Need to know
Rooms
36 standalone thatched dwellings.
Check–Out
Noon. Earliest check-in, 2pm. Both are flexible, subject to a charge (US$90 for checking in from 8am to 2pm or checking out until 7pm).
More details
Rates don’t include breakfast (US$15 a guest).
Also
Unfortunately the layout of the resort makes it unsuitable for guests with reduced mobility.
At the hotel
Tropical grounds, farm, gym, library with books about Sri Lankan history and architecture, boutique, bikes to borrow for free, charged laundry service, board games, and free WiFi. In rooms: butler and local mobile phone for making contact, TV and DVD player, tea- and coffee-making kit, minibar, bottled water, sarongs and hats, slippers, umbrella, torch, ceiling fan and air-conditioning, and custom bath products. All except the Garden Dwellings have a plunge (or swimmable) pool and Bose sound-system, too.
Our favourite rooms
Your preferred room depends which element you feel most connected to. Each thatch-topped traditionally styled dwelling has a pinch-me view, but the biodiversity here means scenes that are leafy and lacustrine by turn, or beds facing the marshes or paddy fields. The Forest Dwelling has the largest private pool, the Water Dwelling has a stilted overwater balcony, and the Garden Dwelling doesn’t have a pool or sound-system if swimming and playlists are essential to your relaxation routine. And, if you don’t mind a langur monkey swinging into your open-air shower, you’ll have the most animal encounters in the Paddy Dwellings.
Poolside
The infinity pool sits behind the main building overlooking the lake, with loungers by the sides and very leafy views. It’s peaceful, yet bustling with nature, be it nosy peacocks, gliding brahminy kites, maybe even the – friendly – part-resident croc going for a swim (in the lake, not the pool).
Spa
Island Spa (open 8am to 8pm), which is indeed surrounded by a lily-strewn lake, brings in Balinese therapists to impart their homeland’s healing practices, alongside coconutty Sri Lankan body scrubs, Ayurvedic massages, shiatsu, Himalayan salt exfoliation, and spa mani-pedis. It’s set in walkway-connected overwater pavilions, and there’s a steam room, cold-water plunge pool, and Jacuzzi for further unwinding. A gym – with motivating lake views – is open for workouts from 6am to 8pm, and yoga classes can be arranged on request.
Packing tips
Bring binoculars for snooping on shyer creatures, and maybe higher-grade photo equipment than a phone for some hang-on-the-wall holiday snaps. Leave space for spices (grown by a local family), hand-rolled organic tea, home-grown rice, sarongs, stone figurines, and more from the on-site boutique.
Also
If you’re unsure of the correct way to wear the sarong in your dwelling – don’t worry, there’s an instruction leaflet. Or you could ask your butler, who you can call any time on the local mobile phone provided.
Children
Calm, well-behaved older kids are welcome here. There are no dedicated facilities, but they'll enjoy the rambling grounds, family barbecues, spa treatments for smalls, and wild encounters.
Sustainability efforts
This 28-acre private nature reserve is – whisper it – man-made, but you wouldn’t guess. Each of its five habitats teems with life, from rare slow lorises to shy fishing cats to the odd croc, who – aside from native fish species introduced into the lake – have moved in of their own accord. Having this on your doorstep makes for remarkable communions with nature; some creatures may even come right up to your balcony. And these are ongoing efforts, with tree plantings, in-depth research and a Community Wildlife Education Centre and Library built in a local monastery. To ensure harmonious space-sharing, environmental architect Sunela Jayawardena was called in to design the hotel’s pavilions. Their openness cuts back on the need for artificial lighting and ventilation, thatch roofs and clay walls insulate guest-dwellings, and those built over the lake are passively cooled. Water is collected from rainfall and waste is treated on-site, the hotel’s sister property provides glass water bottles from its own plant, and a farm sustains the kitchen. And, alongside buying spices from local suppliers, Jetwing’s Youth Development Project provides free training in hospitality and more to disadvantaged children across the island.