Galoya Wild Glamping; Thema Collection, another luxury experience launched during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, was recently awarded a Platinum Award by the Sri Lanka Green Building Council at a ceremony in Kandy on 18 December.
The prestigious award grants Wild Glamping Gal Oya its highest environmental rating, highlighting its green philosophy and green building practices, making it comparable to some of the world’s most sought-after trendy hotels and resorts, renowned for their unique service and impeccable quality. It is worth noting that Aliya Resort won the same award (Gold Award) 9 years ago, and this is the second time Thema Collection has won the Green Building Award.
His Excellency Eric Lavertu, former French Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, inaugurated the luxury tented lodge on 20 December 2021 in a simple ceremony. Featuring 10 spacious luxury tents, a restaurant and an infinity pool, the property is surrounded by stunning vistas and is situated on a 30-acre farm of good practice agriculture in the Rathugala Gal Oya Valley.
The hotel was built to promote sustainable tourism and as such, it immediately won the award due to its numerous green and sustainable initiatives; including good organic farming practices using a drip irrigation system, using adobe, clay, iruk grass, pigeonpea and other locally sourced materials to build the hotel, using individual solar panels in the lodges and communal areas to generate direct current electricity, and recycling gray water produced by the hotel and reusing it for toilet flushing.
The eco-friendly Wild Glamping Gal Oya is located in a rural, impoverished area of Sri Lanka’s indigenous ‘Vadda’ community, employing 95% of its staff from these neighboring communities, dedicated to talent development and promoting the culture of the Rathugala Aadivasi community.
The 11th hotel on Thema Collections island is popular with local and foreign communities this festive season as the new normal travel trend across the island makes it easy to reach this destination in Gal Oya. Guests can enjoy experiences such as an Inginiyagala boat/jeep safari, an insightful Vedda trek with the Aboriginal people of the hotel and its outskirts, a visit to the archaeological site of Rajagala to witness historical artifacts and cultural practices, Kiri Ouruwa, and a picturesque ascent to Monkey Mountain.
Mr. Chandra Wickramasinghe, Founder and Chairman, said, “It is a great honor to receive the Platinum Award from the Sri Lanka Green Building Council. When Gal Oya was established in 2021, we not only had a vision for our brand and products, but also to reduce our carbon footprint through green practices and truly make a valuable impact on the travel and tourism industry in Sri Lanka. This award is due to the shared vision of the company from management to operations and the entire Thema Collection family. We look forward to breaking through Sri Lanka The boundaries of sustainable hospitality in Lanka, serving local and global clients.”
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