The grandeur of The Grand Hotel

Plantation Hotel

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Film set, Rolls Royce Museum and Jungle"

Quote:

We stopped off at a restaurant which was at the site where they filmed the world famous Black and White Movie of the Bridge over the River Kwai in 1957. This film by David Lean is based on the novel by French writer Pierre Boulle and although a work of fiction it is firmly based on the construction, by Japanese Prisoners of War, of the Burma Railway in 1942–43. It stars William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins and I was surprised to learn that a lot of the scene creation for the film was done in Sri Lanka in the Kitulgala region.Kitulgala is a small town in the western Sri Lanka and is said to be one of the wettest places in the country. We went in what is usually the driest month of th...Read More

We stopped off at a restaurant which was at the site where they filmed the world famous Black and White Movie of the Bridge over the River Kwai in 1957. This film by David Lean is based on the novel by French writer Pierre Boulle and although a work of fiction it is firmly based on the construction, by Japanese Prisoners of War, of the Burma Railway in 1942–43. It stars William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins and I was surprised to learn that a lot of the scene creation for the film was done in Sri Lanka in the Kitulgala region.

Kitulgala is a small town in the western Sri Lanka and is said to be one of the wettest places in the country. We went in what is usually the driest month of the year, but of course in 2010-11 the weather was uniquely different and the island had experienced extraordinary high levels of rainfall. But I digress. Our guide turned off the twisty road into the grounds of the restaurant and we headed off to check out the place. Whilst my wife and friends headed off to find the restaurant I went in search of the car museum that was signed close to the entrance. Now this wasn’t easy to find because as if the signs were pointing in the wrong direction! The museum isn’t huge and not all of the cars are Rolls Royce, but it was an interesting experience that passed all of 10 minutes! Check it out if you’re at the Plantation Hotel – it is free!

I was soon joining the other three and they’d found a table overlooking the Kelani River.

Although the film crew had constructed "the bridge over the river Kwai" at this very spot there is currently no surface evidence to support this. Allegedly there are still the concrete foundations and some say that the train carriages that were hurled into the river when the bridge was blown up are still on the river bed. We were just about getting into the "Kwai mood" when a rubber dinghy came into view. This stretch of the river is now also very popular with "thrill seekers "as they surf the white waters of the River Kelani.
Whilst we were here a wedding group gave the hotel some added atmosphere and their silhouetted figures against the river and the jungle forest that surrounds the area were perfect for some atmospheric photos.

We had a reasonable snack here (a Sri Lankan omelette with French Fries) and considering the setting it was no more expensive than we’ve paid anywhere else for a similar meal. The service was slow and ponderous and I’m only grateful that we’d arrived just before a large coach load of tourists arrived. At least we’d got our order in before they hit the restaurant’s radar!

The walkway back up to the hotel reception (there are less than 10 rooms) is "littered" with 1950’s knick-knacks, posters relating to the "kwai movie" and commemorative plaques marking its historical connection with this great movie of its time.

Personally I wouldn’t break my neck to visit this spot but if you’re on route and can pull it in then it’s worth a small detour. If not for the Kwai connection but for the superb setting of the hotel.

Read Less

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on February 24, 2011

Plantation Hotel

Kitulgala, Sri Lanka

Cheer!
Flag

Blue Field Tea Factory (Bluefield Tea Gardens)

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Walking the tea plantation"

Quote:

We’d set off nice and early for the Tea Factory and although we’ve been to a tea plantation in Kerala before we didn’t check out the production process. As soon as we arrived at the Blue Tree plantation we were welcomed by our personal guide who was going to talk us through the production process. I was expecting a sophisticated production line but was immediately surprised at the low level technology and the scarcity of workers in the building.For the next 20 minutes we’re going to be "walked through the process" from the stage the bags of leaves are brought through to the final delivery of tea leaves fit for the teapot. Initially the leaves are wilted (i.e. put in large containers with dry hea...Read More

