Ceylon Tea Trails Dunkeld

Introduction

Dunkeld is one of five luxurious bungalow under the Tea Trails collection, perched high above the spectacular Castlereagh Lake near Dickoya and overlooking the lush green tea plantations of the Dunkeld Estate. It is a four-bedroom luxurious bungalow with a standalone cottage in Sri Lanka’s central highlands.

The Ceylon Tea Trails Experience:

In central Sri Lanka, lies the Golden Valley of Tea. This is home to old Ceylon. Here, five classic colonial bungalows, built for British tea estate managers in the days of the Raj, have been caringly restored by Dilmah Tea with the cooperation of Bogawantalawa Tea Estates. Each bungalow is different: Summerville has the air of a country cottage, Castlereagh has an eclectic style, Tientsin is unashamedly colonial, Norwood is more modern, abounding with 1960's character. Summerville and Castlereagh are situated opposite each other on the shores of the Castlereagh lake. Dunkeld is 30 minutes from Castlereagh, Norwood is at the other end of the valley about 15 minutes away by car and Tientsin is about 30 minutes away in the next valley. Each house comes with its own manager, chef, butler and houseboys and between four and six luxurious suites. And when Tea Trails say all-inclusive, they mean it. No properties in Red Dot's extensive portfolio are more consistently praised for their excellence. All five bungalows are listed as Relais & Châteaux properties.

Accommodation

The bungalow has four types of suites: Master Suite, Garden Suite, Luxury Suite and the separate one-bedroom suite in the cottage. All suites are complete with beautiful furnishings influenced by colonial-period décor and have spacious ensuite bathrooms with a bath. Rooms are sold on an all-inclusive basis, which covers breakfast, lunch, an afternoon cream tea, dinner (inclusive of wine) and soft and non-premium alcoholic drinks.

Taylor Owners Cottage (145 sq m): Standalone bungalow with lake views, heated outdoor Jacuzzi, master bedroom with king bed, living room and verandah.

Greig Master Suite (81 sq m): King bed, separate living room, bath, walk in shower, view across lake.

Anderson Garden Suite (48 sq m): King bed, bath, walk in shower, private verandah, garden and mountain view.

Clark Garden Suite (48 sq m): King bed, bath, walk in shower, private verandah, garden and mountain view.

Allen Luxury Room (48 sq m): Twin beds, bath, walk in shower, garden and mountain view.

Facilities

The bungalow includes a swimming pool, a heated outdoor Jacuzzi, library and various indoor games. They serve a selection of delectable meals including authentic Sri Lankan and gourmet western dishes.

Why We Like It

The secluded ‘Owner’s Cottage’ offers a romantic one-bedroom residence hidden privately in the tea fields.

Sustainability

Resplendent Ceylon, the hotel group who own all five Ceylon Tea Trails bungalows, are running a variety of sustainability initiatives. In Hatton, Resplendent Ceylon ensure that the infrastructure of their tea estates is set up so that all workers are supported throughout their working life, through initiatives such as retraining ageing workers who are too elderly for manual labour and providing scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Location

Dunkeld nestles amidst the verdant hill country in Dickoya in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. The bungalow is approximately 2hrs from Nuwara Eliya and 5hrs from Colombo's airport. five hours from Colombo, or consider air taxi options. You can also head to the south coast via a daily sea plane service between Hatton and Koggala.