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The very spirit of Ulpotha runs contrary to that of a hotel. And we would
like to avoid promoting ourselves as such. Instead we rely on
recommendations of past guests and the kind words written about us in a
variety of publications. Below you will find links to some of those
publications with the more recent articles towards the bottom of the
page.
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Many
details have been almost accidental in their inception. Viren smiles at
one of his stories of design by default. ‘I noticed that one
of the flat stones in the guest bathroom had cracked. It began to nag
at me whenever I saw it until I just propped it against the wall.
Someone put the soap on it. Then the stonemason carved a place for the
soap. A design consultant was staying in the hut and waxed lyrical
about the pure design of the soap stand, where a shaft of sunlight hit
the stone and lit up the soap. Nothing planned. I love that.’
In my own wanderings around the vegetable and flower gardens, the water
meadows and jungle of Ulpotha, butterflies pulsed from trees and bushes
in small, brilliant clouds almost as if by design. Nothing planned. I
love that. More |
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The fact that your ayurvedic cure and your dinner
probably grew alongside each other in the garden indicates a simpler
approach to looking after the body – a traditional way we
have long forgotten in the West. Nature is the cure, and Ulpotha
reminds us of a more holistic approach to life and health. Here, you
are living according to the natural rhythms and ancient rituals of the
land. There is not a fluffy towel in sight, but you leave this
hedonist’s Shangri-la feeling as pampered and relaxed as if
you had spent a month in a five-star deluxe hotel. More
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It is the creation of a trinity of idealists: the
late Sri Lankan visionary Tennekoon; a Sri Lankan-born investment
banker, Viren Perera, who decided to get closer to his roots; and Giles
Scott, a British former property developer, who “came to Sri
Lanka to rediscover my soul”.
The original vision didn’t include paying guests. The idea
was to create an organic community where Tennekoon could experiment
with traditional agriculture and Perera and Scott could go for a
weekend retreat. It wasn’t long before news of this Arcadia
leaked out, and friends of friends wangled invitations to come and
stay. More |
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Goldsmith: How many
varieties of rice did you use to grow here?
Senanayake: At one time 280 varieties were cultivated
in Sri Lanka. Only 15-20 are left. As a result of government policies
the others have become extinct. *According to D. Dreberg,
(superintendent of school gardens quoted in C. Wright, Glimpses of
Ceylon) 1974 three to four hundred varieties of rice were once
cultivated.
Tennekoon: I can remember 123 varieties of red rice,
now only three or four remain. More
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Designed around the layout of a deserted
traditional village, Ulpotha covers a twelve acre site next to a large
tank situated at the base of the Galgiriwiya Mountains in the jungle
heartland of Old Ceylon. Ulpotha literally translates as water source,
referring to the spring which feeds a system of five tanks which
irrigate the surrounding watershed. According to legend, pilgrims
travelling from south India in search of Lord Kataragama, an
incarnation of the god-child Murugan (the son of Shiva revered in the
temples of Tamil Nadu), believed that Ulpotha was the sacred site
associated with the god due to the seven hills in the surrounding
jungle which corresponded to the description they had been given. In a
vision the head priest was shown how to perform a special puja and they
built a temple to Kataragama at the entrance to the village. The area
was also known as the playground of Prince Salya and the beautiful
Asokamala, who escaped the ancient city of Anuradhapura through a
secret tunnel hidden in a local cave. The surrounding hills are still
home to cave dwelling ascetics and practising shamans. More |
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During June and July and from mid-November to the
end of March, Ulpotha welcomes guests to become part of the village.
Visitors may join in yoga or t'ai chi classes in a specially built
outdoor studio. They may try herbal steam baths and other traditional
Sri Lankan ayurvedic treatments, swim in the lake next to the rebuilt
manor house or explore the surrounding hills and slowly relax to the
rhythm of village life. Although there are glorious Buddhist temples
and ancient ruined cities to be visited in other parts of Sri Lanka, it
is Ulpotha itself that I will remember and the feeling that, for a
while, I was part of a small world so distant in every way from my own. More |
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What strikes you when you first arrive in Ulpotha
is the physical beauty of the place as well as its extraordinary
tranquillity. Located at the foot of the Galgiriyawa mountains, a
forested range that captures precipitation from both the south-west and
north-east monsoons, Ulpotha enjoys a temperate climate unusual for the
dry zone. More |
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At the Wedegedera (the
treatment centre), Ayurvedic massages are on offer, as well as herbal
steam baths and some more unorthodox treatments. At first glance, the
equipment for the dripping oil scalp therapy conjures up images of
Chinese torture, but I'm game to try. I lie with my head tilting
downwards while the suspended flacon of warm oil swings from side to
side, drizzling its contents onto my forehead like lazy vinaigrette.
