Gileemale Walawwa Estate & Hotel Where 300 Years of Heritage Await You

A celebration of Sri Lankan history, culture, and spirituality, the Gileemale Walawwa estate and boutique hotel is set within a verdant valley beneath the legendary Adam’s Peak Mountain. This two-storey luxury accommodation can trace its origin back to the rule of King Rajasinghe the 1st (1581-92) and has been added to over the subsequent centuries, with the distinctive Victorian colonial facade and the upper floor being completed in 1911. The Gileemale Walawwa and Estate is today an eco-responsible nature retreat surrounded by 25 acres of vegetation including cinnamon, cardamom, tea, rubber, and coconut plantations that have created a wonderful sanctuary for a kaleidoscope of birdlife. As well as providing boutique accommodation, guests at the Gileemale Walawwa Ratnapura Hotel are invited to enjoy a variety of stimulating activities such as a fully immersive yoga experience with a visiting yoga instructor with the stunning scenery of the Sabaragamuwa region as your yoga shala. Available to beginners, intermediate, and advanced practitioners, the course includes meditation, waterfall visits, lessons on plant medicine, and a cooking demonstration using locally sourced ingredients. Other activities on offer at Gileemale Walawwa include bird-watching tours with an experienced guide, a plantation experience where visitors are invited to explore the local natural resources of the surrounding plantations and farms as well as taking part in rubber tapping, and a visit to a gem mine and the local Gileemale Rajamaha Viharaya shrine. Guests with a day to spare will enjoy exploring the 7 hidden waterfalls of Gileemale. This involves a gentle rainforest hike through the picturesque foothills of the Adam’s Peak Mountain range stopping for refreshing waterfall dips, a local farm visit, and a soothing traditional Ayurvedic massage. Visitors looking for a bit more adventure are invited to take advantage of the onsite cycling and kayaking facilities.

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Relax in Sustainable Hospitality at the Gileemale Walawwa and Estate

The majestic Gileemale Walawwa and Estate is just a 30-minute tuk-tuk drive from Ratnapura City. Here guests are invited to travel back in time to the Sri Lanka of yesteryear. The current owner, Mr. Ishantha Avinda, has carefully preserved the mansion’s 300-year history and the legacy of six generations of his ancestry by offering a delicate balance of culture and heritage in an eco-responsible boutique hotel and nature retreat. Behind the Gileemale Walawwa Ratnapura hotel’s Victorian colonial facade is a two-storey mansion (Walawwa is the Sinhalese word for mansion) featuring authentic Sri Lankan architecture, with the hotel it houses offering modern comfort, and traditional hospitality. Visitors are offered a choice of six spacious beautifully decorated bedrooms – four double, and two singles. As well as being used in the construction of the mansion, ebony and jackwood also feature in much of the colonial-style furniture and other aesthetic elements. Because the property has remained faithful to its original and classic architectural design, there are no private bathrooms. The three shared bathrooms feature several showers and washrooms with complimentary toiletries and freshly laundered towels. Gileemale Walawwa Boutique Hotel also features a gorgeous on-site restaurant. Café 1911 boasts an impressive menu of Sri Lankan specialties and Western cuisine and is open for brunch, lunch, and dinner. All dishes are prepared from fresh locally sourced ingredients and complemented by teas and organic fruit juices grown on the Gileemale Walawwa Estate. With the capacity to seat 12 diners, Gileemale is happy to entice guests and locals into the restaurant or onto the terrace with signature gastronomic treats such as Musanda and Pennywort porridge, Ala Kola, and Fiddlehead Fern. Other facilities include a Yoga Shala which can accommodate up to eight, and an Ayurvedic Spa where guests can enjoy a relaxing traditional massage. A business center is also available and was created to accommodate gem buyers visiting Ratnapura to trade precious stones.

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Gileemale Walawwa Offers an Immersive Sri Lankan Experience

A stay at Gileemale Walawwa is a chance to experience the incredible Sabaragamuwa culture while participating in sustainable practices and carefully curated community involvement. The Gileemale Walawwa Ratnapura hotel staff are on hand to recommend a range of immersive activities such as cycling, hiking, trekking, bird watching, and river rafting around the sacred Adam’s Peak. Guests booking a room between December and May can enjoy the Adam’s Peak Experience which includes a two-night stay at Gileemale Walawwa and Estate and a trek along the Rathnapura route on Adam’s Peak. A relaxing post-hike deep tissue Ayurvedic massage follows at this wonderful Sri Lanka heritage hotel, along with a local Sabaragamuwa cooking lesson. Guests are also invited to take a historic tour of the Gileemale Walawwa and visit the property’s cinnamon and tea estates. December and January are the ideal months for birdwatching, and the Gileemale Walawwa team have created a three-day package for twitchers that includes accommodation and two days exploring the surrounding plantations, waterfalls, and countryside with an experienced naturalist. Birders are also invited to indulge in a relaxing massage and learn the architectural history of Gileemale Walawwa Ratnapura Hotel amongst other activites. From December to August, the Gileemale Walawwa hosts its Gem Mining Experience which includes accommodation and a tour of the local gem mine with a gem specialist. A gem awareness session is followed by the chance to peruse and purchase locally sourced cut and polished gemstones as well as enjoy a lunch with local miners and dealers. The program also includes a trip to the gem buyer’s paradise, Rathnapura, for a tour of the world-renowned Sapphire Market. Although the vision behind the Gileemale Walawwa and estate is to provide a diverse and distinct Sabaragamuwa experience, the hotel’s owners are just as keen to create a tranquil haven where guests feel free to relax and escape the pressures of the modern world in surroundings that evoke a bygone era that chimes perfectly with slow, responsible and eco-conscious travel.

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