Taprobane Island
Encyclopedia
Taprobane Island is a rocky private island
with one villa, located just off the southern coast of Sri Lanka
opposite the village of Weligama
,. The island was named after the old Greek word for Sri Lanka. The island was previously owned by the Count de Maunay who, exiled from France, fell in love with Weligama Bay. It was he who had the villa built on this tiny island. Another previous owner was the American author and composer Paul Bowles
. Other notable people who stayed on Taprobane include Dutch
author Peter ten Hoopen, who spent a month there in 1984 during civil unrest on the mainland, as well as Australian performer Kylie Minogue
, who composed a song about the island inspired by her stay titled "Taprobane (Extraordinary Day)."
Private island
A private island is a disconnected body of land wholly owned by a single private citizen or corporation. Although this exclusivity gives the owner substantial control over the property, they still fall within the jurisdiction of national and sometimes local governments.-Ownership:There are many...
with one villa, located just off the southern coast of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
opposite the village of Weligama
Weligama
Weligama is a Urban Council in Matara district on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. The term Weligama literally means "sandy village" which refers to the area's sandy sweep bay. Tourism & Fishing are two main business. Situated at a distance of 144 km from Colombo, Weligama is a popular tourist...
,. The island was named after the old Greek word for Sri Lanka. The island was previously owned by the Count de Maunay who, exiled from France, fell in love with Weligama Bay. It was he who had the villa built on this tiny island. Another previous owner was the American author and composer Paul Bowles
Paul Bowles
Paul Frederic Bowles was an American expatriate composer, author, and translator.Following a cultured middle-class upbringing in New York City, during which he displayed a talent for music and writing, Bowles pursued his education at the University of Virginia before making various trips to Paris...
. Other notable people who stayed on Taprobane include Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
author Peter ten Hoopen, who spent a month there in 1984 during civil unrest on the mainland, as well as Australian performer Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
, who composed a song about the island inspired by her stay titled "Taprobane (Extraordinary Day)."