The Villa Bentota

Worth getting out of bed for

The Villa Bentota’s location on Sri Lanka’s south-western coast gifts its guests any number of noteworthy day trips. The train line traces the shore from Colombo around the southern tip of the island, passing right through the villa’s gardens, and it is known as one of Asia’s great train journeys. Ride with the window down, rocking side to side with the warm breeze blowing in your hair as you gaze across the Indian Ocean, and savour the tastes of freshly roasted peanuts and small bags of sweet pineapple sold through the window while stopped in stations. Bentota itself is a resort town, with its accompanying watersports opportunities on open ocean and the river, and 10km inland are the quirky Lunuganga and Brief Gardens, on the private estate of celebrated Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. For a taste of Ceylon’s colonial past, keep heading another hour south until you reach the town of Galle, and more specifically, Galle Fort. Built by the Portuguese in the 16th century and then heavily fortified by the Dutch 100 years later, the Unesco World Heritage Site still functions as a town but these days it’s filled with galleries, cafés, boutiques, and creative spaces. With encircling views over the sea in almost all directions, a sunset walk around Galle Fort’s raised ramparts is one of the best experiences that Sri Lanka has to offer. A little further afield, the celebrated Yala National Park takes nearly three hours each way by private car, but a jeep safari there can be a life-affirming experience – it’s worth the effort. Expect to see wild leopards snoozing in the midday shade, crocodiles prowling the oceanside lagoons, and parades of elephants stomping through the undergrowth with their young. 

Local restaurants

While visiting the gardens at nearby Lunuganga and Brief, book an open-air table at the Lake View Restaurant for traditional rice and curry dishes to tuck into as the wild lakeside fights for your attention. Galle is the centre for gastronomy in the region, and the Fort Printers Hotel has a delightful western-influenced, seafood-heavy menu. For Mr Smith, the lagoon-crab bento boxes by Japanese-Sri Lankan chef Dharshan Munidasa at the Tuna and the Crab are ‘chef’s kiss’. However, some of the most authentic and memorable Ceylon fare can be found roadside, with all manner of curries, sambols, and egg hoppers awaiting your discovery. 

Local cafés

Bentota’s best coffee is found at Café Italiano, where there is also a small snack menu with hybrid delights such as the coconut sambol and cheese toastie. Nearby, Barista is a good option, too. 

Local bars

All of the large hotels in Bentota have their own bars, many with dazzling ocean views and plentiful club nights. But for true mixology, it’s worth making the journey to Smoke & Bitters, nestled among the palms on Dikwella Beach. Some proclaim it to be one of the best bars in Asia, with cocktails like the Halmilla Tapper (Rockland Halmilla old arak, kithul, falernum, coconut syrup, Ceylon bitters) that riff the local terroir.