Private affair: Ani Villas, a collection of 15 luxurious and locally inspired houses (think modern, open air pavilions that hide mod cons), is the way to do Sri Lanka in style. Private chefs, cha eurs and butlers are at your beck and call, while you can do yoga on the exclusive stretch of beach or enjoy traditional music lessons in your villa. Food lovers can learn to cook Sri Lankan cuisine or tour tea plantations.

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Private affair
Ani Villas, a collection of 15 luxurious and locally inspired houses (think
modern, open air pavilions that hide mod cons), is the way to do Sri Lanka
in style. Private chefs, chaffeurs and butlers are at your beck and call, while
you can do yoga on the exclusive stretch of beach or enjoy traditional
music lessons in your villa. Food lovers can learn to cook Sri Lankan cuisine
or tour tea plantations.
anivillas.com
Local favourite
The Owl and the Pussycat is everything you want from
a boutique hotel – it used local artisans to design and
create the 16 suites, and each guest is treated like a
family friend. Pull up a chair at the cocktail shack on
the beach, mediate in the al fresco yoga pavilion or
relax next to the palm tree fringed pool. Each suite
feels like a colourful, stylish magazine spread.
otphotel.com
Beach chic
For a truly intimate escape, Casa
Colombo in Mirissa has just six
suites, each with its own butler.
Think high tech meets modern Sri
Lankan design, complete with rich
wood and pretty pools. Sail off in
the hotel yacht, curl up on a torchlit
cabana in the huge grounds in the
evening or pick your food from the
local market and have it cooked
and served on the beach.
casacolombocollection.com
3Jungle fever
Local boutique chain UGA now has
five star Chena huts, which sit
between Yala National Park
and the Indian Ocean on
the island’s south coast.
From here you can head
out on safari to discover
leopards, sloths and
monkeys, while away
from dry land there
are often humpback
and blue whales to
spot. There’s no roughing
it either, each of the 14
huts comes with a private
plunge pool.
ugaescapes.com
Sri Lanka is on everyone’s bucket list this year and the island isn’t short
of cool and contemporary boutique hotels.
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