Tea plantations, jungles, rugged beaches and a rich heritage have long beckoned tourists to Sri Lanka. Here are 7 of the best hotels to check into now.....
For those wanting to explore the colonial and tea-making heritage of Sri Lanka, while still enjoying peaceful luxury, there are few better places than Ceylon Tea Trails. The Relais & Châteaux hotel comprises of five restored historic tea planter residences, perched at an altitude of 1250 meters in Sri Lanka’s panoramic Ceylon tea region. The 27 rooms & suites with period colonial furnishings, gracious butler service, and gourmet cuisine embrace the opulence of a bygone era.
Situated on Sri Lanka's sun-drenched south coast, Amanwella is a star in the Aman brands portfolio. The resort overlooks a curved beach with lapping waves of turquoise waters, fringed by a coconut palm swathed grove. Wildlife safari's, fishing, surfing and dolphin watching are just a handful of the activities on offer. Rooms in muted tones, perfectly blend into their surroundings offering either garden or ocean views.
Inspired by famed Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, this little oasis sits just an hour outside of Colombo. Offering a dose of island life, the hotel sits on a secluded beachfront where the Kalu Ganga River meets the Indian Ocean. There are 141 rooms, suites and pool villas to choose from, many with private terraces and pools. Travellers can luxuriate in the Ayurvedic spa retreat, enjoy 360-degree ocean and lagoon views and generally just give in to a state of relaxation.
Housed within the ramparts of Sri Lanka’s 17th-century Galle Fort, a Unesco World Heritage Site, Amangalla is probably the most luxurious place to stay when visiting the city of Galle. Offering views of the Fort and harbour on one side and the hotel’s lush gardens and swimming pool on the other, the historic residence presents lofty-ceilinged suites, elegant fine dining and a tranquil spa. With original wooden floors, high sash windows and four-poster beds, the rooms and suites embody the romance of days gone by.
A dream for wildlife and nature lovers, Wild Coast Tented Lodge, adjacent to Yala National Park is renowned for its leopard population. The spectacular luxury tented camp is situated on a rugged, empty beach, overlooking the Indian Ocean. The unique design sees the man-made structures blending seamlessly into the surrounding landscape, the use of arched fabric structures allows each of the 28 tents to take on the shape and colour of the rocks and boulders that lay scattered nearby, whilst a clever layout in the shape of a leopard’s paw print alludes to the area’s most famous resident.
Where trade winds carried legendary explorers like Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta and Fa-Hsien past Sri Lanka's soaring southern cliffs on some of history's most celebrated nautical journeys, Cape Weligama has become the most celebrated resort along this fabled island's palm-fringed shores. Thirty minutes east of Galle, Cape Weligama inhabits 12 manicured acres atop a singular promontory rising 40 metres above the Indian Ocean. 39 private retreats are designed by one of Asia's most celebrated architects, Lek Bunnag.
Named for the Sanskrit word meaning “in harmony with,” Santani is the first and only purpose-built wellness resort in Sri Lanka. It realises the simple belief that sustainable wellness begins by bringing oneself into balance with nature and by allowing ourselves to receive nurture from ourselves as well as from others. This 48-acre former tea plantation within a pristine forest now functions as a restorative destination spa, which is completely accessible yet blissfully secluded. The 18 rooms are built for natural ventilation and are air-condition free. Guests are free to roam around the tropical jungle and fertile rice fields, to practice yoga or to meditate along the Hulu River.
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