Living in your own little water garden

07/10/2016 (Published in the Daily News)

Taking a vacation is one of the best things you can do when you just want to get out of the madness from work, family and life in general. You get those vacations where you want to just chill out by the pool and do nothing all day or you let your adventure spirit out and that person wants to do nothing but explore your destination site.

Sri Lanka is an adventurer’s paradise! From rocks to waterfalls to deep seas to mountains to rain-forests and national parks rich with wildlife, fauna and flora – it’s like one big deal with everything in it.

Speaking of rocks, there is one rock that stands majestic is an iconic site loved by everyone who has ever climbed it or just seen it from afar. The Sigiriya Rock, a city that bathes in heritage beauty, history and mystery has been the center of attention for people who come from foreign soil when they want to explore this Paradise Island. This rock palace was built by King Kashyapa in the year 477BC. Today it is known to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Now imagine, waking up each morning to the first lights of day and seen this Rock Palace and its surroundings coming to life.

The Sigiriya Water Garden is the latest venture to nestle down near the rock and giving a straight view of this magnificent rock. Sigiriya Water Garden is built on a 35-acre land and after 2 and half years of developing the property it was officially opened on September 3 by Union Resorts and Spas Chairman Ajith Wijeyesekera. The man behind the architecture and design of this unique property is none other than Channa Daswatte.

Speaking to the general manager Asela Wavita and asking why they chose Sigiriya as their next spot for opening up a luxury hotel (first been Blue Waters Wadduwa), he said “it’s actually been one of Ajith Wijeyesekera’s dreams to have a property in Sigiriya and he always liked this place a lot”.

“This has 32 acres and 30 villas (an acre per villa) and if you really look at it, we are surrounded by wildlife and farmland. And of course you have probably the best view of the Sigiriya Rock in the area and it’s an 8km walking distance from the property. There are heaps of things you can do here from excursions to bird walks to nature activities”, Asela added.

Channa Daswatte wanted to recreate pretty much the water garden you see in Sigirya and that’s what you see from the moment you walk into the property. And to me, the pathway that leads to the rock always reminded me of the Yellow Brick Road leading to the Emerald City of Oz. And here, when you get out of your vehicle, you are not welcomed by the staff but by the Rock itself. This property is right in the middle of a farmland and a lot of work has gone into the planning of the irrigation system inside the property. The water which comes into our land has to go out for the farmers on the other side to start cultivating as well. They are also planting a lot of trees in the property brought from out such as Kumbuk.

When asked what makes them stand out with so many other competitors very nearby, Asela said “When you take our rooms, it’s pretty much a size of an apartment. And whatever you see in this area I don’t think you will find a room of that size”.

It indeed is like an apartment with your very own plunge pool. There’s a living room with a dining table, big sofa, a third bed for the kids or friend and big screen TV. Then you have the bedroom which has so much of space to walk around even put an extra bed and closet. Then there is the bathroom which is almost the size of the bedroom comes with your bathtub, rain shower and some amenities that will allow you take a bubble bath, read an actual book or your kindle, sip a drink and just unwind. You can also take a dip into the plunge pool and sunbathe or star gaze (which I highly recommend as you might see a shooting star or the Milky Way) when the main pool closes up after sunset. Word of advice, when and if you are going to take dip in the pool in the night… you might come across nature’s friendly wildlife…such as a frog. If he does decide to pop into the pool with you… just relax and don’t try to go kiss and see if he will turn into Prince Charming!

If you want to get out of the hotel and keep busy, you can do some archery, cycle the area, kayaking (which will start in another 3 months to come). Apart from the Sigiriya Rock you can climb Pidurangala or take a safari to the national park or even go to Kandy, Anuradhapura and the East Coast (on request).

The food is quite unique as well. Each guest will have a butler service 24/7 and they will be attending to every need of the guest. As they are not strict on time, a guest can have breakfast even at noon at any desired location of the property as well.

The Water Garden is marketed itself as a boutique hotel and are looking at the high end tourists to come over here. They have a special segment in the overseas market and they cater to anyone here. Bookings are made on Half Board and they are giving a 40% discount as an introductive rate till November. There have been exclusive travel agents from overseas coming to check out the property and have given good reviews.

For bookings and more information you can log on to http://www.watergardensigiriya.com/ or check out their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/watergardensigiriya/?fref=ts.