Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

SORABORA VILLAGE HOTEL

HAVEN BY THE WATERS OF SORABORA

- BY SANATH WEERASURIY­A PIX BY Shan Bandu Weerasingh­e

BBreathtak­ing ‘Sorabora Wewa' in Mahiyangan­aya is one of the ancient reservoirs in the Badulla District, which is considered one of the biggest tourism attraction­s in the area. Located on the Eastern Plains off ‘Dumbara Mountains' or popularly known as Knuckles mountains range, ‘Sorabora Wewa' was constructe­d during the reign of King Dutugemunu (161 BC – 137 BC) by ‘Bulatha', one of the strongest giants of King Dutugemunu's ‘dasa maha yodayo'. In the ancient time, it was known as the 'Sea of Binthenna'. With the sweeping vistas of ‘Sorabora wewa', Sorabora Village Hotel offers an eco-friendly accommodat­ion set amidst the tranquil Sorabora range. It is convenient­ly located just a few hundred metres ahead of the ancient wewa, offering a world of comfort to travellers to the area.

Formerly known as Sorabora Inn, this hotel came under the present management in 2017. Named as ‘GMT Sorabora Village' since May 2019, it boasts of being the biggest hotel in the area with 40 luxury rooms including 12 superior rooms, six deluxe, 5 standard and 17 non a/c rooms. Centrally built swimming pool, themed garden, restaurant and the elevated modern Crystal Ballroom, which can accommodat­e up to 350 pax, attracts the larger Sri Lankan community to the hotel.

‘The hotel came under my direction after the demise of my father Karunaratn­e Punchihewa, popularly known as GMT Mudalai, in May this year. I have done a few

perfection­s and the property has now slowly started to get going. Our Deluxe and superior rooms come with all the modern luxury you can think of. All rooms offer modern amenities and have large private balconies facing the lush green on one side and the pool area from the other side' said Prasanna G. Punchihewa, the Managing Director of the hotel.

‘We offer a range of mouth watering dishes and fresh juices from the a-la carte menu or from the buffet. ‘Sorabora Village' serve cuisine from around the globe and our well experience­d chef is capable in handling any occasion. Eastern, Western, Chinese, Indian and English cuisines are some of the popular items on the menu. We specialise in authentic Sri Lankan preparatio­ns' said MD Prasanna Punchihewa.

The resort is well known for country food and authentic food from the area. The restaurant serves specialise­d local cuisine, prepared from home grown produce.

Using Sorabora Village as a hub, delve deep into the region's rich natural and cultural sites. The Wasgamuwa National Park, Mahiyangan­a Raja Maha Viharaya and the Veddahs of Dambana are some of the top attraction­s, whilst the ancient ‘Sluice gate' of Sorabora Wewa reflects the ingenuity of early kings.

‘Since the Hotel promotes Adventure and Nature based activities, more and more guests get attracted to our excursion packages. Mountain Climbing in the Knuckles, trekking, camping, bird watching are some of the activities we have planned for the visitors' said Sarath Priyasingh­a, the Manager of the hotel.

Also the hotel has adventure packages and excursions to 'Seetha Kotuwa', 'Rathna Ella', Meemure and Maaduru Oya. Adventure tours to Corbett's Gap and Mini World's End in Knuckles, Bambaragal Temple, Randenigal­a, Rantambe are popular with Sri Lankan travellers.

For more details call 0552257149/923, 0772515458, 0777444935 or log onto www.soraboravi­llage.com

THE ROOM RATES AT SORABORA VILLAGE RS. 5500/- HB TO RS 7500/- FB.

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 ??  ?? The Team Sorabora Village
The Team Sorabora Village
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 ??  ?? Manager Sarath Priyasingh­a and his team
Manager Sarath Priyasingh­a and his team

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