Sri Lankan Odyssey

The multi-faceted Sri Lankan landscape teems with activities that will charm even the most jaded of travellers. We experience the best the country has to offer at the two Aman resorts in Galle and Tangalle.

- Karishma Tulsidas

A country of countless spoils, Sri Lanka offers a little bit of everything for every type of traveller. From tea plantations to national parks, temples to white-sand beaches, it’s teeming with culture, adventure, and respite in equal measure. Covering it all in one trip is nigh on impossible, but the experts at Aman will craft an itinerary that allows travellers to pack as much or as little as they wish in one trip.

I embarked on my Sri Lankan adventure with Aman in late November, when I was invited to stay at its two luxury properties in the country. Amangalla (in Galle) and Amanwella (in Tangalle) were established in 2005 (even before the end of the civil war in 2009) and are distinct in character, allowing guests to experience a taste of all the treasures that Sri Lanka has to offer.

I start my trip in Amangalla, a former 17th-century Dutch colonial building within the UNESCO protected Galle Fort. Located a three-hour drive away from Colombo, the building has been reincarnated multiple times, the most recent being the 2005 renovations that saw it transform from the locally owned and managed New Oriental Hotel to an Aman entity. The Aman touches are present from the get-go: as soon as I disembark from the car, the Amangalla team, led by general manager Petar Krstic, welcomes me “home” and greets me by my first name.

The hotel’s colonial past is apparent in its facade and design, with arched doorways, timber divans, planter chairs, and almirahs. It’s an aesthetic that’s reminiscent of Singapore’s black-and-white bungalows, but with that signature Sri Lankan restraint and austerity. There’s no chair out of place or any fanciful objets d’art – it’s utilitarian chic, with a healthy dose of nostalgia and homeliness injected into the design. The library, for instance, is where guests are encouraged to read up about the hotel’s legacy and its previous owner.