Luxury hotel holiday Lunuganga Bentota

Lunuganga is a good choice for those seeking an insight into the life and work of the architect Geoffrey Bawa. The residence can be viewed as piece of artwork, although guests can stay there as well as simply visit the wonderful gardens. Guests will enjoy the unique and quirky design on the rooms as well as exploring the extensive estate. Expressions Holidays recommends Lunuganga as a short stay for those interested in art and architecture as part of one of our touring holidays of Sri Lanka.
Included in your Expressions holiday
  • Accommodation in a double or twin room on bed and breakfast
  • Scheduled flights with Sri Lankan Airlines
  • Transport by private car with driver-guide if part of tour or private car transfers only
  • Concierge service and Expressions Holidays regional helpful hints
  • Optional room, board and flight upgrades. Details on request

Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Lunuganga Estate, near Bentota

Lunuganga is an exclusive, small luxury boutique hotel in a beautiful natural location. The country house of the famous architect Geoffrey Bawa, it offers a fascinating insight into his architect and offers a serene getaway from the bustle of Bentota.

Facts in brief

Official star rating Small luxury boutique

Location In the countryside, approximately 40-miles from Galle

Annual opening All year

Closest airport Colombo

Distance from airport About 3 hours by car

Hotel facilities and services

Sri Lankan home cooking and international menu available, Landscaped gardens and tropical forest, Lakefront views, Outdoor Terraces, Main house - sitting and dining areas, A small team of staff, Geoffrey Bawa books, information, and memorabilia.

Out and about nearby

Dedduwa lake and the islands of Appaladuwa and Honduwa, Brief Garden, Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery, Aluthgama market, three ancient temples.

Sports nearby

Watersports and Scuba diving can be arranged at Bentota.

Special offers for this holiday>

Absolutely loved it. Bespoke sense of the trip is very good. Very pleasant and efficient service.
Mrs H, Sep 2023

Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Glass room for 7 nights

From about

£1,690

Holiday Code EXH975

The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.

Call us on 01392 441245

Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Lunuganga Estate, near Bentota

Lunuganga is a beautiful country estate set in picturesque landscaped gardens, a short distance inland from Bentota and the south-west coast. Created in 1947 from a rubber and cinnamon plantation by Geoffrey Bawa, Lunuganga proved to be the catalyst that launched Bawa's long and distinguished architectural career. This country retreat became Bawa's lifetime architectural experiment and he continued to muse with its spaces and structures until shortly before his death in 2003. Now administered by The Geoffrey Bawa Trust, Lunuganga is open for the public to enjoy, either by staying in one of the bedrooms on the estate, or by visiting the magnificent gardens during the daytime (so if you stay, be prepared to have people wandering around the grounds). Offering a rare opportunity to stay in a living museum, you may wallow in the artistic surroundings of the Guest Room of the main house where Bawa lived, in the romantic Glass Room, the split-level Studio, The Gate House or Cinnamon Hill House - each one quirky and totally unique. Sri Lankan and Western-style meals are enjoyed at the terrace or dining room of the main house (or at Cinnamon Hill House if you are staying there). Days can be spent wandering around the gardens and discovering the beauties of Dedduwa lake and the tranquil ponds, natural habitats for colourful birds and damselflies, lizards and frogs. Wonderful views will appear at every turn as you meander past rice paddies, rubber, areca, ficus and frangipani trees along the intricate paths. Due to the unusual architecture and layout of the buildings, the profusion of artefacts and antique furniture and the natural environment that surrounds, visitors need to take personal care when staying at Lunuganga Estate. The Trust makes every effort to preserve Lunuganga exactly as Geoffrey Bawa left it, so potentially hazardous designs, such as the open ledge with a 6 ft drop in the Studio and the slippery, mossy paths, have been left as they are. Lunuganga should be seen as a living art gallery and a study in architecture and landscape design, certainly not as a hotel. There is no liquor licence but clients can bring alcoholic beverages with them to be served at table at no corkage charge.

Room descriptions

Lunuganga has 6 rooms, all with Air-conditioning, Double bed, Individual design, En-suite bathroom - some bathrooms only have a shower, no bath.

Glass Room It has one bedroom and a shower room, that opens onto trees
Gate House One-bedroom suite, bath and shower
Cinnamon Hill House Bungalow with sitting area and two bedrooms each with en suite bathrooms. Small kitchen where staff can prepare meals to serve on the covered veranda.
Guest Room in the Main House Has a small private sitting area overlooking a walled courtyard. The bedroom has no view.
Studio Gallery The largest room on the estate. A double bed is in the middle of the upper level gallery. Narrow steps - which do not have a handrail - go down to a stunning sitting room.

Special offers for this holiday>

Absolutely loved it. Bespoke sense of the trip is very good. Very pleasant and efficient service.
Mrs H, Sep 2023

Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Glass room for 7 nights

From about

£1,690

Holiday Code EXH975

The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.

Call us on 01392 441245

Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Lunuganga Estate, near Bentota

The journey and how you get there

For a holiday to Lunuganga in Sri Lanka, our clients fly to Colombo, usually with Sri Lankan Airways on a direct flight from London Heathrow (or with Emirates from other UK airports via Dubai). This hotel is 2 hours’ drive from Colombo airport and is either a stay in its own right, in which case you will have a car transfer to the hotel and back, or it is stayed at as a coast extension at the end of a tailor-made touring holiday, in which case you will approach the hotel from a different location.

Additional information

Children: The only accommodation that is suitable for families with children is at Cinnamon Hill bungalow which has two double bedrooms at ground level and where extra beds can be arranged. Children under 12 are not encouraged.

