Santani is a luxury wellness retreat, set on a former hilltop tea estate, in the green heartland of Sri Lanka. Founded by Sri Lankan Vickum Nawagamuwage, who was educated at Harvard before working for Deloitte, it offers Ayurvedic remedies to balance mind and body. The concept behind its architecture is inspired by the country's Buddhist meditation caves and yet it opens out the world with its floor-to-ceiling windows, showcasing the spectacular Knuckles mountain range.
Set among 48 acres of lush vegetation, Santani has twenty villas, slotted seamlessly into the landscape on exposed steel pillars with naturally finished cement walls and timber flooring. Inside, the zen like minimalist design features a four-poster bed on polished floor with two chairs to sit and contemplate. Another pair of chairs are set on the veranda with a glass parapet that ensures no part of the view has an obstruction. The concept here is to relax, calm the nerves and focus.
There are no set menus: at Santani you’ll have your very own customised meal-plan, specially designed by chef Wajira Gamage and Santani’s very own Ayurvedic doctor, Dr Sreekanth Nair. When it comes to relaxing, descend level-by-level into the spa for hydrotherapy or take a dip in the infinity lap pool with the wilderness for a view. Beyond spa and wellness treatments, guests at Santani can enjoy yoga classes, swimming, trekking through tea plantations and following hiking trails.
Amenities
24hr Room ServiceBar/PubConciergeCribs/Infant Beds AvailableFamily RoomFitness CentreGardenLibraryMultilingual StaffOutdoor PoolRestaurantSafety Deposit BoxesSpa/SaunaWi-Fi AvailableYoga Classes/Instruction On SiteStay Accommodation at Santani is offered in 18 rooms, of which 16 are stand-alone Mountain View Chalets and the remaining two rooms with a common living area, set at some distance from the chalets. All are stylishly furnished and deliberately minimalist in design with no TVs to avoid distractions and increase focus. Each room extends onto a private terrace, offering stunning views over the surrounding mountains.
ChildCare Due to the nature of the resort, Santani, the rooms cannot be made into triples and the resort welcomes kids above the age of 12 years.
Dine Dining at Santani is an exquisite affair, where the all-inclusive resort experience includes a custom gourmet wellness menu. Expertly trained chefs prepare an array of natural and healthy dishes according to the guests personalised meal plan, drawing from three central themes of Detox, Ayurvedic Vegetarian and Ketogenic. The food is exceptional and all locally sourced and served in the elevated glass-walled restaurant with breathtaking views of the valley.
Relax Tucked into the side of a hill, Santani offers the ultimate in Ayurveda treatments. Following an assessment by Dr Sreekanth to determine your dosha, gear up for a tailored programme. Everything is covered: weight loss, anti-ageing, joint pain, exhaustion, trauma and depression. There's a thermal-salt bath that is excellent for skin conditions. There’s also a yoga and meditation pavilion as well as a 24-metre infinity pool, that is great for keeping fit during your stay.
Experience In addition to spa and wellness, there is much to do at Santani. Guests can go hiking through the hills or the Knuckles Range or “Dumbara”, a barrage of intricate peaks incused by deep valleys. In the southwest is Hantane Ranger Reserve, from the top of which, Knuckles Range can be seen across the Kandy plateau all the way down to the lowlands. One day visit the cultural town of Kandy to see its Temple of the tooth and take in the wildlife of Sri Lanka at Wasgamuwa wildlife park.
Location Santani is located on the Aratenna Estate, spanning 48-acres that make it a perfect secluded spot. Just 50-minutes north east of Kandy's town centre, Santani can be found The Hill Country of Sri Lanka.
Getting there Fly to Colombo Bandaranayake Airport. From there Santani is roughly 3-hours away by car. However please be aware that you are more likely to arrive with a driver as part of a trip around Sri Lanka.
When to go Sri Lanka is a year-round destination with consistently warm temperatures and lots of sunshine. However, it barely gets unbearably hot in the Hill Country. The months of December to April are probably the best time to visit, when days are warm (around 28C) with cool nights. During the monsoon season from October to December you can expect heavy downpours. June to September are the driest months here when there’s almost no rain at all.
Destination
Central, Sri Lanka
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