Romance and Adventure at River Garden Belihuloya
View(s):Belihuloya, a very picturesque little hamlet renowned for its Eco, Adventure tourism opportunities, is situated in the ‘Sabaragamuwa’. This beautiful hillside location is a climatically transitional area, linking both the dry and wet zones and the hill and low country at an altitude of less than 1500m. As a result, the vegetation consists of moist semi-evergreen forests, tropical savanna forests, dry patana grasslands and montane temperate forests, making it one of the richest bio-diversity spots in Lanka – a perfect location for nature lovers.
River Garden Hotel, located on the banks of Belihul Oya, making one of the most versatyile adventure centres in Sabaragamuwa. ‘River Garden nature and Adventure related Activity Centre’ provides an ideal base for a wide range of nature and adventure related activities.
Adventure holiday makers can embark on anything from trekking across the Horton Plains (the Horton Plains mountain range is visible from the River Garden restaurant itself) to canoeing in the ‘Samanalawewa’ reservoir.
‘Whatever it is you want to do, we can help you do it. In addition to the accommodation options we offer, River Garden Hotel has an excellent restaurant serving Sri Lankan and International cuisine’ said Dhananjaya Jayamaha, the Manager of River Garden Hotel.
River Garden has there accommodation options.
INDIVIDUAL COTTAGES
The individual cottages are situated in a beautiful shady garden area below the River Garden restaurant. Each cottage (could be given as a single/double /triple) has an attached bathroom with toilet, wash basin and hot and cold water shower.
There is a winding path through the garden that links the cottages, restaurant, shady cabana-style seating areas and the Belihuloya river. At night, atmospheric lanterns illuminate the whole area.
BELIHULOYA CAMP
The fully serviced campsite at River Garden provides an ideal opportunity to experience camping in style. This is camping with a difference – the tents are very spacious, clean and modern, and guests are guaranteed a good night’s sleep on comfortable mattresses/beds and listening to nature’s very own orchestra. The camp has easy access to the restaurant, toilets, shower and freshwater “al fresco” bathing in the river.
ECO LODGE
The spacious Kinchigune Eco lodge is located in the ‘Kinchigune’ Village area of Belihuloya, with fabulous views of the surrounding mountains and the “Samanalawewa” reservoir.This village house which is more than 100 years old has been restored using traditional architectural methods. It still has its mud walls, mud spread floor, kithul poles in windows etc. and is furnished with antique (restored) traditional chairs and beds. Set in a shady garden interspersed with a variety of herbs and trees, guests can even pluck a jack fruit from one of the trees and learn to cook it the traditional Sri Lankan way. This Eco Lodge has a single room and a double room [which could be converted to a triple] providing enough space even for a family.
‘For groups of more than 5 people, Kinchigune can also set up a fully serviced campsite overlooking the Samanalawewa reservoir in the grounds of the Eco Lodge itself, using the Lodge as a communal base for meal arrangements & other activities’ said Manager Jayamaha. Campers at this site will have access to flushable toilets and showers. Samnalwewe Campsite that can house more than 150 pax in any given time has Sri Lanka’s longest high rope course.
River garden is the main activity center for Sri Lanka’s premier specialized tourism operator Eco Team. And it facilitates for Agro-Tourism Activities, Bird Watching, Photography and Filming Missions, Cycling and Mountain Biking, Hiking/Trekking, Canoeing, Nature Trails, Mobile Camping and Nature Wedding and Honeymoon Packages.
‘One of the biggest advantage that River Garden has is the ability to offer the location for corporate groups as a leisure outing or as a focused training programme’ he added
Belihuloya had been one of the hotspots for honeymoons for generations and river garden offers very unique and affordable honeymoon packages for newlyweds as well as for couples who has something to celebrate.
Follow @timesonlinelk
comments powered by Disqus