hotel Archives - GlenMyu Estate Luxury Bed and Breakfast

One day is not enough at GlenMyu Estate, Sri Lanka

Birdwatching, Holiday, Horton Plains National Park, Lipton's Seat, Haputale, Sri Lanka, The Pekoe Trail, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Koslanda, Waterfalls / By Mikeez

One day is not enough at GlenMyu Estate, Sri Lanka.

One day is not enough at GlenMyu Estate, Sri Lanka.

Actually, you will find you will want to stay longer once you experience it here.

Read our reviews and you will see that this is what our guests say.

It's a great feeling.

We feel great when our guests say that they will be back.

Now, you could just interpret this as them being polite or trying to make us feel good.

What we have experienced, however, is that several guests have already returned.
Others have given recommendations to friends and family who have stayed with us. Many of our guests plan to come again in the future, and we are confident that they will.

I should have told you.....book more than one day

When we receive a booking on Airbnb or Booking.com for just one night, I don’t feel comfortable saying it’s not enough.

We don’t want to look like we are money grabbing as that is far from what we are.

For many of our guests, it is their first time in Sri Lanka, and they try to see the whole island in one trip.

The fact is, there is so much to see on this tiny island, that you cannot do anything but touch the surface on your first trip.

Once you come here, you will want to stay longer

There are many reasons why guests want to stay longer when they come to GlenMyu Estate.

Exhaustion

Traveling around the island is quite exhausting.

Your senses are hit by all kinds of colours, smells and range of temperature.

Sri Lanka is a fantastic holiday to spend your holiday.

However, it does take longer to get from A to B and it can be quite tiring.

Activity levels when you spend hours behind a desk

Sri Lanka can be full on when it comes to activity. If you are not ready for this, you can get quite tired.

Lots of the sights to see have lots of steps to climb.

When you are doing these kinds of activates in the heat and when you are not normally active it can be quite exhausting.

Just think about skiing. You are supposed to do exercises to increase the strength of your legs and things before you go. If you were take part in any physical activity you are advised to warm up and warm down.

Great experiences like climbing the Lion Rock in Sigiriya or doing the pilgrimage to Adams Peak have lots of steps.

It’s a challenge going uptime and sometimes more painful coping down!

Coping with the heat and humidity

Most of our guests are not used to the temperatures around the island. Anaradhapura and Polunnaruwa are in the dry zone.

Being at the beach is a lovely experience. However, we regularly see the sigh of relief from guests when they arrive to a more accommodating temperature in the Sri Lankan Hill Country.

A good nights sleep, without the need for air-conditioning

We are fortunate to be in an area where are located as the temperature usually results in a good nights sleep.

Several guests have arrived at GlenMyu Estate either tired from the noise of an air conditioning unit, or with the onset of a cold. It takes some time to get used to using air conditioning unit and getting the right temperature for you.

The good news at GlenMyu Estate is that the temperature in the Hill country means that we don’t use air conditioning. With minimum(night) and maximum temperature (day) range between 16.5 °C (61.7) °F and 26.4 °C (79.5) ° during the year according to Climate Data.

Real Simple state that “For the best possible sleep environment, keep your bedroom between 16 °C /60 °F and 22 °C/ 72 °F, (65 degrees/18 °C is typically ideal)”.

The food, the food, the food! You will want to stay for more than one day.

We are starting to get a reputation for the food the Ru and the team serves to our guests.

Eating at GlenMyu Estate is an experience itself.

Read our reviews and see what our guests say about the food.

More than a stay, an experience

This is a quote from our Polish guest Greg, who wrote this line in his Google review of his stay here.

We believe that it really reflects what we are all about at GlenMyu Estate and have now taken this quote as our strap line.

So much to see, one day would never be enough

There are so many great experiences and sights within reach of Glenmyu Estate. Staying for one night means that you will not be able to touch the surface here.

Here are some photos of Matt and Millie who experienced Upper Diyaluma Waterfall pools on the way to GlenMyu Estate.

