Abundant with dreamy flora and fauna, covered in coconut trees and tea bushes, and ringed by wildly dramatic seas, Sri Lanka has captivated travellers for centuries. Myth and legend swirl throughout the country; it is home to ancient hand-carved temples which jut out from opulent jungle and is a place where elephants and blue whales can be viewed in a single day.
And since there’s plenty to keep all types of adventurers happy, Sri Lanka is the ideal honeymoon destination. There’s great surf, stunning beaches and thrilling train rides, and that’s not forgetting the country’s capital Colombo, which overflows with hip cocktail bars, exquisite restaurants, and well-designed lodgings.
But for the romantic trip of a lifetime, where to stay? Each hotel in this tightly edited list boasts unrivalled service, sublime interiors, indulgent bedroom facilities, and a tranquil setting. Book into several for the ultimate Sri Lankan odyssey, but each sits equally well alone. So whether you want picturesque hiking opportunities, fine dining, cultural sites and wildlife to marvel at, or simply a brilliant beach to laze and unwind on, here are Sri Lanka’s most romantic honeymoon hotels.
Best for old-world charm and impressive spa treatments: Amangalla, Galle Fort
Vases of showy heliconia flowers sit atop antique furniture scattered throughout Amangalla in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Galle Fort. The building, which dates back to 1684 has four room categories, all of which impress, but for a honeymoon with a difference, the Amangalla suites on the third floor are the clear choice. Each has a standalone bathtub with handmade bath salts, a separate lounge with chaise lounge, and a writing desk. Neat touches like handcrafted bookmarks and retro postcards are left on beds at turndown service, while essential oils scent the space.
A romantic air sweeps across the whole building, from the open-air terrace with its stunning floor tiles overlooking Church Street, to the palm-tree-backed swimming pool where dragonflies dance. Service is second to none, the staff are utterly charming and the food is exceptional. Even if you don’t stay here it’s worth booking a table for dinner and ordering the prawn and mustard curry served with lemongrass-infused coconut rice.
Aside from the expansive pool that swimmers will adore, there’s an open-air yoga shala with complimentary morning classes, a thermal bath — complete with sauna, hydro pool, and cold plunge pool available for private use — and the most wonderfully scented spa in Sri Lanka. Whatever you do, don’t miss a full body massage with Indika, his fingers have the power to send you into a deep state of bliss.
Book it: Double rooms on a B&B basis start from £768 per night. aman.com
Best for complete tranquility: Kahanda Kanda, Koggala
Hidden amongst tea bushes on a privately owned hilltop tea estate is Kahanda Kanda, an oasis of calm and tranquility. Of the 12 individually designed villas, a handful offer views of Koggala Lake in the distance, while the majority have private infinity plunge pools, either overlooking the tea plantation below or the hotel’s tropical gardens. Hot pink and bold orange have been used on the standout feature walls that surround the huge pool, and it works well with the surrounding lushness of the jungle.
Rooms are flawless with outstandingly comfy beds, and twin showers are shrouded in the sounds of nature; monkey howls, resplendent birdsong, and a melodic chanting that sometimes drifts over from a nearby Buddhist temple. Jolly mongooses roam freely and majestic peacocks look down from treetops high above, hypnotising nature lovers in the process.
The food offering at Kahanda Kanda is also very good, with a daily changing menu that offers delights like grilled mahi mahi, Sri Lankan kithul treacle tart and egg hoppers for breakfast.
Book it: Double rooms on a B&B basis start from £155 per night. kkcollection.com
Best for design lovers: De Saram House, Colombo
This serene relaxing haven in the leafy suburb of Kurunduwatta was designed by renowned Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bowa, known and admired for his tropical modernist style, which fuses natural light with clean lines and high ceilings. With just four bedrooms it’s an intimate, art-filled place centering around an ancient jackfruit tree. It provides the perfect Colombo bolthole for exploring the buzzy city.
While Sri Lanka’s capital was, in previous years, used mostly as a jumping-off point for exploring the rest of the country, it’s worth lingering a while longer since great cocktails bars (Uncle’s), boutique stores championing Sri Lankan designers (PR, shoppr.lk) and hip coffee shops (Cafe Kumbuk, cafekumbuk.com) are in abundance. Back at De Saram House, enjoy a lengthy breakfast in the expansive, airy dining room or have coffee by the orange-walled terrace, all the while surrounded by hot pink bougainvillea and swaying bamboo.
