So much to do, to see or just relax

Set amidst picturesque scenery, ringed by distant mountains, the Kukuleganga Holiday Resort, is an ideal spot for a family holiday. A convenient two hour drive from Colombo, via Matugama and Agalawatte, takes you through beautiful countryside. Spread over twelve acres of land, the resort has much to offer the holiday maker.

The Kukuleganga complex, owned by the Ceylon Electricity Board, was originally built to accommodate officials working on the Kukuleganga project. With the completion of the project the complex was taken over by the Sri Lanka Army to accommodate foreign trainers of the Peace Keeping Training School set up in the vicinity. While trainers are still accommodated at the resort when they are in Sri Lanka, the complex has been converted to a comfortable holiday resort to take in visitors when unoccupied by trainers.

The 64 well equipped apartments or chalets are of three types; three bedrooms, two bedrooms and single bedroom. They all have sitting and dining rooms and pantry with tea and coffee-making facilities as well as a refrigerator and TV. The three bedroomed chalets also have a maid’s room. The chalets are scattered over the property with well kept, flower-bordered roadways, which make for pleasant walks in the evening.

Meals are served in the former clubhouse, which now serves as the restaurant. It has been expanded and upgraded and serves both eastern and western food. The restaurant overlooks the swimming pool and baby pool. Kukuleganga has squash, tennis, outdoor badminton, volleyball, gym, mountain bikes, archery, sauna, karaoke lounge, pool table, satellite TV for all apartments, broadband Y 5 facility, and a mini supermarket. The Nirvana Spa offers a variety of herbal treatments and massages. A conference hall to seat a hundred persons is also available for seminars and workshops.

Kukuleganga is a nature lovers and bird watchers paradise, the surroundings abounding in many species of birds. Colonel Bimal Withanage, Manager of the resort since its inception said several new features are also in the pipeline, including a lake for paddle boating, a golf course, and beauty parlour. He also has plans to instal three water rides for children in the lake that would be ready shortly. Already under construction is an outdoor dance floor, around which thatched covers will be built with centre table and chairs, to be used for outdoor parties, barbecues etc.

Nor far from Kukuleganga are several beautiful waterfalls and other sites of cultural and historic interest. Chief among these sites is ‘Pahiyangala Rock Cave, located nine km from the resort.

Kalugala Monastery, located 23 km from the resort is another interesting site to visit. Beautiful shrines, enormous statues, preaching halls, alms giving enclosures, rock caves and inscriptions are scattered in a large jungle area. A fifteen minutes drive via Molkawa leads to the beautiful Makeliya waterfall. There are about five other waterfalls too in the vicinity.

A 45 minutes drive from the resort takes one to the Dun (Shorea) tree, said to be one of the biggest trees in the wet zone.

The Sky Bridge, 45 minutes from the hotel, dating back about 100 years, joins two rock cliffs on the main road. It is still in excellent condition. For nature lovers, the Sinharaja rain forest is also an hour and a half drive from the resort.

Col. Withanage said the resort has good occupancy during weekends. “We are promoting it specially as a family resort,” he said. For the weekdays, he said they are offering packages for companies and groups for seminars, conferences or workshops.