Kahanda Kanda – Secret Hideaway

For someone who has no problem with going from one extreme to another none of you will be surprised that I left my ramshackle beach accommodation in Hikkaduwa for one of Sri Lanka’s top boutique hotels. I’d call Kahanda Kanda (KK) five star luxury, a place I’d known about since it opened in 2006 and somewhere I’d been dying to visit after hearing so many great things! I was not to be disappointed. Let me take you on a journey to an amazing find...

I took my usual tuktuk transport to get to KK and thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful scenery inland Sri Lanka has to offer. Confident that the tuktuk GPS system would get me there I was able to relax and take it all in. ‘Tuktuk GPS’ is my name for a system which never fails as there are tuktuks wherever you go: stationed on corners of roads, paths and tracks; parked up outside shops and houses; waiting near temples and schools. The drivers are always willing to help and steer you in the right direction ensuring that you eventually reach your destination - who needs the drone voice of SatNav when the charm of the locals is so much more fun?! Inland Sri Lanka is a place to really experience daily local life as you drive along the complicated network of tiny tarmac roads that take you past ever changing scenery: weaving around paddy fields; passing through cinnamon, coconut and tea plantations; ducking under jungle creepers; and driving past ramshackle village huts and colourful houses. These inland roads open a window to Sri Lankan life though, as life often feels here, they never seem to have any direction - you feel utterly lost as they criss-cross the lush tropical land like the slimy staggered snail tracks found on a giant jungle leaf.

It was a beautiful drive from Hikkaduwa to Kahanda Kanda, starting with the coastal road – jungle and houses to the left, patchy views of the sea to the right with its queues of waves and multiple blues. There were kids playing in the shallows and adults keeping watch, waist deep in water, fully clothed, smiling and soaked in their sarees and suits. We then passed through the old town of Galle with its legendary Dutch ramparts towering over the cricket ground, its colourful fruit and veg market, its overflowing fish stalls, and its navy base, before taking a left turn inland. Here the scenery changed to the multiple vibrant greens of paddy fields, giant leaves of banana trees and tropical ferns, towered by coconut palms. The route was slowed by wandering cows, scatty goats, and Sri Lankan villagers going about their lives as we drove along the rutted twisty roads. Scenery accompanied by familiar smells - earthy cabbage scents of the paddy fields, fumes of frying fish and mouth watering aromas of simmering curries drifting from the houses. At the time of day I went, just after lunch, this lush green picture was dotted with the white uniforms of smiling kids as they walked back home from school – giggling and bravely shouting out ‘hello’, ‘how are you’, ‘what country’?

KK: cool, calm and utterly charming
After driving through peaceful and picturesque inland Sri Lanka we arrived at KK’s big gates. They opened to a winding, uneven grey-stone drive pushing its way uphill through lush green tea bushes. This took me back to my colonial past. Whether a good thing to admit or not – tea is a huge part of my family. My grandfather lived most of his life in Sri Lanka - he arrived in the country to learn the ropes as a young tea planter, a wee lad at the tender age of 18, and worked hard to become top man of Finlays Tea. He had to leave the country in 1962, a sad departure for him, my grandmother and my mother (then aged 15). In 1927 he had made Sri Lanka his home, years later in 2005 I made it mine, and coincidentally we both felt we had to leave due to the government’s aversion to foreigners! Him after 40 years, me after 4. A digression, but also an explanation as to why arriving at KK felt so special as it reminded me of Hapugastenne, the tea estate where my mother grew up, with all the charm and tranquillity that tea plantations seem to bring.

This characterful, cobbly driveway led to the top of the tea hill and stopped at huge steep steps seemingly leading up to the skies, with tall imposing walls either side – one painted bright saffron yellow and one made up of dappled grey stone. (Although it sounds like an intimidating start it felt dramatic rather than unwelcoming.) The staff warmly greeted me, took my bags and I followed. At the top of the steps the giant saffron wall continued to my right whilst to my left the wall stopped and opened up to gardens, rooms, statues and ponds. After passing these, the stone slab path ended at a beautifully set swimming pool of subtle design, not overpowering the rest of the hotel but still decently sized and very tempting! Beside the pool, green lawns sloped down to pristinely pruned tea bushes and long views over Koggala Lake below. Simply breathtaking. I took in this setting as I sat in the hazy afternoon heat sipping my welcome drink in the living area - a wonderful open space lined with long white sofa cushions, for essential lounging, and filled with antique furniture, ornaments, candles, vases, plants, and book cases. In case you needed entertaining the tables had a fantastic selection of coffee table books including some with incredible photography of Sri Lanka’s exquisite villas, beautiful landscapes and wonderful wildlife. The room was decorated with Sri Lanka’s signature black and white Paradise Road cushions, mixed with lovely deep red to add some colour. Clearly KK was going to be different to anywhere I had previously been – this was to be all about the rooms, the décor, and the setting.

Rooms with a view
I had the opportunity to check out most of the rooms, known as ‘suites’ – five in total, separate rooms built like little villas over the property and all with their unique flavour. The Peacock Suite (the master room) was the most impressive. A huge open space with polished concrete floor, black and white décor, a king sized bed in the middle of the room, and sparsely but exquisitely decorated right down to the detail of unusual ornaments on the book shelves. It also had its own private garden with a fun water feature, lounge chairs and an amazing view. Across the path was the Mango Suite decorated with purples, pinks and reds, the balcony filled with views from left to right of neatly plucked green tea bushes packed tightly and covering the hill from top to bottom.

