Heritance Kandalama

the staff in the kitchen and restaurant was exceptionally good the food extraordinary the "dine in a cave" experience superb Chef Dinesh went out of his way to organise a live cooking under the rock! we will not forget this

Everything! One of the best hotels in Sri Lanka. Ecologically conscious, great staff, a lot of activities nearby, and architectural gem. We hired a jeep through hotel and had the best experience with driver Bandara. Do ask for him if you need a guide with immense local knowledge and connections. Naturalist Navindu also provides great knowledge on surrounding area and can help organise fantastic outdoor experiences

Beautiful hotel in beautiful surroundings... You feel fully immersed in the jungle which is an amazing experience. The staff is amazing - lots of smiles and a really great service. Having said all of this, I don't think the hotel is a true 5 star hotel by western standards. The hotel is getting a little old and in some places it just feels a little run down, example the sun beds by the pool could do with an upgrade, certain equipment at the gym as well. Overall a great hotel, great service, amazing location - it just needs some attention and probably renovation to help bring it back to its former glory.

We visited Kandalama about 15 years ago when it was more of a business hotel. Now it seems to cater for mass coach groups, primarily Chinese groups who seem to be coming for one day stays. I was surprised to hear a Sri Lankan singing songs in Chinese to welcome a group! As previous comments, the buffet was like "feeding time at the zoo" with badly behaved people pushing in as if they have never seen food before! The staff seemed overwhelmed. The rooms are a little dated and electrical sockets for charging anything are non-existent and you have to unplug something like a lamp to use the socket, which is inconvenient. The views are spectacular and our lake trip was amazing with a sighting of an elephant. The staff at reception and the naturalist were really poor. We asked several times about the various activities on offer, but all the staff told us that the naturalist deals with the activities and that he was on holiday and will be back tomorrow. We were told this everyday of our for day stay and no staff member had a clue bput the activities other than the costs,which is really poor. The assistant naturalist was terrible and it looked as if they had a stuck a safari hat on someone's head and said he was the assistant naturalist! His English was poor and the boatman who were rowing were telling him which species of bird and where the birds were. It was independence day when we visited and they put Sri Lankanflags on all the breakfast tables and that's it. No explanation, no celebration no nothing! All rather lack lustre!

Our stay at Heritance Kandalama was truly unforgettable! From the moment we arrived, every detail was perfect, and the level of service exceeded our expectations. The staff were incredibly attentive and made sure that all our needs were met. A special thank you to the duty manager, Shantha, whose kindness and exceptional hospitality made our experience even more memorable. His dedication to ensuring we had a wonderful stay was truly appreciated. The hotel itself is stunning, offering breathtaking views and a peaceful atmosphere that made for a perfect retreat. We highly recommend Heritance Kandalama—it's a gem not to be missed!