The Kandy House

Rooms

Named after the butterflies that flutter through the grounds, the rooms differ in size and outlook, though most have large four-poster beds with soft white linen, colourful cushions and Victorian bathtubs (except Pioneer and Monkey Puzzle, which have showers only). Dark hardwood floorboards hint at the past, white-washed walls create a light and airy feel, and polished concrete in the bathrooms adds a contemporary touch.

The largest are the 4 Ultra Rooms. These include spacious Peacock Royal and Red Spot Duke, which both open onto the wide veranda surrounding the outside of the house. We stayed in the latter, and enjoyed having afternoon tea and cakes on our veranda while watching the birds and butterflies. There's also the beautiful Black Rajah Garden Suite, with a private massage area and octagonal double bath set in the middle of the room. When booked together with the small adjoining twin room (Monkey Puzzle), it's ideal for families with older children. On our most recent visit we loved Indian Admiral with its four-poster bed, in-room bathtub and separate sitting room which opened onto the veranda where we had breakfast.

The 5 slightly cheaper Deluxe Rooms are set around the large 2-storey central courtyard. Of these, Monkey Puzzle and Pioneer (a turquoise-hued room with its own swing seat in the garden) have twin beds, while Sunbeam, Lime Butterfly and Cornelian have double beds. These rooms are a bit smaller, darker and less secluded than the Ultras, so on balance we'd recommend paying the extra for the bigger rooms – assuming budget and availability allow, of course.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Bathrobes
• Fan
• Hairdryer
• In-room treatments available
• Mosquito net
• Safe box
• Toiletries
• WiFi

Eating

Guests can dine in style in the colonial dining room or on the less formal veranda overlooking the garden and hill country. For a more romantic setting, dine à deux in a romantic poolside gazebo.

Breakfast is a tasty selection of fresh juice, fruit, porridge, granola with treacle, eggs, savoury crepes or hoppers and toast. Picnics can be arranged for lunchtime if you are out and about; alternatively there is a small snack menu of sandwiches, spring rolls and a special salad of the day.

Every evening, there is a set daily menu limited to a choice of 2 starters, 2 main courses and a dessert. We began with green chili calamari and crunchy beet and apple salad, and sweet potato and ginger soup, followed by fish in coconut and lime sauce with a citrus salsa, and pork wrapped in crispy bacon. The meal was completed with a zingy passionfruit tart. Any lack of choice is made up for by the quality and freshness of the ingredients, which are selected by the chef every morning. Special dishes can also be arranged to cater for particular dietary needs.

You can also request a Sri Lankan curry feast for the same price as the set menu (advance notice required). With 10 different dishes followed by fresh mango and homemade kulfi (a kind of ice cream), it was memorable for the delicious array of flavours such as okra, ginger and even hibiscus.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Dinner
• Lunch
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• The hotel is a short drive from the ancient lakeside city of Kandy, now Unesco-listed, Sri Lanka's cultural and religious heart. Visit the famous Temple of the Tooth for a real insight into the history of the country as well as Buddhism
  
• While in Kandy do stroll around the wonderful Botanical Gardens – keep an eye out for the trees around the Great Circle planted by dignitaries from Queen Elizabeth to Yuri Gagarin
  
• The city is also renowned for its central market, gemstone emporiums and artisanal crafts
  
• Take in a cultural show featuring Sri Lankan dancing, drumming, acrobatics and fire-eating
  
• Follow your nose into the surrounding hills, past tea plantations, old colonial mansions, paddy fields and temples
  
• Book early if you want to experience Sri Lanka's most important festival (and one of the most famous in Asia), the Kandy Esala Perahera, a spectacular 10-day event in July/August
  
• Golf can be arranged (the Victoria Golf Club is one of the finest in Asia); so can bicycle tours
  
• Yoga classes can be arranged; ask the staff for details of yoga retreats
  
• Further afield (2 hours north by car), you can visit more World Heritage sites: climb the famous Sigiriya rock; and don’t miss Dambulla for its magnificent Golden Temple – 157 incredible statues of Buddha and imperious ancient wall paintings – which has been a sacred site for pilgrims for over 2000 years and is Sri Lanka’s largest and best-preserved cave temple

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Cycling
• Golf
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Hot air ballooning
• Museums / galleries
• Plantlife / flora
• Shopping / markets
• Swimming
• Traditional cultures
• Yoga

Kids

Children over the age of 12 are welcome.

Best for:

Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

An ideal room for families is Monkey Puzzle, which has twin beds and adjoins with the Black Rajah. The Indian Admiral and Cornelian rooms are also next to each other so share a terrace, ideal for older families, as are the Peacock and Redspot Duke rooms. If you have just one child, an extra bed can be added to the Ultra rooms, but if you have two or more, you'll need to book adjacent rooms.

Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

The Kandy House is located 15-20 minutes outside Kandy's town centre in the middle of Sri Lanka. It's a 3-hour drive from Colombo's international airport.

By Air:
Colombo Bandaranaike (100km away) is the closest international airport.

From the Airport
The Kandy House can arrange a transfer from the airport – see Rates. Alternatively you can take the train from Colombo, which takes half the time (you might want to upgrade to first class, which has an observation car), but bear in mind that many flights arrive late in the evening, after the last train has left.

Budget permitting, you could also catch an internal flight from Colombo to Kandy with Sri Lankan Airlines' air taxi service.

Getting Around
Staff can arrange tuk-tuks or cars for day trips. You can take the train on from here to the Highlands – destinations including Hatton, Ella and Nuwara Eliya – a beautiful scenic journey.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.