Wild Glamping Gal Oya wins highest eco-friendly rating for its green concept

Thema Collection’s second green building award

Wild Glamping Gal Oya, yet another luxury experience by Thema Collection was introduced in 2021 amidst the Covid pandemic. It was recently awarded the Platinum Award by the Green Building Council of Sri Lanka at a ceremony held on 18th December in Kandy.

This prestigious award bestowed the highest eco-friendly rating on Wild Glamping Gal Oya in order to highlight its green concept and green building practices – putting it on par with some of the world’s most sought-after trendy hotels and resorts, known for exclusive service and offering impeccable quality. It is worth noting that Aliya Resorts won the same award (Gold) 9 years ago, and this is Thema Collection’s second Green Building Award.

The luxury tented chalets were declared open by Eric Lavertu, the former Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka and Maldives on the 20th of December 2021 during a simple ceremony. The property boasts 10 spacious luxurious tents, a restaurant and an infinity pool surrounded by spectacular views and is situated in a 30-acre good practice agricultural farm in Gal Oya Valley at Rathugala.

The property was built with the intention of fostering sustainable tourism development, and as a result, it was immediately recognized for the award due to its numerous green and sustainable initiatives; including good practice organic agriculture with drip irrigation systems, the use of earth bricks, clay, illuk grass, cajan, and other materials sourced from the locality for the property’s construction, direct current generation through the use of individual solar panels for chalets and public areas, and recycling of grey water generated from the property and reusing it for water closet flushing.

The eco-friendly Wild Glamping Gal Oya is nestled in a rural underprivileged area home to Sri Lanka’s indigenous community and the property has employed 95% of the required staff from these neighboring communities in efforts to develop people and promote the Rathugala Aadivasi community culture.

The Founder and Chairman Chandra Wickramasinghe stated that “We are honored and humbled to be awarded the Platinum Award by Green Building Council of Sri Lanka.When Gal Oya was established in 2021, we had a vision for not only the brand and offering but also one that truly made a worthwhile impact on Sri Lanka’s travel and tourism industry with the intention of reducing the carbon footprint through green practices. This award was made possible by the company’s shared vision, from management to operations and across the Thema Collection family. We look forward to pushing the boundaries of what Sri Lanka’s sustainable hospitality industry has to offer its local and global clientele.”