‘In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion is a hundred feet tall and carved out of a mountain’
We’ve all heard of infinity pools, but the one at the Kandalama Hotel blends seamlessly into Kandalama Lake. There, you can swim in the setting sun.
The floor of the ‘Black Water Pool’ is the black bedrock the hotel itself is built. The roof is a garden, and the monkey-clambered support beams resemble trees from the surrounding 200 acres (81 hectares) of conservation forest (excursions into the tree-filled density are available).
Heritance Kandalama Hotel at the Kandalama Wewa Lake
The hotel is built on stilts, so water and animals can travel underneath it unhampered.
There is no paved road to the door as the hotel blends into its environment. You will hardly notice the building at all.
A remarkable achievement by the visionary architect Geoffrey Bowa, the interiors have been left simple yet elegant, so your attention is drawn to the views of Sigiriya, the 8th wonder of the world.
Sigiriya is a palace carved out of a giant rock formation. It has been inhabited since prehistoric times, but it is most famous for its massive sphinx-like carvings, ancient frescos, and complex water features.
Speaking of water features, the Heritance Kandalama is so eco-friendly it even treats its own wastewater before using it to irrigate its own extensive gardens.
Kandalama Restaurants
Kandalama has two restaurants, one bar, and a café to ease your thirst and hunger.
Kanchana Restaurant on the sixth floor offers various Sri Lankan and International classic dishes all day long with a spectacular view of the Kandalama Reservoir.
The six-story hotel was built on rugged land, and one of the most demanding tasks was to respect and protect nature. So, when you see a rock formation inside the hotel, you know they did a great job.
The 152 rooms in the Heritance Kandalama Hotel have panoramic views of the lush greenery and the reservoir.
The level of luxury and the size of the rooms range from the 200 square feet (19 square meters) Superior Room to the 1,291 square feet (120 square meters) Royal Suite.
Each room has a panoramic bathroom overlooking Sigiriya's beautiful land, but the posher rooms even have a window-front bathtub.
11, Dambulla, Dambulla 21106, Sri Lanka
