holiday villa Archives - GlenMyu Estate Luxury Bed and Breakfast

Relax by the Natural Spring Fed Swimming Pool at GlenMyu Estate, Hotel and Bed & Breakfast, Haputale, Sri Lanka.

Top 10 Hotels in Haputale

Accommodation, Holiday, Sri Lanka, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka, Travel / By Mikeez

Top 10 Hotels in Haputale

We are delighted at GlenMyu Estate, Haputale, Sri Lanka to be featuring on the Top 10 Hotels in Haputale on the Agoda website.

We are new - Opened in 2021

GlenMyu Estate, Hotel and Bed & Breakfast, was opened in 2021 during the middle of the pandemic.

Therefore we are still a really new hotel in the Haputale area as there was limited opportunities to host guests due to lockdowns and the wait for the vaccine rollout.

Experience GlenMyu Resort before the word gets out! - top 10 hotels in Haputale

As we have had few guests in 2021 due to the pandemic we are really just getting started. The guests that we have hosted so far just love it here and the reviews on Google support their feelings about our place in the Hill Country.

We are getting more and more enquires and bookings and we are looking forward to a busy December and a great 2022.

Why are we one of the Top 10 Hotels in Haputale?

Well, we don’t have any input into why we are on the list, however we think we provide a unique experience and environment for our guests. We are just really proud that we feature on the list.

What, where and why?

There are plenty of questions to answer about our wonderful piece of this Paradise Island so I will try to outline the answer to the question “What is GlenMyu Estate?”

Set in five acres - top 10 hotels in Haputale

The property is situated within five acres of the Sri Lankan Countryside. There is a feeling of being connected with nature and there is plenty or flora and different fauna that visits the land.

Being in a green space is a great feeling coming out from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Three Luxury Bedrooms with views of the Southern Hills.

The house at GlenMyu has three king size en suite bedrooms which look out to the valley below and has an ever changing view.

The bedrooms have floor to ceiling windows that allow you to wake up to the sun brushing over the hills.

Don’t worry – we have mirror stickers on the outside of the windows in the bathrooms keeping your privacy!

The two bedrooms on the middle floor have concrete baths which are a delight to soak in and watch the stars at night.

Spacious, comfortable lounges

The bedrooms are attached to the comfortable lounges on the middle and lower floors each of which gives a different aspect of the view.

We have two snugs, one on each floor, which are great places to have a drink or a snack and a chat.

We have deliberately chosen comfortable sofas and chairs and it wouldn’t be unusual to nod off for a while after a hard days vacation!

Dining in the House with a view or alternatively Al Fresco around the property

There are different options on where to dine in and around the house.

The dining table is situated on the ground floor and has some great views of the valley below. Watching and listening to the birds as you are eating breakfast in the morning is just blissful.

A Natural Spring Fed Swimming Pool - top 10 hotels in Haputale.

We just love our swimming pool!
The pool is long enough to have a good swim and as it is filled with fresh spring water. It is a really refreshing experience.
We love to swim around 8 am and 4 pm as both are a completely different experience.

The swimming pool is surrounded by a sea of greenery and just feels a real luxury and a joy to be living with nature.

The birdsong provides the music while you swim and is an experience not to be missed

Walking and exploring the Estate

We have several walking pathways around the estate for you to get a little bit of exercise. You will also see the different planting we are continuously doing around the land.

We are reintroducing endemic plants to the estate and planting fruit trees to feed the variety of animals, birds and insects.

Our overall aim is to increase the biodiversity on the land making it a comfortable place for you and our daily visitors to be!

Eat Well

We have an organic garden at GlenMyu Estate and we try to use as much as we can in the meals that we provide for our guests.

Papayas appear to grow well here and there is nothing like a Papaya and Banana Smoothie to set you up in the morning.

We also provide Kola Kanda early in the morning and we collect the herbs in the nutritious porridge drink from the land early in the day making it as fresh as possible.

