Photos of two days stay at Kandalama Hotel near Dambulla at New Year, 2011.
Kandalama Hotel, designed by Sri Lankan modernist architect Geoffrey Bawa, is wrapped around a bluff overlooking Kandalama lake (a tank or reservoir). The hotel appears to grow out of the jungle, and staying there is a unique experience - although not a cheap one, especially peak holiday times.
The hotel stresses ecotourism and offers such activities as elephant rides, jungle walks, boat rides on the lake, horseriding and elephant safaris at a nature reserve. I did the jungle walk to a tiny village of only two houses, owned by the hotel; a boat ride, which was boring; and an elephant safari, which was wonderful, although a long drive away.