Quirky luxury hotels - Sleep in the belly of an elephant

Friday, 23 March 2012 4:11 PM

You’d usually expect to see elephants when you’re travelling through the Sri Lankan jungle, but to actually sleep inside one is a completely different story. Standing 40ft, the height of a three story building, is a thatched elephant suite, belonging to the KumbukRiver eco lodge. The suite is probably the world’s largest elephantine edifice in the world, which is in fact pretty realistic looking in its appearance.

Sitting on 16 acres, surrounded by rolling hills, flowing rivers, lush forests and mountains dotted with cascading waterfalls, KumbukRiver is Sri Lanka’s top eco lodge and has even won the coveted prize of the world’s leading eco-lodge at the World Travel Awards.

This is true eco-living at its best - imagine waking up the belly of an elephant, gently swaying in the breeze. Inside the suite is furnished in natural woods and is light and airy, with its own wrap around balcony and private plunge pool, sitting under the elephant’s trunk.

Besides the elephant suite KumbukRiver offers two other accommodation types, one along the more traditional lines of an eco chalet and the other, a circular room called the Wild Dome.

You won’t get much closer to nature than actually sleeping in the belly of an elephant.

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