Ruwanthi is a great cook (you only have to look at her husbands stomach as proof!) and she will discuss what you want to eat on the day as all meals are freshly prepared.

There are plenty of places to visit if you fancy an outing from the Estate

GlenMyu Estate is well located for;

Visits to a waterfall: Diyaluma or Bambarakanda.

A hike – Horton Plains/Worlds End/Bakers Falls or Lipton Seat

A visit to the town of Ella to see Nine Arch Bridge, Ravanna Falls and so on.

Where is GlenMyu Estate located

We are located four kilometres from Beragala towards Wellawaya at the 185/14 Kilometre post.
Here is where we are located on Google maps

Why go to GlenMyu Estate, Haputale, Sri Lanka

A new experience, need to relax, be closer to nature, to breathe in the fresh air in the hills, to eat delicious food, a change in environment and so on!

There are too many reasons to come.

Hopefully we will meet you soon and you will be able to let us know why we are on the Top 10 Hotels in Haputale listing.

Birds of Sri Lanka – what you might see at GlenMyu Estate, Haputale, Sri Lanka.

Birds, Birdwatching, Holiday / By Mikeez

What kind of birds live in Sri Lanka?

What birds will I see when I stay at GlenMyu Estate, Haputale, Sri Lanka?

We are lucky at GlenMyu Estate to have an environment that is attractive to birds and we have a variety that we regularly see here foraging, nesting and swooping around the land.

Here are some pictures and videos of birds that I have seen visiting the Estate.

Unfortunately my camera and video are great for capturing the birds and if you visit the estate with better equipment you will no doubt get much better pictures than I have!

A Black Throated Kingfisher — A White-Throated Kingfisher

A White-Browed Fantail and Chicks — A White-Browed Fantail and two chicks

A pair of Ceylon Hill Mynas — A pair of Lesser Hill Mynas.

A Hill Swallow on a nest — A Hill Swallow nesting.

A Hill Swallow with some twigs — A Hill Swallow gathering twigs.

Black eagle — A Black Eagle passing over GlenMyu Estate

Birdwatching in Sri Lanka — A bird starting flight

A Purple Rumped Sunbird — Purple Rumped Sunbird

Here are some videos that I have taken of some birds that visited the estate.

We are also very lucky to have a neighbour who has a lifelong interest in birds and bird watches daily. She has identified a large number of the 34 endemic species of birds that visit this part of Sri Lanka.

How do I find out more about Birds of Sri Lanka?

If you want to know more about the endemic birds of Sri Lanka, the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka has a complete list pf birds and additional interesting information in the following link https://fogsl.cmb.ac.lk/list-of-birds-of-sri-lanka/

Another website where a community identifies birds is https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/birds-of-sri-lanka

Avibase – The World Bird Database gives details of the birds and also some examples of bird song https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/avibase.jsp?lang=EN

The Ceylon Bird Club is another good resource http://www.ceylonbirdclub.org/endemic_birds.php

Books?

I use “A Photographic Guide to theBirds of Sri Lanka” by Gehan De Silva Wijeyaratne which I find has some good pictures to help identify the birds.

Find out more about GlenMyu Estate, Hotel and B & B, Haputale, Sri Lanka.

There are three king size on suite bedrooms for guests which all have superb views of the hills below.

A natural spring fed swimming pool is available for the use for guests and is a great place to have a refreshing swim or just hang out listening to the nature that passes by.

Where is GlenMyu Estate?

You can find out where we are on the map below.

Birds of Sri Lanka – what you might see at GlenMyu Estate, Haputale, Sri Lanka. Read More »

The House at GlenMyu Estate, Hotel and Bed & Breakfast, Haputale, Sri Lanka.

Ayurveda in the Sri Lankan Hills.

Ayurvedic medicine and plants, The Organic Garden at GlenMyu, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka / By Mikeez

Ayurveda in the Sri Lankan Hill Country - developing an Ayurvedic Garden.

