After a life-changing retreat to Kalukanda House, Harriet Forde turned 60 and ditched her 36-year career in interior design for an exploration of food and a more holistic lifestyle. We spoke to her about the transformational journey, and about the retreat. And now we want to go too.

Do you even know who you are anymore?

The emotional fallout over the last few years has made a retreat from the fast pace and crushing pressure of the ever-growing, extremely demanding, corporate world particularly appealing. But knowing whether to alter your actual career can be difficult to figure out.

The career change is something that had been brewing for a long time

Your identity may be rooted in a working environment if you have been in one line of work for many years. Discovering who you are, without that foundation, may seem daunting and make it harder to know when to move on.

Harriet Forde is an interior and textile designer, mother of two, wife, and founder of Harriet Forde Design. Approaching 60, Harriet felt that she was ready for change. But it was her stay at Kalukanda House that truly allowed space for reflection. And gave her a clearer perspective on the way forward.

“The career change is something that had been brewing for a long time,” she says. “Staying at Kalukunda house reinforced the need to let go of the old and create space for the new.”

Harriet’s experience

Harriet Forde

While being a successful entrepreneur, Harriet has always enjoyed the moments of “me time” she has got from cooking, yoga, travelling, massage, meditation and reading. Yet it was her experience at this retreat that was the pivotal moment in her journey to her new career in food and nutrition.

She described the retreat as “perfectly put together,” and great for those who need some time out to be surrounded by like-minded creatives. Harriet explained that each activity had its benefits: “Doing yoga every day was definitely a plus for my body – I loved the stretch! The gong bath and cacao ceremony are still clearly in my mind seven months later. The massage was amazing too… I knew I needed this week of unapologetic devotion to my body.”

Harriet explained she took part in the Journey to the Heart retreat because it called to her and everything she craved. She had no nerves when embarking on this journey because she had so much faith in the people and the process. She knew one of the founders, Dee Gibson, and decided it was the right call for her.

“Dee described the programme and I felt it chime with me. I needed time out, and to be surrounded by like-minded creatives.  I have done several retreats before and so I had an idea about what works for me – this looked like it would.”

She described Dee as a good person and a top host for the retreat. Harriet recommends the experiences to all travellers, especially solo ones.

“I knew I needed this week of unapologetic devotion to my body.”

Ultimately, it is simple. The space gave her time to breathe, away from the chaos and emotional turmoil the past through years have put us through. The healing and revelations that came from Kalukanda House, and all that it has to offer and nurture, finally gave her the momentum she needed to plan her new ventures with the Slow Food movement.

Read more: The healing power of horses helped mend my heartbreak

What is Kalukanda House?

Founder, Dee Gibson

Sri Lanka is a well-known hotspot for beautiful beaches to relax and unwind on, which can make it a rather busy destination. However, if you travel south to the sandy coast of Weligama, you will uncover many hidden gems, such as the shallow coral reefs, the prized Taprobane Island, and Kalukanda House.

The designers have created decadent rooms to “nourish your heart and soul.” The handcrafted beds, fluffy pillows, organic toiletries, and deluxe power showers emphasise the importance of rest and rejuvenation while supporting local craftspeople. Every morning you can open the hand-carved shutters to reveal a jungle garden bursting with song and endemic wildlife.

The yoga shala and pool are great areas to uplift your spirit through exercise, conversation, or daydreaming, set against blue sky and palm trees or candle-lit dusk. The landscape is a slice of paradise, watched over by an ancient (some may say magical!) Bodhi Tree. It is a safe space in which to lose yourself, and a place where you ultimately find a deeper sense of who you want to become.

Relaxing at the pool at Kalukanda House

What happens at the retreat?

They apply a personally tailored program to dedicate your day to individual healing and guided wellness practices. You will be part of an intimate group of six to eight women. This will help you to find comfort, strength, and security during uncertain times. As you take part in consultations with wellness practitioners and engage in yoga, meditation, and body treatments, the aim is to listen to your inner silence to unlock your highest potential and find a new grounding for the new challenges ahead of you.

“It is a safe space in which to lose yourself, and a place where you ultimately find a deeper sense of who you want to become.”

You will spend your mornings engaging in yoga, meditation, and breathwork, followed by breakfast. Afterwards, they encourage you to converse, journal, and reflect with the others. You then have some downtime to explore the village via the abundance of tuk-tuks, or surf and scuba with trained professionals. Then it is time for lunch, freshly prepared by the on-site chef using locally sourced ingredients.

Your afternoons are spent having a massage or ayurvedic consultation, followed by a gong bath, cacoa ceremony, or reiki. Then there is time for more meditation and finally dinner, drinks, and snacks. It truly is the most luxurious dip into experimental travel.

