In Conversation with Champika De Silva from Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle

And there’s no escaping the fact: this is a wonderfully peaceful place. The team at Anantara, Champika included, are committed to that ethos and a quick flick through the hotel Instagram and it seems as though they’re doing rather a good job. Guests stay in either a room – rain shower and all – or a villa, where a private pool and host service make sure that the most stressful decision to make will be when to eat lunch. Or where to eat it. Anantara Peace Haven itself has every option from moonlit restaurants overlooking the breaking waves to romantic, tucked away private decks. Further afield, Champika mentions the excellently named ‘Mama’s Kitchen’, an immersive local dining experience where guests overlook the rolling paddy fields as they dine on some of the tastiest dishes the area has to offer.

And then of course, there’s Tangalle. A gem of a town on the coast, there’s more seafood on offer here than almost anywhere you can imagine, the local fishing communities serving fish so fresh it would have been swimming just hours before. Away from the food, the town boasts some of the island’s most beautiful beaches alongside some fine cultural treasures. The Mulkirigala Rock Temple in particular is a must-visit, an ancient Buddhist site that sits atop a 205-metre high slab of rock and that has been a sacred place for over 1,500 years. If you fancy it, the hotel can lay on a visit there that includes a meditation with the local monk. Colombo, too, is within striking distance of the hotel, with all of the cultural, culinary and natural delights that it has to offer.

Champika’s keen to stress that it’s not all straight up relaxing at Peace Haven; this is a hotel with myriad adventures that blend their ethos of contemporary luxury with authentic Sri Lanka. In nearby Mirissa, guests can take a boat to catch a glimpse of whales – for those lucky enough, that might include the notably solitary and tough to spot Blue Whale. There’s a great surf break at Kudawella, with guides and instructors to help even the most novice wave-catchers, an elephant safari in Yala, a turtle sanctuary visit and beautiful, Instagram-worthy sunrise kayaking.

It’s fair to say that this is working. Champika mentions that the guest feedback they receive from their international – predominantly UK and European – markets is overwhelmingly positive and often highlights the serene atmosphere of the hotel, the breadth of its activities and the friendliness of the team. It’s a team that remains mainly local, something Anantara is keen to continue so that local traditional and cultural elements can simply become part of the hotel’s daily operations.