At The Kip Sri Lanka with Phoebe Taylor
THE KIP IN SRI LANKA IS A PLACE THAT MAKES TRAVELING FEEL LIKE COMING HOME. PHOEBE TAYLOR AND HER PARTNER SEDDY CREATED THE KIP SRI LANKA BECAUSE IT IS THERE, WHERE THEY FELT THEY BELONGED. OUT OF THE CITY. AWAY FROM THE TRADITIONAL WESTERN LIFESTYLE. THEY LISTENED TO THEIR INNER VOICE AND FOLLOWED THEIR HEART TO A PLACE I COULD ONLY HAVE DREAMED OF.
SRI LANKA IS A SPECIAL PLACE ON EARTH. A SMALL ISLAND SOUTH OF INDIA WITH A MIX OF RELIGION, A LONG HISTORY OF COLONIZATION AND INDEPENDENCE, A REAL MELTING POT OF CULTURES, A PRIDE CULTURE, A STRATEGIC SPOT, A LUSH EARTH GIVING, HEART OF AYURVEDA, SURFERS PARADISE, HIPPY RETREATS AND HIDE AWAYS, LOVERS OF NATURE. IT’S A PLACE WHERE I FOUND IT EASY TO CONNECT TO NATURE, TO CONNECT TO MYSELF. A PLACE THAT SHOOK ME UP. THE GENEROUS GREEN. THE SPICES. TEA CEREMONIES. THE SLOW LIFE. MY FIRST TRIP THERE WAS SHORT BUT SWEET. THRILLED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO CO-FOUNDER PHOEBE TAYLOR.
Q: HOW DID LIFE BRING YOU TO SRI LANKA? HAVE YOU BOTH BEEN WORKING IN THE HOTEL BUSINESS PRIOR TO THE OPENING OF THE KIP? HOW DID YOU TACKLE THE CHALLENGES?
A: We came on an extended holiday here a few years back and during this time were reminded how we missed the simple things in life. Seddy and I were tired of the rat race. Neither of us was necessarily made for the modern fast-paced life. Me especially. On top of this, during our travels around Sri Lanka, we really noticed a gap in the accommodation market. You either had luxury accommodation or backpacker accommodation, not many options in between. We were both working in the corporate world at the time. I was in advertising. Seddy was in insurance. Although, we both had backgrounds in hospitality. So we decided to try and start something that mixed all these elements plus brought together like-minded, creative and socially conscious travelers by offering workshops and pop-ups in line with our slow life ethos.
Re tackling challenges we always try and tackle them with a sense of humour and calm attitude. We also always try and come back to the values we hold and we always talk things through together. We really try hard not to “sweat the small stuff”. To be honest though, at a lot of the challenges we face over here a fairly comedic (sometimes not at the time) and as such Seddy and I always throw around the idea of writing a book about them all.
Q: YOU ARE SUCH A GREAT TEAM! I MEAN YOU ARE NOW BASED IN SRI LANKA AND ARE THE GLAD OWNERS OF ONE OF THE CUTEST BOUTIQUE HOTELS ON THE ISLAND. YOUR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER VIBRATES THROUGH YOUR INSTAGRAM PAGE. I BET THERE IS A NICE STORY BEHIND? CAN YOU TELL US HOW YOU TWO MET?
A: It is actually a very funny and romantic story but a little long-winded. The short version is that Seddy and I first met at a cafe in Melbourne through a mutual photographer friend. We then both ended up helping this friend out on a photo shoot. As it transpired, this photoshoot required us to pretend we were a loved up couple and I guess as cheesy as it sounds, the rest is history.
Q: WHAT INSPIRES YOU IN THE CHOICES OF THE KIP DÉCOR AND LIFESTYLE BOUTIQUE? THE WASHED PINK WALLS, THE INTERIOR, THE CAREFULLY SELECTED PLANTS AND YOUR SHOP ARE SO IMMACULATELY DESIGNED. ARE THERE ANY ARTIST(S) YOU ADMIRE, WHO INSPIRE YOU?
A: Thank you so much. The interior and style are still very much evolving but essentially The Kip is just a combination of everything we love from plants to art to handmade furniture. We love one-off pieces and find perfection in imperfection. We absolutely love art, travel and the island living so mainly get our inspiration from these three things.
