Ferndale Retreat Knuckles

Amazing location. Staff were really friendly and helpful.

Feels a bit of a work in progress. More facilities are coming which will elevate the experience.

The most beautiful place we’ve ever stayed - the photos can’t do justice to the views in every direction. The staff were incredible and extremely attentive, and the food was fresh and delicious. Thank you to all of the team! The highlight for us were the guided walks with Charaka up into the Knuckles mountains, and his knowledge of the endemic fauna and flora.

As the property is remote, and there are lots of animals about, it can be quite noisy at night - but we had some earplugs and this solved the problem entirely - would recommend bringing a pair.

The location is incredible. It’s got a beautiful view of the mountains from your room and you can see the sunrise in the mornings. Honestly, breathtaking scenery’s. The staff are also very attentive.

We requested two long hikes and ended up with a long hike and a short hike. We would have loved for the second hike to be a bit longer

Amazing cardamon ice cream Secluded and quiet with beautiful views from the balcony Well maintained and landscaped gardens Excellent ten curry Sri Lankan lunch

Room not sound proofed as claimed Limited dinner options and drinks menu 30-40 mins from the nearest village (could also be a positive) Slow internet A shame guests not given simple map to explore local area, and instead expected to pay ‘guide’ for a short walk

We’re a couple from Singapore enjoying our prolonged early mid life crisis backpacking across Sri Lanka. We’ve generally been touched by the warmth and kindness of the people. One of our stopovers was the Ferndale Retreat nested within the Knuckles Mountain Range. It was the best stay we had in Sri Lanka, with warm hospitality, farm to table food and the most peaceful environment you can get. Special shoutouts to: 1. Sujith Our butler who was meticulous towards our needs and has the right timely attention to detail that speaks volumes of his extensive experience across the hospitality industry. He made sure we wanted for nothing with respect to food and beverage, and housekeeping amenities. We love the conversations with him where there was good exchange of culture, knowledge and learning from each other e.g the delectation of our palates was enhanced knowing the sources of the ingredients and how they transform from farm to plate. 2. Charaka Our knowledgeable guide who knows the area so well and puts us at ease during our hike. He was attuned to our needs and pace during the hike and we got to see many things thanks to his eagle eyes e.g he could spot the leaf nosed lizard even after it had camouflaged its texture and colour to blend with the trunk it’s on；or the Sri Lankan national bird hiding in the bushes; which red berries are edible (by eating them on the spot) and which are poisonous; identifying the plants and trees whose sap and leaves we take for granted as staples etc. He not only helped us hike safely through winding undulatingly uneven paths, but also imparted extensive knowledge of the geography of the mountain range and how/why it’s a UNESCO World Heritage area. 3. Jason The tall and assuring guy who made sure that our needs are met throughout our stay. If Ferndale operations were an orchestra, Jason would be the maestro, conducting its quiet symphony of harmonizing with local produce and consuming nature’s resources sustainably.

None!

If you're looking for quiet, remote and a space to rest, this is it. We stayed for 5 nights and could have stayed longer. The view is exceptional, the rooms comfortable, and you are surrounded by birds and lizards. We went on a gentle walk to a waterfall with a guide and spent hours just soaking in the sound of birdsong. Food here is full board as it's so remote, and we enjoyed several huge curries worthy of any top class restaurant. I really couldn't recommend it more.

It's quite a drive from Kandy, but a very interesting and beautiful one, so not really a downside.

Magnifique endroit, chambres très agreables, vue incroyable

Rien

Being in the middle of nowhere, far from everything, very peaceful Jason was a great host, always checking if everything was alright Breakfast and dinner were great too.. Sri Lankan breakfast really good and filly

NA

Het was echt een prachtige plek. Daarbij was het huisje top, heerlijk groot bed, mooie badkamer met warm water uit de douche. Personeel is super vriendelijk. Hoogtepunt van de vakantie.

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