Staycation At Karpaha Sands, Kalkudah - Hotel Review

Ever since COVID-19 had us confined to the comfort of our homes, we've wanted to escape them. Whether it was just to take a trip to your favourite restaurant, see your friends or travel the world, we were all itching to do it. As the world tentatively opens up again, I'm still cautious as to whether or not international travel is the best option. But I knew I wanted to travel, somewhere. Lucky for me, I get to live half of my life on a tropical island in the middle of the Indian Ocean with endless possibilities of places to visit. So we took a trip from the West Coast of Sri Lanka to the East for few days at the end of July as our first trip since COVID-19 and let me tell you, it was the best few days of 2020 (so far).

Normally when we travel within Sri Lanka, we have our staple places and one of those is Jungle Beach by Uga, but much to our dismay the resort is closed until next year. *Sigh*. So we took to our friend Google to search for more boutique hotels on the East Coast and after browsing through places, I came across one place that a.) we hadn't heard of before and b.) looked absolutely gorgeous. Karpaha Sands on Kalkudah Beach, Passikuda ended up being the spot that we chose and we couldn't have been happier. 

With a number #1 ranking from Trip Advisor and named as one of the best Asian beach hotels by The Telegraph, it's easy to understand why when you get there. 

Situated on the East Coast, this hotel is a little dream on the edge of the ocean. It's beautifully secluded with villa rooms on a gorgeous stretch of beach; the ideal place to relax for a few days. Our trip here was wonderful and needed after being cooped up in the house for so long. Taking a breath of fresh air, listening to the waves and feeling the sand between your toes was just great. 

Here's my rundown of Karpaha Sands!

 

 Location:

It was a little hard to find the hotel at first, I mean we missed the turning because we didn't catch a board at the top of the road. But thank God for Google Maps. After you turn off the main road, you head through a long stretch of unpaved beach road and as you drive down, you may think you've missed it. But then you see the board that navigates you the right way and you know that when you reach the hotel, you will for sure be at the edge of the sea. The hotel is situated on a secluded beach that only hears the waves on the shore, the breeze running through the coconut trees and the occasional chants of fishermen tugging their nets to shore. At the time that we went, there wasn't as many people as there would be during a normal peak time season, which Summer usually is, but I quite enjoyed the tranquility and being able to take in the location privately. As you enter the hotel, you're greeted with a beautiful fisherman boat in the foyer that opens to a reception that looks out onto a pathway lined with araliya trees with the horizon line in the distance. If that doesn't completely sell you straight away, then I don't know what will. 

 

Sleep:

We stayed in one of the Palam Suites; "palam" in Tamil means "fruit" and these suites offer you the greatest fruit of all - a direct access and view of the ocean. Whenever we go on a trip, especially within Sri Lanka, we like to look for more villa style rooms for privacy and Karpaha Sands was perfect for that. The room has a cabin-tent vibe with an open plan space. You have an outdoor veranda which works as the "porch" into your room with double sliding glass doors. In the room, you have a small seating area and a super comfy bed sits in the middle of the room, giving you the perfect view of what seems like endless sand, rows of magnificent coconut trees and the beautiful blue of the ocean beyond. This space is then separated by a small wall and curtains that lead into a beautiful open bathroom space with his and hers sinks in the middle, a major bathtub, storage areas, a little tea & coffee nook with a mini fridge, and finally an outdoor shower. Basically, everything you need is in one room of course and it's so cosy that we pretty much spent most our time in the room (also, it was a bit rainy whilst we were there so...)

Eat: 

Ps: Basically got no other photos of food because we got too excited and ate, so my bad.

