Luxury here does not mean marble lobbies. It means the tented camp at the edge of the park, the planter bungalow with four rooms and a cook who has been there thirty years, and a guide who knows which gate to use at six in the morning.
Every property on this route is one we have stayed in ourselves. Where a famous name is not worth its rate we will say so and suggest the alternative.
Duration
14 days
Best months
Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar
Pace
Relaxed
Regions
4
A night in the city rather than the airport strip, which is worth the extra half hour.
A seaplane rather than four hours of road. It sets the tone.
Private guiding, early access, and back before the heat.
The oldest capital, with an archaeologist rather than a driver guide.
Into the hills, and a noticeable change in temperature.
Walking between bungalows, or not walking at all.
Free.
Down out of the hills into dry heat.
Private jeep, private tracker, in before the gate opens.
A second morning, which is what turns a maybe into a probably.
Four nights and nothing at all in them.
Free.
Free.
Coastal road, or a seaplane if you would rather.
Cinnamon Grand
Central and reliable for a single night.
Water Garden
Private villas with plunge pools.
Ceylon Tea Trails
Restored planter bungalows with a butler and a fireplace. The best stay in the country.
Wild Coast Tented Lodge
Cocoon tents at the edge of the park. Leopards walk past the restaurant.
Amanwella
Suites in a coconut grove above a private beach.
Included
Not included
Payment schedule
Twenty per cent deposit to confirm. Balance due sixty days before arrival. Card or bank transfer, in GBP or USD.
Cancellation
Free up to sixty days out. Fifty per cent between sixty and thirty days. Non refundable inside thirty days, though we will move your dates once at no charge.
No, and we will happily drive it instead and take the cost off. It saves about three and a half hours on day two.
Because this is already the top tier. There is nothing better on the island to upgrade you to.
From
Based on two people sharing, comfort tier. Excludes international flights.
Ruwan Jayasuriya
Founder, 18 years
We reply within one working day. Sri Lanka is GMT+5:30, so we work UK afternoons.