Our little lifestyle store is also an extension of this. We love to support local craftsmanship, sustainability and of course just beautiful aesthetic pieces. It is really just a collection of everything we love from this little island and beyond.
At the moment, I am very much inspired by Rachael Suanders, a ceramic artist from Canada, that perfectly combines playfulness, sustainability and simplicity in all of her works and pieces. She is amazing!
Q: YOU ALSO HAVE A CAFÉ IN YOUR PLACE. IS IT ENTIRELY VEGAN? WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE DISH / WHAT COOKBOOK DO YOU RECOMMEND TO VEGAN FOOD LOVERS?
A: Though a good majority of our dishes are vegan, our menu is mainly vegetarian. So are Seddy and I. We focus on a slow approach to food and designed our menu with sustainability and health in mind. We are always looking for ways to reduce our footprint and protect the environment, putting the emphasis on food with a simple and honest philosophy.
I am not the chef/cook in the relationship. Seddy is… BUT, I do love to eat and of course, love to give him lots of pointers in the kitchen (from afar and much to his annoyance). We absolutely love our Italian pasta (Seddy is Italian). For us, nothing beats a home-cooked Italian pasta topped with fresh parmesan.
In terms of our menu, my favourite dish is the cashew cheese. The recipe for this comes from our dear friend Ellen Bergstöm @hellowraw.se. Ellen hasn’t launched a cookbook yet, but if/when she does we will be the very first to buy it. She makes THE best raw vegan cakes too.
Q: WHEN I LOOK AT THE KIP I THINK OF MUSIC. DO YOU HAVE A SPOTIFY PLAYLIST FOR YOUR HOTEL? OR DO YOU PREFER THE SOUND OF NATURE AND THE NEARBY WAVES?
A: Both! Nothing beats the sound of nature, but we also curate a playlist which we’ve made an integral part of our website as we get asked so often - People can now download our Spotify playlist and bring a bit of Kip vibes into their homes.
Q: CONSCIOUSLY SLOW-LIVING MAKES ME FEEL THE SAME AS COMING OUT OF A DEEP BREATHING MEDITATION. HOW IS YOUR LIFE IN YOUR RESORT FROM SUNRISE?
A: A normal day always starts with a coffee in bed & cuddles with the dogs - I seriously can’t get out of bed without my morning coffee. We then head down to the beach for a quick swim or walk before heading to The Kip. Our day usually ends with time at the beach, watching the sunset and enjoying a couple of cold beers.
Q: ON ABI’S JOURNAL, READERS LOVE TO DISCOVER FEEL-GOOD RITUALS. WHAT IS YOUR ROUTINE THAT KEEPS YOU FEELING GOOD AND GROUNDED?
A: My feel-good rituals include:
// Allowing myself at least one day a month to unapologetically stay in bed and watch Netflix/read. No guilt. No emails. No phone. Just 100% time to myself. Although I am in hospitality, I am still very much an invert, which means alone time is essential for me to stay grounded.
// The ultimate feel-good ritual Seddy and I also adhere to is regular massages. We are lucky in Sri Lanka as massages are much cheaper than back in Australia or Italy. Massages provide us with the ultimate time to disconnect, listen to the birds and connect with our bodies.
Q: YOUR MUST-SEE PLACES IN SRI LANKA ARE…
A: Hiriketiya - Hiri is an absolute must-see. It is one of my favourite little bays ever. It is, however, getting increasingly ‘touristy’ nowadays with lots of development going on, so my advice would be for people to go and check it out sooner rather than later.
The Lunuganga Estate - this is an amazing property and the country house of the renowned Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. Geoffrey Bawa was among the most influential Asian architects of his generation and the principal force behind what is today known globally as "tropical modernism”. The estate offers scheduled tours.
Banyan Camp - this is an off the grid, eco-retreat in deep rural Sri Lanka. It is a very unique and authentic experience and one I highly recommend. It is also the best place to switch off, disconnect and enjoy nature.
INFO: Bookings: www.thekipsrilanka.com
IG: @thekipsrilanka