Anilana Craigbank Nuwara Eliya
What You Get
Internet (WiFi)
TV (Satellite/Cable)
Washing Machine
The Experience
Situated at the northern end of Nuwara Eliya overlooking the century-old golf course and Single Tree Hill, Anilana Craigbank enjoys a wonderfully peaceful location. Set in a beautifully manicured child-friendly garden with preened lawns, multi-coloured roses and clipped hedges flourishing bright purple agapanthus, this fully-restored period property is more than 160 years old. On the sweeping veranda to the front of the property, potted petunias and marigolds scatter the tiled floor beside colonial armchairs topped with thick cushions. Enjoy afternoon tea from here as you admire the mountain views and relish the invigorating mountain climate of this unique hill country town.
Inside this stately property - refurbished by a previous French owner to European standards of comfort - are four individually-designed bedrooms. Each room features its own unique colour scheme, and fabric-covered walls come in hues of chocolate, burgundy, white and green. A sprinkling of fireplaces provide extra warmth in the bedrooms and lounge but also add to the property’s evocative colonial ambiance; Ceylonese prints, leather-bound books, brass candelabras and hunting memorabilia hark back to an earlier time in the island’s history when the British planters made this Hill Country town their home. Leisurely days spent hunting, fishing, golfing or at the races were followed by indulgent dinners featuring hearty home-grown cuisine and G&Ts beside a roaring log fire.
Little has changed today; whilst the activities you might indulge in are slightly different to those of the past, at Anilana Craigbank you can still revel in the privileged life of a planter with all its luxurious comforts and perks! Each member staff is an expert in authentic hospitality and meals are cooked for you by the in-house chef. The climate of Nuwara Eliya is much cooler than most of Sri Lanka, which makes outdoor adventure particularly rewarding. Explore the town’s eccentricities on foot, escape into the cloudforest, drop into a tea factory or study the amazing range of fresh produce grown in and around the town by Nuwara Eliya’s small-scale farmers.
Our review
- Overall Rating:
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7.5
- Reviewed:
- 02-Apr-2013
The natural hospitality of the staff adds to the charm of Anilana Craigbank.
The staff are friendly, warm and eager to make your stay as comfortable as possible; their natural hospitality also adds to the charm of staying at Anilana Craigbank. On our most recent visit, the house had come under new management. They have refurbished the house, replacing soft furnishings – the dusky walls of the bedrooms are brightened up by a contrasting collection of vibrant Sri Lankan artwork, colonial prints and Ceylonese maps; installed WiFi and brought in a few new staff. There are now a selection of priced menus for all meals, including breakfast. Two to three-course set menus for lunch and dinner always list a local and a western option, and tend to change daily. There is also a snack menu available. No alcohol is served at the house, however guests can bring their own tipples and no corkage will be charged. The house’s two tubby yet adorable labradors – Gin and Tonic – are still popular characters on the property, but can be shut away if guests would prefer. Hot water still takes a little time to work its way through the pipes!
During Sri Lankan New Year in April (typically the 13th and 14th) many Colombo residents flock here for family holidays. During this time the town is in full bloom and has a carnival atmosphere with many events – horse racing, car rallies, motor cross, golf tournaments, garden competitions and discos – being held. Prices often triple during this period and the town can get very noisy and busy. Unless you would particularly like to be here for this occasion, it is probably better avoided.
Individual Scores:
| Character/Charm: | 10 | Location: | 8 | Outside Area: | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living Area: | 8 | Bedrooms: | 7 | Bathrooms: | 7 |
| Kitchen: | 7 | Facilities: | 6 | Staff: | 7 |
| Value: | 7 |
Highlights
We loved Anilana Craigbank’s elevated location in this peaceful part of town, and the easy walk into Nuwara Eliya to explore the sights was a definite highlight. The spacious well-maintained gardens and the authentic colonial character of the house were also big plusses, and the warmth and genuine friendliness of the staff made our stay that little bit more special.
