Sri Lanka’s breathtaking scenery and beaches are even more appealing to couples now there are romantic, luxurious hotels to match. Linsey McNeill reports
Image: Paul Hackette
Sri Lanka has all the ingredients for a romantic holiday – secluded beaches, heart-stopping views, year-round sunshine and welcoming locals.
But until recently a lack of top-notch hotels meant that the island was often overlooked by wedding couples and honeymooners.
Not any longer, however. Several outstanding properties have opened over the past couple of years.
“Sri Lanka has certainly developed as a honeymoon destination,” said Cox and Kings marketing director Philip Hamilton-Grierson. “There has been a particular growth in small, intimate, luxury boutique-style hotels in main tourist areas.”
Recent additions include the Fortress in the port town of Galle, Vil Uyana among the rainforests of Sigiriya, the boutique Kandy House in the cultural capital Kandy, the minimalist Amanwella resort on the south coast and Taprobana in the upmarket west coast resort of Bentota.
Where to propose
Sigiriya Rock
Climb to the top of this 200-metre rock early in the morning when there are few tourists around and you’ll feel like the only two people in the world. Alternatively, go in the late afternoon and pop the question as the sun sets over the jungle.
Peradeniya Botanic Gardens
Lovers flock to the Royal Botanic gardens, on the outskirts of Kandy. The beautiful grounds are so large you can easily find your own secluded spot; consider proposing among the fragrant orchids or under the rare coco de mer tree.
A gem factory, Kandy
Sri Lanka is famous for mining sapphires and other, semi-precious stones. Pick out your own gem at a factory where designers will arrange to have it set in a ring within a matter of hours.
Where to get married
Eden Resort & Spa, Beruwela
Sitting on Sri Lanka’s famed ‘Golden Mile’, the hotel has lots of activities to keep an active wedding party happy, but it’s the deluxe rooms, which come with four-poster beds and butler service, that couples rave about.
Upgrade to the penthouse suite and you’ll get stunning views, which make a great backdrop for the wedding photos.
Sample package: Hayes & Jarvis has seven night packages from £575 per person, departing in April, which includes accommodation with breakfast and flights.
The Gold wedding package, costing £585, includes an elephant ride, blessing sung by girls in traditional costume, a video, photographs, massage for the bride and groom and pre-wedding ayurvedic packages, canapés and drinks for up to 10 guests, a five-course candlelit dinner and an upgrade to a suite on the wedding night.
Taj Exotica, Bentota
Situated in Sri Lanka’s classiest resort of Bentota on a headland overlooking the Indian Ocean, the Taj is a top notch property with high standards of service. Two Presidential villas come with private plunge pools, there’s a superb beach and spa.
Sample package: Somak has seven nights bed and breakfast from £1,249 per person, including flights in January. Its wedding package, which includes a spa treatment for the couple, an elephant to greet them on arrival and a candlelit seafood dinner, costs £689.
Ranweli Holiday Village, Negombo
Perfect for couples looking for a hideaway, this eco-friendly property stands on a 20-acre oasis surrounded by a lagoon, river and the Indian Ocean and reached by private ferry. Accommodation is in 72 bungalows designed to resemble a traditional Sri Lankan village.
Low-key activities on offer include nature walks, butterfly watching, canoeing and cycle rides and there’s also an ayurvedic centre, yoga and meditation classes to help couples relax before the wedding.
Sample package: Virgin Holidays has seven nights half board from £799 per person, including flights from April to June 08. Wedding packages including a wedding cake cost from £529.
Where to honeymoon
Kani Lanka Resort & Spa, Kalutara
Situated by the Kalu Ganga River and hidden among coconut groves, this hip hotel has a chilled atmosphere that will appeal to couples needing to recover from the Big Day.
The Kani Spa offers a range of treatments, and other facilities available on site include a fitness centre, library, tennis courts, snooker and volleyball.
Sample package: First Choice offers seven nights half-board from £660 per person, including flights in June 08.
Fortress Hotel, Koggala beach, Galle
Offering a fusion of contempary chic and five-star luxury, the Fortress is right on a golden beach and very close to the UNESCO World Heritage port of Galle with its quaint streets and stylish restaurants.
One of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, it has an Aquum Spa offering ayurvedic therapies, a yoga pavilion and free-flowing pool. There are 49 rooms in five different styles, and two suites.
Sample package: Kuoni offers seven nights’ bed and breakfast from £815 in May 2008, including flights, transfers and, for honeymoon couples, a bottle of wine and antipasto platter, champagne cocktail and a private four-course dinner in the Garden Courtyard Pavilion.
A private Sri Lanka tour
Sri Lanka has no fewer than seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, making it a great destination for couples who like a bit of culture with their romance.
Choose a chauffeur-driven tour that includes accommodation in some of Sri Lanka’s finest boutique hotels and some quiet time in one of the island’s secluded beach resorts and you’ve got all the ingredients for a perfect honeymoon.
Sample package: Cox & Kings has a private 13-day tour including the ancient city of Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, the rock caves at Dambulla, Kandy, the Tea Trails and Horton Plain, with three nights at the end at the beach in Bentota.
Hotels include Galle Face, Kandy House, Vil Uyana and Saman Villas. It costs from £2,645 per person from March to October 2008.
Romantic adventures
For some couples, a romantic holiday is about experiences that stimulate the senses – and on that front Sri Lanka doesn’t disappoint.
One of the most popular excursions is an elephant ride for two. For a couple of pounds you can ride along a beach, but you can also take an hour-long safari from the Habarana Elephant Safari Village, 200km north of Colombo, and trek through the jungle.
Recommend more active couples take a hike up Adam’s Peak, 2,234 metres above sea level. It’s best to set off at night and reach the summit in time to see the sunrise.
Another unforgettable experience is an early morning hot air balloon ride over Sigiriya rock fortress or Udawalawe national park, spotting animals roaming below.
To get up close and personal to the wildlife, take a two-day safari to Yala National Park in the southeast. Safaris leave from most of the coastal resorts.
