Namala Holiday Resort

In a previous post, I mentioned staying at Namala Holiday Resort during our travels with Victor. Namala is situated in the Cultural Triangle which covers a number of historically and culturally important cities and locations such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, and Dambulla. Namala is near Dambulla just a few kilometers from the new cricket stadium.

A view of an "eco-cottage"

How I became connected with Namala is interesting. For or five years ago, we were planning to holiday in the Cultural Triangle and heard about the fine Sri Lankan food served at Namala. So we stopped there for a meal, liked the ambiance and decided to stay, and ended up buying a half share of the place. Not a wise investment at all, but our fondness for Namala hasn't diminished.

Namala is situated on 12 acres of land bordering the Kurunegala-Dambulla road at one end and the Dambulla Oya (river) and the Dambulla Tank at the other end. Because the dining hall, kitchen, and the eco-cottages (6 in all) are built away from the road, and also because of the spacious green surroundings shaded by large mango trees, Namala has a serene ambiance and is a good place to relax. Recently, a small pond has been built and stocked with fish, and it attracts gulls, storks and other birds throughout the day.

A well-endowed "jak" tree at Namala

In terms of taste and freshness, the Sri Lankan food served at Namala is second only to that served at "Pondside". Even the newly grated coconut tastes better. This is because the food is organic and travels only a few yards from the tree to the table. Most of the vegetables and fruit are grown in the kitchen gardens. A good example of the abundant produce is the "jak" tree laden with fruit seen in the photo. The young jak, called "polos" in Sinhala, is my favorite dish. It can be prepared as a salad or cooked as curry and is a dish I wouldn't mind having every day. "Jak" is essentially a poor man's food because it can be eaten young, as mature fruit (both boiled and cooked), or as a dessert when ripe. The seeds, which tastes like chestnuts, could be deep fried, cooked, or sun dried.

The pond at "Namala"

The pool

The ongoing civil war has dealt a cruel blow to tourism in Sri Lanka. Because bombs go off not only in Colombo but also in smaller town all over the country, foreign tourists are scared to visit. Most hotels therefore depended on local tourism, barely keeping open and retaining a skeleton staff. Even local tourism has been affected by the increase in fuel costs. So our partnet and manager of the hotel Kanthi Gonsal must be commended for keeping Namala going and providing employment to the loyal staff. A strong family atmosphere prevails at Namala and this adds to its attractiveness.

Long-term employees Jayanatha, Samudra, Kumdu, and Dinesh

The staff are all village lads and lasses who came to Namala with no knowledge of the hospitality trade or English. Because the tourist trade is down, which means they earn little as service charges, they make less than Rs. 10,000/ (US$100) per month, but, considering that they are provided with meals and accommodation, and also have jobs at a time of sharp economic downturn in Sri Lanka, they seem satisfied.

Victor, Kanthi and the staff

We don't get to visit Namala often enough, only for a couple of days a year. Although the drive is long, we look forward to the welcome that awaits us at Namala.