Ella, with its cluster of eclectic cafés beside the main road, has a hint of being fashionable. Visitors are not only backpackers on their way to Arugam Bay, they also include a new kind of tourist: middle aged and reasonably prosperous couples keen to explore Sri Lanka independently.
Not for these intrepid wanderers the boredom of the guided “round trip” tour with enforced visits to batik shops and spice gardens. They travel by train or hired van to the places they want to visit.
Why Ella, which has about 35 guesthouses, has become so popular baffles the villagers. Of course, there is the spectacular scenery of Ella Gap and Ravana waterfalls, alas always plagued by rashes of graffiti. However, new accommodation for tourists has just opened that should lure many more people to Ella.
Actually it is located 11km south of Ella overlooking the A23 where it winds downhill to Wellawaya. The road up to the aptly named Planter’s Bungalow is ramplike where it leaves the A23 beside the covered bus stand at Karandagola. The bungalow is at the end of a lane on the left of that side road, past and above a school.
Originally built in the 19th century the bungalow was the home until 1948 of Scottish planter Malcolm George. Now it is owned by a British couple who have restored it and added their own idiosyncrasies. This has resulted in a charming retreat in an exotic tropical garden 1,000m above sea level.
The climate, in fact, is perfect with warm days and cool evenings, which enables a rich variety of flora and fauna to flourish. Thus the garden is lush and creates a tranquil privacy only occasionally interrupted by the rage of vehicles passing along the A23 below. It was the majestic splendour of the trees as much as of the solid, granite walls of the then dilapidated bungalow that attracted its new owners to buy it.
Now there are three bedrooms in the old bungalow; all cosily furnished in a way that emphasises that this bungalow is a home for its guests. Each bedroom has its own bathroom and private terrace. The master bedroom has a lounge that could have come from the pages of House & Garden, creating a pleasant outdoor patio atmosphere indoors.
On the site of the former stables, a bijou cottage has been built. I call it that because the bedroom (for two) is small and elegant. So small that the bathroom is the other side of an open terrace, where there is also an outdoor kitchen. On its roof, there is a deck for lounging or dining. The cottage would be great for teenagers while parents stay in the main house.
The owners used to run a restaurant in Britain that earned a Michelin star so food preparation is carefully monitored. If John, the host, is in residence guests can expect good conversation as well as good food. They can also spend time trekking through the tea gardens, or use the Planter’s Bungalow as a convenient base for visits to the south coast and the neighbouring hill stations of Bandarawela and Nuwara Eliya.
It is the kind of place that inspires people who are content with their own company, to stay a long time. There are plenty of books to read, or perhaps a holiday at Planter’s Bungalow would give a chance, and the peace, to write one.
If you have got used to plantation bungalows converted into comfortable, boutique-style guesthouses costing more than a Colombo five-star hotel for a night’s stay, this is a great surprise. At Planter’s Bungalow the rate is just US$45 for a double room, with breakfast.
No wonder Ella and its surroundings are so popular.
Planter’s Bungalow (3 double rooms, 1 cottage, no AC) Karandagolla, Ella; [tel] 057 4925902; 077 6251414; [email] thebungalow@wow.lk, [Web] www.plantersbungalow.com. |
E-mail
