What is Taprobane?

Taprobane was the ancient Greek name of Sri Lanka, first reported to Europeans by the Greek geographer Megasthenes around 290 BC. Most probably, Taprobana was a transliteration of the then authentic Pali name of the island, Tambapanni, which meens copper-red.

However, there is a much smaller island now known under the very same name, viz. a private island with one villa, located in the cove of Weligama. The original name of this small Taprobane Island is Galduwa, which means Rock Island in Sinhalese. It was renamed after the ancient Greek word for Sri Lanka by Maurice Talvande, who purchased the island as his private paradise and built a villa and garden on it. Today, the villa on Taprobane Island is a charming boutique hotel providing 5 bedrooms, living areas and a modern infinity pool.