Calming bliss of Jungle Tide
Jungle Tide is an unusual name for an unusual guesthouse, a newly built bungalow modelled on those of colonial tea planters. Its name comes from a book of that title published in 1930 written by John Still, an English eccentric, telling of his wanderings in the then Ceylon and his philosophy.
The Jungle Tide refers to the transience of humans who create magnificent cities and civilisations that eventually crumble and are overtaken by the incoming jungle. The British couple, Jerry and Sally Martin, who built the bungalow and named it so evocatively, originally wanted to buy an old tea plantation bungalow for their retirement.
In typical estate bungalow style: Verandahs and green painted roof
Sally Martin was born and brought up in Sri Lanka, the fourth generation of a British tea planting family, and when she re-visited here in the 1990s, having left as a 13 year-old child in 1971, she felt the urge to return to retire. The couple’s search for a bungalow took them throughout the country, looking at many properties. They were so impressed with Sherwood, a bungalow they stayed in near Haputale, that they decided eventually to build their own version with all mod cons and creature comforts.
The result is a bungalow that has none of the drawbacks (damp bedding, dusty corners, faulty plumbing, crumbling ceilings, creaking floorboards) of an ancient property and all the sparkle (raw silk bed covers and curtains, spotlessly clean tiled floors, modern bathrooms) of a new one. Typical of old plantation bungalows, however, is the approach, along three km of pot-holed road that is best tackled in a jeep, a van or even a three-wheeler taxi. The bungalow is 11km from the Kandy Railway Station, up the Hantane road to the tiny village settlement of Uduwela. Then it’s a right turn just before the entrance to the mainstream Mount Royal Hotel where a Jungle Tide signpost points through a sea of tea.
There’s a flourish of bougainvillaea bushes along the drive up to the bungalow where it stands brightly painted white (no grey granite in sight) with a traditional green painted corrugated iron roof. Entrance from the contemporary portico is to a sitting room reception area shared by all guests.
Like many old bungalows, Jungle Tide has two wings, with one having two bedrooms with double beds, and another room with two wide single beds.All have attached bathrooms.The owner’s suite is in the adjoining wing, which also contains a fully equipped kitchen without a door for guests to try self-catering or help the resident housekeeper and his wife preparing authentic Sri Lankan dishes.
The atmosphere in the bungalow is relaxed and informal and guests have the run of the place to themselves, even when the owners, who have not yet retired to live there permanently, are temporarily in residence. There is self-service free and unlimited tea, coffee and bottled mineral water.
Signboard in a sea of tea
The furnishings are simple but well made, as they would be in a tea plantation bungalow, without fancy boutique hotel style trimmings. An adjoining, private staff kitchen, laundry room, staff and driver’s quarters make up the additional accommodation.
The bedrooms open on to a long verandah fringed with flowerbeds featuring 
anthuriums and marigolds, and with round, tapered columns and a high wooden ceiling.The verandah is popular with guests to sit and gaze at the garden view and amazing displays of tropical birds and butterflies flaunting their colours; binoculars and bird books are available. The sunsets are stunning and star gazing a delight.
At a lower level through the garden where a stream gurgles and wooden benches in leafy arbours invite the weary or thoughtful, there is a swimming pool. A pavilion is being built there, and gabions are being added to protect the garden from landslides.
Jungle Tide has not been open for very long but is already ranked highly by guests from overseas who have stayed there. The bungalow can be rented by the room or in its entirety, with special low rates in May and October. For Sri Lankans and expatriate residents sick of city life, the cure could be to surrender to the calming bliss of Jungle Tide.
Jungle Tide, Hantana Road, Uduwela, Kandy; tel: 081 5631838; www.jungletide.com. B&B rate from Rs8,000, double.