Santani Welness Resort & Spa – Kandy - Tour Agencies in Sri Lanka - The Best Tour Operators

From its impeccably minimalist design to its star-quality health packages, everything at luxury retreat Santani Wellness Resort & Spa is geared towards achieving harmony. This may mean finding a balance between active yoga sessions and restorative Ayurvedic spa treatments, or a healthy fruit juice at breakfast and cleansing herbal tea after dinner. At one with nature, the hotel’s glass walls and indoor-outdoor lounging spaces mean you can wake, dine and fall asleep to breathtaking views of emerald-green paddy fields and thick forests; the hillside rooms are open to the elements, so you feel like you could step right out into the scenery.

Rooms

All rooms have similarly minimalist interiors, but for a room with a seriously impressive view, request ambalama one; the first in the row of hillside villas. It has totally uninterrupted views of the valley. Wake early and take a seat on your private balcony to watch the sun rise over the mountains, see the mist clear to reveal lush green paddy fields, and listen as the rainforest comes to life.

ROOMS

20 villas.

CHECK–OUT

Noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 2pm. If a room isn’t available on arrival, or if late check-out isn’t possible, guests are welcome to use the facilities while a room is prepared, and reception will store your luggage.

Dining

Hotel restaurant

Forget set menus: at Santani you’ll have your very own customized meal-plan, specially designed by chef Wajira Gamage and Santani’s very own Ayurvedic doctor, Dr Sreekanth Nair. Gourmandes, don’t be put off by the mention of healthy food – you can still enjoy dishes like grilled, grass-fed Australian tenderloin, duck confit and masala chai crème brûlée. The food here is exceptional and all locally sourced; try dishes like a traditional Sri Lankan curry with organic vegetables and chutney, or a crunchy banana-blossom salad with shredded coconut and tamarind dressing. The only thing rivalling the food in wow-factor is the view: the four external walls are made of glass, and offer breathtaking views of the valley and forest.

Last orders

The restaurant serves breakfast between 7am–10am, lunch from noon to 2.30pm and dinner between 7pm–10.30pm.

Facilities

Poolside

There are two pools at the hotel, including a thermal salt pool in the spa which, although covered, has one partial wall so you can gaze at the surroundings while you soak. Perched on the side of a hill, overlooking the forests below and mountains beyond, the main infinity pool has some of the best vistas in the hotel; wake early to watch the sunrise while leisurely swimming, and return for a dip at dusk as the setting sun transforms the surface of the pool, turning it shades of pink, purple and inky blue.

Spa

Tucked into the side of a hill, this is Sri Lanka’s first destination spa, which houses the country’s first hydrotherapy facilities. Inspired by the ancient Buddhist meditation caves in the surrounding mountains, this minimalist space has a steam room, a cedar-wood sauna with a glass wall overlooking the valleys, and a thermal salt pool. On the lowest level are four open-air treatment rooms, including one couple’s room. The expert therapists offer both western treatments, like detoxifying scrubs, cleansing wraps and hot-stone massages, and a range of Ayurvedic practices including Shirodhara and Takra Dhara therapies using vitamin-rich organic oils.

Packing tips

You’ve guessed it – enough yoga gear for days of meditation. Unplug and leave all your tech, gadgets and chargers at home (you might even have enough space left in your suitcase for your yoga mat).

Also

You’re encouraged to unplug during your stay so mobiles, iPods, tablets and laptops can only be used in your room, not in public areas. Meal plans are available for those on a vegetarian or raw food diet.

Children

Children aged 12 and over are welcome at the hotel, but it’s best suited to older teenagers who appreciate that silence is golden and are able (and willing) to fully participate in the hotel’s wellness programmes.

Eco‐friendly

Santani is Sanskrit for harmony, and this philosophy drives everything at the hotel. Natural ventilation in rooms saves more than 70 per cent of energy used. As well as recycling, Santani runs a replanting program and has grown more than 1,000 plants on-site so far. The hotel sources 80 per cent of its produce locally; organic fruit, veg, coffee, tea and herbs and spices are grown in a greenhouse in the grounds.