Premium #365

Jungle Tide a haven of tranquility above the noise and polution of KandyCity but just 30 minutes drive away

Villa • Uduwela Sri Lanka

    12 Guests  
    4 Bedrooms  
    11 Beds  
    4 Bathrooms  
    10 Car spaces 
  Primary home

Exchange types accepted

  Simultaneous  
  Non-Simultaneous  
  Non-Reciprocal & Globe  
  Hospitality  

Statistics

Listed  June 2018
Views  8603

General overview

A tranquil tea estate bungalow off the beaten track near Kandy with mountain views, swimming pool, gardens teeming with birds and wildlife and top quality home cooking. The area is great for walking and trekking of all grades, from easy to challenging. Jungle Tide is owned by a British couple, Jerry and Sally. Sally, the daughter of a tea planter, was born in Sri Lanka. Our resident staff, Martin, Rani and Noni, are renowned for their positive attitudes, love of children and brilliant cooking. We are always glad to help people plan the rest of their Sri Lankan holiday.

The space

Jungle Tide is certainly different. We think it’s unique in being a British homestay in the hill country, run by the daughter of a tea planter whose great grandfather came to plant in Ceylon in the 1880s. The house has three rooms in a guest wing with a further separate budget room in the gardens near the pool. All rooms are en-suite with a private section of veranda and veranda furniture. Furnishings and curtains in the main house are high quality using mahogany and raw silks. How you spend your stay at Jungle Tide is up to you. There’s so much to choose from. Walks and treks in the tea estates to suit all abilities; a large pool to swim in; badminton or croquet on the lawn. Or maybe you just want to sit on the veranda with a book and a drink and look at the stupendous mountain views, watch the birds, monkeys and other wildlife; or stroll around the three acres of gardens and paddle in our stream and pick fruit from the trees.

Guest access

PLEASE NOTE THE HOUSE IS NOT IS NOT AVAILABLE 15 JULY - 31st AUGUST or 15th DECEMDER - 28th FEBRUARY The main house is all on one level and can comfortably sleep 8 people in 3 bedrooms. but on another level of the garden, 48 steps down! Is the swimming pool and a small chalet which will sleep six more people in a double bed and two sets of bunk beds this also has its own bathroom, kettle and mini fridge.

Notes

The house and grounds have 3 full time staff and a part time gardener, the house staff speak good basic English, and will be happy to cook for you if you wish, and also to wash-up, clean, do the laundry and generally allow you to have an entirely restful holiday. We often just offer free B & B holidays as our exchange, and most swappers love the luxury of being looked after.... please ask us for what you want and we will oblige if we possibly can.

Features


Hair dryer
Hair dryer
Air conditioning
Air conditioning
TV
TV
WiFi
WiFi
First aid kit
First aid kit
Smoke alarms
Smoke alarms
Fire extinguisher
Fire extinguisher
Bed sheets
Bed sheets
Towels
Towels
Workspace
Workspace
Pool
Pool

Travel Styles

    Long term
    Weekend
    Adventure
    Family
    Foodie
    Relaxing
    Eco
    Mountains
    Water
    Remote
    Tropical
    Culture
    Hiking
    Last minute

Accessibility

Single level 
Accessible bedroom 

House rules

    Suitable for infants under 2
    Suitable for children ages 2-12
    Pets not allowed
    No smoking

Allergens

    Cat free
    Carpet free
    Smoke free
    Fragrance free

Dates of Availability

Click on availability periods to see exchange types and descriptions.


Neighbourhood

Our village, Uduwela, is a typical rural Sri Lankan community. Walk around, either by yourself or guided by Martin, our housekeeper, and meet tea pluckers, look at the kovils and temple, discover the traditional wood-fired bakery and visit the school and kindergarten. If you’re lucky there may be a procession or other ceremony going on – there often is. Jungle Tide is a great place for children. Aside from the pool, the stream and generally exploring there are indoor and outdoor games to suit all ages. We love children and so do Martin and Rani, our housekeepers. Places of interest both around Kandy and longer day trips are too numerous to mention – but please ask us if you want our advice. Locally we would particularly recommend Peradeniya Gardens and the Ceylon Tea Museum (which is actually en route from Kandy to Jungle Tide). We know plenty of good places for a relaxing drink or snack in town, while the Kandy City Centre shopping mall is a great relief from the busy streets. On the other hand, if you like the bustle Kandy market is tremendous fun. Be prepared to haggle! Sigiriya rock fortress, Dambulla cave temples and Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage are well known destinations any of which can be done in a longish day trip from Jungle Tide if you have or hire a vehicle. Cricket fans can watch international games at Pallekelle Stadium near Kandy. There is also a world-renowned golf course in the same area. We know lots of lesser known places off the usual tourist routes, both locally and a little further afield.

