Thursday, 17 April 2014 00:00
-
- {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
“At length did cross an albatross, Through the fog it came…” These immortal words as portrayed by the famed laureate Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his narration of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner perhaps captures the mystique of The Albatross Boutique Resort.
Perched on top of ‘The Coconut Hill,’ nestling amongst a range of Kandyan mountains, with Pidurutalagala Peak as a backdrop, The Albatross Villa offers a spectacular and an unparalleled panoramic visive. The splendour of the Victoria waterways and its dam and the Victoria Golf Course that meanders at the base of the hill makes The Albatross a truly enchanting holiday location.
The name of the resort Albatross carries an intriguing and meaningful dual connotation, in that, firstly an albatross in golfing parlance is indeed a rare achievement that any golfer would strive to achieve. Secondly, albatross, the high souring bird of good omen depicts the very conceptual style of the resort – a bird’s eye view of a wide spanning nature reserve of splendour and rarity.
A visitor to this unique resort will firstly be held spellbound at the task of imbibing in the panorama of the Kandyan range of mountains covering Corbett’s Gap, Hunasgiriya Peak, Knuckles Range, Hantane and Bambaragala. The Victoria waterways spiralling amongst the wooded mountain slopes with the dam as a backdrop is breathtaking.
High-end boutique resort
The boutique resort has been developed by its owners, the Ranfer Group, to provide a high-end 5-star service unit amidst a leisurely and casual family atmosphere. The tranquillity of the resort remains unparallel and provides a perfect getaway for the discerning holiday maker.
An important area of infrastructure development undertaken by the Government provides much better access to the resort. This is following the domestic airport that is currently under construction located one km away from the Victoria Golf Complex. In addition there are already regular commercial flights of amphibian aircraft using the Victoria waterways adjacent to the complex for passenger transportation.
The villa consists of eight elegantly furnished en suite rooms and in keeping with the predominantly golfing theme, the rooms are appropriately named Hole in One, Eagle 2, Birdie 3, Par 4 and Bogey 5. The newest additions are The Tee Off Suite, The Royal Albatross Suite and The Double Bogey. All rooms are air-conditioned and are fitted with satellite TV, etc. Tea and coffee service is available in the rooms along with a personalised butler service which makes the stay most comfortable.
Range of facilities
The resort is immensely popular amongst visitors of diverse interests as it provides an amazing range of facilities that will keep all visitors and members of the family enjoyably engrossed in occupation. An appropriately designed swimming pool with Jacuzzi, sauna, steam and a hot water Jacuzzi as well, with the provisions of on-call masseur is a hot-spot for all visitors.
The Hawk-Eye is a tastefully designed pub with theme décor consisting of an interesting collection of golfing memorabilia combined with artefacts of yesteryear liquors and wines. The Liquor Bar has an Irish pub atmosphere with a pool table and lively music.
The outdoor facilities are wide-ranging and include golfing, tennis, horse riding, nature walks, bird watching, bike rides, etc.
Places of interest
The Victoria Dam, the historical city of Kandy, the ancient rock temple at Bambaragala and a meditation centre are all within the distance of a 45-minute drive. For those of you who want to venture out a little more, the Wasgamuwa National Park and the Knuckles Range Wilderness are within two hours of Digana.
Amongst the varied features of The Albatross, the one that stands out and acknowledged by many visitors is the Fine Dining Restaurant. No holiday or ‘get away’ is complete without sumptuous meals that would cater to varied gastronomic desires.
You can choose to dine on the diner’s deck or enjoy a BBQ out on the open air lounge under the star-lit Kandyan sky. The evening will fade out with specialised ‘Ranfer’ flavoured teas, coffees and a wide selection of liqueurs.
The Albatross holiday experience is truly unparalleled and will remain an experience of a lifetime.
