Kurulu Bay

It’s named not for an ocean bay, but for its setting on the shores of Koggala Lake, a large and environmentally significant natural lagoon on the south coast of Sri Lanka, just inland from the spectacular Ahangama Beach. Kurulu Bay is an eco-resort that makes the most of its surroundings, which include a bird sanctuary and a vast expanse of dense lakeside forest. And it’s a hotel of some artistic distinction as well, built as it is around the Kurulu House, a residence built by the highly regarded local architect Channa Daswatte.

A mere 14 suites and cottages make up the accommodations, which spread out in the landscape around the Kurulu House, and carry on in the style established by the house. They vary from garden-facing suites to unique raised treehouses, and all are built in the tropical modernist style set by the original house.

The spa combines Eastern and Western therapies, and yoga classes are taught in an elevated, open-walled space surrounded by the canopies of frangipani trees. And the Kitchen, similarly open to the breeze, serves three meals a day with views of the lake and a menu inspired by a “sea-to-table” philosophy.