Special offers

Call to make your booking and save an extra £50 per adult Call us instead of emailing us when you are thinking of booking a holiday and save an extra £50 per adult (in addition to any special offers that might be available). We want to talk to you to discuss your requirements and a phone call is usually the best way for you to define what you want enabling us to respond more accurately. We want to talk to you and you save an extra £50 per adult.

Absolutely loved it. Bespoke sense of the trip is very good. Very pleasant and efficient service.
Mrs H, Sep 2023

Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Glass room for 7 nights

From about

£1,690

Holiday Code EXH975

The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.

Call us on 01392 441245

Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Lunuganga Estate, near Bentota

About South west coast

An Expressions tailor-made holiday to the south-west coast of Sri Lanka incorporates a popular holiday destination for tropical sun, sea and sand. It offers wonderful beaches and a variety of hotels and guests houses to choose from, with the added attraction of having local life and interesting places to see and things to do nearby. What’s more, facing directly west to the Indian Ocean, visitors are treated to the most magical sunset views. This 100-kilometre coastline between the cities of Colombo and Galle is blessed with miles of palm-fringed golden beaches interspersed with harbours, inlets, mangrove-lined rivers and lagoons. Bentota and Beruwela are the primary locations for restaurants and nightclubs which are mostly found in hotels, and also offer a range of watersports along with Hikkaduwa. Hotels of every size and quality vie with private villas, coconut plantations and fishing villages for a space on the beachfront and those priceless Indian Ocean views. We have selected a range of hotels on Sri Lanka's south-west coast which are ideally located to explore the highlights of the region, including luxurious boutique hotels and resorts such as Saman Villas and Serene Pavilions.

Highlights of Bentota, Wadduwa & the south west coast

In addition to relaxing on the beach, there are plenty of other things to see and do in this region. In and around Wadduwa: Fishing life along the coast; Long beach walks; Kalutara – famous for its historic Bo tree, grown from a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura, and Gangatilaka Vihara Temple - the only Buddhist shrine in the world which is hollow; Kalu Ganga (river) and Bolgoda lake; Richmond Castle – a 19th century spice plantation mansion, built for a regional Governor resembling an Indian Maharaja’s palace design, now open to the public. In and around Bentota/Beruwela: Watersports at Bentota/Beruwela on the Bentota river (there is a well-equipped centre offering a range of motorised and non-motorised water sports, including diving); Bentota mangrove river boat trip; Long beach walks; Brief Garden – home and landscaped gardens created by Bevis Bawa, the artist brother of Geoffrey Bawa. Behind a bamboo hedge lie walled gardens, bowers, lawns, sculptures and a Japanese garden; Lunuganga Estate – the home of celebrated Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa; Aluthgama – shops and market; Galapita Vihara Buddhist Temple - 12th century, 5 km upriver. Inland: Singharaja Rainforest; Plantations, farming and craft villages. Between Bentota and Galle: Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery; Buddhist Temples – e.g. Kumarakanda Vihara; Balapitiya –boat trips on Madu Ganga river and lagoon – birdlife, water monitors, islands; Mask carving and painting in Ambalangoda; Moonstone quarry in Meetyagoda; Beach walks; Hikkaduwa - tourist shops and restaurants, lower budget; Fishing trips, Snorkelling and scuba diving, waterskiing, kayaking, windsurfing and sailing – at Hikkaduwa (12 km from Galle). Wherever you stay on the south-west coast, day excursions can be made to historic Galle, Buddhist temples, Sinharaja Rainforest, Ambalangoda mask factory, the Kosgoda turtle hatchery. The water sports facilities at Bentota/Beruwela (or Hikkaduwa) are within an hour’s drive from any of the hotels.

Cultural highlights of Bentota, Wadduwa & the south west coast

In the small towns and villages that straddle the main trunk road and railway line, Buddhist temples sit alongside churches and mosques whilst livelihoods are gained through a mix of tourism, trading and fishing, farming and skilled crafts. It is fascinating to stroll along the beach and watch the fishermen preparing to launch their brightly-painted boats, later seeing them return with their catch. A venture into the hinterland reveals a world of lush plantations, tropical forests and lagoons. The rural villages are often known for a particular skill such as furniture or mask-making and weaving using dyed reed. Wadduwa, Bentota, Beruwela and the stretch of coast between Bentota and Galle all offer golden sand beaches, small fishing communities and watersports. Further inland, the Sinharaja rainforest is the only large undisturbed rainforest left in Sri Lanka where over 800 of the island’s endemic species of flora and fauna can be found.

Climate of Bentota, Wadduwa & the south west coast

The south-western part of Sri Lanka is the wet tropical zone. It is warm and humid all year round. Sea breezes make the coast a little cooler. The sunny, dry season is between November and March with average temperatures at around 26C. The south-west monsoon brings intermittent torrential rain, winds and rough seas, normally in May, June and July, with temperatures of up to 32C.There is also changeable weather during September and October. Humidity fluctuates between 70% in the day and 90% at night, which can be oppressive in built up areas.

Travel around the region

We include private transfers with all our holidays to Sri Lanka, and a personal chauffer with all our touring holidays. Driving Distances: Colombo International Airport to Wadduwa – 1.5 to 2 hours (56 km), Colombo International Airport to Bentota – 2 ½ to 3 hours (90 km), Colombo International Airport to Galle – 3 hours (150 km), Wadduwa to Kandy – 4 hours, Bentota to Kandy – 4.5 hours (180 km), Colombo to Wadduwa – 45 mins to 1 hour (30 km).

Call us on 01392 441245

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