They also saw a spectacular sunrise at Lipton’s Seat.

What they didn’t get to do was a hike at Horton’s Plains and see the view from World’s End. Maybe next time!

So, if they had stayed for one day, they would not have had these superb experiences.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate for more than one night and explore the 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.

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The dog looking upon the swimming pool at GlenMyu Estate, Hotel and Bed & Breakfast, Haputale, Sri Lanka.

Our Rescue Dogs

Our Animals at GlenMyu Estate, Our dogs / By Mikeez

Our Rescue Dogs - making GlenMyu Estate a special place.

We have seven rescue dogs here at GlenMyu Estate.

Dogs were not in our plan!

Ruwanthi and I didn’t intend to have any dogs, they just found us.

We ended up with Seven!

How we ended up here.

In 2018 we were living in our temporary abode whilst we develop the land at Beragala in our “Garage” at the top part of the land – a 1,000 sq ft building with one bedroom, attached bathroom and internal garage.

Ruwanthi had started planting various fruits and vegetables in the kitchen garden new the garage and we were losing produce on a regular basis to various raiders during the day and night which included a wide variety of birds, monkeys and wild boar.

The onsite caretaker for the construction company had two dogs, a male and female called Kahlu and Donnie and we were regularly disturbed at night by the barking warning us of predators looking for a midnight snack or two.

Some of the construction workers alerted us that there were three puppies that had been dropped off at the top of our road which they had been feeding as they arrived and left for the evening.

We were to subsequently find out that dropping off unwanted dogs, especially females, was a regular event in Sri Lanka. It is particularly prevalent around the monthly Poya day and puppies are dropped near temples with the expectation that a worshipper would take on the problem.

Ruwanthi went with one of our workers to investigate and found that the male puppy had died and there were the remaining undernourished female puppies remaining. Despite not being a dog lover the natural instinct was to take the two orphans and provide some sustenance and shelter as you would with any animal in need.

We fell in love

We named them Clove and Cinnamon as they were dark with some flecks of white and brown on them. It was a steep learning curve for us both with lots of searching on the internet finding out what we needed to do.

We didn’t want the dogs inside the garage and their quarters was a box outside with a towel to provide the warmth that they would have gotten from their mother.

At the time Donie was due to have some puppies so we were going to have more animals on the premises than expected however we did think they would all be found new homes and Kahlu and Donie would move on to the next project with their owner.

Donies pups were born and the dog numbers were raised by three. We were feeding Clove and Cinnamon and Kahlu and Donie were mainly fed from our spare rice with their main meals being provided by the unwanted leftovers from the construction workers.

Disaster Strikes and we are heartbroken

Clove and Cinnamon were very sweet and we unexpectedly had gotten quite attached very quickly. A few trips to the vet for advice and the relevant injections they started to grow and get stronger with their regular feeding of rice and curry several times a day.

Cinnamon was the more adventurous of the two and they both provided us with lots of entertainment watching them grow and develop.

One evening we didn’t have too much food available left over for Donie and her pups however they were fed by their owner. Perhaps there was little provided there as some of the workers had gone home for a few days.

In the middle of the night I was awoken by Ruwanthi shouting at the dogs as there was some racquet going on outside. It took us a minute or two to get the garage door open and find out what was going on in the pitch black of the night.

Ruwanthi had seen Donie with one of our puppies hanging from her mouth and she went searching outsides soon as able. Eventually, after what appeared to be an age she returned with the limp body of Cinnamon cradled in her arms. Within a few minutes Cinnamon stopped breathing and was gone.

The Grief Cycle

An event like this never leaves you and I do think about our Cinnamon quite often and wonder what type of character she would have grown into. Early on Clove had attached herself to Ruwanthi and Cinnamon to me.

It was very traumatic for us to think what Cinnamon must have gone through and we were confused and bewildered in trying o work out why this had happened. We felt guilt and sorrow for what Cinnamon must have endured as a shocking end to her short life.

We went through the established emotions of grief and my anger towards Donie was difficult to abate.

