It’s truly a wild experience

by Sanath Weerasuriya

(May 22, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Crocodile geckos on the ceiling, snakes in the garden, flying squirrels, hundreds of flying insects during the night and trumpeting of wild elephants remind me that I am a total outsider or an invader to the land that belongs to the wild. I am at a forest lodge tucked away in the wilderness of Habarana and Galkadawala, by the ancient Galkadawala tank.

Galkadawala Forest Lodge is a refuge for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts. The Lodge, merging with its village setting and the dense forest around, is a classic example of living in harmony with the wild.

Though in a remote location, it is easily accessible via the Habarana - Maradankadawala road off Palugasweva, just five km from the Palugasweva junction. Galkadawala Forest Lodge is the brainchild of Maulie de Saram, an ardent nature lover. “The concept does not belong to me alone. It was my architect friend Vijitha Basnayake, who firmly believes in blending his designs with nature, who dreamed it up. Vijitha, who is a highly principled person, always wanted to do something that suited the environment,” Mauli said.

The architect, she explains, has amalgamated the ancient construction methods into a modern design using old building methods on new types of building materials. The main building or the structure of the Galkadawala Forest Lodge is proof of Vijitha’s own ingenuity in bringing everything together in harmony.

“We have used almost 70 per cent of recycled building materials, traditional clay apart from limited concrete usage on essential points. Timber, door frames, windows and most of the furniture are made from recycled materials, saving the limited resources we have on this planet,” Maulie explained.

Located at the centre of a four acre plot of land, the Lodge consists of three bedrooms with attached toilets and can accommodate 12 to 15 people.“We didn’t cut a single tree while doing the construction. Apart from the building area, which was minimally cleared the rest of the forest is untouched. We wanted to start an organic vegetable cultivation on a plot close to the building, but we haven’t had a proper helping hand. It would be more of a showcase for visitors,” she said.

The upper deck of the building, which has a unique view of the Galkadawala Wewa, is also used as an open sleeping area for adventure lovers.“This is the best place to watch elephants at the tank during the night, if you have night vision,” she said.

The most unique aspect of the Forest Lodge is the focus on educating visitors to the wilderness. A big poster on one wall details the different varieties of snakes. “There are serpents and we should know about them. This is their territory and we should recognize the inhabitants. There are nearly 30 varieties of snakes and serpents in the area and only four are poisonous. By educating people about them, they can live in harmony,” Maulie said, adding that she also encourages visitors to identify birds as there as many as 75 species that can be seen here.

Apart from being up close with nature, visitors can also use the Forest Lodge as a base to explore other sites in the Cultural Triangle. The Dambulla cave temple and Sigiriya are just half hour’s drive from the Lodge and so too the wildlife sanctuaries such as Minneriya, Kaudulla and Huruluweva.

Mysterious Ritigala is just fifteen minutes away, while Managala, an ancient meditation and treatment centre belonging to the Anuradhapura era, is fifteen km away. Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Mihintale are within an hour’s drive, while Kandy and Wasgomuwa are two hours and three hours’ drive respectively.

Beside excursions and adventure trekking, a dip in the Galkadawala Weva in the evening is a must. You should always use the same spots that the villagers use for bathing and always listen to village advice, Mauli says.

This jungle retreat has a cook and a caretaker and guests are expected to provide provisions for their meals.“Being one with nature, we always encourage visitors to have vegetarian meals, but non-vegetarian meals are not restricted or prohibited,” she added.
- Sri Lanka Guardian