What You Get
TV (Satellite/Cable)
The Experience
Dick Oya Bungalow oozes nostalgia. It’s hard to stay here and not be captivated by the colonial character of this evocative plantation abode. Dating back to the nineteenth century, the bungalow has been recently refurbished and brought firmly up to date. Original antiques and cushy reproduction furnishings elegantly endow every room, and provide plenty of creature comforts, whilst timber floors, patterned rugs and soft carpets are a feature throughout. Housing four generously proportioned bedrooms (including a family suite with double and twin-bedded rooms), the bungalow is extremely spacious and yet cosy at the same time, and there are many lounging spots where guests can find their own peaceful escape. Topping a tea-flanked hillock at an elevation of 1,200m above sea level, the bungalow boasts a fantastic location near Dickoya town, in the heart of the island’s lush Hill Country. Numerous windows open widely onto panoramic views of the emerald tea fields, and in amongst this luminous green are colourful sari-clad women traversing the trails and plucking the neatly tended tea bushes. The bungalow’s four-acre garden is as well maintained as the tea estate and bursts with sun-loving blooms drawn to this fresh temperate climate. A selection of home-grown fruit trees and vegetables also flourishes here and the garden’s centrepiece is a verdant green lawn. This bungalow suits big groups and families who will adore its generous proportions. Facilities are fairly limited, however there is a separate TV Lounge with CD player and board games, and a volleyball net on the front lawn. The house is staffed by a small team, including an efficient manager who drops by daily, and a cook who is in charge of preparing all of your meals (fixed price set menus). From the bungalow you can wander the estate roads or take a trip to a nearby tea factory. With acres of countryside to explore, reservoirs and waterfalls to visit, scenery to ogle over and even the potential of scaling the sacred mountain of Adam’s Peak (an hour and a half’s drive away), lovers of the great outdoors, and anyone looking to escape into the island’s tea country, will find much to enjoy here.
Our review
- Overall Rating:
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7
- Reviewed:
- 09-Nov-2012
A charismatic ex-planters abode set on a tea-fringed hill near Hatton.
Individual Scores:
| Character/Charm: | 9 | Location: | 8 | Outside Area: | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living Area: | 8 | Bedrooms: | 7 | Bathrooms: | 5 |
| Kitchen: | 6 | Facilities: | 5 | Staff: | 7 |
| Value: | 8 |
Highlights
Soaking up the historic atmosphere of a bungalow like this is a real joy; we felt we’d been whisked back in time. The interiors are cosy and comfortable yet retain their colonial character, and the gardens are beautifully maintained and vibrantly colourful year-round. We particularly enjoyed wandering along the estate pathways and into the tea hills.
Surprises
The bungalow comes with few entertainment facilities, and there’s no swimming pool. When the heavens opened as they often do here in the Hill Country, we were grateful for a few books and board games to keep us occupied. The bathrooms have certainly seen better days. However, the management had forewarned us about this saying they plan to renovate and bring them to a standard equal to the rest of the bungalow. Since the bungalow is about 1,200m above sea level, the nights are fresh and cool so bring a jumper or two.
PROs
- Refreshing climate
- Right in the heart of tea country
- Evocative interiors
- Huge bedrooms
- Loads of living space
CONs
- Few facilities
- Basic bathrooms
Gallery
Location
Dick Oya Bungalow sits within a beautifully manicured garden on the outskirts of the small town of Dickoya, near Hatton, in Sri Lanka’s southwestern Hill Country. From its elevated hilltop position, the bungalow boasts glorious views over neighbouring hillocks, which are all lushly cloaked with verdant tea bushes. Unpaved roads and lanes through the surrounding estate offer plenty of potential for getting out and exploring this gorgeous emerald landscape on foot and witnessing the estate workers hard at work. The elevation in Dickoya is over 1,000m above sea level so although the days are warm and sunny – much like the perfect English summer’s day - the evenings can feel fresh and cool, which is a real relief if you’re escaping from the hot and humid coastal areas of the island. The large market town of Hatton is just 3km from the bungalow and here you’ll find a range of banks, pharmacies, fresh produce markets, liquor shops and a branch of the island-wide Cargil’s supermarket chain.
Places of Interest(KMs) |
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| Dickoya | 1.0 |
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| Hatton | 3.0 |
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| Castlereagh Reservoir | 10.0 |
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| Warleigh Church | 10.0 |
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| Carolina Spice & Herbal Garden | 13.0 |
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| Kenilworth Tea Factory | 15.0 |
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| Adam's Peak | 40.0 |
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| Nuwara Eliya | 49.0 |
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| Kandy | 72.0 |
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| Colombo | 123.0 |
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| Bandaranaike Intl Airport | 125.0 |
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About Hatton
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
This characterful bungalow lounges across a hilltop, and from the deep entrance porch you can peer all the way down a wide carpeted corridor to the dining room at the far end. Each of the bungalow’s guest rooms (one of which is a two-bedroom suite), the living areas and the kitchen all lead off from this lengthy L-shaped hallway, which is furnished with magazine-topped side tables and elegant lamps. The four bedrooms – two doubles, a twin and a two-room family suite with double and twin beds - each benefit from direct views over the manicured garden and the verdant tea hills beyond. Long luxurious drapes keep you warm and cosy at night and rugs or carpets top the creaky timber floors. Bedrooms are all highly spacious and each is furnished with ample cupboard space, a writing desk, lamp-topped side tables and a dressing table. Although there are five bathrooms in the house, the rooms in the family suite share a bathroom with tub. The two double bedrooms to the left of the corridor feature spacious lounge areas and fine southwesterly views. Living space is generous in the bungalow. The front entrance porch has an informal sitting area, furnished with white rattan chairs topped with Cath Kidston-style floral cushions, that seeks out views across the garden. Inside the bungalow, there are two living areas. The orange-hued drawing room is the first on your right as you enter the bungalow, and is a huge living room with fireplace, plush sofas and armchairs under a central chandelier. As is a feature throughout the bungalow, most of the furnishings are either antiques or period reproductions so the colonial character of the bungalow is retained. Beyond the drawing room is a smaller champagne-hued lounge with sofas, a stereo and a cable TV. Right at the end of the hallway is the formal dining room, an elegant space furnished with a table for 12, an oversized dresser and side tables. French doors lead onto the rear lawn. Around the corner from the dining room the corridor continues to a basic kitchen.
Key Amenities
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TV (Satellite/Cable)
Other Amenities
- Baby Cot (On Request)
- BBQ
- Bed Linen
- Bicycles
- Board Games/Toys
- Car Parking
- CD Library
- CD Player/Stereo System
- Extra Bed (Roll away/mattress) (Extra)
- Generator
- Hairdryers
- Laundry Service (Extra)
- Microwave
- Safe
- Toiletries
- Towels
Villa Staff
- Chef/Cook (All meals)
- Garden/Pool Staff
- Housekeeping (Full time)
- Manager (Restricted hrs)
- Security (Night time only)
- Service Staff
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This atmospheric ex-planters abode perched on the summit of a tea-clad hill above Dick Oya features 4 spacious bedrooms, including a family suite, a handful of living rooms and a gorgeous four-acre garden bursting with flowers and vegetables. It’s fully staffed, and makes a perfect base for savouring the great outdoors.
http://www.thevillaguide.com/villa/dick-oya-bungalow.aspx
