自我介绍

The Gileemale Retreat is the brainchild of the sole owner of the Walawwa, Ishantha Avinda Dassanayake who is the 6th generation member of the lineage of Punchi Bandara. Ishantha is currently working for the global renown London Stock Exchange as the Head of HR Operations in Sri Lanka. His passion for Sustainability, Culture and agriculture has given this property a natural boost in the tourism industry to experience a Colonial Sabaragamuwa stay with a range of experiences in the agricultural, wellness and Adventure based travel. Ishantha has stamped his mark on his ancestral home with a history of 300 years with the vision to build a sustainable hospitality venture that rekindles the past glory of the Sabaragamuwa culture while giving back to the environment and village community. A stunning piece of colonial architecture draped in 18 acres of lush greenery, and nestled in Ratnapura in close proximity to the Sri Pada mountain range, the Gileemale Retreat has been refurbished to cleverly combine the old classic charm with modern luxury. The mansion dates back to the times of King Rajasinghe I, also known as Seethawaka Rajasinghe who ruled the country from 1581 to 1592. The legend has it that the King bestowed a youth by the name of Appu from Pagoda, Kotte the gift of the village known today as Gileemale after he successfully accomplished an open challenge to climb the Kunudiya Rock. The King also permitted Appu to bring his relatives and friends to Gileemale and thus he changed his surname to Bandara. He was also granted permission by the King to build a mansion in the area which went onto become the Gileemale Walawwa today. Opposite to the walawwa, you find the old roadway leading to Adam’s Peak known as Raja Mawatha. For generations, the Gileemale family has served as the hospitality partners for king’s men. According to folklore, the mansion has been designed taking the flight of a bluebird as an omen. Although the ancient walawwa dilapidated; the present one was built around 150 years ago with a second floor inducted in 1911. The more recent refurbishment had given this ancestral walawwa the ambience of an upmarket holiday home at a very minimalistic finish. Consists of two luxury suites on the upper floor, four standard bedrooms downstairs, Yoga and Relaxing Lounge in the open interior courtyard, a reading room, museum of antiques and plenty of relaxing areas decorated with archeological monuments and paintings, the property has been designed to evoke a sense of place for the guests.