We had really become attached to the dogs and were distraught by the events that had taken place.

We came to the conclusion that Donie had not had sufficient food to eat as she was providing for three suckling puppies and perhaps had seen Clove and Cinnamon as threats to her food source. Cinnamon, being adventurous may have been disturbed during the night by the new puppies and went to investigate and Donie decided to protect her pups.

A change or lifestyle

We now changed our outlook to protect Clove until she had grown to a size where she would be able to defend herself. Our reticence to have a dog inside the garage abated and Cloves home was over into the Garage part of the building.

Prior to her moving inside we did not have to worry about midnight trips for the dogs to relieve herself or investigate any potential nocturnal predators at our vegetable garden.

Sleep depravation was now to follow with the garage door being raised and lowered regularly during the night. Clove took some time to work out that the garage was not her toilet and we were regularly met with presents for us to avoid in the morning.

It was all worth it in the end.

Our first dog that we named Clove.

It turns out that Clove was not going to be the last of the dogs that came to us at GlenMyu Estate, however that story will have to wait for another Blog post.

To be continued - the story of our rescue dogs.

We now have Seven dogs. It has not been our maximum number as we have taken in a rehoused lots of puppies over the short time we have been at GlenMyu Estate.

At the time of writing another female puppy has just forced her way into the estate!

Pictures to follow.

See our Dogs YouTube Channel at this link.

A stay at GlenMyu Estate to meet the rescue dogs and so much more.

At GlenMyu Estate we have 3 guest bedrooms nestled in the 5 acres of land.

If you are looking for a different holiday and to meet our rescue dogs please contact us by WhatsApp for our best rates 00 94 752 999 272.

Contact details are also on our website.

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Luxury Hotel Awards – 98 Acres Resort & Spa

Holiday, Sri Lanka, Travel / By Mikeez

Congratulations to 98 Acres Resort & Spa

We, at GlenMyu Estate, were delighted to and congratulate, one of our ‘neighbours’, 98 Acres Resort & Spas be awarded World Luxury Mountain Resort 2022 in the Luxury Hotel Awards.

It was great waking up this morning and seeing the article on Newswire.lk about this prestigious award.

If you want to read the article please follow this link Newswire Article.

The Luxury Hotel Awards - 98 acres resort & spa

The World Luxury Hotel Awards were established in 2006.

They are known as thei pinnacle of achievement in the luxury hotel industry and offer international recognition. Voting is from guests, travelers and industry players alike.

There are over 300,000 votes amassed from international travellers each year.

There is a 4 week period running up to the selection of the winners.

Hotels have the opportunity to participate in the World Luxury Hotel Awards by entering hotel categories, such as Mountain Resort, which showcase the unique selling points for their establishment.

A much needed boost for the Travel Industry

Sri Lanka tourism has suffered over the past 3-4 years from the Easter Attacks, the Covid 19 Pandemic and then the financial crisis.

As 98 Acres Resort & Spa has won this award, it will be a much needed boost for the travel and tourism industry in Sri Lanka. It will put that renowned Sri Lankan smile back on the faces of the people in the country.

98 Acres Resort & Spa has been a successful and popular hotel in the Ella area in the Hill Country of Sri Lanka.

If you visit their website you can see why they are worthy winners of the award.

It is an elegant, unique hotel set in a scenic 98 acre tea estate and surrounded by a stunning landscape.

There are stunning individual chalets which have stunning views and are surrounded by spectacular scenery.

We love the fact that they are very eco friendly and have been kind to the environment in the material that they have used to construct this beautiful venue.

Located in reach of the buzz of Ella Town

The hotel has enough facilities and offerings to spend your time enjoying the hotel and grounds.

However, it is also located near to Ella Town and the interesting tourist sites there.

There are coffee shops, restaurants and bars in Ella Town that provide a different experience for tourist, especially if you are after a bit of a buzz and atmosphere.

Venues, such as Chill Cafe are popular and sometimes provide live music.

