Jetwing Hotels enters restful Rambukkana with enchanting Wahawa Walauwa

By Uma Chandrasiri

Jetwing Hotels launches their 39th hospitality venture in the sleepy hamlet of Wahawa, Rambukkana, the pioneering hotelier to do so, with the birth of charming Wahawa Walauwa, an all-suite luxury boutique villa. Named after its locality, beautifully restored Wahawa Walauwa excludes serenity, luxury and peace and is geared to offer their esteemed guests renowned Jetwing hospitality and excellence in customer satisfaction. 

Venturing into hitherto uncharted territory in terms of locality, Wahawa Walauwa, the first of its kind in Rambukkana, supersedes Jetwing Lighthouse in Galle, Jetwing Jaffna and Jetwing Kaduruketha in Wellawaya.  

The birth of Jetwing Wahawa Walauwa, steeped in history and tradition, dates back over 150 years when Pemanis mudalali, a young and resilient entrepreneur who moved to Rambukkana to start life afresh and emboldened with the success of a thriving fruit and spice enterprise, built a magnificent villa using the highest quality building materials including bricks made on-site and adding on intricate wood carvings from Ambalangoda. This lovingly built villa, passed down from generation to generation, was acquired approximately three years ago by the Jetwing Group, with a total investment including renovation and enhancements, amounting to nearly Rs. 200 million.  

An eclectic blend of vintage architecture and modern comforts, Wahawa Walauwa is an elegant white clad bungalow that sits on a beautifully manicured five acres lawn with a backdrop of towering trees and a pool that beckons. Beyond the foyer and following a traditional ‘meda midula’ sprawls a vast rear verandah that doubles as a sitting and dining area that soothes the eye and calms the spirit with vistas of swaying coconut fronds, and the greenery of the lawn that blends with the azure of the pool and the soaring perimeter trees that guard like sentinels. Wahawa Walauwa features six luxurious and spacious suites – four grand suites and two junior suites. Each suite is a cosy retreat that promises relaxation and indulgence, with four poster beds garbed in crispy white sheets and luxurious pillows, a sitting area and the largest ensuite bathroom ever, made complete with a clawfoot bathtub which will enable a sublime soak creating the perfect end to a busy day trekking or visiting the multitude of nearby historical sites.  

Mealtimes at Wahawa Walauwa are occasions to be savoured and lingered over, as in true Jetwing style, the chefs pull out all stops to offer a spread that is healthy, flavourful and always fresh using local produce. “We focus on offering our guests an experience akin to home, especially a quiet and charming village home. The cuisine at Wahawa Walauwa is a blend of Sri Lankan and Western but always with an authentic Sri Lankan infusion. We strive to offer fresh and healthy meals to our guests and currently our menus hero bananas, banana blossoms and spiny lasia among other healthy options. Rambukkana is known for the local ‘rath kehel’ and was initially known as ‘Rambakenpura’ and we at Jetwing acknowledge and honour our roots and heritage,” said Wahawa Walauwa Chief Butler Lalith Alahakoon who brings into this new venture 18 years of experience garnered at Jetwing’s prestigious Vil Uyana.  

According to Alahakoon, Rambukkana is an ideal place to promote archaeological, village and temple based tourism, with ancient temples and culturally vital sites such as Dambadeniya, Yahahuwa, Panduwasnuwara, Lankathilake, Gadaladeniya, Ambekke and Ambuluwawa only a few hours’ drive away. The quaint village of Wahawa is also a hotspot for village ironsmiths, drum makers, potters as well as traditional barbers all of whom could provide novel experiences especially for foreign visitors. 

On a recent media familiarisation tour to Wahawa Walauwa, we visited untouched and beautiful Ihalakotte, a mesmerising area of small yet charming railway stations and a viewpoint ledge next to a rock encased tunnel that is akin to the edge of the world, offering breath-taking views of the valley and surrounding mountains. We learnt that there are two ancient temples of a short stature in Sri Lanka, namely Deliwala kotavehera and Dedigama kotavehera and were privileged to visit the latter to witness important archaeological findings and on-going excavations conducted by the Department of Archaeology. Yet another interesting addition in terms of available excursions and the epitome of a blissful half a day spent for an elephant lover, is a visit to the Elephant Freedom Project in nearby Kegalle which is a family run project where Kumari and Menike, two rescued and rented elephants roam free, enabling visitors to spend some meaningful time walking, bathing and feeding them. 

Minds replete with peace and bodies satiated with good food and exercise, we bid adieu to Jetwing Wahawa Walauwa, hopeful of imminent return, as this enchanting Walauwa pulls you back with the promise of blissful solitude, the quiet of a Sri Lankan village life and exceptional hospitality, the hallmark of every Jetwing property and of being truly Sri Lankan.