Book it: Double rooms on a B&B basis start from £65 per night. geoffreybawa.com
Best for foodies: Cape Weligama, Weligama
One of the biggest properties on our list, Cape Weligama (part of the Relais & Chateau group) boasts 39 suites and villas. It’s an easy place to while away a few days all while being utterly spoiled. As the name suggests, the hotel sits atop a cliff with views out towards the ocean, and while beaches are fairly hard to access without a climb, the hotel has two pools, one of which is an infinity style and is shaped like a crescent moon.
Cape Weligama’s vast bedrooms are fairly traditional in style, decked out in pastel floral printed fabrics and dark wood furniture, and each has a huge terrace. The restaurant, which is painted in vibrant purple offers an exciting menu that includes an unmissable Sri Lankan highlight; flash-fried sea crab served with black pepper and curry leaves — don’t miss it. Cocktails here are also worth sampling. There’s 28 blends including the addictive Bumboo, a heady fusion of dark rum, bitters, and jaggery (a traditional kind of cane sugar) slowly stirred with nutmeg, cinnamon, and orange zest.
Book it: Double rooms on a B&B basis start from £383 per night. resplendentceylon.com
Best for lazy pool and beach days: Kayaam House, Rekawa
This secluded architectural wonder, moments from the ocean, comprises just nine rooms and an incredibly beautiful swimming pool making it ideal for lazy days and beach walks. A world away from the tourist towns of Ahangama and Mirissa further along the coastline, this part of the country is slightly more rugged, but has an expansive beach that’s never crowded.
The airy, well-designed bedrooms are immaculate, each featuring a four-poster bed and 1970s-style furniture. Some come with stand-alone bathtubs on private balconies, where you can bathe to the idyllic soundtrack of crashing waves. There’s a gorgeous selection of modern art dotted throughout communal areas of the hotel, and meals can be enjoyed either on the terrace by the swimming pool or in the open-plan dining area where beautifully presented dishes are prepared with love by head chef Prasanna.
Book it: Double rooms on a B&B basis start from £170 per night. resplendentceylon.com
Best for leopard and elephant spotting: Wild Coast Tented Lodge, Yala National Park
Wild Coast’s luxurious cocooned tents are pure indulgence, and a stay here will make for a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. Each one is decked out with a stand-alone copper bathtub, four-poster bed, unlimited access to a complimentary mini bar and a private plunge pool. Punctuating the National Park of Yala, it’s not uncommon to spot grey langurs, snakes, land monitors, and all manner of colourful birdlife directly from suites. On occasion, elephants have even walked right into the bar, such is the hotel’s remote and wild location.
Opening out onto a rugged Indian Ocean beach, and backed by Sri Lanka’s most famous wildlife park, Wild Coast’s guests are offered daily game drives into the grassland and lagoons of Yala, all included in the price of the stay. The hotel’s expert drivers and rangers almost guarantee a leopard sighting since Wild Coast’s Jeeps get priority access to the park and know exactly where to find the large languid cats.
After a day roaming the bush, beachside sunset cocktails and inventive cuisine await, served in the expansive poolside restaurant. There’s also a jungle-covered spa for when all the excitement gets too much.
Book it: Double rooms on an all-inclusive basis start from £537 per night. resplendentceylon.com
Best for outstanding views and learning about tea: Ceylon Tea Trails, Hatton
If you just book one hotel on this list, make it Ceylon Tea Trails — where you’ll be met with a truly unforgettable stay from start to finish. Made up of five historic tea planter bungalows, everything from service to dining, views to decor is 100 per cent flawless.
Each quaint bungalow is made up of four or five bedrooms ensuring an intimate, homely feel. And while communal spaces feature a plethora of antique relics and have an air of yesteryear, there’s nothing outdated about Tea Trails. Bedrooms are decadently sumptuous with four-poster beds, claw-foot stand-alone bathtubs, gorgeously printed heavy fabrics, and a writing bureau. A private garden and veranda are all part of the package, and guests are assigned a private butler at check-in. If you get Kasun at Castlereagh count yourself lucky — he’s a dream.
Three of the five bungalows have stunning lake views that get even more magical during the low season, when a mesmerising mist wraps its way through the tea plantations and surrounding forest. To make your honeymoon even more memorable it’s possible to charter a sea plane from Colombo, landing couples directly on Castlereagh Lake, right beside three of the bungalows.
