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Insider's Guide: The Best Hotels in Sri Lanka

Hotels | Asia-Pacific | By Dane Tredway

A remarkable country of romance, colours and spices, the best hotels in Sri Lanka reveal that this historic jewel is on the rebound.

Dazzling more than ever with its rich culture, varied influences and sumptuous cuisine, Sri Lanka’s best hotel properties prove as stunning as its landscapes.

Below, I’ve rounded up a few of my favourites.


The Best Hotels in Sri Lanka

(At least in my humble opinion!)

Tea Trails

Also pictured in the banner above, Tea Trails is the world’s first tea bungalow resort, perched at an altitude of 1,250 metres in Sri Lanka’s panoramic Ceylon tea region, bordering the World Heritage Central Highlands.

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These restored planters’ bungalows befit a Somerset Maugham lifestyle, with timbered ceilings, panelled libraries, claw-foot baths and bay windows. Feast on tea-inspired cuisine and rustic views before exploring the surrounding tea estates, ravines and waterfalls.


Kandy House

This ancestral manor house was built in 1804 and boasts a rich history and exquisite restoration.

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With a 200-year-old palazzo and eight uniquely designed rooms – each named after indigenous butterflies – it seamlessly mixes modern and classic. Choose between the sumptuous food served to you as you lounge on the veranda or the hammocks that await you at the infinity pool.


Amangalla

In the historic port of Galle, Amangalla sits within the ramparts of the 17th c. Galle Fort, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Offering views of the resort’s 200-year-old gardens and of the Fort and harbour beyond, Amangalla provides for the leisurely exploration of this historic trading port and the surrounding countryside.


Ulagalla

This sumptuous eco-resort was once the grand home of a chieftain, built in a Dutch Colonial style in 1916. Today, set amongst 58 acres of island greenery, its villas and chalets give you unrestricted views of the lush landscape.

Relax in an atmosphere of rural simplicity combined with the lavish comforts of the present day to experience a stay hard to forget.