Yoga at Kalukanda House

How have things changed for Harriet?

In the spirit of taking each day as it comes, Harriet’s new plan is ever-evolving. Which, at the age of 60, she is delighted about. After taking a deep dive into herself and reconnecting her head with her heart, Harriet realised she needed a complete break from her old career in interior design to give space for the new.

“I have continued experimenting in my own kitchen with food, fermentation, and foraging. I have completed a short writing course with producing copy in mind. As well as this, I have joined the Slow Food movement and looked into a variety of NGO organisations in the UK to do with sustainability and food education to see what chimes with me.”

And, inspired by the vast array of delicious meals she enjoyed in Sri Lanka, Harriet has joined the ZOE nutrition programme. This has allowed her to better understand how what she eats, affects her body. Which will maintain the wellbeing she gained from her time at Kalukanda House.

Harriet’s essentials for the trip of a lifetime

We will leave it up to you to pack the basics. But here are a few extras you may not think of:

• Noise cancelling headphones for the plane journey
• An inspiring book
• An idea for a piece of jewellery to be made in Galle
• A set of very open senses – “the smells, tastes, and sounds of Sri Lanka need to be soaked up.”

Kalukanda House at night

If you are looking to make a positive social impact, here are some more details…

Journey to the Heart December 2023

Register here: stay@kalukandahouse.com

Special inaugural retreat only price of $412 (per person)

Private room – $520 (per person)

Twin room – $260 (per person)

Note: $50 per guest is donated to a local charity empowering women and girls

Beth Pratt

Beth is one of Silver’s interns. She loves reading and studying literature. Entering her final year of university, Beth still finds time to dance, swim, and have a pint with friends. Her favourite hobby is going to coffee shops, if you can call it a hobby!

The post How a life-changing retreat transformed this 60-year-old’s life appeared first on Silver Magazine.

The new Pekoe Trail tea plantations trail is a 22-day, 200-mile network of hiking trails through the Sri Lanka tea country. The route has been ten years in the making, and follows the original track used to transport tea to the factories by horse and cart. It varies considerably in terrain, making it suitable for any age.

Trails to suit everyone

Funded by the EU and USAID, in the new age of sustainable travel it is good to know that not only is this an extraordinary travel experience; this trail is a social enterprise design. This project was conceived and designed to increase the flow of responsible travellers to some of the most remote communities in the Sri Lankan tea country. This in turn will bring much needed prosperity and opportunity to the local people.

Authentic beginnings

To ensure that this tourism gives back to the communities, rather than ruining them, the trail starts and ends, where possible, in a local village or town. They are hives of commerce and culture, and here hikers can rest and replenish by buying food and necessities from local vendors.

One of the goals of the trail is to be an economic corridor where tourist dollars reach as many people as possible. This is both a guiding principle of the trail, and an established standard of sustainable travel in Sri Lanka generally.

Traders along the tea traders route, Sri Lanka Pekoe Trails

Starting in Kandy, Sri Lanka’s spiritual heart, the trail then crosses over seven valleys, through roughly 80 villages, across the eastern hills, and over some of Sri Lanka’s most dramatic and challenging mountain terrain. It l can be done in any direction and with a multitude of entry and exit points and has been purposefully designed to connect important towns and villages, train stations and interesting sites, so that walkers can easily enter and exit the trail.

History: pilgrims and planters

Perhaps the first reference of a trail of significance in the hills of Sri Lanka relates to the Sri Pada pilgrimage. In the 5th century chronicle, the Mahawamsa, it is stated that the Buddha visited the mountain peak, now known as Adam’s Peak.

Buddhist tradition holds that a sacred footprint rock formation near the summit is the footprint of the Buddha. Marco Polo noted the importance of Adam’s Peak in his travel of 1298; and the Arab traveller, Ibn Battuta, climbed to its summit in 1344.

Yet, the overwhelming majority of the paths were developed by tea plantation companies. The story of these tea trails begins over two hundred years ago, when the country was still a British colony.

In 1824 a tea plant was brought to what was then called Ceylon, by the British, from China. And was planted in the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya for non-commercial purposes. As the tea industry grew, British planters developed and expanded the network of trails within their own estates and between the various settlements across the tea country, creating this vast network of trails and paths.

The physical network of trails replicates the woven fabric of its stories: those of pilgrims and planters, naturalists, birders, gardeners, and landed gentry. They take you through pilgrimage sites, past great lakes and spectacular waterfalls, up stunning peaks and deep into bird and wildlife-rich rain forest. Hikers will see the great tea industry at work – the tea factories, tea sheds and warehouses and step back in time at the old planters’ clubs and visit the lovely plantation homesteads.

