Convenience and comfort combined 

Serving the public silently without much fanfare is the Medawachchiya Resthouse. Located on the once infamous A9 highway about 235 kilometers away from Colombo, this resthouse serves the needs of travellers visiting the North Central Province. 

Conveniently located in the heart of the town, the building is full of character and bears some resemblance to the colonial resthouses of yore. The resthouse has double rooms (on request an extra bed can be added) which are very clean, spacious and are equipped with airconditioning and a fan. The rooms are fully carpeted and are furnished with a dressing table, TV and outside verandah. The ensuite bathrooms are spacious, clean and provide complimentary toiletries. 

Medawachchiya is derived from ‘meda’ (meaning centre) and ‘wachchiya’ (meaning villa) and aptly the Rest House sits comfortably in the middle of four popular tourist spots; Anuradhapura, Mihintale, Vavuniya and Madhu. The famous Shrine of Our Lady of Madu is only 57kms away from the Medawachchiya Resthouse and this makes the resthouse a convenience stopover for travellers to Madu. Medawachchiya also hosts several ancient temples, Issinbessagala being the most noteworthy. 

The restaurant at the resthouse serves up traditional Sri Lankan fare along with a few Western dishes. Lake fish is a popular feature on the menu teamed with Sri Lankan favourites such as stringhoppers, rotti and kiributh along with the usual accompaniments. There is also an onsite bar which serves a variety of beverages. 

Recognising its potential and great location the management are set to embark on an ambitious refurbishment program which will see the transformation of this characterful resthouse to a more sleek and modern hotel which will further benefit travellers. 

By Tina Edward Gunawardhana
Photographs by Alice Luker