The massive and quietly beautiful Heritance Kandalama hotel in Dambulla, right by the ridge of the Kandalama Reservoir 30 minutes away from the UNESCO World Heritage Sigiriya Rock, is always fully booked, but I’ve had the pleasure of planning ahead and staying here five times in my never-ending #Travelife.
If you can plan ahead, don’t miss a stay — or at least a visit — to this truly special hotel.
Indeed, not all hotels are created equal.
In Sri Lanka, an island country known for its colonial heritage hotels and stunning resorts, the Heritance Kandalama Hotel ironically stands out precisely for its lack of prominence amidst the landscape. It’s part of the background scenery and the structure itself is so interwoven into the forest that you almost can’t tell where the hotel ends and where the forest begins — and vice versa.
This is where its unique magic lies.
1) The hotel was built on a raised platform that lets rain from the mountains flow freely and wild animals to roam as they please.
2) The management collects rainwater via gutters on its roofs. It also recycles water for gardening.
3) Trees are actively maintained and replanted within aconservation area of over 200 acres that includes the actual hotel property and an adjoining forest.