Read: the food-lover’s guide to Italian travel

Trail routing and design principles

The Tea Country Trail is foremost a heritage trail, and the trailblazers want the experience to be immersive, insightful and inclusive. One of the key goals of the project is to protect and preserve the heritage of the Sri Lankan tea country; both the physical heritage, and the cultural heritage.

The trail focuses on routing to expose the walker to the tea industry’s culture and heritage; the tea factories, the warehouses and sheds, the magnificent tea plantations bungalows, the planters clubs, the old post offices, the tea trails and tea roads, the old grand hotels and the train line.

The physical network of trails replicates the woven fabric of its stories: those of pilgrims and planters, naturalists, birders, gardeners, and landed gentry

The route connects as many of the most interesting and important landmarks of the Sri Lankan tea country as possible. From Adam’s Peak to the Addisham Bungalow, from Lipton Seat to the Nine Arch Bridge. The idea was to give the trail variety, to promote the best of the region, to create interesting milestones, and to make each day as exciting and fun as possible.

Each day takes on between eight and 16 km, and is as inclusive as possible. There is something for everyone, for young and young at heart, from the experienced hiker to those who want a fun day out. The guiding principle has been to try to keep walking times each day to between four and six hours, but not more. That said, if you are an experienced hiker and want to do more km, that is also entirely possible.

When to go

Hiking in Sri Lanka is possible all year round, although the country is affected by two South-East Asian rainy seasons. The driest months of the year in the hills and in Sri Lanka in general are December, January, February, March. During these months you can expect less rainfall than the rest of the year.

Daily temperatures don’t tend to vary hugely across the year, but humidity and monsoons can make it harder work. That said many seasoned hikers in Sri Lanka prefer June, July, and August. Clouds from the west gently traverse the hills, blown by the monsoon winds, and the sun shines on the lush green tea fields through the gaps.

Ways to travel if not by foot:

For a fun new experience, you can try the newly launched Ella Odessy Train which runs along parts of the Pekoe Trail. Otherwise, Sri Lanka has a host of drivers and tuk tuk suppliers ready for tourists.

Accommodation suggestions for Pekoe:

The Heritance Tea Factory offers guests a step back in time to 19^th century Ceylon for unique tea-inspired snacks, beverages and cuisine.

Warwick Gardens is located 6000 feet above sea level in the scenic mountain town of Ambewela, fondly referred to as “Little New Zealand” for its grazing pastures upon the highest grassland of Sri Lanka. Ideal for children the on-site naturalist provides a night frog watching tour.

Resplendent Ceylon comprises of five restored historic tea planter residences, called bungalows, perched at an altitude of 1250 metres in Sri Lanka’s panoramic Ceylon tea region.

Haldummula Estate. For total escape, this 50-acre organic estate is situated on an undulating plateau just under the high pass and quaint railway station of Idalgashinna, on the famously scenic Kandy to Badulla line. The land is a mixture of tea and wilderness with spectacular views over the plains below to the south.

Exclusive bespoke tour details

This 14-day luxury tour of Sri Lanka includes a three-night all-inclusive stay at Nine Skies, your base from which to enjoy the New Pekoe Trail.

Enjoy two of the trail’s most scenic half-day hikes with a private guide. Walk in the footsteps of the original tea workers and immerse yourself in local culture as you wander through Sri Lankan historic tea country, stopping for local delicacies along the way.

The rest of your Sri Lankan adventure will see you discovering the highlights of the south coast, spotting elephants during your jungle walk at a luxury wildlife lodge. And marvelling at the iconic sites of the Cultural Triangle.

Prices from £5,500 per person, inclusive of:

• Direct return international flights in Economy
• Private vehicle and driver at your disposal throughout the holiday
• Accommodation, breakfast and some additional meals
• Private guides, excursions and entrance fees
• Tips for your driver and all guides

This is a bespoke tour created by Experience Travel Group – for further details visit www.experiencetravelgroup.com/sri_lanka/holiday/nature-trails-and-cultural-tales

Sam Harrington-Lowe

Sam is Silver’s founder and editor-in-chief. She’s largely responsible for organising all the things, but still finds time to do the odd bit of writing. Not enough though. Send help.

The post Traveling the historic Pekoe tea growers trail in Sri Lanka appeared first on Silver Magazine.

If you’re planning some kind of digital detox, or one of your resolutions is to cut back on screen time, why not do it somewhere nice? And the travel industry could really use your support – what more excuse do you need?!

