Trips to local attractions can be arranged from the hotel. Most locations are no more than day trips. The following are some of the trips on offer. Arrangements are flexible for taking you around and keeping you entertained.

GOLUMALE (a half hour drive from the hotel)

'Golumale Rock Pools’ is an amazing site near the village of Walapane. The name given to the place is due to a large rock pool with a couple of holes in it through which all of the water from the river passes at one end and emerges again from the other side (see the video “Golumale” on auslinkhotel.com). The feature can only be seen when the water level is reasonably low. At other times,it is submerged in the river bed but even then, the location is worth a visit. The whole area around Golumale is a wonderland surrounded by glorious evergreen vegetation. On one side of the river there is a wildlife sanctuary. Tree-houses have been built along this human and wildlife interface to enable the locals to keep an eye on their crops by day and night. A fence along the river bank also helps control the elephants in the sanctuary and it is one of the safest places for visitors to view elephants in their natural habitat, particularly during the late evening. There are safe places to bath and swim, take a lunch (maybe a barbecue) or have a nap on a warm comfortably smooth surface of the rock. As the dusk approaches, it would be time to get into tree houses because the wild elephants equally like to be at the rock at night (as we all know this is not happening all the time but it happens a lot of times). For the more adventurous, you can even sleep in one of the tree-houses. Or perhaps you would rather get back to a comfortable hotel bed as night moves in. The villagers are more than happy to meet, greet and feed guests during a visit to this area.

RANDENIGALA (Half an hour drive from the hotel)

This place includes a very big inland fresh water reservoir surrounding by wild life reserve. Driving around the area is an exhilarating experience. Having a boat ride, swimming in the fresh water, catching a fish, bird watching and just resting in a quiet beautiful place are all on offer. If you are late leaving the area just before it gets dark, you are likely to be held up in prolonged procession of our elephant friends.

KURUNDUOYA WATTERFALL (about half an hour by 4WD)

If you like adventure tourism in a four wheel drive, this is for you. Climbing up the hills along a narrow winding road is quite challenging (of course! You could walk if you prefer). Four-wheel driving up this hill is going to be an adrenaline surging adventure to remember. After driving through mountains and deeper into the forest, you can get very close to the beautiful Kurunduoya Waterfall.

JAPANESE PEACE TEMPLE (An unexpected sight)

The Japanese Government built temples all over the world after World War II and spread the word of the Lord Buddha that, “the hatred cannot be overcome by hate”. In this way, they are promoting world peace. This temple is one of six such temples in Sri Lanka (see the picture). It is an easy one kilometre walk or a ten-minute drive from the hotel. Then there are around four hundred steps up to the temple for those who wish to climb or you can go all the way by the vehicle. When in residence, a Japanese Buddhist monk may be seen climbing down from the temple to the town early in the morning to collect his breakfast from the alms givers all the while chanting and drumming. This is a very humbling event to witness and well worth the visit. The view and the peaceful quiet surrounds are yours to enjoy. Inside the temple, there are statues and beautiful paintings, and you may get some meditation lessons.

HIKING (for the reasonably fit)

An ever-changing landscape with many walking tracks, mountains, waterfalls, rocks, wild animals, wild flowers and many more pleasant surprising encounters can be a thrilling experience of a life time. (Whenever I am back in Shri Lanka I enjoy hiking and can never get enough of it.) You can make it a whole day trip or a few hours; you choose as much as possible of the wonders on offer in the time you have available.

GARUNDA GALA

This is a very rare type of precious stony rock covering a large area of ground. It has been said that this is the only such precious rock in South Asia. Once cut and polished and incorporated in jewelry, it looks like moon stone. Therefore, the value of this rock is rather high!

WORLDSEND

Worldsend is a place where you can see spectacular views from several thousand feet up. It is located 20-30kms away from Nuwara-Eliya, a tourist town, located about 45 minute from our hotel by vehicle. To get to Worldsend you have to go by four wheel drive and walk several kilometers.

SMALL WORLDSEND (about 20 minute drive)

Small Worldsend is very similar to Worldsend but not the same height. However, seeing it is easy because you don’t need a four-wheel drive, you don’t have to walk and more importantly, your view is not going to be blocked by thick mist which is common in Nuwara-Eliya.

TEA FACTORY

Tea Estates are only minutes away from the hotel. Tea factories are also nearby and we can take you to a factory that operates as a tourist outlet.