A morning boat cruise, breakfast on an island and a luxury stay at Cinnamon Lodge in Sri Lanka

A morning boat cruise, breakfast on an island and a luxury stay at Cinnamon Lodge in Sri Lanka

A morning boat cruise, breakfast on an island and a luxury stay at Cinnamon Lodge in Sri Lanka

 

It  was an early morning and I was invited to take an early morning cruise on a man-made lake by Cinnamon Lodge in Habanara to view all the amazing wildlife that were up early to greet the day and typically find their food around the lake. The boatmen, local fishermen from the village are typically hired for these morning tours of the lake along with a nature guide from Cinnamon Nature trails to give you a first hand experience of the wonderful birds and wildlife that live on this man-made lake fronting the Cinnamon Lodge.

 

Fishermen and tour guides for the mornings lake cruise

Fishermen and tour guides for the mornings lake cruise

 

 

I was a little worried about bringing my DSLR on the canoe so I opted to use my cell phone instead which turned okay image wise, so hopefully it shows well even for a cloudy and drizzly day on the morning cruise.  The guide pointed out all the magnificent birds that were around the lake that morning: king fishers, purple egrets, white egrets, hawks and too many others for me to remember.

Along the shoreline I spotted a trail of asian elephants carrying tourists along the trails with their mahouts guiding them, making for a very exotic vista. Unfortunately it was too far to capture a decent image and my cell phone which didn’t really zoom to well for a distance shot.  Unlike the treatment of elephants for tourism in other Asian countries, the mahouts here only do a few tours in the morning and later take their elephants for a nice bath and scrub and feeding so I didn’t really see any mistreatment and considering that Asian elephants were used primarily in the logging and farming industries in Sri Lanka, this is a more tame and humane way to treat them, at least from what I observed.

 

 

 

 

Paddling through these giant water lilly pads in a man made lake

Paddling through these giant water lily pads in a man-made lake

 

We slowly crossed these huge lily pads above, I didn’t get to see any blooms, but aren’t they amazing? After a clearing the fishermen stopped to set up their nets for the mornings catch and will later come back in the early evening to pull in the fish caught in the nets.

 

Putting out a net for the mornings catch

Putting out a net for the mornings catch

 

 

 

Crossing a small bridge for an island breakfast at Cinnamon Lodge in Habanara

Crossing a small bridge for an island breakfast at Cinnamon Lodge in Habanara

 

 

After a nice and slow cruise with the nature guide showing me most of the mornings wildlife activities on the lake, we came back to an amazing breakfast on an island that you have to cross a little wooden bridge to get to the island. What was waiting just for me was totally outstanding, a breakfast table set with a delicious array of fruits, breads and any type of omelet or meats you want prepared on the spot. I opted for the typical hoppers (like a crepe) filled with an egg, spices and some bacon and it was perfectly prepared just the way I wanted to enjoy the local specialty.  I find out that the lodge will customize any type of event on the island to fit your preference: a wedding, anniversary, barbecue or just a gathering, it’s all done to what you would like to have and the food you would like, sweet!

 

Breakfast fruit all ready at Cinnamon Lodge in Habanara

Breakfast fruit all ready at Cinnamon Lodge in Habanara

 

My breakfast hoppers is made to order with any toppings – I settled on mushrooms, bacon, eggs and some sambal to give it a nice little kick. The staff serving my breakfast were all so friendly and accommodating – I think they all show amazing pride and spirit working for the Cinnamon hotel brand.

 

Break hoppers made to order at Cinnamon Lodge in Habanara

Break hoppers made to order at Cinnamon Lodge in Habanara

 

The table is set for breakfast by the lake, so glad I have a big appetite this morning!

 

 

Breakfast with an island view, Cinnamon Lodge Habanara

Breakfast with an island view, Cinnamon Lodge Habanara

 

 

 

 

Wow, what a breakfast, pretty hearty since it’s only for a party of one. It’s a good thing I came with a big appetite after the morning cruise on the lake at Habanara.

 

Breakfast is served on the island at Cinnamon Lodge in Habanara

Breakfast is served on the island at Cinnamon Lodge in Habanara

 

 

After a very nice and long breakfast, I accepted another tour of the edible farms on the perimeter of the property to check out what they are growing for consumption at the hotel. I met up with the grounds care taker and one of the sous chefs to collect some edible fruits and vegetables for the evenings meal which the chef will be creating an incredible meal for the evening along with some of the fish from the mornings catch on the lake.

 

 

 

 

Touring the edible gardens at Cinnamon Lodge in Habanara

Touring the edible gardens at Cinnamon Lodge in Habanara

 

 

 

Edible tree flowers at Cinnamon Lodge in Habanara

Edible tree flowers at Cinnamon Lodge in Habanara

 

We visited the various sections of the organic garden and harvested a variety of greens, edible flowers and even some quail eggs from their hatchery. It was a fun tour but getting later in the morning, the weather started to get quite humid – a perfect time to get to the pool and enjoy a little siesta under a big umbrella.

 

 

The stunning pool at Cinnamon Lodge in Habanara

The stunning pool at Cinnamon Lodge in Habanara

 

Afterwards, I took a nice nap in my gorgeous bedroom, when things are so well-appointed at the Lodge, it’s very difficult to even venture outside when there are enough activities built into Cinnamon’s Lodge stays so easy and luxurious. I’m so glad I built-in some down time after a rather hectic five days of continuous traveling around the island, so I’m glad to lay low for a bit and just indulge. Thank you for visiting today and getting a glimpse of a luxury stay at Cinnamon Lodge in Habanara, Sri Lanka. Please do visit the other travel bloggers participating in today’s link up for Travel Photo Mondays. If you decide to stay at Cinnamon Lodge in Habanara, they will plan any custom dining experiences for you on the island or any part of the resort, just inquire with the concierge for more details.

 

I visited Sri Lanka for TBCAsia, hosted by Cinnamon Hotels. Thanks also to Sri Lankan Airlines for flying me there from London and Cinnamon Nature Trails for taking me through this lovely lake and tour of the edible gardens at Cinnamon Lodge in Habanara, Sri Lanka. All opinions and thoughts, as always, are my own

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