One thing we love about Sri Lanka is that the accommodation scene is so dynamic, with exciting new openings happening all the time. The other thing we love is that there is a veritable treasure trove of luxury boutique accommodation, and you probably already know that here at Sirocco we especially love recommending independent small gems instead of faceless international chain hotels!
Sri Lanka is actually a destination for which we already had an excellent base of knowledge as a team, having made multiple trips there over the years. But, there’s always more to see and more to experience, so when the option came up for Beth to visit again, she jumped at the chance!
Beth was invited on an agent trip organised by the lovely Eleanor who runs Sri Lanka Collection – a wonderful opportunity, as she represents some of the loveliest boutique hotels in Sri Lanka. The trip was a comprehensive recce of some of their hotels in Kandy, the tea region, Galle, the southern coast beaches and the west coast beaches. This was Beth’s second time in Sri Lanka and she was able to check out many of Alice’s favourites as well as some excellent properties the team knew by reputation but hadn’t seen before.
You can see the full list of everything Beth saw in the graphic above, but she’s ready to ‘spill the tea’ on which properties she thought were extra fantastic. So, if you’re wondering where the best places to stay in Sri Lanka are, use these as inspiration! And this is no shade on the other properties on the list by the way: Beth enjoyed almost all of them very much, but this article would be too long if we go through all the ins and outs of all 13! For now we’re sticking to her absolute favourites only, but if you’d like to know about any of the others, just ask Beth (contact details at the bottom of this article).
Beth was also lucky enough to repeat the scenic train journey to Nuwara Eliya through gorges and tea plantations on this trip. As this was her second time, she’s gathered plenty of tips, including which section of the journey is most worth doing if short on time (the rest can be done by road)! She incorporates these into every itinerary she prepares.
We also have a fantastic special offer to share with you too – don’t forget to check that out at the bottom of this post.
Starting in the Hill Country region, Beth loved Goatfell, a tiny property with just four rooms near Nuwara Eliya, which has stunning views of tea plantations. A historic and atmospheric bungalow, the intimate surroundings, gourmet food and butler service won her over quickly! Despite being so small, it’s bookable on a room by room basis as well (as a whole-villa basis if you have enough people to fill it or would like a super-private experience).
Being so small, some people may worry that it might be too quiet, too private. But in fact Beth’s experience (and indeed feedback from our guests too) is that the personal service is definitely not ‘too much’ and you quickly grow to love having this level of unobtrusive attentiveness and exclusivity! So much so, that the idea of staying in any large hotels with hundreds of guests after this is almost unthinkable.
Camellia Hills (pictured above) was another boutique favourite of hers, located in nearby Hatton. Also a great base for exploring the Sri Lankan hill country and tea region, it overlooks a tranquil reservoir, and guests can hike through tea fields, take canoe rides, or visit nearby tea factories to their heart’s content. Sri Lanka’s famous ‘Pekoe Trail’ runs through this area, with a selection of superb curated walks available. With just five rooms (all with four poster beds!), the vibe, service and sense of exclusivity and privacy of this former tea bungalow is similar to Goatfell; the difference is the location (Hatton rather than Nuwara Eliya) and simply bonkers views over the reservoir from pretty much every window. Whilst the hotel has a tranquil feel which suits couples and solo travellers, children are allowed and there’s one room with an interconnecting kids’ bedroom which works perfectly for a family of four.
For yoga and spa enthusiasts, Santani Wellness near Kandy is a stand-out option which Beth found incredibly tranquil. Many people come to stay here to take advantage of their incredible wellness programmes, but it can just as equally be used as a beautiful base from which to access Kandy. There’s a bit of a lack of good quality accommodation in Kandy itself, and many of the better boutique options sell out quickly, so whilst Santani Wellness is 40km away, excursions to the Temple of the Tooth only take around 1 hour from here. The journey there and back features stunning scenery, and of course, it makes a supremely serene place to return back to at the end of the day – even if you don’t take advantage of the daily yoga or Ayurvedic treatments on offer. Santani Wellness welcomes adults, and children 12 and over.
Of the coastal/beach properties, Beth’s favourite was Kumu Beach in Balapitiya, south of Bentota on the west coast. With just 10 bedrooms, this stylish ocean-facing gem is ideal for a laid-back romantic break, with daily afternoon tea included, and a swimmable beach (seasonally) which is home to nesting wild turtles. In Sri Lanka, a lot of hotels don’t have the beach right in front (in fact a train line cuts hotels off from the beach in some sections of the West coast!) so having a beautiful (swimmable) bay right in front of the hotel’s pool is a rare treat. Galle Fort is only 1 hr away by road so you can easily get there on a day trip, and cooking classes, excursions to a nearby turtle hatchery, or boat rides through the lush mangrove forests of the Madu River are just a few of the options to keep you occupied if you tire of the stunning beach.
In and around the fabulous walled fort of Galle, Beth fell in love with two properties.