Excursions - places to visit from 98 acres resort & spa

The hotel at 98 Acres Resort & Spa is located in reach of great places to visit.

Highlights are:

Hiking up Little Adam’s Peak.

Upper Diyaluma Waterfall

Ravanna Waterfall

Nine Arch Bridge, Demodora

Lipton Seat

Dambetenne Tea Factory

GlenMyu Estate - an alternative choice

GlenMyu Estate is also located in the Sri Lankan Hill Country and within reach of these wonderful tourist sites.

We consider ourselves as an alternative option to the other hotels in the area.

The Estate is in 5 acres of an abandoned tea estate and has spectacular views towards Udawalawe Reservoir and the Southern coast.

There are only 3 guest bedrooms and therefore an option for those that want a more unique and bespoke experience.

Please visit our website for more information and contact details.

A hearty congratulations to 98 Acres Resort & Spa

So,, again, we congratulate and send our best wishes to 98 Acres Resort & Spa who are worthy recipients of the World Luxury Mountain Resort Award for 2022.

We love what they have created and the awareness of this beautiful part of this paradise Island.

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Hotel Bedrooms with a View

Accommodation, Holiday / By Mikeez

Hotel Bedrooms with a View

When we designed the house at GlenMyu Estate we thought what would we like from a hotel bedroom. An initial thought was that we should provide hotel bedrooms with a view. We wanted to make the best of the opportunity of what the stunning landscape of the hills below the house provide us.

We have no background in hotel design and just tried to imagine what we would really like to provide for guests.

Being a little bit older we had a seasoned experience of what we like and what we don’t like. Ruwanthi travelled extensively for work and stayed at various standards of hotels around the world. Therefore she had a really good insight into what works.

Important things.

There were several important elements that kept coming up and here are some that were really important to us.

Space – given the squeeze on space in the cities around the World as they become more populous people are crammed into smaller and smaller spaces.

It was really important that our hotel bedrooms had a sense of space.

We were limited by the footprint and the space where the house was to be built. So it took us quite some time to get the configuration to the size that we liked.

My wife and I have been in hotel bedrooms that are too big and the space is wasted. We have also been in hotel bedrooms where you couldn’t swing a cat!

I remember looking at an apartment hotel in Hong Kong and I was surprised to see that the square footage of the room was clearly stated. The prices of the rooms increased the larger it got. We ended up booking a larger room however it still appeared to be cramped as so much had been squeezed into the area. It just didn’t feel comfortable!

Comfort - Beds and seating are so important to us.

One thing that Sri Lanka does well is to make mattresses.

We were recommended to buy mattresses from HANTS by another hotelier who runs a really upmarket hotel. This was one of the best decisions we made! I have not slept in such a comfortable mattress over my 50 plus years on this earth.

The feedback from our guests has been great and we are so happy with our choice (and the recommendation we were given).

A comfortable chair is a must.

One of the things I have a problem with most hotels is that they do not provide ample comfortable seating

The amount of hotel bedrooms we have been in which only has one chair for a guest (even though there are two in occupation) really annoys me. I would spend half the time lying on the bed where I really wanted to be sitting in a chair.

We ensure that there are two comfortable seats or bean bags in the rooms so one of the party of two is not left out!

I also believe that a great chair is one so comfortable that you can fall off to sleep in after a sumptuous lunch!

A place to relax - not just at night

I have a theory that hotels don’t make their bedrooms as comfortable as possible so that they have the opportunity to sell more things to their guests out of the room.

If the room is not a place that you want to stay in for hours then the hotel will be able to sell a drink and snack in their lobby or other places around the venue.

We find that although we have two comfortable lounges at GlenMyu Estate lots of guests like to stay mainly in their rooms.

As they have a great view and a comfortable place to sit there is no reason why not to

Something different than home

We thought that it was really important to be in a place which is completely different than most standard homes.

If we had designed a property that was the same as yours at home, but just had this fantastic view, there would not be much fun in that.

The bedrooms are a place where you can be comfortable in for three or four days but it’s not a home – it’s just a special place to spend some time.

