Top House Double Room - Rukgala Retreat

Rukgala is a boutique hotel and retreat space in the hills near Kandy in central Sri Lanka. The rate you see here includes daily group yoga classes (morning and evening), as well as three meals a day from our set, healthy menu. A large double room with a King bed. Plenty of storage space and a private balcony looking out over the lake. ’Rukgala’ translates, according to Sinhala spelling, as ‘house’ or ‘shelter on the rock’. We like both but the latter feels particularly apt. The main house was built in the 1970s as a private home and played host, from that point on, to some of the grander Sri Lankan families visiting as an escape from the heat and hustle of Colombo. In 2008 the property was bought by David Swannell, a financier leaving London behind. For some years the house sat unoccupied before the decision was taken to fully renovate, extend and offer Rukgala as a space for group retreats and peaceful private stays. That renovation work started in 2016 and, with a focus on keeping as much as possible of the original buildings (as well as the name), completed in early 2018. Rukgala remains a family-based project - with David and his nephews and cousins very-much involved. We love this part of Sri Lanka, not just for its natural beauty but, equally, for the variety of rich and warm cultures it plays host to. Rukgala sits wonderfully close to lesser-known temples, lush green tea estates, the untouched mountains of The Knuckles and secluded villages that dot the shores of the Victoria Lake.