Once
my scalp resembles an oil slick, it's time to get into the herbal steam
bath - a wicker, coffin-like box above hot coals. Everyone who's had
the treatment looks five years younger and radiant with health. Bit by
bit, the environment and pace of life here is washing away hectic
thoughts of home. More
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The World’s 100 Best Spas
Alternative Retreats
Submerged in the jungle
heartland of Sri Lanka, Ulpotha is so remote that, by the time you bump
your way down the dirt drive (three long hours from the airport), you
could be forgiven for doubting its existence. You soon discover it is
most definitely mud-between-the toes real. Living with nature is what
the brochure said it was all about, and in Ulpotha they take that
literally. It takes a while to get used to the lack of electricity and
hot water, not to mention the absence of solid doors to lock out the
inevitable bugs and jungle sounds. But by the end of the first day,
this rusticity seems like paradise. Perhaps this is due to the allure
of diving through lotus leaves into Ulpotha’s glorious
mountain lake, or showering in waterfalls, or making your barefoot way
back to your mud hut in the sultry night, along a trail through
paddy-fields that is illuminated by a multitude of glow-worms and oil
lamps. More
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Au cœur de l’île,
les citadins fuyant le stress peuvent se ressourcer dans un village
traditionnel. Au programme : huttes en boue
séchée grand luxe, bien que sans eau ni
électricité, douches en plein air, cuisine
végétarienne et cours de yoga. More |
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Ulpotha offers perhaps the ultimate blend of
relaxation and ecological commitment. This hidden haven is not designed
to appeal to everyone, but those seeking tranquility tend to get hooked
– when I was there one guest was on her third visit from
Britain in less than a year. It is a working village rather than hotel,
whose community was founded on an abandoned coconut plantation in the
mid-1990’s. Its mission was to develop the surrounding
farmland so as to revive traditional agricultural practices for the
benefit of both the land and the people. More |
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À quoi tient la magie
d’Ulpotha ? Au site, bien sur, d’une
beauté spectaculaire. Situé au pied de la
chaîne de montagnes Galgiriwiya, niché dans les
collines verdoyantes et surplombant un splendide lac d’eau
pure où flottent des feuilles de lotus, il était
considéré comme sacré par les moines
bouddhistes qui s’y rendaient en pèlerinage depuis
les contreforts de l’Himalaya il y a
déjà deux mille cinq cents ans. More |
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Ulpotha’s organic beginning still
permeate its spirit. The atmosphere is one of an extended and extremely
mellow house party. If you are looking for a five-star resort where you
luxuriate in deferential service and cocktails by the pool, this place
is not for you. Ulpotha is wholeheartedly a down-to-earth affair where
your shower is bracing water from an ingeniously funneled tree trunk
and where, by design, there is no electricity. The villagers who light
your lamps at night and cook your food return to the fields when you
are gone. Every care has been taken not to impose western lifestyle
upon the village. Accommodation follows these lines in traditional mud
and wattle huts, some beautifully fashioned, with low hanging roofs
that are open to the elements. More |
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At the heart of Ulpotha is the main house, an
apricot-coloured delight of a building encompassing cool courtyards,
Buddha shrines and a library. There is also a pavilion where food is
served. Guests (a maximum of 24 at any given time) lounge emperor-like
on splendid cushions, and sarong-clad villagers lay twice-daily feasts
out on the banana-leaf floor. The food is glorious. Poppadoms and rice
are heaped with exquisite curries. There are tomato salads, fried
banana, lentil daal; all organic, all vegetarian, all filled with
vitality and goodness. And nobody flinches when you top up your plate
for the umpteenth time. More |
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I went home eased, soothed and inspired by the
beautiful setting, the ethos of the place, the people I met and the
yoga I practised there. I still practise that form to this day. Ulpotha
changed my life.