Within the fort itself, Fort Bazaar is a stand-out choice for couples or families; a beautifully and sensitively restored historic building with bags of atmosphere. Alice inspected this property on a previous recce and had already picked it as one of her favourites in the Fort – now having seen it for herself, Beth seconds her opinion! Excitingly, it has recently been allowed by the Galle Heritage Foundation to open a lovely swimming pool on the property (one of only a very few in the Fort)! Fort Bazaar now makes an amazingly central base from which you can stroll to all the Fort’s historic sites, boutiques and cafe’s, before cooling off with a dip in the sparkling new pool and ending the day with a wonderful dinner at the on-site restaurant. Perfection!
The other hotel Beth loved was Kahanda Kanda set near Koggola Lake – and actually this is Beth’s favourite hotel on the whole island. Nestled in a tea plantation, yet just 15 minutes from the south coast beaches via free tuk tuk (and only 30 minutes from the boutiques of Galle), this adults-only boutique all-villa property might be the best ‘one stop’ stay in Sri Lanka. As a rule, staying in only one spot isn’t something we’d ever normally recommend in Sri Lanka, as it’s a country of contrasts and a multi-stop holiday is usually the only way to see a decent selection of its highlights. However with superb beaches, a tea plantation and UNESCO World Heritage-listed Galle fort all close to Kahanda Kanda, we think this is the one (superb!) exception to the rule!
Beth also met with the owners of Gal Oya Lodge – sadly she didn’t have time to go and see the lodge herself, but a member of her group did and raved about it. With its off-the-beaten-track location on the edge of a beautiful but little-visited national park half way between Kandy and the East coast, it’s an ideal option for wildlife enthusiasts or second-time visitors to Sri Lanka looking to experience something completely different.
Venture out with the lodge’s naturalists on a Jeep or boat safari to spot a multitude of birds, crocodiles and if you’re lucky, swimming elephants! This rustic luxury lodge pairs excellently with an east coast beach stay so we’d recommend this especially for summer visits. It works just as well for families as it does for couples!
Roundup
All in all, it was an exceptional trip and Beth came back even more passionate about the island than she was before! Beth’s arranged countless trips for clients to Sri Lanka using her personal insights and experience of the island, from honeymoons and couples’ trips to active and adventurous family holidays – no two itineraries have ever been the same! And now she can add her personal experience of these 13 hotels into the mix whenever she’s recommending options. Add that to Alice’s 15+ hotel inspections from previous trips, and you can feel reassured that as a team we have personally seen an excellent range of accommodation throughout the country.
This is the reason that we call ourselves ‘experts’; not only have we been to the countries we sell, but as often as possible we revisit, inspect hotels, try out new activities, and check on our local partners to ensure standards remain high. There’s no need to go it alone and try to work your way through hundreds of online hotel reviews when you’re planning your next trip to Sri Lanka – just ask us – we’ve been there, and we love to share our experiences in order to make our clients fall in love with the destination just as much as we did.
Special Offer!
The beauty of Sri Lanka is that it despite having some of the most wonderful ultra-boutique accommodation in the world, offering personalised service and superb cuisine, it can also be amazing value for money even when staying in some of the very best hotels. We love that we can work with almost any budget in Sri Lanka and still provide a superb trip without compromising standards in any way. A number of Beth’s favourite hotels from her trip are part of the same independent small group, Teardrop Hotels, and when booking several at once as part of the same trip, it’s possible to get up to 50% off their usual price, as well as lots of extra perks thrown in!
We have put tother a suggested 14-night trip around Sri Lanka to see several of the island’s highlights and stay at Beth’s favourite hotels, which takes advantage of this amazing offer – it is a ridiculously good price for the quality of the accommodation! Have a look and see below:
A 14 night package for two people combining a stay at the Wallawwa in Negombo, Camelia Hills in Hatton, Fort Bazaar in Galle and Kumu Beach in Balapitiya starts from £5200* for two people in May or June.
*Includes: Return flights with Sri Lankan from London (economy), 2 nights at The Wallawwa in a Garden Suite, B&B, 3 nights Camellia Hills, Hatton, in a Lakeview Bedroom, All Inclusive, 3 nights at Fort Bazaar, Galle, in a Bazaar Bedroom, 6 nights at Kumu Beach, Balapitiya, in an Oceanview Bedroom, B&B. Also includes Sri Lankan cooking experience at Camellia Hills, private canoe ride on Castlereagh Reservoir,
Guided visit to a local tea factory, guided trek along Stage 16 of The Pekoe Trail, guided tour of UNESCO-listed Galle Fort, 45-minute foot massage for two at Fort Bazaar, ‘Social Hour’ drinks from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm, 15% off on spa treatments.
We have so many other Sri Lanka itinerary ideas, and this is a destination we truly love, so we’d love the chance to plan your next trip there. You’ll get the benefit of our genuine destination expertise for this destination, as well as our industry savvy regarding prices in order to get you the most luxury possible for your budget.
So whether you’re looking for something for the family that’s truly relaxing, something a little bit cultural or activity-based, or something that’s a mixture of both, email Beth and Alice at info@siroccoluxurytravel.com or give us a call on 020 8940 4114 for expert travel advice.