When my wife purchased the 5 acres estate in Viharagalla, which she later named GlenMyu, it had been uncultivated for many years.

Historically it had been part of the larger Viharagalla tea estate and then used to grow sugar cane.

The land had become overrun by Guinea Grass which was brought in to the country as a fast growing foodstock for cattle. Unfortunately Guinea Grass is invasive and dominates local endemic species of plants and the land was in a poor state.

Lots and lots and lots of work.

There were however, several trees and shrubs that had managed to compete with the invasive grass and there were Jackfruit, Avocado, Coffee, Pepper and Cinnamon growing wild on the land.

Our priority was to build a property for ourselves so we could then develop the estate growing fruits and vegetables for our own consumption.

The Kitchen Garden

We did build a kitchen garden close to the original shack that was on the property and started growing some vegetables early on. Little did we realise that we would be fighting a battle with a host of creatures that wanted to eat our crops.

Monkeys, Wild Boar, Parrots, Bulbuls, Porcupine and an array of insects were challenges to our wish to eat wholesome locally grown organic food.

No drugs, no chemicals, just relying on Mother Nature (and a bit of hard work).

It took some time to protect the vegetable garden and work out what chemical free pest control would keep the insects away. Our steadily increasing collection of orphan dogs were an unexpected part of the solution guarding the land from would be diners.

The estate at GlenMyu is around 100 metres in elevation from top to bottom and the farming practices in the past had made the land vulnerable to erosion. It was essential that we secured the land so whatever we built did not end up at the bottom of the hill.

Neighbours who had restored and maintained their properties were really helpful in giving advice on how to manage and secure the land which we remain truly thankful.

We started planting a variety of trees around the land, ensuring that we had diversity and included a mixture if wood and fruit trees which would lead to a greater level of biodiversity and encourage wildlife to feed and live in security at the estate.

We also contacted to local agricultural department and sourced a variety of trees and plants through them including clove trees, cinnamon and ginger.

Fast Forward Three Years.

Fast forward almost three years since we started developing GlenMyu we visited the Ayurvedic Plant Nursery in Bathgoda which is located around six kilometres away.

We went to purchase a few plants to add some local diversity around the estate with a view to learning about this ancient art and eventually developing an Ayurvedic Garden which would be interesting for visitors to the estate.

We were still getting a bit of unseasonal rain in July which us normally the start of the dry season here in the hills and therefore we though we would make the best of the opportunity and establish some plants in some of the areas we had recently cleared of Guinea Grass.

A larger than expected purchase.

We ended up purchasing over 180 plants and therefore we were committed to the cause. Fortunately we had a night of rain and therefore we could start planting straight away.

My wife knew some of the plants we purchased and some would need research before being sunk into the ground. These plants will be planted around the land and add diversity to the plant stock we have and it will be interesting to see how they develop in their new environment.

The site for our Ayurvedic Garden for visitors is in the process of being cleared and made ready for planting and therefore is a project which will be developed later in 2021. We plan to have a variety of Ayurvedic plants that will be interesting but relevant to our guests and therefore we will be doing a lot of research and preparation during the latter half of the year to ensure we have another place of interest and place to relax with nature on the estate.

The 180 Ayurvedic plants that we purchased are already in the ground which will give visitors a wide variety of species to look at and also provide diversity around the Estate.

Oh No - we need more plants.

It looks like we will be visiting the Ayurvedic Nursery a little later this year again to plant in our Ayurvedic Garden – I wonder how many plants we will purchase on that trip and whether we will break 180 again!

Where is GlenMyu Estate, Hotel, B & B located?

Ayurveda in the Sri Lankan Hills. Read More »

A Beach or the Hills? – the choice is yours.

Holiday, Sri Lanka, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka / By Mikeez

Where should I go on my holiday to Sri Lanka? - I want experience something different and new.