We went to the resort on a half board package, which allowed us breakfast included in the price. For breakfast, which we decided to have on the outdoor patio each morning, we had the option of either traditional Sri Lankan breakfast (which is a must anywhere you go) and Western options as well. We got a bit of everything and honestly, the breakfast spread is insane. Along with what you order, you receive a full bread tray, fruit, juices and more. And because you end up having so much, you probably won't eat lunch. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no buffet options available, however there are à la carte menus available for lunch and dinner, which range from a bit lower than Rs.1000/- and upwards. We had some wonderful meals of seafood, which is all fresh so if you are choosing from the à la carte menu, we definitely recommend any of the seafood. Room service were brilliant too, with the same à la carte menus available for your room and quick turnaround service when it came to restocking tea and coffee (which we tend to have a lot of). The service was brilliant when it came to food, so much so that they even made my Mum a little birthday cake last minute and it was so delicious! Only other thing I'll say is that they do not serve any alcohol at the moment, but you are allowed to bring you own, so pack yourself a bottle of wine or two. And if you don't, the staff will happily source for you. 

 

Relax:

Along with the beautiful beach front, the resort offers an infinity pool by the main building area that also looks out onto the ocean, where you can relax on a sun lounger or take a dip in the pool. Or you can head right down to the sea salt water and sand. The other thing that I loved was that there were bean bags dotted across the beach, which would be perfect for relaxing in with your favourite book as you soak up some sun. There's also offerings of a spa, a games room, a library, gardens across the property and the bar lounge for spaces outside of your room. 

COVID-19 Precautions:

As soon as you get to the hotel, you don't even need to worry. A member of staff will come and greet you, check your temperature and make sure you sanitise by washing your hands and placing your footwear in a disinfectant mat. They also continue to check your temperature twice a day just to make sure. There's also social distancing measures in place in the restaurant whereby they have limited capacity of seating so as to insure as much safety as possible. Anyway, since there was less people at the resort at the time, we didn't have to worry as much. But the staff did a fantastic job of making sure that not only we felt safe, but they themselves were too complying with the health and safety guides implemented by the Sri Lankan Tourism Board. 

 

Extras:

Something that I thought was completely unique to the experience was technology you get with your room. Of course you get your usual room key, but you also get your own mobile phone that works as the room phone and your free Wifi provider (through personal hotspot), so you can pretty much carry that around with you throughout the resort. You also get a little bluetooth speaker so you can play your music a little louder and a torch to get around the property. Honestly, I thought the mobile phone was a truly great little extra because it also was so easy to contact staff around the hotel and also, whatever bills you have from your meals or any other experiences get sent to you immediately through that! So it's much easier to keep track of things for yourself. 

Though it rained a little bit during our trip and we truly lazed about, it was probably one of the most relaxing trips we've ever had. I cannot tell you how much we enjoyed that mini getaway at Karpaha Sands. The service was great, the ambience was beautiful and just overall the hotel made such an impression on us that we know we'll one day definitely visit again. 

So if you live in Sri Lanka and are in need of a staycation, or if you're making Sri Lanka one of the first destinations you visit when the borders are fully open, then definitely add Karpaha Sands to your list. 

I hope you enjoyed this review and if you want to see more, let me know! If you want more destinations/recommendations within Sri Lanka (for now, since I'm not doing international travel just yet), then do let me know in the comments below. 

I hope you're staying safe and well. Sending you lots of love, 

Emily xx

#Unfair&Lovely: Why Changing A Name Doesn't Change The Decades Long Narrative

**Post updated on Thursday 23rd July 2020 to include extra story**

When the Black Lives Matter movement took centre stage after the murder of George Floyd, a flood of emotion came through to fight against racism, injustice, systemic bias and prejudice. And rightly so because enough is truly enough. It brought up a lot for the black communities or the world, but it also brought up more conversations between minority cultures as a whole. One of those conversations was about skin whitening. 

Author, actress and Top Chef host, Padma Lakshmi shared a tweet last month about "Fair & Lovely", a popular Indian skin whitening brand, and criticised it, calling ultimately for its disbanding. Thought Lakshmi was not the instigator of the conversation (it's been going on for a while, trust me), it definitely opened up the topic wider in a time when awareness is at the forefront of everyone's minds. 

