At the centre of the village is the Walauwwa, the traditional main house now restored around a central stone courtyard with an ancient well.  The adjoining Ambalama, an open sided pavilion, provides a covered sitting area with mats, cushions, and beautiful views towards the surrounding hills and which is where meals are served.   Accommodation is provided in exquisitely but simply detailed wattle and daub huts.  These are built using traditional methods and materials, and consist of open sleeping/living areas covered with a pitched roof of thatched palm fronds.  Each accommodates two people. 

Much use has been made of clay, stone, wood, pottery and fabrics which reflect traditional village aesthetics.  By design there is no electricity and life is lived by the rhythm of the day.

Though the loos [toilets] are modern and clean and the showers are open-air, they are not en-suite in keeping with traditional village practice.

Eco Policies

Ulpotha uses natural materials for all its buildings, while following organic farming practices that follow the lunar cycle and use no mechanical means.  All crops are hand planted and harvested, while the fields are ploughed and the rice is threshed by buffalo. 

However, the most fundamental of Ulpotha’s environmental policies is to limit the number of guests it accepts (no more than 19 paying guests at a time) and to do so for a limited period in any given year (a maximum of 26 weeks). 

Though there is no electricity, light is provided by flares, lamps and lanterns, lending Ulpotha an ethereal quality at night.  Similarly there are no fridges either, since they were deemed by one of the founders of Ulpotha as little more than a means of eating un-fresh food.

Community

In Ulpotha, the villagers who live and work there are part and parcel of the experience enjoyed by guests.  Though they have deliberately not been given any training in any aspect of hotel-type service, they are gracious, hospitable and a lot of fun.

Ulpotha is largely run by the villagers themselves.

Meals

Local village life is based on a vegetarian tradition, with the staple diet centered on highly nutritious strains of red rice.  Meals are cooked in clay pots over open fires and are produced from the organic crops grown in Ulpotha.  Vegetables, yams and melons fill the gardens, along with mature banana, mango, papaya, jack and breadfruit trees.

All meals are cooked in the indigenous style featuring rice, curries, salads, buffalo curd, local savories and sweets and, of course, fruits. 

Facilities

There is a treatment centre where one can have complete Ayurveda treatments administered by Ulpotha’s resident doctor.  Proceeds from these go towards funding Ulpotha’s newly created Free Clinic for the surrounding local villages. Yoga is available twice a day taught by Amanda and Paola.  In addition, one can go for walks in the mountains, swim in the lake, go bird watching, have massages with our visiting massage therapists, indulge in herbal steam baths, or go on excursions to some of the many intriguing cultural sites that surround Ulpotha.  Alternatively, one can do what Ulpotha is most amenable to – relax and hang out in one of the many hammocks and hanging beds that dot the grounds or in our lovely tree-house or lake

Tariff

USD 1250 per person per week (approx £825) – one or two weeks available

Price includes accommodation in a shared hut, 3 vegetarian meals per day plus snacks, all classes, excursions and facilities. Not included are travel costs, insurance, Ayurvedic treatments, entrance fees to cultural sites or any extras you may want. Please contact us for more detailed information: info@ulpotha.com+442081233603  Book through  http://www.ulpotha.com Booking enquries contact  sylvie@ulpotha.com