TV Times

TV Times

Kandalama Hotel: Getting close to nature
By Sanath Weerasuriya
Kandalama Hotel is this week’s feature in the TV Times - Aitken Spence Travel Quiz. This new Travel competition kicked off on August 1, Sunday exclusively in the TV Times. Triton, Neptune and Earl’s Regency hotels were featured during the month of August. This is the fourth week of the competition.

TV Times & Entertainment in collaboration with Aitken Spence Hotels bring this exciting weekly Travel Competition specially for the readers of TV Times. All you have to do is to answer the simple question on the coupon given below. Each week TV Times will feature an Aitken Spence Hotel and the question will be based on the particular hotel feature.

The duly answered coupon should be pasted on a post card and should be sent to TV Times - Aitken Spence Travel Quiz No.4, C/o TV Times s , No 8, Hunupitiya Cross Road , Colombo 2. The entries for the third Travel Quiz will be closed September 13. The post cards should reach us on or before this date.

The lucky winner will get a gift voucher from the Aitken Spence Hotels. This voucher enable the winner to dine at any of the Aitken Spence Hotel at any time with a partner of his or her choice. After eight weeks run on the first round, the grand winner will get an weekend package for two to be spent on any of the Aitken Spence Hotels.

The lucky winner of the very second Travel Quiz (Neptune) is Thanuja de Zoysa of No. 1, Fifth Lane, Nelumpura, Ratmalana. Congrats Thanuja. Aitken Spence head office will get in touch with you soon. Kandalama Hotel was the centre of controversy and after ten years, the hotel has managed to turn tables on the relationdship with the community.

Kandalama Hotel celebrated its tenth anniversay in June and their main motto was the community development. ‘We work very closly with the village and hotel is always helping the rural in various ways. Being a Eco friendly and Green Globe Hotel, the benifit to the community would be the main theme of the hotel’ said the General Manager Sheriffdeen.

Occupying an exotic site in the Cultural Triangle’s heartland, Kandalama is flanked by two World Heritage Sites. The first Century BC Dambulla rock temple and the 5th Century AD Sigiriya Rock Fortress.

Kandalama is one of the crations of the world famous architect late Geoffry Bawa. Its setting is unique. In a forest where the rocky outcrops of the emerging central hills slope down to meet the dry plains which spread themselves northward which is interspersed with greener and man-made lakes - home to a variety of indigenous birds, wildlife and flora, lies Kandalama Hotel. The hotel is about 180 170 km. north of Colombo and is the only Green Globe Hotel in Asia.

The 162 rooms blend perfectly with the natural environment, while preserving the aura of ancient hermit caves. Kandalama Hotel is one kilometre long bulding from its Sigiriya end in North to Dambulla end in South.

Room facilities include air-conditioning/fans, attached bath/shower with hot and cold water, cable TV, mini bar, telephone with IDD, piped music, 24 hour room service and laundry. The Hotel boasts of three swimming pools and three main restaurants.

Three unique swimming pools set in natural surroundings, Ayurvedic health care, indoor games, tennis, billiards, horse riding, Canoe rides, Elephant back trekking, Bird watching, nature trails, cycling, nature photography, botanical studies, and the latest Hotair Ballooning are some of the top attractions of the hotel.

Three Restaurants - “Kasyapa”, “Kanchna” and “Kaludiya”, offer a breathtaking view of the Kandalama tank, Sigiriya rock and the jungle. The two Bars - ‘Kanchan’ and ‘Katakatha’, situated on the upper floors of the hotel have a ‘bird’s-eye’ view of the Kandalama tank and a panoramic view of Sigiriya.

‘’Kanchana’ Cafe overlooks one of the three famous Kandalama pools renowned for their architectural splendor. Kandalama Hotel has been awarded the Green Globe 21 Certification which identifies members of the Tourism Industry and communities, who place specific steps on sustainable environmental development, manage energy, water waste and pollution and actively participate in the conservation of clean air, while protecting the heritage, culture and wildlife.

Kandalama Hotel is the 1st hotel in the world and only building outside USA to obtain the Green Building Certification. This certification awarded by the United States Green Building Council is for demonstrating leadership in energy and environmental design.

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