My room was the Garden Suite – different again. This was not the same contemporary feel but more stepping into colonial past, not minimalist but cluttered with old pictures and portraits making up a cosy room - I was looked down upon by race horses, historical figures, architect drawings and tapestries. The four poster bed in my room was elegantly draped with the ubiquitous mosquito net acting like a curtain enclosing the bed. Lifting this mesh I discovered a small bouquet of fresh red and white flowers placed on the pristine white duvet cover, letting off the wonderful sweet vanilla scent of frangipanis. For the record this has to be one of the most comfy beds I’ve ever slept in! Four large pillows, packed, squidgy and soft, were perfect for lying against to read and luxury for sleeping on. Aside from the bed the other highlight of my room was the shower, about the only thing that would manage to tempt me out of this cosy comfort at six the next morning. I love the outdoor showers you find in hotels in Sri Lanka – the one at KK was such a treat, particularly after the cold Hikkaduwa showers! It’s a wonderful feeling of indulgence as you stand outside, enclosed in your own little garden, under a torrent of alluringly hot water.

Dawn chorus
Most of you would think I’m a little crazy to get up early when staying somewhere so comfortable but honestly early morning is the best time in Sri Lanka. It’s a time for listening to the sounds of the birds, the bark of the monkeys, the chants and bells from the temples, the distant whirr of tuktuks and bikes as people get on the move. It’s also a great time for taking photos before the light is too bright. The morning at KK was no exception. As I yawned and stretched and opened my doors to the outside balcony I heard all the familiar bird noises including babblers, bulbuls and barbets plus the distant meowing of a peacock! I hadn’t realised there were peacocks on the tea estate, so I walked through to the tea bushes at the back and watched the magnificent noisy bird meowing as it perched in a shade tree above the tea. It was a male peacock calling to its mate in the valley below and I was offered the treat of watching him display to the female as he spread his feathers, yellows, blues, purples and greens catching the early morning sun. A spectacular sight balanced on a branch half way up a tree! As I walked back I saw a smaller but no less beautiful bird, the Asian Paradise Flycatcher with its elegant long white tail floating through the air as it darted between the trees.

I returned to my balcony, sipped my ‘bed tea’ (tea brought to you early in the morning when you’re supposed to still be in bed!) and listened to the birds and the wind rustling in the trees feeling very relaxed, loving the tranquillity! Curled up on my outdoor sofa I looked down to the white balcony floor and watched a family of red ants tidying up the remains of a dead beetle. I am always fascinated by ants and their military operations. When I lived in the jungle anything that died was soon taken away by the big jungle ants, whether a huge beetle, a small gecko, or food I’d dropped, the ants found it.

Speaking of food, the food was as good as everything else that came with KK - the menu small and simple, the food delicious (especially the breakfast), but the ambience and the attention to detail were what made it so special. The dining room, another big open room overlooking the views to the lake, was simply done with two large square tables in the middle and four small outer tables making the best of the views. I sat at one of the outer tables, camera at the ready for another vibrant Sri Lankan sunset where I captured a perfect pink sky behind silhouettes of spidery palms. Whilst I was enjoying this painting of nature, the staff were working hard behind me to get the big table ready for dinner decorating it with tiny delicate white flowers, a meticulous labour of love which I later admired before tucking into my delicious meal.

Night lights
At night the hotel was creatively lit up, the lighting used to capture the best of the architecture and design – for example, the dining room reflects spectacularly in the swimming pool. The pool itself looked magical, dimly lit revealing blue water covered in the dots of heavy rain drops as they ricocheted across the surface. The statue in the pond added to the drama of the scene lit up from below; in fact many unusual features were highlighted by low lighting such as the concrete urn and rain chains outside my Garden Suite. The living area too was nicely lit with small lamps and candles, a wonderful place to relax for a G&T aperitif or an after-dinner amaretto prepared for you at the cosy wooden bar.

A little about the hotel for those that may want to escape and chill...

The Design: After thoroughly enjoying the wonderful decor of the hotel, and simply being able to relax from one peaceful spot to the next, it was no surprise to discover that the owner of the hotel was an interior designer. George Cooper bought the property in 2000, then a small planter’s bungalow, on a slightly crazy whim to move from the comfort of the UK to the craziness of Sri Lanka. But it paid off! Fortunately for the rest of us George decided to share this beautiful setting with others by building the five suites and turning Kahanda Kanda into a boutique hotel. He employed a local architect to build the property, and employs local staff to run it. The tea estate is a working one and the workers are from the local village. The hotel also helps local projects, and has planted so many trees that it is now carbon neutral (check their website below for more details).

Activities: If you are not the type to enjoy sitting around reading and relaxing there is plenty to do – bike rides, whale watching, cookery courses, tea tours, massages, visits to temples, and much more. Most trips are aimed at people that really want to learn about Sri Lanka’s culture which is something I applaud. The hotel also offers Yoga retreats, wellness weekends, and is planning to run artist weeks and cheese making courses. It would also be a good half-way stop on route to a leopard safari in Yala National Park.

For me KK was a wonderfully excluded spot. A place to get away from it all, have some time to myself and relax amidst the familiar smells and sounds of Sri Lanka’s jungle whilst enjoying the hotel’s ambience and never tiring of its unbeatable views.

Photos: check out my Flickr set to see more.

Further info can be found on the hotel’s website.