Tekanda Lodge

Wrapped in ten acres of its own private estate with 360° views including Koggala Lake to the west and distant views of the Indian Ocean to the south, the regal Tekanda Lodge has just six rooms. The estate is sometimes rented out for exclusive use, but even for those occupying a single suite, the refined eco-lodge offers plenty in the way of privacy and luxury. The place was once a tea and coconut plantation, and some organic crops are still grown on the grounds, including cinnamon, which is pleasingly aromatic when it catches on the morning breeze.

The main lodge houses four rooms, all set around a traditional courtyard and featuring private verandas with views of the surrounding landscape. The look mixes colonial charm with safari chic: beds draped with breezy white mosquito netting, handmade wooden furniture, antique-looking writing desks, and light-flooded bathrooms, two of which come with freestanding tubs. A pair of cabanas, set slightly apart from the lodge, are especially striking, with high, vaulting wood-beamed ceilings, four-poster beds, and lounge space with built-in daybeds.

Served on the lodge’s main deck or in rooms on request is a lavish breakfast with tropical fruits and Sri Lankan dishes. Most guests are out exploring during the day, but a gorgeous infinity pool, reflecting the silhouette of palm trees and bordered by a spacious stone deck, is a perfect place to cool off afterward. Later, banana leaf–wrapped fish and other local specialties are prepared for a communal-style open-air dinner, and drinks — many incorporating tea and other ingredients grown on the grounds — flow freely under the stars.