Uncluttered - cleanse your mind.

One way to clear your ind is to live in an uncluttered space. I found that I could not relax whilst at home due to the things that we gather in life. There are also always chores to do and they are on your mind.

At one point we were considering adding more furniture, however, we listened to our guests thoughts. We decided that the uncluttered sense of space was more important.

There is enough space and seating to cater for the three bedrooms and capacity of seven people in the property so there was no need to add more items.

A private en suite

I would rather not go on holiday if I had to share a bathroom with other guests. One of the important things I want from a holiday is to relax. How can you relax if you are always concerned about the potential queue for the loo!

A loo with a view!

As the hotel bedroom with has a view we though why shouldn’t the bathroom also have a view.

We have mirror stickers on the windows in the bathroom which provides privacy so, as I tell our guests, you can be as naked as you want to be.

You can sit on the loo and enjoy the view!

Having a shower and looking out onto the stunning hills below the house just feels like a luxurious thing to do.

The shower is generous which was an important factor to me being “a little larger than the average bear!”.

A concrete bath (In the Mahogany and Mango bedrooms)

We also provide a bath with a view in two of the three bedrooms we have in the property. The baths have a different look and feel to a plastic or ceramic bath. They are also large enough for two!

We provide candles on guests requests which makes it a unique experience in the evening as the stars come out and provide a different type of background.

If you want to experience our hotel bedrooms with a view please visit our website for more information, rates and what else there is to experience at the five acres at GlenMyu Estate, Haputale, Sri Lanka.

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A room with a view

Holiday / By Mikeez

A Room with a View

A room with a view can be an important feature of your holiday and where you choose to stay.

Is it important that I have a room with a view when on holiday?

Well, I think that it depends on what you plan to do on holiday. If you are planning to stay at the hotel and not take day trips then a view becomes more important. If there is a premium to be paid for a view that may impact what you can spend on excursions then it’s a sensible thing to consider when budgeting.

We have built the house at GlenMyu Estate to make the best of the beautiful views of the valley below and Southern Hills leading to the South Coast of Sri Lanka.

There is no premium to be paid as all the rooms have a fabulous view.

We have found that many of our guests plan to do excursions from GlenMyu Estate however some end up spending all their stay with us on the 5 acre estate.

There are plenty of things to do and it is great place to relax and unwind on a trip around the island.

The temperature in the Hill Country also doesn’t reach the highs of those around the country so we find that it is a great relief for our European visitors to come here.

Maybe it’s part of our holiday culture?

Books and films may have influenced why we want a room with a view.

I am reminded of the episode of Fawlty Towers where Mrs Richards is not happy with her hotel room. “I asked for a room with a view”

After Basil Fawlty show her the view from the window she retorts that “When I pay for a room with a view I expect something more interesting than that!”.

A Room with a View – The Book.

E.M. Forster wrote ‘A Room with a View” in 1908.

The story is a romance and humorous critique of Edwardian English Society.

It is set in both England and Italy.

The novel opens with Miss Lucy Honeychurch and her chaperone, Miss Charlotte Bartlett complaining that their room at Pensione Bertolini in Florence does not have the view of the River Arno that they were promised.

There have been films made as adaptations from the book and one was an Oscar Winner.

Sri Lanka delivers view after view

Sri Lanka is a small Island, (similar in size to Ireland), however it delivers a kaleidoscope of opportunities to enjoy different sights and views throughout the country. Beaches, mountains, tropical forests, paddy fields and towering holy shrines are just some of the sights you may be able to see from your hotel room.

What do we provide you with at GlenMyu Estate?

The house has been designed so that all the rooms have a fantastic view.

Not just a room with a view - a view from your bed

We tend to recommend to guests that they should leave the blinds up at night so that when the light comes up they can enjoy the view from their bed.

We also ensure that there are two chairs or beanbags in the room so that you can enjoy the view comfortably during the da

At GlenMyu Estate you also get a view from the lounge

Entering the lounge during the day provides you with a wonderful view of the valley below the house which leads towards the southern coast of the Island.