Getting around

Jungle Tide is 11km (30 minutes) from the centre of Kandy and about 300 metres higher up at the very top of the huge Hantana tea estate. We think that getting there is part of the fun and most of our guests would agree, but we don’t deny that the last stretch (about 800metres) is a bumpy ride! Your options for getting to Jungle Tide are: You hire your own vehicle (with a driver or self-drive). If you hire through us you will get a driver who knows the road and has no problem with it. If you hire independently please make sure you tell your driver that the last stretch of road to Jungle Tide is not surfaced and needs some care. We also recommend that you try to arrive before dark (6 – 6.30pm) if you can. That way you get the views and your driver can see the road better. A van, a 4WD or any make of car with good ground clearance has no problem with our road. Self-drive in Sri Lanka is not for the faint-hearted but some of our guests do it. We have even had guests who hired and drove their own tuk-tuk (three-wheeler) around the island! We can arrange a pickup for you either from Kandy or Peradeniya train stations or from the airport, using a company we trust who know the road. If you’re a solo traveller or two people with limited luggage we can send a three wheeler down to Kandy to meet you, which will cost Rs 1,000/-. Don’t try getting a three wheeler in Kandy! When they reach the end of the good road they either refuse to take you further or demand a massively increased price for doing so. You take the local bus (no 655 to Uduwela from the main bus stand by the Clock Tower) and walk the last kilometre or so. This is very cheap! But it does mean a walk with your luggage and the bus tends to be very crowded indeed. And although it has a timetable in theory, in practice you may have a very long wait for a bus. Also the last bus leaves Kandy around 6pm – usually! So it’s no use if you’re spending the evening in town. Taking the slow road gives you the chance to see rural Sri Lanka close up. Informal games of cricket, tea pluckers in the fields, tea factories and “muster stations”, chickens and goats running around, spectacular views of the Knuckles Range, birds in the jungle, temples, small waterfalls and other things you’d miss if you were going faster. And the feeling of achievement when you finally get to Jungle Tide. Our area is great for walking – whether it’s just a stroll around the village or a day-long trek into the mountains. We have a few self-guided walks already mapped out for guests and will be adding to these. If you don’t have your own vehicle and there are just one or two of you, getting into Kandy is easiest in a three wheeler which Martin can arrange for you for Rs 1000/- one way. If you’re planning a longer trip or there are several of you it’s best to hire a van and driver for the day which we can do for you – but as they are not based in the village you need to either book them the previous day or allow up to 90 minutes for them to reach Jungle Tide before you can set off. Hiring a van for the day for local travel will cost you around Rs 5,000/- but you have the driver and vehicle at your disposal all day. For longer day trips, expect to pay Rs 7,000/- for a day’s hire of a van and driver with limited mileage (up to 100km) and an excess of Rs 45/- per kilometre if you’re going on a longer journey.

Map of Approximate Location


People Like Us Local Guide

Always happy to meet up and answer questions about Sri Lanka and can advise about reasonable prices, safe drivers, lesser known beauty spots etc, comeup and have a chat and a coffee or send a message jungletide@gmail.com

Feedback

  • What a fabulous stay we had at Jungle Tide, the property is set in gardens abundant with wildlife, we spotted countless birds, lizards, monkeys and even mongoose! Our boys loved the refreshing and spotlessly clean pool and the lovely house staff looked after us so well in the absence of Sally and Jerry, with access to the most delicious food, safe transport and local tour ideas. Thank you Sally and Jerry, we do hope to visit again in the future and we now look forward to you visiting our home in North Wales 😄
    Home Feedback: Amy stayed with Sally 8 months ago
Premium


Sally

We are a semi-retired English couple who are running a guesthouse in Sri Lanka, We are very exprienced home exchangers and like to visit the UK most years to visit family. We love to do swaps (or are happy to host if you find it helpful to have us around for suport advice on transport etc. for all but 4 months of the year, our peak seasons. 15th December to end of Feb and 15th July to the end of August. During these months we take only paying guests so please do not ask for swaps at these times! For 2021 only we are happy to consider home swaps in July & August. Please contact us if you need to know more. Our home is fully staffed and you can have all of it, or choose or stay as free guests in en-suite rooms with breakfast include!. Please contact us for more details! Please note we have two friendly rescue dogs who are fully cared for by the staff, while we are away. They are not allowed on the furniture or in the bedrooms. But in case you have allergies - I mention this....
Travelling group
LGBTQ+ friendly Retired
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