Santani Wellness
KANDY, SRI LANKA
I love bookending our bigger adventures with slightly fancier stays - the first acting as a buffer for the onset of jet lag and then the final to take the sting out of your return flight home. As it happens, we couldn’t have chosen a better final act to our Sri Lankan adventure.
Santani Wellness bills itself as a purpose-built wellness resort, perched on a hilltop north-west of Kandy. With 48-acres of tropical jungle and an entire forest to play with, it’s remote. To get there, you’ll need weave through Kandy city before tackling tight hairpin bends for another hour. As you wind your way up, you’ll spot signs for Santani (reassuring when you’re convinced you’ve taken the wrong turn 30 minutes ago) but nothing will prepare you for the arrival. Suddenly the tiny single lane opens up into an outdoor lobby, and as we stumbled out the car (defeated by the four hour drive), we were handed a cold towel and even colder drink. Abandoning the chaotic morning’s journey in the boot of the car, we made our way to the main house where we quickly realised that it’s very quiet at Santani Wellness. Very quiet. The team speak in hushed tones, electric golf buggies silently glide around and humming A/C units are non-existent thanks to the natural ventilation throughout the hotel. It’s not just form over function either, as the angled slat-like design saves 70% energy compared to a regular air-conditioned hotel. Smart.
The light was slipping and we had to squint, but we could just make out the faint outline of Santani in the distance, softly illuminated by flickering lanterns. It looked very quiet, and it felt good to know that this wouldn’t change.
With 20 standalone chalets spread throughout the grounds, it’s very rare that you bump into fellow guests, something that I really cherished at the end of long adventure spent hotel hopping. There are two room categories, Mountain and Garden, but the view is the only differentiator. I really, really recommend nabbing a Mountain View chalet. Whilst the sunsets are dreamy, it’s at sunrise that the magic happens. The chalets sit 2,800 feet above sea level so when the conditions are just right, you’ll wake up to a soufflé of fluffy clouds gathering outside your balcony doors.
Along with the chalets, there’s a main pavilion which houses an elevated restaurant and bar, a small-but-sweet infinity pool towards the back of the grounds, and then a very chic, very tucked away spa. The hotel is incredibly beautiful - it’s an architectural playground. That said, you’ll probably want to leave any cameras or phones in your room. After a quick glance at their website, it was clear Santani Wellness errs on the side of digital blackout (wifi is only available in your chalet and you won’t find a screen anywhere). It’s also an expensive experience, so I was conscious of losing time to the usual internet holes I fall down (looking at you, Buzzfeed). Ditch the phones in your chalet and be selective with when you take snaps.
Meal times are also something to get excited about as Santani offers a personalised approach to everything a guest eats. After checking in, the head chef found us for a brief runthrough of any allergies or preferences we might have (fussy eaters, rejoice!) and then we continued to have chats with him after every meal so he can prepare for our next. There’s a strong Sri Lankan offering and a Western menu is also up for grabs but we couldn’t get enough of the breakfast hoppers and curry feasts in the evening. The restaurant follows Ayurvedic principles so food is always freshly prepared and the menu is nutrient rich. It’s worth pointing out that a lot of reviews mention a ban on alcohol but we found a fully stocked bar and wine menu on offer, so sundowners are always a possibility.
Completing the wellness offering is the award-winning spa, which was a welcome treat for our weary bodies. Treehouses, trains and beaches make for a memorable adventure but they don’t really allow for much downtime so we were keen to end the trip on a restful note. We booked in for a treatment each and vowed to make the most of the sauna, steam room and yoga on offer. The use of spa facilities is included in your stay and there’s a complimentary sunrise and sunset yoga session for all guests, but for something a little more personalised, you can book additional treatments or classes. Like the rest of the hotel, the spa is quiet, the surroundings are memorable (my facial was in an open room at sunset with monkeys chattering in the background) and the team are warm and welcoming. The spa is there to make you feel good about yourself, and we both couldn’t stop grinning after a combination of sunset yoga and our treatments.
Santani Wellness is an expensive treat, but the hefty room rate is a rightful trade-off for the fluffy clouds, seamless service and serenity. The winding journey back down the mountain towards the airport was a glum one, but 40 minutes in, our taxi driver pulled over to the side of the road and pointed across the valley. The light was slipping and we had to squint, but we could just make out the faint outline of Santani in the distance, softly illuminated by flickering lanterns. It looked very quiet, and it felt good to know that this wouldn’t change. As we pulled away and the lanterns became fireflies on the horizon, our pocket of quiet remained, hidden in the midst of a busy jungle.
Santani Wellness, from £300 per night
