I practice yoga yoga with my eyes closed, but my other senses are on high alert. Frangipani trees scent the evening air, and monkeys howl as they swing from branch to branch. When I blink them back on, the sky is a moving canvas of cotton candy clouds. I’m lying on a yoga salad at Kurulu Bay overlooking Lake Koggala, which opened last December. It’s part of a chain of adult-only hotels and lodges that has sprung up inland from Ahangama, a cool surf spot on Sri Lanka’s south coast that has picked up pace since the pandemic. They follow in the footsteps of The Palm, a tropical paradise with A-frame cabins and brand new treehouse suites where you wake up immersed in the jungle.
In Kurulu (meaning bird in Sinhala), life revolves around beautiful restaurants and turquoise swimming pools. I spend my soft, peaceful days here, fueled by tuna sashimi salad and lobster tail curry, gentle swims and the occasional float to the lovely spa for a massage – and a good night’s sleep in my cabin at night . Only a 10-minute tuk-tuk ride from the hustle and bustle of town, Kuluru Bay is a haven of tranquility.
Further uphill is Tekanda Lodge, a newly built private villa and lodge set on top of an organic tea plantation that blends into the surrounding bushland. With four spacious bedrooms and a secluded lodge in the main house, days at Tekanda unfold at a beautifully slow pace – perfect for contemplation and restoration. But its founders and owners, Richie and Charlie Pembroke, also designed the cabin to bring people together; we sat around the table for breakfast, lunch and dinner in family style, enjoying G&T nourishment and sharing stories. Some days I laze by the palm-fringed pool, hydrating with giant coconuts and listening to the jungle symphony; One for sunrise surfing.
Ahangama beach at sunset
/Opposite Tekanda, glimpsed through towering palm fronds, was my last stop, Trebartha East. Designed by Colombo-based architects in a roundhouse style, it takes full advantage of the stunning 360-degree views of Cinnamon Manor Residence. There are only four rooms, so I felt like I was at an intimate family gathering – thanks to the hospitality of the hosts, Benny and Patrick, who joined guests for evening drinks and dinner during their stay.
Inside, Trebartha East is a love letter to Sri Lankan artists and artisans: rattan woven less than a mile away; rugs from local women’s collectives and bold, colorful commissions from indigenous painters. Outside, a shimmering swimming pool follows the curve of the hotel’s circular footprint – the perfect spot to watch the sunset.
Soul-nourishing food at Trebartha East
/ ES MagazineI could have happily holed up in each of these places, cared for by their smiling staff, seamless kitchens and dreamy views. When I do leave, it’s for the food: rice and curry at Auntie’s Garden at Manori’s Kitchen in Ahangama, prawns at the beautiful Malabar Hill restaurant near Weligama, grilled fish at Citra in Kabalana.
kate in palm
/ ES MagazineI came to Kurulu for my last yin yoga session, overlooking the lake, blissful in the warm afternoon air and the sounds of the jungle that I had come to know and love. (kurulubay.com; www.palmhotelsrilanka.com; www.tekandalodge.com; trebartha-east.com). SriLankan Airlines direct flight from London to Colombo (Sri Lanka Net)
