Jetwing Vil Uyana Resort in Sigiriya Sri Lanka
Eco Friendly Lifestyle Hotel within the Historic Cultural Triangle
Jan 12, 2009
Sigiriya is home to Sri Lanka's King Kasyapa's 5th century AC city, rock palace, and gardens, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is also the unparalleled setting to Jetwing Vil Uyana. Twenty-five dwellings are sprawled across 24 acres of wetlands and dry zone species reforestation area.
Using natural materials like teak, bamboo, and grass, Sunela Jayawardena, Sri Lanka's award-winning environmental architect, designed Vil Uyana in a way that the ensemble resembles a rural Sri Lankan village that blends with the local scenery.
Vil Uyana's Modern Conveniences in an Organic Setting
The air-conditioned suites, which are called Paddy Field or Marsh, Forest or Water Dwelling, may be booked for single, double, or triple occupancy, from US$ 303/day, on a bed & breakfast basis. Each one is equipped with a coffee/tea maker, a mini bar, a 20" LCD cable TV (220-240V), a DVD player (DVDs at Reception), separate bath and rain shower/toilet areas, e-mail/internet connection, and more.
From the sleeping deck, nothing block's a guest's view to the fields outside, all the way to Sigiriya Rock. It makes for an indoor-outdoor situation, the guest feels at one with nature, and succumbs to the blissful moment.
Vil Uyana's Facilities, Dining Options, Island Spa, Exotic Weddings
Two restaurants, Sulang and The Apsara, and The Graffiti Bar, cater to the dining and wining needs of the residents. A visit to their wine cellar may interest wine connoisseurs. There's also an outdoor swimming pool.
The Island Spa offers a blend of Eastern and Western indulgences like massages (from US$ 28/45 mins), three-to-five-day spa regimens (from US$ 148/person), and ayurvedic treatments (from US$ 31/45 mins). A state-of-the-art gym adjoins it.
With Sri Lanka getting to be a popular destination for exotic weddings, the resort proposes Wedding Packages, at US$ 1,890/couple, to cover registry fees, wedding cake, champagne, dinner, hairdressing, and other services.
Family Friendly Excursions, Things-To-Do While at Jetwing Vil Uyana
Jetwing Vil Uyana's location within the Cultural Triangle makes the drive shorter for resort guests who wish to visit the UNESCO World Heritage sites: the ancient city of Sigiriya, and the hallowed capitals, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. Entrance fee for each site: US$ 20/adult. Children under 12: half price. It is best to plan for a two-to-three-day stay, considering the hotel's distance from the Bandaranaike International Airport (153 km/4hr drive) or Colombo City (169 km/4.5hr drive).
The Art of Paddy allows guests the chance to join hotel staff in their annual rice-planting activity. Participants are given a schedule on when to check in at the hotel: Transplanting Weekend in November -- US$ 373/rm/day; Harvest Weekend in February -- US$ 323/rm/day.
Walks around the property present visitors some incredible wildlife encounters with enormous monitor lizards, shimmery snakes, elegant peacocks, and nimble marsh crocodiles.
According to Sarah Siese, author of "Running Wild -- Vil Uyana, Sri Lanka," Heaven on Earth Kids (HB): The World's Best Family Holidays (May 2007), "While Vil Uyana is calming...a deck on the edge of the lake...allows kids, armed with information leaflets and competition questions, to indulge in pond dipping." Her young son adds, "Vil Uyana is a place where nature meets mankind."
Jetwing Vil Uyana's Environmental Policy and Corporate Social Responsibility
The hotel practices the 3R concept of "Reduces, Reuses & Recycles," with staff trained in energy and water conservation, waste water and solid waste management, and other eco-friendly habits. There's also JEEP (Jetwing Eternal Earth Project), in which guests engage in tree-planting initiatives.
As a newcomer to the Sri Lankan hotel industry, Vil Uyana still has room for improvement, especially in terms of prompt customer service and food preparation and presentation. But friendly smiles are already in place, and with Jetwing behind it, Vil Uyana will, in no time, become the biggest player in the Sri Lankan hospitality and tourism business. All rates quoted may change without prior notice. Reservations T +94 66 4923584-6/E-mail: viluyana@wow.lk
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