The Retreat holiday bungalow in Sri Lanka, A visitors experience

The Retreat, situated about 7Km from Ingiriya, is a beautiful planters bungalow, on top of a hill in the middle of a tea estate. We went there for our office one day outing and there were few reasons it was chosen. First of all it is around 50Km from Colombo so we could get there in about one and a half hours, so we want be wasting much of the day traveling. It is a relatively small place so we could book it all to ourselves. There was a fresh water stream, a swimming pool and barbecue facilities available, ideal for a relaxing day out. Another factor which contributed was we had a great time in one of our previous visits to Gods Paradise, another nature resort in Ingiriya.

• Spacious and well maintained bungalow - The bungalow has five bedrooms which can easily accommodate 10-12 adults. There are two well maintained washrooms as well. The bungalow is tastefully furnished with antique furniture, beautiful wall hangings and paintings etc.
• Beautiful garden - The garden is well maintained and there are two separate areas if you are interested in barbecuing. One area is near the a pond in an elevate position and the other one is near the pool. The caretaker will prepare the barbecue provided you bring the necessary items like charcoal, meat,sauce etc.
• Meals prepared on request - You have the choice of bringing the necessary provisions or letting the prepare the meal for you. If you bring the necessary provisions the caretaker will prepare them for you. You can also ask them to prepare the meal for you. For 750/= rupees we got a welcome drink, lunch and tea with cake
• Swimming Pool - Although not spacious there is a swimming pool which is more than enough for ten people. There is a deep end as well for the more adventurous.
• Fresh water stream - There is a natural fresh water stream within five minutes walking distance. There are few bathing spots deep enough for a swim, a great place to have a relaxing fresh water bath.
  

From the moment we arrived at the bungalow we were made to feel welcome by the staff. Every request was given prompt attention and the staff were eager to help out which is always a good thing.

The welcome drink consisted of fresh fruit juices. A choice between Malay apple ( amabarella ) and green orange ( naran ). There was plenty for everybody and when asked for more to be mixed with liquor they provided extra without hesitation.

The lunch was also excellent. There were quite a few varieties and when we asked for extra fish and eggs for guys who don't eat chicken they were provided without an extra charge. We got caramel pudding as the dessert and it was delicious as well. It was buffet style and you could eat until your content.

Cake was provided with the evening tea and here also you could eat all you like. Although it cost 750 per person getting welcome drinks, lunch and evening tea made it worthwhile.On top of this they seasoned the meat and fish and it was done excellently as well.

One drawback of visiting the Retreat is that once you turn to the Ellekanda road the road becomes rough. It is perfectably acceptable for a Rosa bus or a van, but a car or huge bus would have trouble getting there.

Other than that it is a perfect place for a family or an office outing. You can book the bungalow to yourself, the staff is very helpful and the beautiful location makes it an ideal getaway to spend a relaxing day out.