We’d set off nice and early for the Tea Factory and although we’ve been to a tea plantation in Kerala before we didn’t check out the production process. As soon as we arrived at the Blue Tree plantation we were welcomed by our personal guide who was going to talk us through the production process. I was expecting a sophisticated production line but was immediately surprised at the low level technology and the scarcity of workers in the building.
For the next 20 minutes we’re going to be "walked through the process" from the stage the bags of leaves are brought through to the final delivery of tea leaves fit for the teapot. Initially the leaves are wilted (i.e. put in large containers with dry heat underneath) and they’re turned regularly during this process. They must then be naturally dried before being sorted into their different sizes. We’re told that the different size of the "tea leaves" will impact on the strength and we are surprised to learn that those which go in to the bags are the strongest tea. I joked that we always thought that these were the "sweepings up" from the factory floor and then realised that the factory floor is used as part of the process and indeed once "roasted" the product is indeed "swept up" and returned to the production line.
I was real chuffed to see part of England in the factory. Although no longer used it was an industrial klaxon that had been manufactured by Ruston’s of Lincoln. An engineering company for which my father had worked for many decades.
After our guided tour we are treated to a "tasting". I’d assumed that we would taste different teas but this was not the case – we had a pot of tea. It was, however, exceptionally good and predictably we went to the shop to purchase a few packets to take home.
I was really keen to walk the tea plantation (something I’d not been able to do in Kerala) and as it was a weekend and people weren’t working we could wander the hills. My friend and I went on our own because neither of our wives was keen to climb up the hillside. Initially it was an easy climb but as we moved up the hill it became increasingly difficult. We reached the top and decided to walk along the top whilst checking out the new growth on the tea bushes. At some points it was difficult to imagine how the tea pickers managed to access the bushes as the climb was almost sheer and the soil very slippery underfoot. Clearly the workers must be like mountain goats and gave much surer footing than either of us. We struggled and at one point had to support each other to prevent us slipping down the hill. And that’s without a large bag on our backs that we need to be filling with tea!
The view across the plantation from the top of the hill was superb and although we were disappointed that pickers weren’t out in force we would not have been able to experience the climb if they’d have been working. Trying to imagine the weight of the bag and the stress on the body for the female work force (it is only women that pick the tips) was impossible but we both descended believing that sometimes this work must be quite dangerous.
The visit to the tea factory was an eye opener as we learnt about the manufacturing process as well as the picking process. Additionally we saw some magnificent views on the approach to the plantation and from the top of our climb. But to climb you’ll need to be fairly sure-footed!
Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 23, 2011

Blue Field Tea Factory (Bluefield Tea Gardens)
Town of Ramboda
Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka

Cheer!
Flag

Early morining bird watching

Best Of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Quote:

Our guide had recognised that I was interested in wild life and so offered to take me for an early morning bird watching walk. Apparently he set off every morning following his love of nature, at around 5.00am, but suggested that 7.00am would be earlier enough for me to see some of the local bird life. I readily agreed and our rendez-vous was fixed for 7.00 in the main reception area.I, somewhat bleary eyed, made it at the appointed time and our guide, looking as if he’d been awake for hours, was waiting for me. Soon we were outside the hotel, in an early morning misty rain and within minutes I’m looking into a small bush in which two long billed sun birds are attempting to feed on the bri...Read More

Our guide had recognised that I was interested in wild life and so offered to take me for an early morning bird watching walk. Apparently he set off every morning following his love of nature, at around 5.00am, but suggested that 7.00am would be earlier enough for me to see some of the local bird life. I readily agreed and our rendez-vous was fixed for 7.00 in the main reception area.

I, somewhat bleary eyed, made it at the appointed time and our guide, looking as if he’d been awake for hours, was waiting for me. Soon we were outside the hotel, in an early morning misty rain and within minutes I’m looking into a small bush in which two long billed sun birds are attempting to feed on the bright flowers. They’re hard to focus in on, but I can’t blame my camera more likely that my eyes are still not "fully awake"!

