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The favourite pastime for visitors to Rangala House is TAKING IT EASY. The swimming pool (solar heated) is a year-round delight and you can lounge on the patio or snooze on the shady verandah. The tea estate at the back of the house offers delightful strolls or longer walks, as you wish. The views are glorious and the locals very friendly. The Duckwari tea factory (a gentle twenty minute walk away) is not geared for tour parties but they will willingly show you round.
EXCURSIONS of various sorts can be arranged for you. For example, you may like to visit Deenstone Park and 'Mini World's End' (delightful walk and views) or perhaps take the 4X4 up to Corbett's Gap for the views across the Knuckles to the North. There are plenty of other enjoyable day trips. For example, we could drive you to Kandy by a scenic mountain route (about 2 hours – stupendous views). On the way, we could stop for lunch or tea with friends, a British couple who have made a beautiful home on a wooded hillside - all the trees in their jungle garden are labeled so you get a bit of education as well!
BIRDWATCHERS at Rangala House will be richly rewarded. Even without leaving the verandah, numerous species can be seen and the Knuckles region itself is famous for the richness of its bird life. There is detailed information on the Flora & Fauna page.
For those who take their WALKING seriously, there are numerous options offering glorious hill-walking. The staff will gladly take you to convenient starting points further up the mountain or pick you up elsewhere at the end of the day. Local guides can be found, though this needs to be fixed up in advance. (Dedicated walkers will already know about the importance of appropriate footwear - socks and walking boots. In the forest reservation, the leeches can be tiresome and an encounter with a snake or scorpion, while highly unlikely, must be considered.)
KANDY is an hour away by road, so for those who have not already done the 'sights', a day could include the world famous Temple of the Tooth, a stroll by the lake, a visit to the market, shopping for arts, crafts, gems, sarees etc, lunch at one of the big hotels (or perhaps short eats at a roadside café), a walk around Uddawattakelle (Kandy's own small wildlife forest) or a trip to see elephants being washed. If you haven't seen it before, the early evening cultural show near the lakeside (dancing, drumming and fire walking) is well worth it. There is also ample opportunity for shopping and we can take you to reliable retailers, whatever your preference - batik, gems and jewellery, handicraft, spices, etc.
VICTORIA GOLF COURSE is just 45 minutes away from Rangala House. It is worth a visit even if you are not a golfer, for the setting is superb – glorious, green, palm-dotted fairways next to the lovely Victoria Lake, with a backdrop of mountains beyond. The course is of international standard and is gaining a reputation as one of the most attractive and well maintained courses in South Asia . The clubhouse is a very pleasant spot for a drink and lunch. All your golfing requirements can be fixed up beforehand if you contact the management in advance by email or fax.
The emphasis at Rangala House is on personal attention to your particular wishes. Perhaps you have an interest in classical oriental music or dance - a private performance could be arranged for you. Likewise, if you would like to learn more about gemstones, batik, antiques or local art, experts can be contacted who will be able to teach, inform or demonstrate. Again, the management will appreciate information from you about any specialist interests in advance.
FOOD & DRINK
Sri Lanka is an attractive destination for those who enjoy a varied cuisine. The quality of the fresh food available locally is exceptional. This includes not only the many exciting and unfamiliar Asian vegetables and curry leaves but also potatoes, carrots, leeks, beans, beetroot, tomatoes, aubergines, etc etc. In addition, excellent fresh chicken, fillet beef, pork and fish including seer, shark, cuttlefish and prawns can all be found. Delicious curries and sambals, with samba, basmati or red rice are the locals' choice and there is also great scope for western-style eating. Pasta of all kinds is readily available. The fresh bread is very good, though only white is available locally - for good wholegrain brown bread, a trip to Kandy is necessary. Sri Lankans have a sweet tooth and there is never a shortage of desserts, the best known being watalapan (nearest equivalent egg flan/caramel) and buffalo curd - both flavoured with the excellent kittul syrup made locally. There is tropical fruit available in abundance and pineapple, mango, banana, papaya etc generally accompany every meal.
There is no café or bar in the local village, but there is never a shortage of good things to drink at the house, whatever your taste may be. Fresh fruit juices or king coconut water are always available, as are Coke, Sprite, Fanta and the excellent local ginger beer. Sri Lankan beers ('Lion' or 'Three Coins') are very palatable medium strength lagers which can be obtained for less than 40P (sterling) per pint. Carlsberg, also available, costs a few rupees more.
The local spirit liquor is arrack (distilled from coconut), which comes in various qualities, the best of which are very acceptable either solo or as the basis for many tropical cocktails. The local gin, around £2.50 per litre, serves very well in mixers, as does the local white rum. Imported whiskies etc are all available but much pricier. The range of wines available in Kandy is growing all the time and includes imports from Australia , France , South Africa , Chile and California . Typically, a reasonable Australian red costs around £4.50 per bottle.
