The Kandy House

The first upscale boutique hotel in Sri Lanka’s interior brings new meaning to the phrase "instant classic." Though it opened in 2005, Kandy House has roots two centuries old — from 1804 on it was home to one of Sri Lanka’s ruling families — and the stylish, newly renovated interiors stop a bit short of trendy minimalism, instead mixing modern fixtures and materials with traditional architecture and an impressive array of antique furniture.

All of the eight rooms (and one suite) are contained in the old manor house, so the experience is a remarkably authentic one — there’s no television, so you’re forced to engage with your environment a bit, throw open those windows or even step out on the veranda and survey the grounds of the estate and the jungle beyond. Authentic doesn’t mean uncomfortable, though, as even in the two rooms that don’t have air conditioning, the ceiling fans and the gentle hill country breeze keep things cool, and the four-poster beds and claw-foot tubs are classic low-tech luxury.

In fact there’s little to do here that wouldn’t have been possible to 19th-century guests as well — the courtyard and the veranda are still the house’s main attractions, though the pool is presumably of newer vintage. Food is upscale traditional Sri Lankan, with produce selected daily from the market in Kandy proper. And for a look into Sri Lanka’s pre-colonial past, you can't do better than the city of Kandy and its surrounding region — this part of the interior was the last holdout against colonization, and cultural monuments abound, including the Temple of the Tooth Relic of Buddha (which is, if you’re wondering, pretty much exactly what it sounds like).

Please note: The Kandy House only accepts children over the age of 12.