Wallawwa

Rooms

All rooms are vast – our jaws dropped when we saw the size of our bathroom – and high ceilings and lots of windows mean they are light, cool and very comfortable. Add huge beds, super comfy mattresses and black-out shades and you're pretty much guaranteed a great night's sleep.

Decor is stylish in sage greens, creams and petrol blues; rooms are well equipped with flatscreen TVs, plenty of wardrobe space and window seats (which can be made into an extra bed for a child) as well as a small terrace. Relaxing and calm, they impart a definite sense of serenity.

Some rooms – including our Garden room on our most recent visit – surround a central courtyard complete with tropical ornamental pond (we were promised frogs but didn't spot them). The other rooms stretch along a corridor behind the restaurant and spa areas.

Our only quibble was to do with the bathroom. Sizewise things were amazing, with a vast walk-in shower and deep twin sinks, but there isn't a tub (heaven knows, there's space for one!). On the upside we loved the bathroom products (which you can use but not take away – environmentally sound). The largest category, the Mountbatten Suite, does come with an egg bath as well as a private plunge pool (and a second bedroom with two queensize beds – perfect for families).

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Fan
• Hairdryer
• In-room treatments available
• Mosquito net
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

Breakfast and dinner are taken at the open-sided veranda restaurant overlooking the 200 year old tropical gardens; lunch too, if you are around. When we asked about dining times, we were told "Any time, this is your home now." There's 24-hour room service if you feel it's too cheeky to do so in the restaurant. There's also a social hour daily 5-6pm if you'd like to mingle with other guests, and afternoon tea at 3.30pm if you've room – both are included in the rates.

The food was amongst the best we had in Sri Lanka. A mouth-watering global fusion menu, combining everything from pan-seared barramundi to eggs Benedict and excellent, authentic curries. It's kept small so you're guaranteed high quality and fresh produce, much of it from the hotel's gardens which cultivate fruit, vegetables and spices. For dinner we opted for the Sri Lankan lagoon prawn curry and were delighted with the array of steaming bowls that arrived – curry for one can definitely be a curry for two here!

At breakfast, the egg hoppers with a fresh and spicy sambol, and the buffalo curd with treacle, were just the ticket to set us up for our journey. You also get a plate of fresh tropical fruit and sides of toast and pastries.

If you’re feeling inspired by the local flavours you’ve been sampling, you can join in on one of Wallawwa’s Sri Lankan Cookery Demonstrations, in which the chefs will let you pick out fresh herbs from their very own spice garden and then share with you their tips and secrets to making a delicious traditional feast. You can also pair this cookery lesson with their Negombo Fish Market Tour for a more thorough insight into the local and seasonal produce.

If you want to dine out, Colombo has a vast array of restaurants to choose from – just ask for the latest recommendations.

Features include:

• Breakfast
• Kids' meals
• Organic produce
• Restaurant
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Book a massage in the spa – a must for those coming off a long-haul flight, but an affordable treat at any time
  
• Head to the pool for a swim, or lounge by its side on those too-hot-to-move days
  
• If it rains, curl up in the library with a book or play one of the board games till the storm passes
  
• Take a relaxing canal and lagoon boat trip around the Mutharajawela Wetlands – for sightings of crocodiles, monkeys, birdlife and flora
  
• If you want a learn more about the fascinating culture, the hotel can arrange a tour to the Pilikuttuwa Rajamaha Temple, a monastic meditation complex built 2,400 years ago. From there you can walk up the hill to explore 99 caves where the monks used to meditate, and take in the panoramic views
  
• For those with green fingers, opt for a tour to the Henarathgoda Botanical Garden, where the first rubber tree planted in Sri Lanka still stands. The garden has an extensive collection of palms and orchids and is also home to nearly 80 species of birds and 18 species of mammal, including the Sri Lankan flying squirrel
  
• The National Museum and the Dutch Period Museum are both worth a visit in Colombo
  
• Colombo has the best shopping on the whole island, so ask the team for some advice and grab a taxi into town if retail therapy is your vice
  
• The hotel also arranges Colombo Art or Religious Tours, which each visit a number of significant cultural venues around the city, as well as a bespoke Negombo City walk, which concludes on a boat ride on the Negombo Lagoon

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Cycling
• Fishing
• Golf
• Hiking
• Horse riding
• Hot air ballooning
• Kayaking
• Sailing
• Scuba diving
• Snorkelling
• Surfing
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Windsurfing
• Yoga

Kids

A good option for families, with safe, lawned grounds and excellent, flexible service. Note that the pool and pond are not protected in any way.

Best for:

Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

Garden Suites have an extra bed for a child – actually a window seat made into a bed. Two pairs of rooms are interconnecting (1 double Garden Suite and 1 twin Wallawwa Room, in each case) and can make a Family Suite, which can sleep up to 5 (by adding an extra bed). The Mountbatten Suite is the largest option for a family of five as it comes with an additional bedroom with two queensize beds, and comes with its own plunge pool and bathtub.

Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Airport: 20 minutes
• Hospital: 15 minutes
• Shops: 10 minutes

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Wallawwa is 10km / 20 minutes east of Colombo airport, and about 60 minutes' drive northeast of Colombo city centre. The beaches of Negombo are 30 minutes away. The nearest town is Kotugoda.

By Air
Fly into Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport (10km).

From the Airport
The hotel can organise a car to collect you from Colombo airport, which takes 15-30 minutes depending on traffic.

By Car
If you want to hire a car, bear in mind that Sri Lanka’s roads are in bad condition and speed limits are low, so even short distances take a long time. It can take up to 3 hours to cross Colombo at rush hour! We recommend hiring a driver and car if you’re planning to travel around Sri Lanka. Enquire through our Tailormade Tour Operator; they can collect you at Colombo airport when you land, drive you to the hotel, then drive you to your onward destination(s) after your stay, as well as taking you on all day trips etc.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.