We’ve found some beautiful places where Wi-Fi is non-existent, the views are incredible, and the vibe is very much ‘out of the office’. What better way to kickstart the year and work on your mental health? A chance to totally recharge and enjoy the tranquillity of these remote getaways.

Joali Being – Maldives

The Maldives’ newest retreat, this is the first dedicated nature-immersive wellbeing retreat of its kind here. It’s only been open a few weeks.

The focus is on enabling you to reconnect with nature, and enjoy a journey of self-discovery and renewal. Combining ancient knowledge with modern science, woven around the ‘Four Pillars’ of Joali Being – Mind, Skin, Microbiome and Energy.

As part of the rejuvenation ethos, there is no WI-FI at all outside of your villa. If you’re lucky enough to be able to book a stay here, you will be part of an exclusive group of travellers to transform themselves in this sustainable yet glamorous environment. So put the phone down!

Book through Experience Travel

FiveElements – Indonesia

Switching off and embracing the tranquillity of the rural location with some gentle walks, cycling and yoga will do anyone a world of good. However, for those looking for a more rejuvenating experience, FiveElements has a bit more to offer.

This award-winning wellness retreat blends the wisdom of traditional Balinese healing with innovative wellness concepts. From Ayurveda to holistic doctor treatments, it’s a peaceful sanctuary, embracing authentic Balinese healing, plant-based cuisine, and sacred arts.

Enjoy yoga, nurturing plant-based menus, Balinese therapies, and experiential activities like traditional cooking. A healing retreat for regeneration, replenishment, and alignment.

Book FiveElements here

Vista Verde Ranch – Colorado, USA

If you really want to escape reality, then this place is straight out of a Christmas movie. A working ranch 25 miles away from the nearest traffic light in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.

Experience what it feels like to be a cowboy/girl with not a care in the world as you take in the scenic snow-covered mountains and enjoy whiling away your days/nights in front of a roaring real log fire.

You’ll be able to completely switch off and immerse yourself in nature as you can experience all the activities, you’d expect such as horse riding, snowmobiling, ice fishing, and more.

Stay in a luxurious log cabin with all the comforts of home, make your way to the main lodge for hearty meals made from the freshest ingredients.

Book a child-free stay at Vista Verde

Warwick Gardens – Sri Lanka

You’ll be transported back in time, to even before the Internet, at this converted colonial tea plantation mansion. Set in 30 acres over 6000ft above sea level, it has just five luxurious rooms. Perfect for getting away from the madding crowd.

This is the perfect setting for an intimate getaway, soaking up the atmosphere of a bygone era. Tech will feel completely out of place here.

Sri Lanka is of course known for its tea and here you can explore its origins, walking through the tea plantations and sampling the delights that are grown on the property.

The hospitality here really is second to none and you won’t need to worry about checking emails or voicemails as you drift off into the 1930s, and sink into the sounds of nature surrounding you.

Book Warwick Gardens in Sri Lanka

Koh Jum Beach Villas – Thailand

This 19-villa retreat is shrouded in jungle, next to a 700-metre beach on an island that has managed to avoid mass development. It’s one of the few remaining beach retreats in Thailand where you can truly escape the everyday without compromising on comfort.

Switch off your screens (there are no TVs in the villas) and spend your days kayaking, snorkelling, relaxing with a massage or enjoying delicious food made with produce from the organic garden.

Each of the well-designed luxury villas is directly on the resort’s seven-hundred-meter-long-beach. Or in the lush tropical gardens with beautiful sunset views overlooking the Phi Phi National Marine Park.

And they are also working hard to make their resort sustainable with their own bottled filter water, locally sourced amenities, and even open-air showers.

Book Koh Jum with Experience Travel

Vil Uyana – Sri Lanka

Welcome to the most exclusive sanctuary on earth. This man-made nature reserve has 26 species of mammals, 150 species of birds, 51 species of butterflies and 35 species of amphibians and reptiles within the grounds.

The highlight is slender loris, fishing cat and Eurasian otter. All living alongside guests with night-time safaris available. Guests can even lay camera ‘traps’ to take home footage of their findings. They have also just had the birth of 20 baby crocodiles; the first known at a reserve in the world.

This is an exquisite experience for animal lovers, with many different excursions. From whale and dolphin watching, to witnessing the gathering of elephants at the Minneriya National Park. Which is a spectacle found nowhere else in the world. There truly is no better way to digitally detox.

Book Vil Uyana in Sri Lanka

Sam Harrington-Lowe

Sam is Silver’s founder and editor-in-chief. She’s largely responsible for organising all the things, but still finds time to do the odd bit of writing. Not enough though. Send help.

The post Planning a digital detox? Switch off at these six beautiful places… appeared first on Silver Magazine.