Be enthralled at Elephant Corridor

By Marianne David

The perfect place to have a wild and wonderful time while wallowing in the lap of luxury, Elephant Corridor is a paradise of pleasure and pampering.

Offering complete privacy given its secluded location in the heart of the jungle and guaranteed to satisfy the most demanding guest, the hotel is a sight to behold from the very first moment you set eyes on it.

Constructed on an elephant corridor between Minneriya National Park and Sigiriya National Park and framing the Sigiriya Rock Fortress, which can be seen in the distance, the lobby of the hotel sets the stage for an experience that will be hard to beat and even harder to forget.

The five-star haven, which stands within endless acres of jungle land in the midst of the Cultural Triangle, is located in Pothana, Kimbissa – a few minutes away from what has been labelled the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’.

New lease of life

The hotel has been given a new lease of life with the appointment of General Manager Olaf Eman in October, who says he fell in love with it the moment he set foot on the property.

As Eman asserts, “Elephant Corridor is not a hotel but a lifestyle retreat.” He is ably assisted by livewire Ramzi Ali, the hotel’s Business Development Consultant.

Eman has certainly revived the place, which is now geared to meet guests’ every conceivable need. The staff has been trained in European butler style service and the hotel has been turned around with modern technology, boasting WiFi, iPod stations, LED TV and many other facilities. Upon arrival guests are greeted by warm and welcoming staff members and escorted to the suites, which are located a short walk away, on the right of the main lobby/restaurant.

Elephant Corridor has 22 suites and every single one of them is a luxurious haven of timeless beauty and elegance. The hotel is built on 200 acres of unfenced jungle land and the suites are designed to effortlessly blend with nature.

Wild and wonderful

The Sigiriya Rock Fortress, the lake in the vicinity and the surrounding jungle which echoes with the calls of the wild combine to offer an experience that is wild and wonderful.

Each suite is a work of art and features a welcoming plunge pool on the veranda, which overlooks the jungle, a large carved four-poster bed, reproductions of antique furniture in the living area, which also boasts a stereo system, LED TV and DVD player, a large bathroom with a glass roof and bathtub, vanity area, dressing room and all conceivable amenities. The hard cut stonewalls and wild-grass roofs add to the ambiance of the jungle hideaway.

Arriving at the hotel in the late afternoon, we chose to have lunch in our suite. The courteous staff arrived promptly with a large picnic hamper and unveiled a meal that was not just visually pleasing but also highly satisfying, full of freshness and flavour. From the starters to dessert, every dish was a delight.

The high guest-staff ratio at Elephant Corridor enables impromptu dining, barbeques and high tea anywhere on the property, with highly personalised service.

After resting a while, it was time to head down to the pool. Since it is located some distance away from the villas, we were taken there by golf cart via a pathway cut through jungle shrub. The large pool is encircled by woodland and features chaise lounges and a hammock, while the Ebony and Ivory Jungle Bar in close proximity is stocked with various international and local liquors.

The hotel also features a business centre, conference centres, spa, a library bar, the Om Wellness Spa and Ayurvedic centre and a gym. Many excursions are also available for guests, given the proximity to several cultural heritage sites. The more adventurous could opt for a hot air balloon ride and view the magnificent Sigiriya Rock Fortress from up in the air.

A dream come true for wildlife enthusiasts, Elephant Corridor’s surrounding lands are rich in biodiversity and feature around 200 species of birds and around 30 species of mammals, including elephants, spotted deer, fishing cats, jungle cats, otters and mongooses.

Delightful dining

That night, we dined at Ambrosia, the hotel’s restaurant atop the lobby, which offers a panoramic view of the surrounding jungle. As Christmas carols played softly in the background, we listened to the sounds of the wild echoing in the distance while seated on the open balcony area until it was time to go in to dine.

At the candlelit dinner, we were first served fresh seared salmon with tartar and horseradish sauce with crispy green salad, followed by a steaming hot vegetable broth soup.

Mains included grilled seer fish with garlic cream parsley potatoes and selected vegetables; roast chicken with mushroom sauce, parsley potatoes and selected vegetables; and spinach fettuccine with creamy vegetable sauce. The roast chicken, which I opted to have, was a feast in itself; succulent and sensational.

The meal was rounded off with delightful chocolate Swiss rolls with ice cream and a fresh fruit platter, followed by tea and coffee. In fact every single meal we were served at Elephant Corridor was highly satisfying, while the fresh fruit juices were nothing short of fabulous.

Menus are based on non-pork meals with more focus on light dishes with fresh local ingredients, noted Eman, who has years of experience in the hotel and cruise business to his credit, having held several corporate hotel management positions around the world.

Nature trails

On our short walk back to the suite we were accompanied by sounds of the wild once again and we went to sleep with the firm intention of exploring the vicinity with the Resident Naturalist the next morning.

Resident Naturalist Panduka de Silva is at hand to accompany guests on nature trails where you can glimpse some of the 200 odd species of birds, 20 species of butterflies, 14 species of dragonflies and 30 species of mammals, which can be seen in the area.

The hotel is located in a 200-odd acre dry zone forest and as Elephant Corridor has no artificial walls or fences around the hotel boundary, wild animals such as elephant, leopard, deer, wild boar, porcupine, pangolin and many other species of small mammals roam in the hotel park freely at night.

During the day star tortoises feed on grass and other vegetation around the hotel. At dawn and dusk many species of singing birds can be seen and heard, while you can also see majestic peacocks strutting on the hotel’s immaculate lawns.

Spoilt for choice

Apart from nature trails, when it comes to deciding on how to spend the day, guests are spoilt for choice at Elephant Corridor, given its close proximity to many archaeological, historical and cultural sites.

Among them are the Minneriya National Park, Kaudulla National Park, Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Dambulla Cave Temple, ancient garden of Ritigala, ancient cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, Enderagala Forest Temple, Namal Uyana, ancient caves in Pidurutalagala and Mariyamuththu and Aluvihara Temples.

Guests can also opt for excursions such as the Kandy City tour or visit the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage or Nuwara Eliya. There’s also the ever-popular elephant back rides and hot air balloon rides, which are unforgettable experiences.

Eco-friendly

When the hotel was being constructed, a main goal had been ensuring that the natural landscape surrounding the hotel would remain unchanged. As a result, disruption of nature had been kept to a minimum and trees had not been cut down during the construction process.

The pathways feature many suspension bridges, which had been built to ensure that natural streams continue to flow without disturbance.

The hotel does not allow motorised traffic on the hotel grounds in order to minimise its impact on nature and ensure absolute silence for guests. Visitors are encouraged to use the electric golf cart or bicycles to travel about the premises.

The hotel features many pieces of unique furniture that grab attention in the lobby and in the rooms and have been crafted using re-used jak timber by local craftsmen who live in the nearby villages. The more unusual pieces are the glass topped tables which are filled with exotic seeds, spices and bark of various kinds, including cinnamon sticks and red chilles.

Owned by Sierra Holdings, Elephant Corridor was designed by Anton Jacob, who spent 20 years in the UK and successfully carried out modifications on two important UK hotels. His project profile also includes several other significant Sri Lankan projects.

Elephant Corridor is the perfect place to experience nature, history and wildlife combined with relaxation and privacy, accompanied by the extravagance of luxurious accommodation, fine wine, refined dining and exciting excursions.