I make a comment about the "drizzle" (mist like rain) and my guide explains that it wouldn’t be morning in Nurawa Eliya if there wasn’t the mist. "It’s usual most days, just like England" he smiled. Next we creep down some slippery stone steps to watch a white bellied drongo and his mate, before they were disturbed by the arrival of an egret. My guide explained to me that the pond and cattle egrets were slightly different in appearance with the pond egret having black legs and the cattle egret yellow legs. It’s all to do with the conditions that they’re hunting in and good old Darwin’s theory of evolution.
As we pass by the side of the house I was pleased to see a bird before my guide. "It’s the Pheasant Tailed Jacana", he whispered "and it’s rare to see because it’s such a shy bird". I stood by in awe as I tried to get a decent view of the bird. I’ve never seen one, or indeed heard the name before so I tried to creep nearer to get an un-obscured view. Not the best thing to do if you’re half asleep and as cack-handed as me. I managed to make it just to close as the bird scuttled off through the hedgerows and onto the golf course. In the blink of an eye it was gone. Unfortunately it disappeared before I could get my photographic evidence of a sighting, but now I’m aware of the bird I’ll be keeping an eye out for it when I’m in Asia.

Other than a "bucket load of crows" the rest of our exploration of the grounds was a bit thin and so we headed off down a track at the back of the hotel towards the town.

Although there weren’t any birds it was an interesting part of town and we passed the original golf club house and a few other "English" cottages before making it back to the main street. It was here that I saw a single Asian Koel in the company of a large group of Ravens, standing out distinctively with his yellow beak. My guide was surprised but confirmed my sighting. A gentle walk through the town and past a cinchona tree which my guide tells me is a source of quinine and was important for the treatment of malaria.
Next we head back to the hotel where we pick up the mini bus and drive a few minutes out of the centre of Nurawa Eliya to the nearby forest in Gallwaysland National Park.

Despite a lot of twittering we didn’t see one bird, but there were a number of monkeys swinging through the canopy of trees above us. The lack of birds really didn’t matter, because I saw a small temple, the local houses (up close), and villagers heading off to work in Nurawa Eliya. It was a good start to the day and I ended up seeing parts of the town that are not normally frequented by tourists.
Read Less

Cheer!
Flag

The markets of Nurawa Eliya

Best Of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Quote:

Before we stopped off at the Grand Hotel our guide took us for a brief tour of Nurawa Eliya. It’s honestly not a stunning place but we were assured it’s about to become a World Heritage Site. Nuwara Eliya is only 180 Km from the hot and humid Colombo but it is said to be "blessed with a salubrious climate". In reality that means it’s a lot chillier here and there was certainly no need to Air Conditioning in the bedrooms!! It’s a very green and lush area and Nuwara Eliya (meaning the City of Lights) is also known as 'Little' England'. It’s not difficult to imagine why it appealed to the British and it soon became their favourite hill station. Just looking around you can see how they tried t...Read More

Before we stopped off at the Grand Hotel our guide took us for a brief tour of Nurawa Eliya. It’s honestly not a stunning place but we were assured it’s about to become a World Heritage Site.

Nuwara Eliya is only 180 Km from the hot and humid Colombo but it is said to be "blessed with a salubrious climate". In reality that means it’s a lot chillier here and there was certainly no need to Air Conditioning in the bedrooms!! It’s a very green and lush area and Nuwara Eliya (meaning the City of Lights) is also known as 'Little' England'. It’s not difficult to imagine why it appealed to the British and it soon became their favourite hill station. Just looking around you can see how they tried to create the town into a typical English Village.

There are some interesting 19th Century houses around the town some of which have been built with stone from England. The story goes that goods were exported from Ceylon, as the British called it (the island has been variously called Taprobane by the Ancient Greeks, Serendib by the Arabs, Ceilao by the Portuguese), but there was nothing that was really required to import back to the island. Not wanting to return with an empty ship the English loaded it up with building stone and then incorporated it into the design of the more prestigious buildings in Nurawa Eliya. These prestigious building were built as "proper mansions" some in the style of English houses and others adopting the classic colonial properties of India.

There’s the old brick Post office, country houses and gentlemen’s club, an 18 hole golf course (although my friend who’s a keen golfer didn’t think that the course was up to much) and even a race course. It must have been like home from home for the wealthy and influential British folk that moved her or visited the region.

As a contrast to these grand houses our guide took us to the local food market and educated us on some of the more exotic fruit unique to this part of the world. He seemed well known by the market traders and they were quite happy for us to take photographs of their stalls. We were looking at fruit and vegetables that we’ve never seen before and all looked fresh and colourful. Most of it looked quite tasty but the odd one – well, I’m still not sure. Our guide then stood near a small stall of items that seemed most unappetising. He explained that the "wrap of natural products" were for mouth hygiene and he then started to demonstrate by crunching on some stone like items and then opening a leaf (the contents of which are best left un-described) and chewing on them.