More |
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The place has a soothing appeal with no
uncomfortable guest-servant relationships. In fact, its genuine
residents move through the communal areas, going about their business,
as freely as the visitors.
In other establishments that sense of harmony is usually replaced by
luxury and staff who have learnt how to smile. But Ulpotha demonstrates
that, for the right sort of personality, pampering doesn’t
require a manicure and extra-fluffy towels. More |
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Well-known
masseurs and yogis visit from all corners of the globe to run workshops
here in the lush and spiritual countryside, but there is no pressure to
join classes. Some guests prefer to swim, walk, read or simply
“be”.
Vegetarian food is served and the occasional party is the chance to
enjoy a few drinks as alcohol is not otherwise available (unless you
bring your own). “Luxurious without the normal trappings of
luxury” is how one returning English guest defined her stay.
Ten years since it was started, Perera continues to be amazed at
Ulpotha’s success: “The place has a life of its own
and we are as much passengers as anyone else.” More
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Ulpotha, located in the dry zone of central Sri Lanka, is the site of an holistic environmental and cultural undertaking by a non-profit organization, The East Pole Foundation. It has at its heart an exciting project, aiming to help a small village to transform itself from an abandoned coconut plantation into a vital bio-diverse organic agricultural village. Their approach has been to draw significantly from tradition, while not abandoning the modern, to recreate an environment where nature and man live in productive harmony. It is also a unique Sanctuary, which is open to visitors. Guests can enjoy a relaxing holiday or retreat. They can be part of village life and learn about the traditional practices, or can take part in a workshop such as Yoga or Tai Ji. The revenue from visitors is crucial to the project. It will enable the environmental work to continue and for Ulpotha's future to be safeguarded. More |
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" Le pied est comme une éponge, doux et mou, absorbant, alors que la main est osseuse. Et le mouvement de la jambe est plus fluide que celui du bras, comme un balancier qui fait circuler l'énergie. " Udall enseigne le yoga et pratique une forme de massage très rare avec les pieds, le Chavutti Thirumal. Installé à Londres, il séjourne chaque année quelques mois dans un resort hors du commun, Ulpotha... More |
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100 Eco-friendly and Ethical escapes around the world
Whether you’re frolicking on the freshwater lake, or climbing the hills and finding caves, Ulpotha encourages that joyful sense of wonder so frequently denied by modern lifestyles. It’s bare and innocent, exotic and playful. Few places can boast of such a subtle fusion of sybaritic indulgence and raw, ascetic comfort...More |
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Les visiteurs
sont enthousiastes, et cela fait maintenant dix ans que des citadins
amateurs de yoga viennent se ressourcer dans ce petit paradis. Depuis,
Ulpotha s’est un peu développé, et le
village est aujourd’hui presque autosuffisant,
grâce notamment à l’extraordinaire
diversité des f ruits et légumes qui y poussent,
mais aussi aux différentes variétés de
riz, dont le très savoureux riz rouge,
particulièrement riche e n protéines.
Ulpotha ouvre
désormais ses portes du 20 novembre au 2 avril et du 28 mai
au 9 juillet. Tous les 15 jours, un nouveau professeur de yoga commence
un stage pour un groupe d’une quinzaine de personnes en
moyenne. Le forfait à la semaine que propose Ulpotha
comprend l'hébergement, les repas, les cours de yoga ainsi
que des massages. Un bain de vapeur naturel est aussi accessible
à tous moments ainsi que d’autres soins
traditionnels.
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Ulpotha is a place to heal if you’re hurting, but also if you simply want to be alone in good company. A place of odd privations and unexpected luxuries, completely different from anywhere else I’d been, it was beautiful and intensely memorable.. More |
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Brigid Delaney stops for yoga, fresh food and shared dining at a retreat that sustains the local community.
Ulpotha, a village in central Sri Lanka, could have been dreamt up by Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez, whose writing combines magic and reality. More...
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...and this one is in Chinese! More |
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Ulpotha is not your average retreat. Hiding at the foothills of the Galgiriyawa Mountains deep in Sri Lanka's rural hinterland with a sacred history that dates back thousands of years, this ancient pilgrimage site sprawls across 20 lush acres of tangled jungle and organic rice paddy fields... More |
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