Being in the hill country the weather does change so therefore we cannot guarantee a spectacular view every day. However there will always be something to feast your eyes upon.

In the evening we have been fortunate enough to have experienced some beautiful colourful skies as the sun goes down. The better sunsets are on a cloudy day where the sun is able to reflect its rays.

A loo with a view.

The bathrooms also face the same view and therefore you don’t have to miss a thing.

The windows have been covered with a mirror sticker so you have the privacy whether in the shower, bath or loo!

Come and enjoy the view

At Glenmyu Estate we have three guest bedrooms.

If you want to find out more about a stay in the Sri Lankan Hill Country and enjoy a room with a view please visit our website.

A room with a view Read More »

A view from the lawn of the the house at GlenMyu Estate, Hotel and Bed & Breakfast, Haputale, Sri Lanka.

Unique Hotels in Sri Lanka

Accommodation, Holiday, Travel / By Mikeez

Unique Hotels in Sri Lanka

There is a drive for holidays to be about new experiences. People want to be off the regular tourist routes. They want to do something that differs from what everyone else is doing. There are some unique hotels in Sri Lanka and perhaps GlenMyu Estate can be considered one of them.

People now want unique experience and that includes discovering and enjoying new types of accommodation.

At GlenMyu Estate, we hope that we provide that new experience that is something. Something a little bit different, from which you will find on your tour of this Paradise Island.

There are some spectacular hotels in fabulous setting around Sri Lanka.
We would never purport today that we can compete with many of the luxurious stays around the island.

There are superb Colonial Bungalows such as Thotalagala, Scottish Planters Bungalow and Mountbatten Bungalow (and many more).

There are five star beach hotels around the coast providing wonderful experiences by the beach with fabulous sunsets. Notable ones include the Galle Face Hotel Colombo, Jetwing Blue Negombo and Maalu Maalu, Pasikuda amongst many others.

There are hotels looking onto UNESCO heritage sites such as Alia Hotel which has a superb view of the Lion Rock.

There are Ayurvedic hotels providing a place of calm and healing such as Saman Villas and Ayurvie Weligama

i Weligama.

When you visit Sri Lanka on holiday you have a variety of styles and experiences at different price points and standards.

There are a great many home-stays around the country which offer an experiencer to get to understand the ways of life for most of the population on the island.

What makes a unique hotel in Sri Lanka?

Well, I suppose it must be something different.

Does GlenMyu Estate fit the definition of a unique hotel in Sri Lanka.

Small and beautiful

We feel that the Covid pandemic has shifted the demand for larger hundred room plus hotels towards smaller personal spaces.

We only have three bedrooms available for guests at GlenMyu Estate which gives a sense of uniqueness and privacy. We have several pathways around the five acre estate which means that you can always have space for yourself.

Limiting the number of guests also ensures that there is no pressure on using the swimming pool. We do not have to allocate slots like other hotels.

Being small also means that we don’t offer large buffets and a large range of menu options for meals. Ruwanthi discusses each meal with our guests and makes fresh bespoke dishes for our clients.

A holiday in a “Grand Designs” home?

Ruwanthi and I loved watching the Grand Designs series whilst we were living in the UK. The presenter, Kevin McCloud, has a soothing, comforting and calming voice whilst narrating the builders struggles as they try to create their dream home.

One of our recent guests tried to describe GlenMyu Estate and said that it was like holidaying in a Grand Designs home. What a good idea for a holiday!

GlenMyu Estate is certainly Ruwanthi’s creation and our struggle and we are touched that a guest would describe it in that way.

Like the other couples, we are just delighted that we finished the project, still together and over budget like everyone else!

Decide for yourself!

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

We think it is the right of our guests to decide whether GlenMyu Estate fits into the category of a unique hotel in Sri Lanka.

Whatever your decision, we love it here, and hope that you do too.

Where is GlenMyu Estate?

Find out more at our website GlenMyu Estate, Haputale

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