Ludo's Research Trip to Sri Lanka

After the long flight to Sri Lanka, our first stop was Uga Riva, just around 25 minutes from the airport.

Rather than immediately embarking on a long drive into the island, Riva gave us the opportunity to slow down, have a good night's sleep, and prepare for the touring ahead. It feels much more like a private bolthole than a conventional hotel, with a wonderfully homely atmosphere, lovely gardens, and a beautiful swimming pool.

I really liked it as an option for clients arriving off a long international flight. You can land, transfer quickly to the hotel, and start your holiday gently before heading into the hills the following morning.

Santani was one of the places I was most intrigued to experience, and it offers something genuinely different from a conventional luxury hotel.

Wellness is at the heart of everything here, with a strong emphasis on personalised Ayurvedic programmes and treatments. There are doctors on site and experiences can be tailored around each guest, rather than wellness simply being an add-on to a traditional hotel stay.

The setting is spectacular. I loved the yoga platforms and the walks through the surrounding countryside, while the rooms look straight out across the landscape. Sitting there watching eagles soaring in the distance was a pretty special way to start or finish the day.

One of my favourite experiences of the entire trip was actually the cooking class. It was utterly brilliant and gave us a much better understanding of Sri Lankan ingredients and cooking. The restaurant was another standout – genuinely some of the best food I have eaten this year.

Santani has also introduced new two- and three-bedroom villa options, which open it up nicely for families or groups travelling together.

There are two things I would flag when recommending it. The individual rooms are positioned relatively close together, and they don't have air conditioning. Neither would stop me from recommending Santani, but they are important considerations when matching the hotel to the right client.

If I had to choose the hotel that stood out most on this journey, it would be Uga Halloowella.

It is a relatively new addition to Sri Lanka's tea country and immediately positions itself as a serious alternative to the established Ceylon Tea Trails.

The location is stunning, overlooking Castlereagh Reservoir, and the hotel makes the most of it. The swimming pool and Jacuzzi face towards the sunset, and there is a wonderful sense of peace throughout the property.

The rooms impressed me enormously, particularly the top category, which combined generous space with beautiful design and those incredible views. The food also felt very personal rather than overly formal, which suited the intimate nature of the property perfectly.

What elevated Halloowella beyond simply being a beautiful hotel, though, were the people and experiences. We spent time with a leopard tracker and conservationist whose passion for the area was infectious. The hotel also has some excellent connections with the surrounding community, giving you the chance to understand more about the people and conservation projects that make this part of Sri Lanka so special.

For me, this is absolutely one to watch – and one I can't wait to send clients to.

We also had the opportunity to site inspect Ceylon Tea Trails, one of Sri Lanka's best-known luxury properties and the holder of three Michelin Keys.

There was plenty I loved, particularly the dining spaces and the atmosphere of the historic tea-planter bungalows.

My biggest takeaway, however, was just how important it is to know exactly which bungalow and room to recommend. The experience can differ depending on where you stay, so this is somewhere where first-hand knowledge really matters. Rather than simply booking "Ceylon Tea Trails", I would want to be very specific about the bungalow and room category for each individual client.

Uga Ghiri is another new opening and gives Ella a proper five-star hotel option.

The rooms are superb, with plenty of space and private Jacuzzis, while the hotel also has an impressive swimming pool and spa. For clients touring Sri Lanka, I think it works particularly well as a luxurious stop that helps break up the journey towards the south.

As with many brand-new hotels, there are still a few areas that need time. The service wasn't quite as polished as some of the more established properties we visited, and the gardens need a chance to mature. At the moment, it does still feel very new.

However, the bones are excellent. Once the landscaping grows in and the team has had a little more time to settle, I think Ghiri will become a very strong option in this part of the island.

From the hills, we continued south to the coast and Uga Prāva, a tiny seven-room property perched dramatically above the Indian Ocean.

This is another hotel where the room choice makes a real difference. I particularly loved the higher-level Horizon rooms, where floor-to-ceiling glass makes the most of the uninterrupted sea views.

The 41-metre swimming pool is a major feature and the cliffside position gives the whole property a wonderful sense of drama. Food is a big part of the experience too – and there was certainly no shortage of it during our stay!

One of my favourite memories came on our final evening, when the team arranged a sundowner tea experience on the rocks beside the shore. Sitting there as the day came to an end was a lovely way to finish our time at Prāva.

Photographs can only tell you so much; seeing a hotel first-hand allows us to understand where it sits against its competitors and, most importantly, whether it represents good value for our clients. This is exactly why FAM trips and site inspections are so important, and why I was eager to visit two particularly well known coastal properties. 

First, I visited Amanwella for a site inspection.

There is no denying that the property occupies a beautiful location. I loved the restaurant and reception areas, and the beach itself is superb. However, I felt the rooms were beginning to show their age. At the price point Amanwella commands, I would personally want to see some refurbishment before recommending it to our clients. The location and fundamentals are there, but when you are paying at this level, the accommodation needs to match.

Lastly, I visited Cape Weligama, one of Sri Lanka's most established luxury coastal properties. The villas are enormous, and the recent addition of a beach club gives guests another dimension to their stay. For me, Cape Weligama and the nearby hotel, Six, are the two leading choices on the south coast for clients wanting a luxury coastal finish to their Sri Lankan journey.