A beach resort or hanging out in the Hills? Different options in Sri Lanka

The idyllic image that comes to mind of Sri Lanka is pristine beaches edged by Palm Trees looking out onto the azure sea with gently rolling waves.

My early experiences of visiting this wonderful Paradise Island reflected the normal pattern of tourists spending their holidays.

The usual tourist thing.

We would arrive at Bandaranaike Airport which is situated on the West Coast of the Island and, after reacquainting ourselves with my wife’s family, we would hug the coastline and visit some of the beach resorts of the West such as Negombo, Bentota, Kalutara and on the South such as Hikkaduwa, Matara or Galle.

In later trip we ventured towards the splendid East Coast visiting Arugam Bay, Passikuda and Trincomalee.

We stayed at Maalu Maalu Hotel in Passikuda and enjoyed a pristine beach with very few other tourists https://www.themeresorts.com.

Each beach has its own unique personality and vibe. Some are great for surfing, some are great for swimming and some are just a place to lie on a subbed and soak up the sun.

A word of warning

It is important that you are aware of the timing of the North Eastern and South Western Monsoons which hit the Island annually so that you can plan what side of the island you should visit on your holiday. The weather and waters are not that friendly depending upon what time you visit.

The Centre of the Island, Cultural Sites, Safaris, National Parks, Hiking, Tea Plantations and Waterfalls

If you are not a sun worshipper and want to wander away from the beaches Sri Lanka has an abundance of things to see and do if you venture inside the Island.

Around 60% of people that visit the Island do not explore the interior.

Do something different!

What people normally do (which is just fine).

Typically a tour would be clockwise around the Island and enjoy a mix of reconnecting with nature, enjoying spectacular scenery and visiting cultural sites.

The itinerary would normally be as follows:
Land at Bandaranaike Airport and stay at one of the beach hotels in Negombo.
Travel towards Kandy and stop at the Pinnawella Elephant Orphanage.

Stay in Kandy and visit the Temple of the Tooth.

Head towards Dambulla and visit the rock temple.

Travel to Polonnaruwa and then Anaradhapura to visit the many ancient temples.

Travel to Nuwara Eliya and visit the tea country and take in a tea factory tour to see how the worlds favourite beverage is made.

Go South and do a safari at Yala National Park.

Visit the former Dutch port of Galle and then head back to Colombo.

It sounds quite exhausting does it?

I have known friends who did this type of trip as part of their honeymoon and then went on to the Maldives for a week of doing nothing on one of those beautiful Islands.

Perhaps it’s my age and energy levels but I always thought that I would need a week of doing nothing if I was going to endure this trip.

Sri Lanka may be a small island however it can be quite exhausting travelling around as it can take quite a while to get from one place to the next.

A stay in the Hills

Being from the UK and experiencing a week or two (if we were lucky) of weather of 25-30 degrees celsius during the summer where we would be complaining about the heat after a few days I am pleased that we ended up in the Hill country.

A pleasant temperature.

I can handle a day or two at a beach resort but I find that I need to get to a place where the temperature is a bit more comfortable for me.

Where we live at GlenMyu Estate the temperature ranges from around 22 degrees to 30 degrees during the day. It can get cooler at night and we provide a duvet for our guests.

Our neighbours advise that we are living in the closest thing to a Mediterranean climate and that is really soothing.

I read some reviews of other hotels in the area before we built GlenMyu where the guest wished that they had stayed there for more than one night as they loved the scenery and climate.

So - do something different and visit the Hill Country

GlenMyu Estate is located in the Hill Country of Sri Lanka. The Hill Country is also commonly known as Up Country.

The nearest town is Beragala which is located on the main A4 road towards Welawaya.

The nearest larger town is Haputale which lies 400 plus metres above Glenmyu.

If you enjoy peace and relaxation we believe that there is no better place to be.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

A Beach or the Hills? – the choice is yours. Read More »