The Insider
Kalkudah Beach House
has seen a “huge increase in demand for wildlife and safari-based bookings”, with Sri Lanka sometimes “better priced than Africa” for a comparable luxury experience.
EVER-GROWING POSSIBILITIES Sri Lanka’s proximity to other Indian Ocean idylls also makes it a perfect location for twin-centre holidays, with Gaind citing the country’s “great accessibility with the Maldives”. Both Carrier and Audley note the combination of Sri Lanka and the Maldives as a popular choice to merge exploration and TGNCZCVKQP YKVJ C OKPWVG ƃKIJV DGVYGGP VJG VYQ “The two countries combine really nicely,” says
Roxburgh. “You can have that adventure in Sri Lanka and move around quite quickly, seeing and doing a lot, because you know you’re going to the Maldives to unwind in pure luxury afterwards.” Cooper notes that destinations such as Dubai
and India are often combined with trips to Sri Lanka, with an increasing number of twin-centre pairings emerging while Sri Lanka is “massively in growth”. The proposition for luxury travellers in the destination
is only going to improve. The country’s high-end product has made notable gains in the past year (see box) – and this is expected to continue, with certain areas ripe for development. “The east coast season works completely differently,” says Cooper. “When the rest of the island has monsoons during the summer, the east coast is blissful – no rain, with powdery-white beaches and
calm waters. There are very few luxury hotels there right now, so it’s an area with huge potential.” Harrison adds: “Multiple companies and hotel groups JCXG DGGP TGƂPKPI CPF GZVGPFKPI GZKUVKPI RTQFWEV KP the country, so the future looks rosy for Sri Lanka.” ●
New product
With Sri Lanka’s popularity skyrocketing, the island has seen several luxury properties open this year. In January, the destination welcomed two boutique hotels:
barefoot eco-luxury resort Taru Villas Villu (read more, page 25) and Uga Halloowella, a renovated colonial bungalow in the heart of the island’s tea country. Many of Uga Halloowella’s original design features have been preserved, but the property now boasts six sumptuous suites with sweeping views of the country’s tea estates and the Pekoe hiking trail. Perched on the scenic coastline of Tangalle in southern Sri Lanka,
minimalist resort Uga Prava opened in May, offering seven suites and C VTCPSWKN KPƂPKV[ RQQN QXGTNQQMKPI VJG QEGCP s VJG RGTHGEV EQCUVCN sanctuary for clients wishing to soak in the tropical surrounds. In June, Kalkudah Beach House debuted on the relatively untouched east coast. Understated luxury is the theme across this beachfront resort, home to a three-bedroom Main House, two-bedroom Palm Villa and 22-metre pool. The hotels join Kumana Under Canvas, a Wi-Fi and phone
signal-free glamping property that opened in a blissfully remote area abutting the famous Yala National Park last year. The tented camp embodies Sri Lanka’s adventurous spirit, offering twice- daily game drives to view leopards, elephants and rare birds.
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ASPIRETRAVELCLUB.CO.UK THE INSIDER SEPTEMBER 2025
CREDIT: Shakir Jamaldeen/Teardrop Hotels
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