Don’t miss a tour of the nearby tea factory with Bernard, one of the most knowledgeable tea experts in all of Sri Lanka, and a stroll with Tea Trails’ leading naturalist, Kthnini, who’ll explain all there is to know about the country’s delightful plant and birdlife.
Book it: Double rooms on an all-inclusive basis start from £569 per night. resplendentceylon.com
Best for hikes around Nine Arch Bridge: Nine Skies, Demodara
Perched on a hilltop overlooking tea plantations, railway tracks, and bright white Buddhist stupas sits this old tea plantation manager’s lodge. It is set in an immaculately manicured garden full of singing birds, lizards, and the occasional mongoose. With just five stylish rooms this is the place to escape for tranquil nights and memorable hikes.
Sri Lanka’s most famous railway bridge (you know the one) is around 7kms away and best visited on foot by walking one of the most picturesque walking trails in the area. The hotel will even create a packed lunch and provide a backpack, so all you need worry about is staying on the right path, which winds through ancient tea fields and a couple of pretty villages.
Rooms are large and airy with the bungalow having retained all of its original charm — gorgeous windows, high ceilings and multi-paned patio doors, yet communal areas are modern and inviting. The hotel’s swimming pool overlooks the famous Demodara train loop, an engineering marvel that provides another perfect hiking opportunity.
Book it: Double rooms on a full-board basis start from £266 per night. teardrop-hotels.com
Best for visiting Sigiriya and spotting grey loris: Jetwing Vil Uyana, Sigiriya
A 15-minute tuk-tuk ride from the magnificent, must-visit rock fortress of Sigiriya, Jetwing Vil Uyana comprises 36 villas each surrounded by rice fields, scrub jungle, or the lily pad-dotted central lagoon. Marsh crocodiles, Kola Diviya (fishing cats), and the curious-looking slender grey loris — which guests can attempt to spy each evening on a guided walking tour — all call this part of Sri Lanka home, which makes it ideal for wildlife-loving couples.
Designed to minimise the environmental impact on the area, each villa is constructed from wood and bamboo, blending into the surroundings seamlessly. Inside, villas are vast, with a handful boasting two floors, private plunge pools, sundecks, and huge open-plan bathrooms with bathtubs big enough for two. For a special touch book a treetop or poolside dining experience.
Book it: Double rooms on a full-board basis start from £269 per night. jetwinghotels.com
Best for Tamil culture and history: Jetwing Mahesa Bhawan
This bright white refurbished, art-filled villa in the centre of Jaffna comprises four individually designed bedrooms ensuring a truly intimate and relaxing stay. Since Jaffna was out of bounds for decades, due to Sri Lanka’s civil war, this part of the country is relatively untouched by tourism compared to the rest. Yet it’s filled with intriguing temples, is surrounded by idyllic islands where wild horses roam free, and is a short drive to the island's northernmost point, Point Pedro.
The city of Jaffna itself is a fascinating place, steeped in history, and is worth exploring on foot. When the heat of the day gets too much, Mahesa Bhawan’s cool bedrooms, inviting swimming pool and wide terrace provide the perfect respite.
Homecooked food is served on a communal table inside the villa’s airy dining room and shouldn't be missed, try the mutton curry for dinner and pol roti for breakfast — both are outstanding.
Book it: Double rooms on a B&B basis start from £157 per night. jetwinghotels.com
Best for serene mountaintop sunsets: Glenross Living, Kalutara
Around an hour and a half’s drive from Sri Lanka’s international airport, Glenross feels a world away from the bustling streets of Colombo. Here, six glass-fronted villas each with unrivalled views of the skyline, either overlooking cinnamon plantations or the forest. Each villa has a private plunge pool, sun deck, lounge and expansive bathroom with bathtub.
Outdoor cinema experiences, cinnamon field treks, and daily yoga classes (with a focus on breathing techniques and meditation) are all on offer should you be able to drag yourself from the secluded villas. There are also three well-decorated bedrooms inside the hotel’s main house which honeymooners who enjoy period features may prefer. Don’t miss the artwork in the main house, most of which is by Sri Lankan artists.
Book it: Double rooms on a B&B basis start from £333 per night. glenrossliving.com