There is a resident cook at Rangala House who can prepare all you meals. If you would rather do the cooking yourself, that's also easy and you will have assistance as you require. Guests may like to take the opportunity to learn how to prepare authentic Sri Lankan curries by working in the kitchen with the cook. However you decide to play it, you will only be asked to pay for the food and drink which you consume, at cost price, as obtained locally or in Kandy . The staff can also do all the shopping for you, or take you round the shops and 'boutiques' if you like. The fridges will be well stocked with food and drink when you arrive and, if you communicate by email or fax beforehand, the staff will ensure that your favourite food and drinks are bought in before you get here.
ABOUT YOUR WELL BEING
While the management cannot accept liability for any accident or injury sustained by guests, every effort has been made to make your stay at Rangala House a happy, healthy and safe experience. The following details may be of interest.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are to be expected in all tropical countries. Happily however, the problem is minimal in this part of the Hill Country and mosquitoes are far less prevalent here than in Kandy or the beach resorts, for example. Visitors may prefer to use insect repellent at dusk, just to be on the safe side, especially if the weather is rainy. Mosquito nets are available for use in bedrooms on request, but they are really not necessary and seldom if ever used. All bedroom windows have netted ventilators and electric repellent-vaporisers are also available. Insect repellent is certainly advisable when walking in the forest regions, however.
Leeches
They are harmless enough but can be tiresome when walking in the tea estates or forest, if there has been recent rain. Good walking shoes/boots and socks are therefore advisable.
Scorpions & Snakes
An encounter with a scorpion or snake is very unlikely indeed so the faint-hearted should not be alarmed! Again, shoes/boots and socks will provide good protection. (Kandy General Hospital has excellent emergency procedures for all types of snake bite. It is recommended that treatment should be given within five hours of a bite so there is ample time to get there from Rangala House. However, it is stressed that even to see a snake is rare, let alone to be bitten by one!)
Medical Facilities
There is only a very humble local clinic in the village nearby. In emergency, it is possible to get a doctor on call from Teldeniya - it would take him about one hour to get to Rangala House. There are several private hospitals in Kandy. Those who have travelled in Sri Lanka before will know that an excellent range of medications and prescription drugs is widely available at a fraction of Western prices.
Disabled Access
Rangala House is built on a steep hillside with an average gradient of about 1 in 3. It follows, therefore, that there are many steps and steep paths in the gardens, grounds and access ways. Sadly, therefore, it is not possible to recommend this property for the infirm or disabled. In the same way, it is not a suitable venue for very small children.
Swimming Pool
The pool is 4' at the shallow end and 7' deep at the deep end. Lifesaving staff are not available and swimming is undertaken at guests' own risk. The pool is available for use 24 hours a day.
CLIMATE
All travel guides / books on Sri Lanka provide information regarding the weather, so that the pattern of two monsoons in the year is well known to travellers. There are two reasons for treating the standard advice with a pinch of salt, however. First, weather patterns here have been irregular and unpredictable in recent years, as they have been everywhere else. Second, Hill Country weather is, by its nature, changeable so that showers are to be expected from time to time even during the 'dry' season and fine days, likewise, are quite frequent even during monsoons. In general, the standard advice is still fairly reliable and, for the time being, the pricing policy at Rangala House is based on the usual 'high season' (November to March) and 'low season' (April to October). For the past two years (2004 and 2005), October and November have been wetter than usual while April and May have been fair. Whether this establishes a trend for the future it is hard to say, however. At the altitude of 3000ft (1000M), Rangala House seldom sees the temperature drop below 19°C and the night minimum is more usually around 21°C. In the shade, the daily maximum is comfortably cooler than in the lowlands - typically about 29°C. In general, the weather is noticeably fresher than in Kandy and very much more pleasant than in Colombo.
ECO ASPECTS
Rangala House is an environmentally friendly organization. Domestic water is provided from the hillside stream, which also supplies the swimming pool, so that no demands are made on the local mains water supply, though the house does have a mains connection as back up. The hot water is solar heated and, as far as possible, modern low-energy lighting is used, ensuring again that the local electricity supply is not burdened. The use of chemicals in the swimming pool is kept to the absolute minimum. Garbage is recycled or disposed of responsibly.
THE MANAGEMENT
Rangala House is owned by Anthony Newman, a former UK teacher who, for nearly five years, was Vice Principal of the Kandy Branch of Colombo International School. He enjoyed living and working in Sri Lanka so much that he decided to settle there and bought Rangala House in 2003. His permanent residence is adjacent to the main villa and he is therefore ideally placed to act as host and guide during your stay. His aim is to offer visitors an exclusive holiday experience, the privacy and independence of a villa being supplemented by the full services of the resident staff. The emphasis is on complete personal attention to your requirements.
His business partner is Sam Gunaratne, a Kandyan born and bred with intimate knowledge of the area and its people. He is also a keen golfer (handicap 9) and a member of Victoria Golf Club. He will be delighted to attend to the needs of guests who enjoy golf and will gladly make all necessary arrangements for you at VGC.
Other members of the staff either live permanently on site or come in daily from the local village.
Rangala House is a privately run villa which is not affiliated to any hotel chain or agency. It is approved by the Tourist Board of Sri Lanka.