THE GREEN HILLS OF KANDY ARE AN APPROPRIATE PLACE

to find a touch of Switzerland. The grand chalet look of Swiss Residence is an intriguing and refreshing sight, seen from the town center or glimpsed through the foliage on the roads that turn up through the hills.

The Swiss connection goes further than just a look. Swiss training and Swiss standards are evident in the spotlessly clean rooms and public areas and in the efficiency and thoroughness of the front desk. Indeed, of all the staff. Combine that with the spontaneous warmth of Sri Lankan hospitality and you have a hotel that is worth a prolonged visit.

In the restaurant, Western buffets are as good as anywhere, but the Sri Lankan buffet is better than almost anywhere. The myriad dishes will entice and delight, but if some of them are a mystery then an attentive waiter in a smart costume is at your shoulder to help out.

All the rooms are air conditioned, clean, smart and simple. The deluxe rooms have the addition of a minibar , TV and bathtub, and tend to have the better views. And what fine views they are, looking out over the city of Kandy and further to the hills beyond. The Blackout night club is now well patronised.

One of the hotel's great advantages is its location in the quiet, green hills but only a few minutes walk from downtown. This encourages guests to take strolls into town at any time of day or into the evening to try out the varied delights of Sri Lanka's second city. It is the nearest hotel of any description to the test cricket ground at Kandy. And right next door is one of the city's other landmarks, the towering Bahirawakanda Buddha statue that smiles benignly over the city from its hilltop station. You could say that the Swiss Residence, too, smiles benignly from its own 'alpine' perch.