Rangala House

10/10

We stayed here for 2 nights during a 2 week tour around Sri Lanka. Set in a magical setting overlooking the Knuckles mountain range, this place is extremely special. Small boutique hotel with lots of charm. We did "Charlies walk" from the hotel. A 3 hour walk around the local hills and villages. The views are stunning and the locals are so friendly. Also well worth walking down the road for 10 minutes to the local cloth making factory. A few ladies making cloth on traditional looms. We had so much fun with them. They are happy for you to take photos and let you have a go on the looms. You can also buy their products such as sorongs, table napkins etc. which are lovely authentic souvenirs. This place is also excellent for doing a day trip to Knuckles mountains. It is a bit over priced at USD 40 pp for half a day but that seems to be the going rate. The highlight though must have been the food. The chef there is professionally trained and the food was the best we had on the whole trip. Do not hesitate to choose this place, it is extra special.

10/10

Situated about an hour out of Kandy, this is an alternative to the day-long trip to Newara Elia to see tea plantations and enjoy some mountain air. It is an old house that has been converted to a small hotel with fairly basic rooms, but an astonishingly beautiful outlook. They provide lunch on request (need to book ahead to ensure there is space) and what we had was superb - a large and very tasty quiche, plus several dishes of vegetables and salad (enough to feed several people) plus a delightful ice cream and rhubarb dish for desert and coffee, all for about AUD20 per head. We would have paid that for the view alone, sitting on the broad terrace looking out over the expansive valley in the cool of the shaded verandah.

10/10

Situated about an hour out of Kandy, this is an alternative to the day-long trip to Newara Elia to see tea plantations and enjoy some mountain air. It is an old house that has been converted to a small hotel with fairly basic rooms, but an astonishingly beautiful outlook. They provide lunch on request (need to book ahead to ensure there is space) and what we had was superb - a large and very tasty quiche, plus several dishes of vegetables and salad (enough to feed several people) plus a delightful ice cream and rhubarb dish for desert and coffee, all for about AUD20 per head. We would have paid that for the view alone, sitting on the broad terrace looking out over the expansive valley in the cool of the shaded verandah.

10/10

We stayed at Rangala for two nights and loved it. Our room was simple but very comfortable, and opened onto the wonderful deck with views forever. Sam and his staff were friendly, very natural and eager to help at all times. A delight. The recommended walks through the tea plantations were excellent, the best we had in Sri Lanka. We will remember them for a long time. Eating on the deck with the other guests was very enjoyable. Sebastian's food was top-class, with the wild boar casserole a highlight of my husband's trip. A great escape among the tea plantations, and great value for money. We would love to go back.

10/10

My two friends and I spent two nights here and enjoyed every moment. We shared one room and found the bedroom spacious and very comfortable. Everything about our stay was perfect. We had spent the previous two weeks travelling round Sri Lanka so wanted some peace, quiet and comfort before we flew back to Ireland and Rangala House provided all of these in spades. The location is spectacular and the view from the veranda just amazing. The house has been beautifully restored with great taste shown in every aspect of the decor ( there are well-stocked bookshelves as well). The final cherry on the cake was the swimming pool where we were able to cool down after our walks. The garden is a delight as well - beautifully maintained and carefully planted and full of bird life! Walking through the tea estates was one of the highlights of our stay here and Sam gave us great printed directions which made getting lost impossible, We liked to get up really early and go for a walk ranging from 1 1/2 to 3 hours before it got too hot - then we would come back to a gorgeous breakfast on the veranda. We spotted some very unusual birds on these walks - but had to keep an eye out for leeches in the long grass! No mosquitoes though at this altitude. Sam and his staff were courteous, charming and helpful. Nothing was too much trouble for them. The cook in particular was first class and we enjoyed all of our delicious meals eaten on the veranda. All in all, Rangala House was everything we had hoped it would be and I just hope some day I can go back and sample its delights all over again!