey in Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle where you will visit such sights as Dambulla, Anuradhapura and Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Granted World Heritage status by UNESCO, the rock fortress is possibly one of Sri Lanka’s most extraordinary and mesmerising sights. From Dambulla to Kandy, explore this historical and cultural city. As Sri Lanka’s artistic heart, here you will meet two of the island’s best and most captivating artists.
ART & FOOD
Next, head to the capital city of Colombo and visit Geoffrey Bawa’s home and architectural studio, now transformed into Colombo’s most loved restaurant, The Gallery Café. Whilst Bawa’s office has been transformed into a bar, the space has been kept much as it was during Bawa’s time with an open courtyard and a reflecting pool.
COAST
Continue on to his country house estate Lunuganga, close to the beach resort of Bentota. This masterpiece was a true labour of love, a 50 year project which documented his ability to tame wild tropics and turn them into a cultivated vision. Follow the coast and explore the fort in Galle where quaint boutique stores are found within lovingly restored old houses. End your stay relaxing in the beach resort of Tangalle at ‘The Last House’, which, as the name suggests, was Bawa’s final architectural creation.
WHAT’S IN STORE FOR YOU
NEGOMBO CITY TOUR I SIGIRIYA ROCK FORTRESS I LOCAL VILLAGE TOUR I THE THREE TEMPLE LOOP TOUR I ART & PHILOSOPHY TOUR DRUMMING LESSON I COLOMBO’S CULTURE TOUR I EXPLORATION OF BAWA’S WORKS I THE LUNUGANGA ESTATE I MASK MAKING
OTHER EXPERIENCES YOU MAY LIKE
Didn’t see anything for you? No worries. Let us know what your dream trip is and we’ll help you create it.