Heritance Kandalama, Dambulla

The Heritance Kandalama stands on the shore of an ancient manmade lake, at the foot of a rocky outcrop, which once was the home of hermits who sought isolation for meditation in its caves. Designed by leading Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, the hotel has been designed to blend perfectly with the natural environment and is surrounded by forest. The main building, with more than 152 rooms, stretches out for more than a kilometre with the terraced building giving the appearance of being built into the cliff, while the overhanging jungle foliage is now an integral part of the hotel design. The hotel strives to be a model for sustainable development in south Asia, and became the first in Asia to be awarded the prestigious environmental 'Green Globe 21 Certification' award.