Fair & Lovely, owned by Unilever, launched in 1975 and has been a leading skincare brand in South Asia, racking up billions of rupees every year. The company was brought to the spotlight as of late due to overwhelming criticism and a call for action by people. Their response? A name change but a continuation of selling their products, whose key ingredient is niacinamide - a melanin suppressor, a chemical the brand patented in 1971. 

  

The newly proposed name would take out the word "Fair" and replace it with "Glow", as well as losing the words "fair/fairer", "whiten/whitening" and "lighter/lightening" from their branding. Yet they still plan to sell the products. While some consider this a step in the right direction to fight colourism, I on the other hand think it's a total cop out.

Changing the name to "Glow & Lovely" doesn't take away the fact that "Fair & Lovely", it's previous household known name, is still a skin-whitening product that promotes to South Asian women the idea that in order to be validated, they have to be a lighter skin colour. It also doesn't change the fact that Unilever and Hindustan Unilever specifically will continue to sell the product; the only change being smacking a slightly different label on the packaging. 

And it seems like Unilever isn't the only company making a change since the online backlash resulting from the amplification of melanated voices from the Black Lives Matter movement. Johnson & Johnson also made the decision in June to pull certain skin-lightening products, such as their Neutrogena Fine Fairness and Clean & Clear Fairness lines, amidst questioning from Buzzfeed News. 

The Skin Whitening Industry, that is primarily focused towards Asia, the Middle East & Africa is a multibillion dollar earner that is dominated by conglomerates Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, L'Oreal and Proctor & Gamble. The targeted products for these areas are not sold in the US nor the UK and if sold, are targeted only towards Asian or Black-owned stores.

Fair & Lovely India Advert

Fair & Lovely Sri Lanka Advert

For years, advertising of products have shown the ideal that these skincare products are not only going to help your skin, they'll indefinitely change your life. Many Bollywood stars who have been the faces of products or brands completely have been slammed as of late for protesting against racism yet endorsing products that advertise that whiter skin is better. Priyanka Chopra Jonas has been at the forefront of the backlash on celebrities. 

Over her career she has endorsed a few skin whitening products and it's been problematic; not just her endorsement but the adverts themselves. In 2008, Chopra Jonas played a key part in the Pond's White Beauty advert campaign alongside Saif Ali Khan & Neha Dhupia. The premise of the advert is that Khan and Chopra Jonas were in a relationship, he then leaves her for Dhupia's evidently whiter skintoned character and when Chopra Jonas sees an advert for the Pond's product, she suddenly thinks that's going to fix her problem, get her back her man and give her the illusion of confidence. Oh, this advert was split into a series of episodes. Don't believe me? Watch it for yourself. 

Pond's White Beauty Advert Series, 2008

Yeah, that happened. And Priyanka is not the only Bollywood actress who I've seen endorse such products; Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and more. Even male actors such as Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. Not only have they endorsed or maybe used the products, they've even reportedly undergone skin whitening treatments in order to appease some product of colonialism that makes it impossible for women or even men to be accepted the colour they were born. Skin whitening isn't the only treatment that is evident in Bollywood either; all sorts of surgeries can be seen taking place such as nose jobs, lip fillers, implants, reductions etc. But let's get back to the topic at hand; if everyone and their mum is out there constantly promoting and advertising skin whitening creams, wouldn't you feel the pressure?

  

These adverts have been far and wide across South Asia especially; they're a regularity on my TV screen and have been for years now. It's not something that I was privy to in my childhood because in England, you don't get advertising for skin whitening or lightening creams. But when I moved to Sri Lanka back in 2009, I can guarantee you that during every ad break you would see at least one of these commercials on screen promoting said products. You would be lucky if you saw none and most of the time you would definitely see two, or the same advert twice. No wonder it's multibillion dollar industry. 

