Kukuleganga, an ideal place to relax

By Ranil WIJAYAPALA

Are you tired of your routine life and in need of a change to your busy life schedule and thinking of a place to relax with your family? And are you worried about the long distance travel in search of a place?

If those are the questions lingering in your mind when searching for a safe haven to relax in a free environment, answers to those questions are not too far from you. The Kukuleganga Holiday Resort provides you with the much awaited solution.

You need not travel too far to get the comfort of salubrious weather in a home-like apartment along with your family as the environs of the Kukuleganga provides you with much needed change along with all other facilities in a serene environment.

If you avoid the rush hour traffic along the Galle Road, it is only a two-hour journey (93 Km) from Colombo turning towards Mathugama from Kalutara.

The gushing waters of the streams and the greenery of the tea and rubber plantations may heal your mind on your way to Kukuleganga to prepare you for a better holiday.

If you want to avoid the busy towns along Galle Road you also can reach the destination via Ingiriya and Bulathsinhala either turning toward Ingiriya from Meepe junction or Godagama junction on the Highlevel Road.

You could also reach the destination from Bulathsinhala via Horana which is only six kilometres from the Bulathsinhala clock tower. The bridge which was constructed recently at Molkava will make your journey easy from Bulathsinhala. Earlier there was a ferry to facilitate the journey.

Serene environment

A view of the Kukuleganga Holiday Resort Pix: Rukmal Gamage

A boat ride

The Holiday Resort is in the mountainous eastern edge of the Kalutara district bordering the Ratnapura district which has created a serene environment now managed and maintained by the Sri Lanka Army.

The Holiday Resort comes under the Institute of Peace Support Operation Training, Sri Lanka which provides training for military personnel going on UN Peacekeeping operations abroad.

The Holiday Resort was used by foreign engineers as their quarters who worked at the Kukuleganga hydropower project which has now been turned into a resort by the Sri Lanka Army catering to the requirement of both military personnel and the civilians seeking a better holiday resort. The resort also serves military officers arriving there for peacekeeping operations.

Col. Sanjaya Wanigasinghe

The 62 separately build air- conditioned apartments or chalets, gives you a choice to select depending on the number of members in your family,colleagues or relatives accompanying you to the resort.

If you are planning to have fun along with your family, your parents and in-laws, a three bedroom apartment would be ideal for you. Then you may not want to go in search of your team from one room to the other during your stay.

"Our guests can select apartments out of 18 triple and double bed room apartments and 28 single bedroom apartment according to their wish", Colonel Sanjaya Wanigasinghe the Chief Executive Officer of the Holiday Resort said.

Around 200 guests can be accommodated in all 62 individually build apartments.

Speciality

You may be amazed by the way the management and the staff maintain the cleanliness of these apartments, which are fitted with all basic requirements, television, sofa, dining tables, kitchen and even a washing machines.

The speciality is, that you can relax there keeping your home environment while handing over the responsibility of serving your needs to the management and the staff.

The expenses for the rooms and meals will be charged separately for the convenience of the guests.

"It is difficult to maintain a place like this which stretches in 12 acre land, with a skeleton staff but it is with the commitment of the staff which consists of both civilian and military personnel we are doing to the satisfaction of our guests", Colonel Wanigasinghe said.

According to Lt. Colonel Ajith Senadheera a staff of 127 personnel, both military and civilians are there to maintain the premises and to serve the guests.

Holiday-makers having a dip in Makeli Oya.

The Holiday Resort also has facilities to cater to all types of guests including restaurant, auditorium, internet cafe, gymnasium, squash room, sauna, swimming pool, karaoke, pool table, a Spa and mountain bikes.

The civilian staff provides the guests a wide range of food from eastern cuisine to western cuisine and the guests are allowed to have their meal by the pool side.

"Even for the groups who wish to have adventures during their stay the management is ready to organise adventure activities like outbound training, team work, boat rides and obstacle crossings", Colonel Wanigasinghe said.

The 'free' area adjoining the resort and the lake around the resort provides the space needed for these adventure activities.

Even if you feel tired of staying there the site visits may help you to have fun time at Makeli Ella, Kukuleganga or a study tour to pre-historic archaeological site Pahiyangala which are only a few kilometres away from the resort.

You can have a dip in the waters of Kukule Ganga or Makeli Oya while enjoying the beauty of the rural life mingling with hundreds of other visitors to the area.

"The management and the staff are ready to organise visits and adventure events on prior notice. We can even facilitate workshops for groups at this Resort", he said.

"But your stay in our Holiday Resort will not be a big burden to your purse as we are offering affordable charges to facilitate your stay in our Holiday Resort", he said..