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Green View HOTEl $
(%077 781 1881; http://www.greenviewholidayresort.com;
Karagahinna, Elkaduwa; s/d incl breakfast from Rs
2600/3500; W) This cheery hillside lodge has
spectacular views of a forested mountain val-
ley and clean rooms with fake roses providing
a shot of colour. It’s showing its age a little,
but staff will happily lead you on easy low-
level strolls or much tougher hikes around
the edge of the Knuckles Range. Book ahead
and they’ll pick you up from Kandy.
A swimming pool was under construction
at time of research.
oMudulkelle Tea &
Ecolodge BOUTiQUE HOTEl $$$
(%380 1052; http://www.madulkelle.com; madulkelle
v illage; d incl full board US$389; Ws) (^) S Lie in
the infinity pool and gaze out over mountain
creases and the deep greens of the surround-
ing tea estates at this intimate and fabulous
boutique hotel. The rooms themselves are
actually tents, scattered over the hillside,
but fear not, this ain’t real camping. These
luxury tents come with double beds, fully
equipped bathrooms and wooden writing
desks.
The main building, containing the res-
taurant, is filled with polished antiques and
leather armchairs set beside a roaring log
fire. Superb meals are included in the rates
and there’s a wealth of activities on offer. The
manager speaks French and the lodge is en-
gaged in community-development projects.
Rangala House BOUTiQUE HOTEl $$$
(%240 0294; http://www.rangalahouse.com; 92B Bobe-
bila Rd, makuldeniya, Teldeniya; half-board s /d
US$154/214, 4-person studio US$220; Ws) This
gorgeous former tea planter’s bungalow is
ensconced on a steep forested hillside sur-
rounded by spice trees. It has just four dou-
ble rooms and a studio for families. Its large
living and dining room has a fireplace and
views over mountains, the jungles, and the
distant bright lights of Kandy.
It organises very good hiking tours in the
Knuckles Range.
Hunas Falls Hotel HOTEl $$$
(%494 0320; http://www.hunasfallskandy.com; Elkaduwa;
s/d incl breakfast from US$178/189; aiWs)
Perched on the edge of a working tea plan-
tation and spice garden, this hotel, which
is popular with visitors from India and the
Middle East, has elegant rooms and a bucolic
location. Frankly the building itself is some-
thing of an ugly and impersonal blot on an
otherwise stunning landscape.
8 Getting There & Away
A taxi from Kandy to Elkaduwa should cost Rs- Alternatively, take a bus to Wattegama
(from near the clock tower in Kandy), and then
catch another to Elkaduwa.
VISITING THE VEDDAHS
Sri Lanka was inhabited long before the Sinhalese or Tamils arrived on the scene. These
original inhabitants, known as the Veddahs (Hunters), are thought to have first arrived on
the island some 18,000 years ago and until fairly recently they have lived alongside their
fellow Sri Lankans without too many issues. Today though, as with aboriginal communities
across South Asia, the remaining Veddah communities are under intense pressure and only
a few hundred pure-blooded Veddah remain.
The last Veddah stronghold is in the countryside around the village of Dambana, which
is east of the small town of Mahiyangana. If you want to meet the Veddah you need to find
a translator-guide in Dambulla to take you to the pretty hamlet of Kotabakina, the most
frequently visited Veddah village. Once here you will (for a fairly substantial sum) most likely
be entertained with dancing, singing and a ‘hunting’ display by the Veddah people. Perhaps
not surprisingly the whole experience can feel rather staged, but it should also be borne
in mind that the money tourism pumps into the villages, and the tourists’ desire to see
traditional tribal ‘culture’, might actually be enough to stop the last of Veddah from being
swallowed up by mainstream Sri Lankan culture.
The best base for a visit to this area is Mahiyangana, a sprawling and sparsely settled
town. The only highlight in the town itself is the Mahiyangana dagoba where, according
to legend, the Buddha preached on his first visit to Sri Lanka.
There are a few lodging options in Mahiyangana, none of which are very accustomed
to foreign guests, and there are buses to Kandy, Badulla and Polonnaruwa, among other
destinations.