Looking at my own skin, I know that I suffer with pigmentation from breakouts and it definitely affects how I feel. And while people suggested I use whitening creams to combat it, I steered clear of that. Not just down to my own decision, but my mum's influence too. She's known of the effects of skin whitening cream for so long and never, ever wanted me to use them. My Mum has told me stories of when she was younger where she would be called "darker" or considered not as good looking because she was "darker" than her friends, some of whom were using creams to make their skin fairer. Let me tell you something about my mother; the lady is beautiful - always has been, always will be and she's never changed, not for anyone. This is probably one of the biggest reasons I love and admire her so much. 

 

You see, my Mum has this ironwill and she doesn't let anything get to her. Maybe on the initial delivery of those types of comments it might have hurt, but after that it just went right over her head because she has never been bothered about what other people think. I wish I was more like her in that way. Due to her strong mentality, I never felt that pressure to change my skin to fit into some ideal that is held over South Asians or Middle Eastern or Black communities. I'm lucky, but not everyone is. I've been told when I was little that I was ugly because I'm brown (when I was the only brown kid in my primary school) or that I can't be this or that because of the colour of my skin. But why does a different pigmentation automatically diminish one's worth or opportunities? Why is it that colonialism which ended years ago has effects that are still ricochetting into everyday life? 

This article on BBC News on girls who use whitening creams to make themselves more  confident shows exactly the kind of pressures faced in South Asian communities and it doesn't come down to advertising and product placement; it can stem from home too. 

via Kinita Shenroy

An outrageous story that I read and heard about, which I wish I heard about earlier, was that of Kinita Shenroy, the ex editor in chief of Cosmopolitan Sri Lanka. According to a Buzzfeed News article written by Megha Rajagopalan, Shenroy was sent packages by Unilever of Pond's White Beauty products back in 2017 & 2018 - the first package of which she ignored because she had already told their marketers she would not be promoting skin whitening. The second package however she couldn't ignore due to the pressure from the Unilever team for Shenroy to publish about the products on social media. Sticking to her own ground, Shenroy asked the question of why we are still being forced to promote skin whitening instead of accepting who we are. 

via Kinita Shenroy & Buzzfeed

Read the article for the full outrageous story (as the pressures faced in Sri Lankan beauty pageants), but I'll get to the climatic point of it: Unilever pressured Cosmo Sri Lanka's publishers to fire her or guarantee advertising over two pages every six months of Shenroy's use of Pond's products. Shenroy stood firm and left the magazine, and journalism altogether even after taking legal action and contacting heads of Unilever. Unilever still maintains a good relationship with Cosmo Sri Lanka and is advertising on a regular basis. Can you believe that? All because a woman said no to an age old narrative that she didn't want her readers to be influenced into. But I have to commend Kinita for her headstrong bravery that did not allow her to bow down to a conglomerate that threatened her.

Even with all the protesting going on social media across the brown girl gangs, it's still yet to take true effect. I want to share this advert from a Sri Lankan brand called "Lia", which my girl Upandha shared with me and I was shocked when I watched it. Even more shocked when I realised the advert was released a month ago. A MONTH.

For those of you who don't speak Sinhala, I'll break down the ad for you: a girl get's a phone call from a friend who says she's getting married and wants the girl to be her bridesmaid. The girl immediately proceeds to look at her skin and ask herself "how can she be bridesmaid like this?" She then gets a text saying there's a gift for her at home, she heads home, finds the gift and opens it to reveal a myriad of skin whitening products or "Diamond Fairness" products. The camera then pans up to a wall to show the said-friend who's getting married as way whiter than the girl who's been given the gift. And then we get a round down of the products, which includes creams, face wash and even A SUPPLEMENT. And then comes the wedding day and she's suddenly a whole bunch of shades lighter, catching the bouquet and supposedly happier. Just watch it because I can't even make this shit up. 

