{"id":10824,"date":"2017-03-08T12:27:57","date_gmt":"2017-03-08T12:27:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/?p=10824"},"modified":"2020-12-22T16:07:08","modified_gmt":"2020-12-22T16:07:08","slug":"stay-bridge-river-kwai-villa-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/stay-bridge-river-kwai-villa-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"Stay in The Bridge On the River Kwai Villa, Sri Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>Some people may be surprised to discover that one of the most famous films of all time, The Bridge On the River Kwai was filmed almost entirely in Sri Lanka, and not in the bridge\u2019s actual location in Thailand. And now, with the opening of the Sir David Lean Bungalow (named after the Director of the film) by the boutique hotel group, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/sri_lanka\/hotel\/elephant-stables\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Elephant Stables<\/a>, it\u2019s possible to stay in one of the beautiful spots that feature in this classic film.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Film Shot At Sir David Lean Bungalow\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/189592157?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"872\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The bungalow was used to film a scene in which Major Warden (Jack Hawkins) plans a force to blow up the bridge from Lord Mountbatten\u2019s station command in Burma.\u00a0 Doubtless the property was used as a set because of its classical colonial architecture and its absolutely stunning views of tropical jungle. With shuttered windows providing panoramic views over the surrounding landscape and a beautiful veranda with planter\u2019s chairs, sheltered by the sun by a beautiful tree, it\u2019s an idyllic place to base yourself when visiting the colonial city of Kandy.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10825 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/1-Designer-Verandah-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974680686.jpg\" alt=\"1- Designer Verandah At Sir David Lean Bungalow\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" data-id=\"10825\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/1-Designer-Verandah-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974680686.jpg 800w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/1-Designer-Verandah-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974680686-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/1-Designer-Verandah-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974680686-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/1-Designer-Verandah-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974680686-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/1-Designer-Verandah-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974680686-263x175.jpg 263w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/1-Designer-Verandah-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974680686-150x100.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Refurbished to include all the modern luxuries you might expect from a top-notch hotel, the interiors have been furnished with rare and intricate antique furniture \u2013 including some especially made for Queen Elizabeth\u2019s State visit to \u2018Ceylon\u2019 in 1954.<\/p>\n<p>The real history of the bungalow is incredibly interesting in its own right. It was used during WWII as the residence and office of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Colin_Hercules_Mackenzie\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Colin MacKenzie<\/a>, a Spy Master who controlled a covert operations unit in South East Asia. Lord Mountbatten himself also visited frequently and used the bungalow as an office.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10826 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/2-Glorious-Master-Bedroom-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974814278.jpg\" alt=\"2 - Glorious Master Bedroom At Sir David Lean Bungalow\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" data-id=\"10826\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/2-Glorious-Master-Bedroom-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974814278.jpg 800w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/2-Glorious-Master-Bedroom-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974814278-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/2-Glorious-Master-Bedroom-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974814278-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/2-Glorious-Master-Bedroom-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974814278-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/2-Glorious-Master-Bedroom-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974814278-263x175.jpg 263w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/2-Glorious-Master-Bedroom-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974814278-150x100.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Guests staying at the Sir David Lean Bungalow have the exclusive use of a two-bedroom suite and a private living and dining area. There is also another living room and reception area full of colonial artefacts and art-deco furniture. One of the hotel\u2019s chefs is on standby to provide delicious private meals for guests on an exclusive basis, although of course visitors can also use the main hotel\u2019s restaurant with complimentary transport included \u2013 it\u2019s only around a 10 minute car journey. Whilst the bungalow doesn\u2019t have a pool within its garden, guests can easily access the one in the main hotel which boasts stunning views of Kandy and surrounding jungle.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10827 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/11-Designer-Verandah-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974948486.jpg\" alt=\"11 - Designer Verandah At Sir David Lean Bungalow\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" data-id=\"10827\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/11-Designer-Verandah-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974948486.jpg 800w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/11-Designer-Verandah-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974948486-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/11-Designer-Verandah-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974948486-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/11-Designer-Verandah-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974948486-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/11-Designer-Verandah-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974948486-263x175.jpg 263w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/11-Designer-Verandah-At-Sir-David-Lean-Bungalow-e1488974948486-150x100.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>All in all, a stay at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/sri_lanka\/hotel\/elephant-stables\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sir David Lean Bungalow<\/a> offers an exceptionally historic and cultural experience for any travel enthusiast.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em><strong>If you wanted to stay at the Sir David Lean Bungalow near Kandy as part of your holiday to Sri Lanka,\u00a0<\/strong><strong><em>d<\/em>o call <span class=\"InfinityNumber clickable\">020 3411 8892<\/span>\u00a0or email us with your questions <a href=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/make-enq?src=blog\">here<\/a>.To see an example of the kind of trip you could have, do take a look at our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/vietnam\">example holiday itineraries<\/a>. They\u2019re just a starting point, all our holidays are <a href=\"https:\/\/info.experiencetravelgroup.com\/what-is-a-tailor-made-holiday\">tailor-made<\/a> so we can tweak all elements to suit your exact interests. Alternatively \u2013 download our free Sri Lanka travel guide for more insider tips and insights:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-60cbb30e-52ea-4030-b1b0-61afb12701b4\" class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\"><br \/>\n<span id=\"hs-cta-60cbb30e-52ea-4030-b1b0-61afb12701b4\" class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-60cbb30e-52ea-4030-b1b0-61afb12701b4\"><a href=\"http:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/2512862\/60cbb30e-52ea-4030-b1b0-61afb12701b4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"hs-cta-img-60cbb30e-52ea-4030-b1b0-61afb12701b4\" class=\"hs-cta-img alignnone\" style=\"border-width: 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/2512862\/60cbb30e-52ea-4030-b1b0-61afb12701b4.png\" alt=\"Read our complimentary guide to Sri Lanka \u00bb\" width=\"800\" height=\"250\" \/><\/a><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Some people may be surprised to discover that one of the most famous films of all time, The Bridge On the River Kwai was filmed almost entirely in Sri Lanka, and not in the bridge\u2019s actual location in Thailand. And now, with the opening of the Sir David Lean Bungalow (named after the Director of the film) by the boutique hotel group, Elephant Stables, it\u2019s possible to stay in one of the beautiful spots that feature in this classic film.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":10829,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[1369,436],"coauthors":[1316,1261],"class_list":["post-10824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sri-lanka","tag-media","tag-photography"],"aioseo_notices":[],"views":7525,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10824"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10824\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10824"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=10824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}