An intoxicating blend of wildlife, ancient history, tea and cricket games, the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’ certainly hits a home run in the holiday stakes. It’s little wonder that the best resorts in Sri Lanka open their doors to an ever-increasing flock of travellers, seeking lush plantations and beaches void of footprints.
Are you ready for inspiration on a backdrop of jungle green and Indian Ocean blue? Here, we take a look at 10 of the best resorts in Sri Lanka.
Best Resorts in Sri Lanka
Ulagalla Resort
Imagine breathing in the crisp scent of orchards, rice paddy fields and fresh mangoes from the private plunge pool of your luxury villa. Often recognised as one of the best boutique resorts in Sri Lanka, Ulagalla centres on a 150-year old mansion, within 58 acres of astounding natural beauty.
It’s the kind of place where staff will drive you around in a golf buggy, if you can’t be bothered using the free bikes. Otherwise, swim in the sparkling pool, revitalise with healing herbs at the spa and tempt your tastebuds at the wine cellar and restaurant. To explore the surrounding area of Anuradhapura, the hotel will arrange jungle kayaking, horseback riding, archery and temple visits.
Where: Thirappane, Anuradhapura
Cost: Average rates from $390 per night
Website: Ulagalla Resort
Heritance Kandalama
Sri Lanka’s renowned architect, Geoffrey Bawa, created an enchanting escape from reality with Heritance Kandalama. Set high in the hills overlooking the Sigiriya Rocks, the silvery waters of Kandalama Lake and a monkey-filled jungle, the resort captures natural wonders from every angle.
That’s not to say the man-made ones don’t rival it. Three impressive swimming pools, tennis courts, a gym and a Six Senses Spa compete, along with rooms featuring rattan furniture, timber panels and glass walls to go with your rainfall shower.
Where: 11, Dambulla
Cost: Average rates from $250 per night
Website: Heritance Kandalama
Melheim Resort
Watch the sky change colour over soaring mountains, with an ‘on top of the world view’ at Melheim Resort. The boutique hotel, located in Beragala, is a cosy haven in vast, biodiverse surrounds.
Rooms open to private decks, blending mod-cons like iPod docks and flat screen TVs with forest panoramas. The restaurant serves impeccably presented cuisine, so you can eat in Mother Nature’s company. Then, there’s the pool with a view that’ll make it very hard to focus on your holiday read.
Where: Beragala, Haputale
Cost: Average rates from $200 per night
Website: Melheim Resort
The Kandy House
With room names including ‘Sunbeam’, ‘Lime Butterfly’ and ‘Monkey Puzzle’, you know you’re in for an accommodation treat. People travel far and wide just to stay at The Kandy House, built in 1804 and renovated to include an infinity pool awash with birdsong, overlooking the rice paddies.
Twice weekly, the restaurant serves up a feast of 10 traditional Sri Lankan curries, you can play board games, watch DVD’s and read books. Best of all, the staff will even indulge in a spot of cricket with you, if you can’t wait to sample the national sport.
Where: Amanugama Waluwa, Gunnepana
Cost: Average rates from $290 per night
Website: The Kandy House
Boulder Garden Hotel
Experience the quirky side of Sri Lanka, beneath the towering presence of boulders in the rainforest. The Boulder Garden Hotel is for nature lovers, set amid tea and rice paddy terraces with options close by for bird watching, kayaking and checking out bat-filled caves.
Right on site though, you can dine in the open-air restaurant under a giant rock, sip on cocktails at the Cave bar and swim in a spring-water swimming pool fringed with trees and butterflies.
Where: Sinharaja Road, Kalawana
Cost: Rates upon request
Website: Boulder Garden Hotel
Hotel Sigiriya
How would you like an up-close and personal view of one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic sights with your morning swim? Lion’s Rock is, quite literally, in the backyard of Hotel Sigiriya within the cultural triangle. From here, you’ll want to gaze at the ancient rock fortress until your camera battery dies as one of the best resorts in Sri Lanka.
An eco-centre offers informative documentaries, you can indulge in a massage at the Ayurveda spa, smash out a round of volleyball or learn how to play the traditional game of Carom. When you’ve finished bird watching, elephant safaris and cycling through the jungle, relax in an open-air dining pavilion centred around a tree, to eat organic produce straight from the garden.
Where: 21120 Sigiriya
Cost: Average rates from $170
Website: Hotel Sigiriya
Sri Lanka Beach Resorts
The Eden Resort & Spa
Wake in the morning to local fishermen bringing in the catch of the day, browse through charming markets and stroll along one of Sri Lanka’s longest beaches, in Beruwela. At The Eden Resort & Spa, return to a lagoon-style pool sitting on the edge of lapping waves, with rolling green grass and swaying palm trees.
An Ayruveda Spa helps you unwind, before dining privately in a tree hut or with your feet in the pristine sand. Wooden floors, elegant décor and lush views mean you’ll sleep soundly, ready for yet another day of pure relaxation.
Where: Kaluwamodara, Beruwela
Cost: Average rates from $150 per night
Website: The Eden Resort & Spa
Mount Lavinia Hotel
Step back in time to the colonial era, at the Mount Lavinia Hotel. Here, you’ll feel the old world glamour of a 200 year history, spliced with romantic stories, impeccable service and a private beach in the heart of Colombo at this Sri Lanka beach resort.
As the former home of the Governor General of Ceylon, rooms and suites are suitably furnished with dark, antique furniture, parquet floors and four-poster beds. Pools for adults and children, a gym, a spa, games room, shops and beachfront restaurant could even deter you from leaving to explore the casinos, snorkelling and temples in the surrounding area.
Where: 100 Hotel Road, Mount Lavinia
Cost: Average rates from $150 per night
Website: Mount Lavinia Hotel
Galle Face Hotel
The Galle Face Hotel sits on the shores of the Indian Ocean in resplendent, old-world glamour. A property that simply must be called ‘she’, the grand old dame is fully renovated, but still coated in her evocative, colonial past.
Originally opened in 1864, the hotel now sees the who’s who of locals and international travellers, especially for afternoon drinks at the Chequerboard bar for sunset. When you stay, lounge around the saltwater pool, have a spa treatment, eat, drink and simply be merry, in the historic midst of Colombo at one of the best resorts in Sri Lanka.
Where: 2 CGHW Hwy, Colombo 0300
Cost: Average rates from $200 per night
Website: Galle Face Hotel
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Maalu Maalu Resort & Spa
Peaceful, Sri Lanka beach resorts don’t come much better, than Maalu Maalu Resort & Spa. After a day of collecting shells and swimming in Passekudah Bay, you’ll retire to wooden chalets inspired by traditional fishing villages, but equipped with Wi-Fi and polished floors.
The eco-friendly hotel serves seafood on a backdrop of salty air and Indian Ocean blues, has an infinity pool with endless views, a spa and the all-important ambiance of utter relaxation.
Where: 30410 Pasikuda
Cost: Average rates from $200
Website: Maalu Maalu Resort & Spa
Flights to Sri Lanka
Hotel prices may vary according to seasonality and room selection, so please check websites for updates.
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