Lia Sri Lanka Advert, 2020

The sad fact is that this advert is one of many and they don't seem to be going away. And no longer is it just the pressure to actually apply a cream but I know countless women who use Facetune or similar apps to whiten their skin in photos before they post them. It's a ridiculous archaic societal pressure that shouldn't be felt. But that's easier said than done. 

Skin whitening is just the surface of deep rooted issues against race. And while we collectively call for change, we need to do more. So allowing a brand like Fair & Lovely or a conglomerate like Unilever to stick on half a different label to a range of products that earns millions of dollars a year and thinking that will fix the problem cannot slide. Do they really think that changing the name to "Glow & Lovely" is going to hide the fact that they are still selling and advertising products with the key ingredient as a melanin suppressor? Or that they are still going to overwhelmingly promote the idea that to be the best, your skin has to be whiter? 

Here's the ultimate point I want to make; changing a name on a label, removing a word or words, marketing differently isn't going to change the fact that there's this overwhelming pressure on people of colour to change their skin to fit some out of touch societal point that fairer is better. Who decided that? Colonisation? And even now that colonisation is way over we're still accepting those ideals? It's funny when you think about how lighter or white skin tones constantly want to tan or be a darker shade, but melanin skin tones are criticised if considered too dark.

Meghan Markle, The Duchess Of Sussex gave a speech for the 2020 Girl Up Leadership Summit recently and there's one particular line that resonated with me and that I feel works perfectly here.

"Chase your convictions with action."

The fight against colourism may have not just begun, but it should be continued. We, regardless of gender or race, should fight for a world where these sort of issues aren't just accepted or spoken about for a moment. These are ongoing battles that need support. We live in a world now where our voices can be heard by multitudes with the touch of a button on a screen. Continue your support in the Black Lives Matter movement, don't let your voice fall short there. Continue your support in issues like #UnfairAndLovely. Call out to those who need to be told. Have the hard conversations. 

But most importantly, remember that you, however look, whatever your skin tone, you are beautiful and no one should ever make you feel differently. 

Sending you lots of love & hope you're staying safe,

Emily xx

10+ Sri Lankan Brands You Need To Know

Lois London

Things are slowly shifting across the world to regain a different kind of normalcy, and while restrictions lift and change, we still have to adhere to some basic rules. Keep washing your hands, wear your face masks when you go out and socially distance because we aren't in the clear yet. 

Since summer is here as well and the prospect of travelling is not truly in the cards, I wanted to focus on supporting my local community. I'm currently in Sri Lanka, and honestly, there's no better place to be. With that in mind, I wanted to think about ways I can support businesses or people here during this time. And as everyone's moving with a little more freedom of movement, it may just be an excuse to update your wardrobe. So I wanted to share some Sri Lankan brands that I found and that have been suggested to me that are just too stunning to not support.

*All images sourced via Instagram & Brand sites*

 

Persona Apparel

I thought it would be perfect to start with Persona because we still need to stay safe, protect ourselves and others, so why not invest in a mask. My friend, Mehr, actually shared this brand with me and I'm glad she did. These face masks are washable, reusable and far cooler than those medical ones. You can also get delivery island wide too! Also, they are super affordable and come in various designs!

 

Aadna Jewellery

My mum actually found this one while scrolling through Instagram (thank you promotions/adverts). I was instantly drawn to the brand because of their dainty gold chain pieces, but as I scrolled further through their Instagram, the list of pieces I suddenly wanted started to add up. It's truly a brand to buy staple jewellery pieces from that you can stack and mix and match with.

 

Maus

I discovered Maus by the PR boutique here in Sri Lanka and I'm so glad I did. The brand has clothing, swimwear, footwear and accessories ranges that are stunning and on-trend. In statement solid colours, their clothing line allows for versatile wear and accessorising. Some of my favourite pieces have to be the Classic Shirt Dress and Lace Up Heels that I need to get my hands on immediately. 

