KumbukRiver goes to Kensington Palace

Tuesday, 5 July 2011 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sri Lanka’s KumbukRiver has been hand-picked for a fund-raising auction for charity scheduled for July 5 at the famous Kensington Palace in England.

Lord St John of Blesto hosts the exclusive black-tie event at the iconic palace, the former residence of Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon. Kensington Palace is also billed to be the possible home William and Kate, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The special auction with a royal flavour is expected to raise funds for Tve, an international media charity renowned for path breaking work.

“For 27 years, our multi-award winning media charity has worked in global partnerships to male and distribute films that inspire change for a greener, fairer world, said Jasmine Jahromi, a spokeswoman for Tve. Tve’s productions reportedly reach more than 300 million homes through global channels including BBC World and Al-Jazeera.

The black-tie event will have both live and silent auctions, giving guests the opportunity to bid for a collection of world-class items which includes works of art and jewellery.

“It’s a momentous moment in the journey of KumbukRiver for it to reach the hallowed halls of Kensington Palace and it is even more significant for Sri Lanka to be in the limelight at such an iconic gathering,” says Dinesh Watawana, the architect of the internationally-acclaimed eco resort.

A stay at the Sri Lankan eco resort will be on offer for a worthy couple during the exclusive event.

KumbukRiver was purely meant to put Sri Lanka on the map as one of the world’s most charming destinations and it is doing just that, says Watawana, who now runs a brand consultancy, working on some of Sri Lanka’s better known brands. Widely respected for his path-breaking ideas, his company The 7th Frontier built KumbukRiver as the center-piece of a far-reaching CSR initiative. The 14-acre nature resort that captures the true essence of sustainable tourism receives constant media scrutiny from around the world and has been hailed as Sri Lanka’s most celebrated tourism brand.

KumbukRiver catapulted into internal fame when it grabbed the World Travel Award as the world’s leading eco-lodge in 2008 and has gone on to securing a series of rare accolades bringing the island into international focus. Today, it is among the world’s 20 most unusual hotels, the top 10 destinations for adventurous honeymooners and also made to Popular Mechanic’s 18 strangest hotels alongside Sigiriya which was listed in the 18 strangest gardens of the world.