Rangala House, Kandy

Perched on a hill at 1000 metres altitude around tea plantations just outside Kandy, Rangala House is a spacious villa-hotel which can be rented by the room or the entire villa.

The property consists of three double bedrooms, a lounge, kitchen and swimming pool. All the rooms have en-suite, tiled bathrooms. There is also a 'cinema room' with a projector and an extensive library of DVDs for guests to use. Music systems have been set up in a number of the communal areas for use by guests renting the entire property. A 50-foot veranda stretches the length of the house, opening the view up from almost anywhere in the property. Meals are usually taken out here too, though there is an indoor dining area as well. The lounge has a good selection of books, DVDs & music. There is also a piano, although without a pianist!

The overall design is modern and a pleasant mixture of European and Sri Lankan influences. Comfortable throughout, much attention to detail has been made in the renovation of the property. The pool is excellent and is surrounded by a well-kept lawn, flowers and a flourishing spice garden.

Meals are cooked in the European style kitchen by the resident staff or guests can prepare their own if they prefer. Staff can purchase groceries locally and make what you like. Rangala House is unique in this sense when comparing with other properties in the region, and it is an extremely cost-effective system.

An abundance of bird-life is found in the vicinity, and there is a telescope on the balcony to facilitate more detailed inspection. The idyllic Knuckles mountains are a short drive away, and Rangala House can be used as a base for exploring there. The superb Victoria golf course is only half an hour from the house, and there is a driving net in the garden of the house to practice your swing. Kandy town, with all its attractions, is a fifty-minute drive. Excellent walking is possible in any direction from the hotel.

Rangala House offers guests the chance to get away from it while being close enough to be classed as a Kandy hotel. The staff are flexible and will be as hands-on or invisible as you wish — a great addition to Sri Lanka's growing portfolio of small hotels.