  

Lois London

I cannot express how much I love the pieces from this brand, they are absolutely stunning. Designer Radhika Perera-Hernandez, like me, is a British-born Sri Lankan who's style influenced by both the East and West. Her gowns are extremely elegant and perfect for any major occasion you have coming up. A piece that you have to check out is the Endless Dress - with detachable and adjustable straps, it can be worn in countless ways for multiple stylings so you'll never get bored. 

  

Anuk

Another brand that was both recommended to me and that I found on PR. Anuk is such a beautiful brand with gorgeous silhouettes that are perfect for island life. I love their aesthetic and the simplicity of their clothing that allows for dynamic and multiple wear. I also adore that they describe themselves as designing their brand around "lazy elegance" and there's nothing more that I relate to. That's all I have to say. 

  

 

The Design Collective

Okay if you want to find a range of Sri Lankan brands/designers, The Design Collective is most definitely one of the first places you should try. With over 50 Sri Lankan and South Asian brands across the board of clothing, accessories and beauty, you'll find something for you. Some of the brands that I have to mention are; 

Nika by Rukshani

Ilena The Label

Pigeon Island Swimwear

Seda

Aquilla Swimwear

Maia

The Silk Body

Coast Botanics

Iris Garden

I've tried and tested Iris Garden's Fuller's Earth Facial Pack and I love it. It was so beneficial when my skin was having an awful time with breakouts and pigmentation and I still use it now on a regular basis. It's 100% Vegetarian and organic, as well as suitable for all skin types. It's a mixture of Fuller's Earth (a flour mix), Turmeric and Gram Flour and you mix it with water for a really easy face mask. You can also mix it with things like coconut water, almond milk, rose water or honey and curd - depending on the texture you want. It's a great mask and for that reason I know that I would trust all their products. It's great value for money and perfect for all the natural beauty lovers out there.

 

Absolute

If there's anything we should and can have endless of amounts of, it's wardrobe basics. Absolute is a brand that focuses on the essentials such as T-shirts, shirts and dresses in versatile colours and styles. Baring in mind that I need to add some new basics into my wardrobe, I'm going to start here. Of course the t-shirts are the first thing that drew my eye to this brand, but I also really love their slip dress as well because I could definitely see myself living in it - just hanging out at home but need to be dressed? Put on the slip. A casual lunch? Wear the slip. Dinner and you've got nothing to wear? Jazz up the slip. I always find that essentials and basics like these have limitless uses and give you all the more reason to purchase one (or multiple). 

 

 

Nakota Tuwa

Another brand that I found on Instagram and that I'm now obsessed with is Nakota Tuwa. It's the perfect brand for Island wear; floaty, comfy looking silhouettes that make you want to be by the beach all day. They have women and menswear, so there's something for everyone in classic styles and colours that allow for versatile wear. Their maxi dresses have caught my eye and I want every single one. These are styles that my mum and I wear on a regular basis, so of course I am in love. They also have yoga wear pieces that are so cute.

 

 

Duduchava

I swear, Instagram just knows what I'm looking for because I keep finding gorgeous brands that I hadn't heard of! Duduchava is a super sweet brand that creates pieces perfect for island life. Their current collection is dedicated to "home", designed and inspired by lockdown with navy & off-white pieces made from what looks like super comfy organic cotton. The other piece that I came across from the brand that I'm truly obsessed with is the Noémie dress - and you will see why. It's such a stunning on trend dress with this gorgeous gathered design to one side. Yeah, so I'm in love with that piece. Such a gorgeous brand that you have to check out!

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These are simply a few out of countless brands that are born in Sri Lankan or by Sri Lankans. I have loved finding them and sharing with you. We all know about the high street and designer brands that everyone shops from, but it's also nice to look at brands that are locally designed and developed. So wherever you are in the world, find those smaller businesses that you can support right now when they probably need it most! And if you're in Sri Lanka, check out these brands and if you already know of some that I haven't included, please send them through to me! I'd love to know as many as I can. 

I hope you enjoyed this post. Hoping you're staying safe and well!

Lots of Love, 

Emily xx