TV Times
Amaara Forest’: Luxury blends with wild
Pix by Neil Siriweera
Popularly tagged as the ‘eighth wonder of the world’, Sigiriya Rock, is the major lure destination in Sri Lanka, as it has adventurous, cultural and historical magnetism all together.
Sigiriya and Pidurangala, the double attraction of the ancient kingdom, never experienced a dull moment even with the lowest ever foreign tourist arrival recorded in the country. Recently, the Sri Lankan travellers to this great heritage destination have doubled the number due to the educational and knowledge expansion of the local community. The last holiday season in December saw the unbelievable tourist inflow, both foreign and Sri Lankan, to these attractions.
The latest addition to this UNESCO World Heritage site is Amaara Forest Hotel. Located in the rural forest village of Indigahawewa off Sigiriya – Habarana main road on 21 acres of natural landscape, Amaara Forest Hotel has been built with environmentally friendly methods to preserve the natural environment surrounding it. Having celebrated its third anniversary in December 2018, Amaara Forest Hotel is located in a dense jungle that gives guests a close connection with nature.
Owned and managed by veteran hotelier and travel consultant Ahintha Amerasinghe, Amaara Forest Hotel is the second resort in the Amaara Hotels portfolio. Spread over eleven acres, it comprises 44 very generously proportioned luxury rooms with all en-suite bathrooms with modern amenities in line with their eco-friendly theme.
‘Out of 44 rooms, 24 are king size double bedded spacious rooms and the rest are twin bedded large rooms equipped with all modern conveniences, including flat-screen satellite TV, DVD player, tea coffee making facilities and free WiFi’ said Ravi Perera, the General Manager of Amaara Forest.
The cuisine is an experience at Amaara Forest. The hotel offers meals of ‘any sort’, at any time, at the convenience of the guest. The main open air restaurant called ‘Kaya’, offers yet another great view of the surrounding landscape. It offers a great selection of tasty Eastern and Western cuisine for breakfast and dinner.
‘We are ready to fulfil any culinary requirement of the guests, but we are specialised in Sri Lankan cuisine’ said the Executive Chef Sunil Chandrasiri.
The air conditioned fine dining restaurant ‘Thimbiri’ overlooking the pool serves French,Continental, Italian and Mediterranean food.
For those who wish to dine under the stars, the ‘Maadang Forest restauran’t is in an ideal setting under a small canopy of trees at the periphery of the property, by the Sigiri Oya which snakes through the property. Kumbuk Bar and Illuk pool bar are popular attractions among the guest during the sun down time.
Tree Top Restaurant is truly a unique dining experience that every guest must experience. Tree Top Restaurant can accommodate about 20 pax and is secluded, with dim lighting, and a gentle breeze and offer the novelty of dining on a tree. The Tree Top is not just a dining restaurant, but also a location for a variety of events like morning yoga, small parties and even business meetings. It also offers a Honeymoon Deck by the river for couples to enjoy a private BBQ with champagne and music.
Apart from the traditional Araliya Spa, Amaara has the best state-of-the-art Conference Hall and Meeting Rooms in the Cultural Triangle, with all modern amenities. ‘Milla’ conference room makes Amaara Forest Hotel an ideal tlocation to hold corporate events too.
The Amaara Forest is built on an elephant roaming forest between the Minneriya and Sigiriya and approximately five kms away from the historic Sigiriya Rock Fortress and Pidurangala.
There is a network of cycling and walking paths, which can be used by those who wish to explore the property which is teeming with birdlife.
For more details call 0770038311, 0662277277 or log onto www.amaaraforest.com