Surprises
The notice ‘hot water takes two minutes’ is written clearly in the bathrooms, and they mean it! Be aware that Nuwara Eliya can get very chilly at night and is often wet; bring plenty of warm and waterproof clothing.
PROs
- Panoramic mountain views
- Masses of space, both indoors and out
- Warm, welcoming, hospitable staff
- Evocative colonial ambiance
- A short stroll down into town
CONs
- Hot water a little erratic
- Nights in Nuwara Eliya can get chilly
Gallery
Location
Anilana Craigbank is advantageously sited on a slight rise overlooking Nuwara Eliya, the town’s century-old golf course and the surrounding tree-flecked mountains. Set amongst residential homes and looking down over the lush herb and vegetable garden of the St Andrew’s Hotel, it is private and, despite the murmurs of traffic and schoolyards from town, also very peaceful. Looming up behind the house is Sri Lanka’s highest mountain – Pidurutalagala (2,555m) – whose slopes are enveloped by a misty cloud forest. Guests can explore this beautiful natural area on foot or sit back in the garden and watch the many visiting birds from the comfort of a cushioned armchair. Nuwara Eliya town, famed for its alpine-style homes bordered by English country gardens and carefully moulded vegetable plots, is a five-minute walk down the hill..
Places of Interest(KMs) |
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| Nuwara Eliya Golf Club | 1.0 |
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| Hakgala | 9.0 |
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| Bandarawela | 9.0 |
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| Ella | 56.0 |
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| Kandy | 77.0 |
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| Dambulla | 150.0 |
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| International Airport | 156.0 |
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| Colombo | 180.0 |
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About Nuwara Eliya
At a distance of 180km from Colombo and an altitude of 1,868m above sea level, the Hill Country capital of Nuwara Eliya is like nowhere else in Sri Lanka. A town dating back to the early nineteenth century, it became a commercial centre, first for coffee planting and later for tea, with a largely British population who were later to anglicise it with the addition of a race course, a golf course, an expansive lake, a couple of evocative hotels and a pretty church. The town has a temperate climate owing to its elevation; days are hot and sunny whilst at night it can get quite chilly, which is why many of the older properties have open fires to provide a little extra warmth. Today, Nuwara Eliya continues to earn its nickname of ‘Little England’, not only as a result of its colonial architecture and nostalgic charm but also because of the market-gardening industry introduced by the British that is still one of the mainstays of the town’s economy. Shelves of neatly prepared crops such as carrots, potatoes, leeks, cauliflowers, cabbage, radishes and beetroot are grown in abundance alongside herbs and tea bushes. The town itself has plenty of green spaces; Victoria Park, Lake Gregory, the Turf Club, and the meandering century-old golf course. Most of Nuwara Eliya’s restaurants are to be found in the town’s hotels and include Sri Lankan, Indian and Chinese flavours as well as western – mostly British – cuisine using the regions’ famed abundance of fresh local produce. Buildings rise to the west of town up Single Tree Hill and line the stretch of road south to Hakgala (9km) where a colourful Hindu temple and a beautiful botanical garden are located. Tea estates carpet much of the region of Nuwara Eliya like a sea of green punctuated by colourfully-dressed female tea pluckers hard at work. The tea produced here is considered to be some of the finest on the island and a visit to a tea factory should be a must on anyone’s itinerary. Not far away, waterfalls cascade from deep crevices in the rocks whilst to the east of town the vast green pastures of the island’s dairy farms in Ambewela (14km) give way to the high altitude grasslands of the dramatic Horton Plains National Park (29km) where you can peer down over villages from the nearly one kilometre sheer escarpment of World’s End.
About Hill Country
The Hill Country is one of Sri Lanka’s most dramatic regions famed for its soaring peaks, its panoramic views, its salubrious climate, its gushing waterfalls, its rich colonial architecture and its acres and acres of verdant green tea estates.
