Looking for someplace closer to Colombo to travel to, I stumbled upon The Ark in Matugama. The journey along the Southern Expressway was less than an hour and yet the steep climb in the latter part of the trip makes it seem as if I am in the central province.
The narrow winding road climbs through shrub and (sometimes) dense jungle up until the car park. From that point, there is a short walk to The Ark.
“The narrow winding road climbs through shrub and (sometimes) dense jungle up until the car park.”
Elevated on thick iron girders overlooking a 40-acre rubber and cinnamon estate, The Ark is certainly different to most places.
An open sitting area with comfortable sofas overlooks the vast jungle ahead.
The sunrise from here is amazing.
Three bedrooms, stacked one over the other sleeps six people comfortably. Not luxurious but ok.
The pool is just the right size and also overlooks the forest cover ahead.
There is not much else to do here. The existing nature trail is uncleared and not trekkable which was disappointing because I was ready to explore.
But, this is ideal if one just wants to sit back and chill.
Matugama is part of the Pasdun Korale (county of the five yojanas), created when King Parakramabahu the Great drained the Kalu Ganga basin.