He explained that after a time the saliva would turn red. We stood like children at a magic show and then as sure as I’m typing this into my computer he showed us what he meant. My children would have said "gross" and indeed it was!

Next he led further in to the market to check out the dried fish. I have to say that was marginally less attractive than to "teeth cleaning concoction" and reminiscent of some of the horrendous food items that I remember seeing in the markets of Beijing. The fresh fish looked more appetising, if not a little "ripe" in aroma, but just at the end of the market were a couple of butchers shops selling beef and lamb respectively. I’m not squeamish, but I passed on by!

Beyond the food market we passed by a load of small shops selling all manner of goods. A real insight into the trading life of a town in Sri Lanka – complete with the smells and noise that is generated my market traders and their customers. Well worth checking out.
Read Less

Cheer!
Flag

Grand Hotel

Best Of IgoUgo

Hotel | "Back in time for this stay.."

Quote:

What a magnificent old colonial mansion this is. Over the years, since 1827, the Grand has seen major development work to extend this fine hotel and inside there is plenty of photographic evidence of its history, including a photo of Eliza Smith and her husband (whoever they might be) approaching the main entrance from their chauffer driven ford motor car in the early 1900’s. The Grand is certainly grand and although you might describe small pockets of it as being in need of an update you have to take on board that you are staying in a period building with all the original finery and grandeur that the British expected when staying in Sri Lanka in the days of the Victorian Empire. It starte...Read More

What a magnificent old colonial mansion this is. Over the years, since 1827, the Grand has seen major development work to extend this fine hotel and inside there is plenty of photographic evidence of its history, including a photo of Eliza Smith and her husband (whoever they might be) approaching the main entrance from their chauffer driven ford motor car in the early 1900’s.

The Grand is certainly grand and although you might describe small pockets of it as being in need of an update you have to take on board that you are staying in a period building with all the original finery and grandeur that the British expected when staying in Sri Lanka in the days of the Victorian Empire. It started off as a grand country residence and was established as a hotel in 1891. So for well over a century it has operated as a hotel and I’m fairly sure that some of the decorative furniture is contemporary to the period of its establishment.

The bedrooms were spacious and well appointed with views across the garden and as befitting its status each of the hotel’s bedrooms are different. There’s no fitted furniture here as all the items seem to fit well in the period bedrooms.

The dining room is a spectacular place with long corridors leading to this banqueting hall. Indeed the view from the dining room back along the chandeliered corridor was a bit special and it wasn’t too difficult to imagine how grand things must have been for the ruling classes back in the 19th and early 20th Century.

If you stay her make sure you check out the small back bar leading to the Billiard Room. There are three full sized tables in this games room and although we didn’t play our imagination once again ran rampant as we thought of the men retiring for a game of Billiards or Snooker whilst leaving the women in one of the many lounges. Of course in those days the men would have enjoyed a cigar or two after a meal but nowadays the Grand is totally non-smoking.

We had a superb hot buffet meal in the dining room whilst a local group serenaded us with a great choice of easy listening music. Although mass catering the Grand manages to prepare its meals so well that they could be individually cooked for us. And the selection of puddings – my downfall - was immense. Far too many to sample all of them!
After dinner we adjourned to one of the lounges next to the main entrance. Here we enjoyed a Cointraeu on ice and a game of Canasta. Once again the setting is total colonialism and it felt like we’d abandoned the 21st century.

Everything about the Grand is exceptionally on the ball. The service is prompt, unassuming but totally respectful. Indeed momentarily we felt like all the aattenti9on of the staff was focussed on us. It’s a great setting and it’s just a shame that we’d only booked in for one night. I certainly could have "tolerated" another night or two in this Grand old building with its old fashioned service ethic. A "grand place to stay"
Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on February 13, 2011

Grand Hotel
Grand Hotel Road
Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka
94-52-2222881/7

Cheer!
Flag

IgoUgo

Nuwara Eliya Journals

Upload Photos