Onwards to Kandalama Heritance: Sri Lankan Diaries

We begin our escapade across Sri Lanka, a speed tour more accurately as we only had 3 days to cover the places that we wish to go to. From Colombo, we would travel 4 to 5 hours all the way to Dambulla, where the Sigiriya Rock is located.

I was surprised at the length of travel, since the roads were bad and everyone drove recklessly. I was in fact challenged to drive in Sri Lanka, but I figured it would be safer to stay at the passenger seat. We made it to Dambulla after 4 gruelling hours, for a distance that is only 120 km. That was pretty slow. 

We passed through a landscape that seemingly looked like South Africa. We drove up dust roads with signs of animal warnings like monkeys and elephants. I was in Sri Lanka indeed, and the scenery has gotten me really excited. And when we arrived at our resort, the Kandalama Heritance, I was already brimming an irresistible smile. 

Perched on the top of the hill, the award winning Kandalama Heritance is a classic destination in a very remote location. It was all nature around, rolling hills, vast green fields meeting a beautiful yet rough lake amidst a backdrop of mountainous rocks and forests.

The Kandalama was built around this landscape, as evidenced by actual rocks along the corridor leading to the lobby. The resort is one of Asia's and Sri Lanka's most awarded resorts, being the first hotel to receive the LEED certification. It is indeed a sustainable property that has been around for almost 20 years.

We had lunch in its main dining area. The food was not as impressive but nonetheless, satisfying. I was admiring the spaciousness of the dining area, which could probably fit 300 guests. It also has a jaw dropping view of the surroundings. I really felt like I was in a safari lodge in South Africa. 

The natural feel of the resort is extended onto the rooms, where the bathrooms have huge glass windows to reveal the beauty outside. I really liked the rooms here, as they were modern but without losing soul. It was charming and very unique as well in design.

Honestly, there is nothing much to do in this resort, so an overnight stay was adequate. There are a lot of nooks and patios that overlook the same view, but other than that, there is not much activity in the resort. There is a spa though that we also didn't try.

There is a nice infinity pool though by the lobby area, that overlooks the lake. We weren't able to swim though, since we were pressed for time to tour Sigiriya rock, which could be seen from a distance.

So, after checking in, we decided to head straight to the Sigiriya rock fortress, which I really didn't know anything about. I was just told that it was a sacred rock where some rock carvings are found. Well, I wasn't prepared and soon, I got the shock of my life. Stay tuned.

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Kandalama Heritance

Dambulla, Sri Lanka
TEL : +94 66 5555 000

Ambience: 4

Rooms: 3

Service: 3

Facilities: 2.5

Dining: 3

Over-all Experience: 3

IE Score: 3.08 (Good)