Getting around

Getting to Jungle Tide

Jungle Tide is 11km (30 minutes) from the centre of Kandy and about 300 metres higher up at the very top of the huge Hantana tea estate. We think that getting there is part of the fun and most of our guests would agree, but we don’t deny that the last stretch is a bumpy ride! The Roads Development Authority’s contractors are in the process of resurfacing the road through Uduwela village to Galaha which will cut a lot off the journey time to Kandy and be a more comfortable experience. Watch the blog for updates.

Your options for getting to Jungle Tide are:

1. You hire your own vehicle (with a driver or self-drive). If you hire through us you will get a driver who knows the road and has no problem with it. If you hire independently please make sure you tell your driver that the last stretch of road to Jungle Tide is not surfaced and needs some care. We also recommend that you try to arrive before dark (6 – 6.30pm) if you can. That way you get the views and your driver can see the road better. A van, a 4WD or any make of car with good ground clearance has no problem with our road. Self-drive in Sri Lanka is not for the faint-hearted but some of our guests do it. We have even had guests who hired and drove their own tuk-tuk (three-wheeler) around the island.
2. We can arrange a pickup for you either from Kandy or Peradeniya train stations or from the airport, using a company we trust who know the road. See “Rooms and Prices” for details. If you book your stay direct through our website you get free pickup from Kandy station or anywhere else in the city.
3. If you’re a solo traveller or two people with limited luggage we can send a three wheeler down to Kandy to meet you, which will cost Rs 1,000/-. Don’t try getting a three wheeler in Kandy! When they reach the end of the good road they either refuse to take you further or demand a massively increased price for doing so.
4. You take the local bus (no 655 to Uduwela from the main bus stand by the Clock Tower) and walk the last kilometre or so. This is very cheap! But it does mean a walk with your luggage and the bus tends to be very crowded. And although it has a timetable in theory, in practice you may have a very long wait for a bus. Also the last bus leaves Kandy around 6pm – usually! So it’s no use if you’re spending the evening in town.

Taking the slow road gives you the chance to see rural Sri Lanka close up. Informal games of cricket, tea pluckers in the fields, tea factories and “muster stations”, chickens and goats running around, spectacular views of the Knuckles Range, birds in the jungle, temples, small waterfalls and other things you’d miss if you were going faster. And the feeling of achievement when you finally get to Jungle Tide.

Getting around while you’re here

Our area is great for walking – whether it’s just a stroll around the village or a day-long trek into the mountains. We have a few self-guided walks already mapped out for guests and will be adding to these.

If you don’t have your own vehicle and there are just one or two of you, getting into Kandy is easiest in a three wheeler which Martin can arrange for you for Rs 1000/- one way. If you’re planning a longer trip or there are several of you it’s best to hire a van and driver for the day which we can do for you – but as they are not based in the village you need to either book them the previous day or allow up to 90 minutes for them to reach Jungle Tide before you can set off. Hiring a van for the day for local travel will cost you around Rs 5,000/- but you have the driver and vehicle at your disposal all day.

For longer day trips, expect to pay Rs 6,000/- for a day’s hire of a van and driver with limited mileage (up to 100km) and an excess of Rs 45/- per kilometre if you’re going on  a longer journey.

 

Places to visit

Places of interest both around Kandy and longer day trips are too numerous to mention – but please ask us if you want our advice. Locally we would particularly recommend Peradeniya Gardens and the Ceylon Tea Museum (which is actually en route from Kandy to Jungle Tide). We know plenty of good places for a relaxing drink or snack in town, while the Kandy City Centre shopping mall is a great relief from the busy streets. On the other hand, if you like the bustle Kandy market is tremendous fun. Be prepared to haggle!

Sigiriya rock fortress, Dambulla cave temples and Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage are well known destinations any of which can be done in a longish day trip from Jungle Tide if you have or hire a vehicle. Cricket fans can watch international games at Pallekelle Stadium near Kandy. There is also a world-renowned golf course in the same area. We know lots of lesser known places off the usual tourist routes, both locally and a little further afield.

Moving on from Jungle Tide

We have developed a few suggested itineraries based on shorter and longer holidays which we’re happy to share with you. We also maintain an ever-growing document of suggestions from past guests about places to visit, places to stay, restaurants etc. around the island which we can send you if you want.

Train travel

You don’t have to be mad about railways to appreciate the delights of train travel in Sri Lanka. Although it’s slow and very bumpy, can be a bit dirty and crowded, and routes and services are very limited, we think no-one should visit the island without at least once experiencing an up country train ride. The last part of the trip from Colombo up to Kandy is pretty spectacular, but pales by comparison with the real hill country route up from Peradeniya to Nuwara Eliya, Ella and Badulla . And of course it’s cheap. If you want any help or advice with train travel contact us.