New kind of Valentine

Get in to the real mood on this Valentine’s Day and get away from common roses and chocolates syndrome. 'Adventure Romance' is the latest to be in action at this Valentine's Day, on 14 February 'Adventure Romance' is a totally different, novel, unique, appealing and most importantly, a meaningful way of celebrating the universally accepted day of lovers; the Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day has its origin and mostly celebrated in the Western Christian countries. However, it has now spread around the world to be universally celebrated on 14 Feb. each year.

The concept is to illustrate the meaning of love is a totally different dimension hitherto not projected as such. All this time, Valentine's Day had been the repetitive, unexciting and uninspiring.

The celebration would take the form of a dramatized series of activities of a competition by the participating couples with the intention of projecting true love, yet on a different dimension.

'Adventure Romance' is an adventure race for lovers, where they will face competition with adventure. This includes swimming, Mountain biking, muddy buddy run, Valentine Treasure hunt, hash run; kayaking, fishing, tower rappelling/ obstacle course and aerial rope race.

'Adventure Romance' will come alive at the 'Thotupola', popular Adventure Centre, off Bolgoda. It is organized 'Wild Holidays' in association with 'Fantasy Holidays'.

'It is expected that the originality of the concept would cause it to be appealing, awe-inspiring and popular amongst the young as well as the old, provide unforgettable experience to lovers, and great encouragement and inspiration to those in need of love, as the whole event would interpret love in an evocative manner' explained Chandana Fernando, the Vice President/DCEO of Fantasy Holiday.

'Wild Holidays' in association with 'Fantasy Holidays', will plan the activities of the event, provide all facilities required, and manage those activities, whilst a professional presenter would actually interview the participants, announce and comment about activities during the event and, in general, conduct it.

Wild Holidays is a subsidiary of Watchguard Family and is the owning company of Eco and Adventure Resorts at Piliyandala and Ella, having its own camping sites at Ohiya, Mahiyangana, Arugam Bay and Tangalle and provide camping facilities at any other approved site.

'Fantasy Holidays' markets and manages the tourist resorts on behalf of 'Wild Holidays'. The event will be centred around Thotupola, the eco resort at Piliyandala, on the banks of Bolgoda Lake. Thotupola is synonymous with the theme; 'Here and Now', which the concept of achieving contentment in life is, including in love. Consequently, the novel celebration of Valentine's Day 2007 will be facilitated through Thotupola.

Valentine's Day is the day of lovers and is dedicated to express love between man and woman and exchange messages and gifts as tangible expression of love.

Fantasy Holidays proposes a novel concept to celebrate Valentine's Day with the expectation that it would be an impetus for everyone to look at love in a different dimension.

The destination of our voyage of the spiritual mind is 'HERE & NOW'. This applies to love as well as true love is always 'HERE & NOW'.

The selected couples will face an adventure race, that includes swimming , Mountain biking, muddy buddy run, Valentine Treasure hunt, hash run, kayaking, fishing, tower rappelling/ obstacle course and aerial rope race.

'Ideally there should be 15 couples. There are application forms available at the office for the contestants to apply. No individuals are allowed and the couples should enroll at the Centre before the event' he added.

The programme will start at 8.00 a.m. Application forms are now available at the 'Fantasy Holidays' office. Interested couples can contact the office on 2712266 or 2712770 for more details

Daily Mirror and TV Times are the official print partners, while Derana will be the official television for the event.