Once cloaked in thick impenetrable jungle, the Hill Country was opened up by the British colonialists in the nineteenth century who were to first plant coffee, and then clear huge swathes of land to plant the much more successful crop of tea which remains one of the island’s top exports. With an elevation ranging from 850m to 2,500m, the Hill Country is characterised by its climate; cooler and less humid than elsewhere, the region sees plenty of rain but is also bathed in a great deal of sunshine that keeps the spectacular scenery of the area so healthily lush and in bloom.
Piduratangala (2,500m), Sri Lanka’s tallest mountain is located in the hill country however it is the island’s fifth largest peak that is most significant. Unusually venerated by devotees of the island’s four main religions – Christians, Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims – Adam’s Peak (2,240m) is a popular pilgrimage spot that’s traditionally climbed in the cooler early hours of the morning to arrive just in time for spectacular spiritual sunrises from its summit.
Walking is a popular pastime throughout the hill country as the climate affords great potential; varied terrains, spectacular vistas, abundant wildlife and refreshing waterfalls are highlights of any exploratory hike in the hills. Traversing the seemingly Scottish landscape of Horton Plains is one of the most rewarding walks for its conclusion at the sheer drop of World’s End.
Whilst roads wriggle their way up and around peaks, the best way to travel in the Hill Country is by train, even if you have nowhere special to go. The railway track, complete with numerous tunnels, bridges and loops is one of the most scenic in the world as it reaches spectacular viewpoints that roads simply cannot.
Rooms
Entering Anilana Craigbank via its furnished front veranda, you arrive in the cosy drawing room where squashy sofas sit symmetrically in front of a large open fire. Books and interior design magazines are arranged in neat piles on the coffee table between the sofas, and interesting prints and photographs draw your attention to the soft fabric-covered walls, which are a feature throughout the property; each room is personalised by its own rich shade.
On the far side of the drawing room, a doorway leads to an L-shaped, olive-green gallery that exhibits old prints, photographs and hunting trophies. Directly across the hall from the drawing room, through matching high carved doors, is an elegant dining room where silver candelabra take pride of place atop a long teak dining table. The walls blush a deep burgundy and a little serving hatch, still very much in use, provides a hint of nostalgia.
The names of the four bedrooms were chosen to reflect the direction in which they face. First along the hallway is the dark chocolate-hued South room, the largest of the four. This has a walk-through dressing room lined with cupboards, a double bed, ensuite bathroom with bathtub and shower, and French windows leading onto the front veranda and side garden.
Next along is East; a moss-green accented bedroom with double bed, writing desk, doors opening onto the side garden and ensuite bathroom with tub and shower. Opposite East is West, another double-bedded yet slightly smaller red-hued bedroom overlooking the front lawn. Its ensuite bathroom features an especially unusual round, ceramic antique bathtub as well as a shower.
Just beyond the jungle mural at the far end of the hall is the final bedroom; North. Painted white, it also has a double bed and a large bathroom with twin basins, tub and shower. Next to this bedroom are the kitchen and laundry rooms.
Key Amenities
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Internet (WiFi)
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TV (Satellite/Cable)
-
Washing Machine
Other Amenities
- Baby Cot (On Request)
- Bed Linen
- Board Games/Toys
- Book Selection
- Car Parking
- CD Player/Stereo System
- Coffee Machine
- DVD Library
- DVD Player
- Equipped Kitchen
- Extra Bed (Roll away/mattress) (Extra)
- Food Menu
- Hairdryers
- High Chairs (On Request)
- Hotplates
- Iron/Board
- Laundry Service
- Main Dining (8 persons)
- Microwave
- Oven/Hotplates
- Toiletries
- Towels
- Tumble Dryer
Villa Staff
- Babysitter (Extra)
- Chef/Cook (All meals)
- Garden/Pool Staff
- Housekeeping (Full time)
- Security (Night time only)
- Service Staff
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An evocative 160-year-old bungalow overlooking Nuwara Eliya town surrounded by a well-maintained garden of clipped lawns, preened hedges and scented roses. With 4 comfortable bedrooms, open fireplaces, cosy lounges, an elegant dining room and plenty of colonial character, this is a gorgeous holiday home in the hills.
http://www.thevillaguide.com/villa/craigbank.aspx
