A journey of 10 nights
West to East
The whole coast in four stays, from the sands of Bentota to the hills of Weligama.
- Nights
- 10
- Stays
- 4
- Arranged
- 4
- For
- Culture, The sea
- Days 1 to 3
Bentota
An hour and a half from the airport to the sands of Bentota. A 20 metre infinity pool, a secluded beach, and the Madu River wetlands by boat.
- Days 4 and 5
Galle Fort
A heritage townhouse on Lighthouse Street. Walk the ramparts, shop the market with the villa butler and cook what you bring back.
- Days 6 and 7
Talpe
A walled garden of fruit and spice trees, a short walk from the lagoon at Dalawella, where sea turtles feed.
- Days 8 to 10
Weligama
Firefly Hill, a plantation house of 1912 in the hills. Whales off Mirissa one morning, the Sinharaja rainforest another.
- Day 11
Home
Two and a half hours back to the airport.
Where you stay
Bentota, private villa
Kirana, a Santani Villa
Front-row seats to the west coast sunset.
A sanctuary on the unspoilt sands of Bentota. An open living pavilion, a rambling lawn with a resident kingfisher, a 20 metre infinity pool and a secluded beach for the evening.
- Suites3
- Pool20 m infinity
- From the airport1.5 hrs
Galle Fort, private villa
Seven Pillars
A heritage townhouse on Lighthouse Street.
Three bedrooms beneath a vaulted thirty-foot timber roof, in the heart of the 17th century Dutch fort. Pillared verandas, Dutch furnishings, and the ramparts 150 metres from the door.
- Bedrooms3
- Beach and ramparts150 m
- From the airport2 hrs
Talpe, boutique hotel
Why House
Ten rooms in a three-acre walled garden.
A family-minded boutique hotel set among tropical plants, fruit and spice trees. Luxury without formality, a short walk from the reef-sheltered lagoon at Dalawella Beach and fifteen minutes from Galle Fort.
- Rooms10
- From the airport2 hrs
- Galle Fort15 min
Weligama, private villa
Halala Kanda
Firefly Hill, built in 1912 to win a bride.
A plantation house in the hills above Weligama, found in ruins in 2010 and restored by local craftsmen. Six suites under one roof, with high ceilings, French doors and complete privacy.
- Suites6
- Sleeps12
- From the airport2.5 hrs
Arranged along the way
- Madu River safari. A slow boat through one of the island's great wetlands, with 64 islands and tunnels of mangrove.
- Galle Fort, on foot. The lighthouse, the clock tower, the Groote Kerk and the Old Dutch Hospital, walked with a guide inside the UNESCO-listed ramparts.
- Whales off Mirissa. Blue whales, sperm whales and spinner dolphins pass close to this coast between December and April.
- Sinharaja rainforest. A guided walk in primary rainforest, home to most of the birds found nowhere else but Sri Lanka.
- A car and driver throughout. From the arrivals hall to the last morning.