Ulpotha
Embogana, Sri Lanka
Paradise village offering tranquility, beauty and luxurious simplicity, as well as 2-week yoga courses (open June to August and November to March only)
‘Paradise’ is the word guests most often use to
describe this unique, mountain-ringed village in the very heart of
Sri Lanka, about 2 hours north west of Kandy. At Ulpotha you live
close to nature in simple but comfortable one-bedroom adobe
houses dotted among the flowers and fruit trees of this
beautiful 22-acre organic farm. You swim in a lake half-smothered
in tiny water lilies and lounge on cushions like a Roman Emperor to
eat delicious home-grown organic curries and sambals.
Open to visitors about 20 weeks a year, Ulpotha is run as a warm,
easy-going house party, combining both friends and 12-15 paying
guests, and attracts an interesting mix of people in the arts,
media and professions, many of whom come alone. Two-week
yoga courses are run in June and July and
from November to March, but you can also come for 1 week for a
peaceful retreat – it's just as inviting for those who don't
practice (though the daily rate is the same). There’s usually
an optional daily class of some kind and the village is well placed
for walking and visiting historic sights, though its profound sense
of calm invites you to just relax and luxuriate in its gentle
beauty.
Reviewed by Moyra Bremner
Last updated 29 March 2012
Highs
- You'll find tranquility, beauty and luxurious simplicity
- Living so close to nature is a very calming experience
- The village combines a friendly, house-party atmosphere with opportunities for solitude
- You can forget about money during your stay – everything within Ulpotha is included in the price and tipping isn’t allowed
Lows
- There's only one electric socket and hot water is only available at the Ayurvedic centre
- Sounds travel between huts (snorers and noisy lovers, be warned)
- For contact with the outside world, mobile phone reception is rather patchy across the property
- Ulpotha is only open from June to Auguse and November to March. Between these times it's closed to allow the village time to revert to its natural state
