Ayurveda has been at the forefront of Sri Lanka’s (and indeed India's) medical and holistic wellbeing scene for over three thousand years, founded on the belief that illness or disease is caused by an energy imbalance within our mind, body, or combined psyche.
At a time when radical numbers of Londoners are suffering from burnout, stress, extreme fatigue, and a myriad of illnesses, there's little wonder that city dwellers are looking for an alternative to Western medicine and practices, and embracing Ayurveda treatments as part of their travels.
In Sanskrit, ‘ayur’ means life and ‘veda’ is knowing or knowledge, so in simple terms, Ayurveda is ‘knowing life’ and the practice of keeping the mind and body in balance and fully connected to the planet.
Using expertise meticulously preserved over the years, Ayurvedic healers advocate plant and herbal treatment preparations, yogic poses, energy-increasing breathing techniques (Pranayama), natural herbal medicines, and oftentimes, a complete diet overhaul depending on your dosha type. There are three of these: Vata (air and space), kapha (water and earth), and pitta (fire) — with each of us thought to have a dominant dosha and differing quantities of the other two.
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When any of the five elements that make up the doshas are out of balance, biological, psychological, and physiopathological functions can be disturbed resulting in illness, stress, or pain.
Treatments to remedy these imbalances include deeply satisfying massages, oil-based therapies designed to awaken the nervous system, herbal powders to stimulate hair follicles, massage boluses made from cooked rice, and the use of boiled fresh medicated leaves to relieve issues such as rheumatism and arthritis.
When used alongside herbal medicines and a diet designed to complement your dosha, correct energy levels should be rebalanced and realigned.
So, whether you’re after a hardcore seven-day treatment plan, or simply want to experience a touch of Ayurveda, there’s a hotel in Sri Lanka for you. Here are nine of the best.
Best for luxury Ayurvedic indulgence: Amanwella, Tangalle
While Amanwella isn’t an all-encompassing Ayurvedic hotel, it does offer an ultra-luxe introduction to the ancient practice through a couple of standout treatments that draw on Sri Lanka’s cornucopia of herbs, plants, and flowers. Tailored to each individual, the hotel’s experienced therapists are influenced by Ayurvedic traditions using products such as Sandalwood powder and Tri Doshi herbal oil to help illuminate impurities from the body while rejuvenating the body and mind.
One of the hotel’s most impressive Ayurvedic treatments, Ayurveda Fusion, begins with a gentle head massage and uses long massage strokes to regulate the nervous system and improve circulation. Afterward, it’s easy to spend the rest of your day unwinding in Amanwella’s impressively elegant suites, each of which has a private pool.
Book it: Double rooms on a B&B basis start from £857 per night. aman.com
Best for a complete overhaul: Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions, Negombo
Located near the bustling fish market of Negombo, Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions is an Ayurveda-specific hotel that offers three to 21-day treatment plans with meals tailored especially to your dosha. Upon arrival, you’ll be whisked away to the hotel’s Ayurvedic doctor for blood pressure checks, body measurements, and to answer a range of questions that will determine your dosha type. A daily schedule of treatments and meals (no meat, alcohol, or caffeine) is mapped out hereafter with the best results seen after a three-week stay.
Daily morning yoga sessions are included in room rates, as are treatments, and the hotel offers all of the options you’d expect of a specific Ayurvedic hotel; Shirodhara, Abhyanga, enemas and more.
Book it: Double rooms on a full board basis, including treatments, start from £160 per night (three-night minimum stay). jetwinghotels.com
Best for travellers on a budget: Procare Ayush Ayurvedic Home, Matara
Dr. Shalika Madushani and her incredible team provide a truly authentic Ayurvedic experience in a gorgeous village near Polhena on the south coast of Sri Lanka. As well as being truly joyous to be around, Dr. Shalika provides in-depth Ayurvedic advice as well as treatment plans for a range of medical issues, from fertility struggles to burnout.
The hotel itself is a simple affair, in line with the principles of Ayurveda, and guests are encouraged to stay at least a week (preferably two) where an all-inclusive stay includes two hours of treatments per day, all meals, herbal medicine, consultations, accommodation, and daily yoga and meditation classes plus excursions if desired.
Offering a systematic approach that helps aid the elimination of toxins and promotes holistic healing, Procare Ayush Ayurvedic Home promises to aid relaxation, detoxify the body, re-energise, and help soothe the mind, body, and soul. You’ll leave feeling brand new.
Book it: Double rooms on a full board basis including treatments start from £99 per night (book direct for best rates). procareayush.com
Best for post or pre-flight relaxation: Wallawwa, Colombo
Just 15 minutes from Sri Lanka’s international airport, tranquil Wallawwa is a serene garden sanctuary where peace and relaxation await. While it’s not touted as an Ayurvedic hotel specifically, the property offers a hint of Ayurveda across a range of calming treatments making it the ideal choice for anyone wanting an introduction to the ancient practice without going too deep.
Housed in an 18th-century manor house surrounded by 200-year-old tropical gardens, the spa impresses instantly with spacious treatment rooms and highly professional therapists. Treatments include signature massages, scrubs, wraps, and herbal compresses that blend the concept of Ayurveda with Asian techniques. All are administered with Sri Lankan made products and local essential oils.
The hotel’s jungle pool where afternoon sunbeams mesmerise as they dance across the pool’s azure waters is the ideal place to while away the rest of the day.
Book it: Double rooms on a B&B basis start from £186 per night. teardrop-hotels.com
Best for outstanding architecture: Kurulu Bay, Koggala
Designed in harmony with nature and adjacent to a seriously impressive Geoffrey Bawa-inspired structure designed by the famed architects’ student, Channa Daswatte, sits this boutique hotel with 14 suites and cottages. It’s easy to spend a blissful few days at Kurulu completely relaxing beside the crocodile-festooned Koggala Lake (where the sunsets are unreal), watching mongooses play and monkeys crashing through the trees above — but the jungle estate’s Ayurvedic doctor will have other plans.
Whether you’re after a diet overhaul or simply need to de-stress, Dr. Pushpa who runs a nearby Ayurvedic practice is on hand for specifically tailored treatment plans for each and every guest. After the initial consultation, she provides homemade herbal Ayurvedic medicine designed to work alongside treatments and massage.
Book it: Double rooms on a B&B basis start from £159 per night. kurulubay.com
Best for mountain views: Santani Wellness, Kandy
If you’re after a full Ayurvedic experience but with a luxurious edge, Santani Wellness nestled in the undulating mountains surrounding the cultural capital of Kandy is your best bet. Great for solo travellers, couples, and friends, Santani boasts gorgeously designed mountain suites with the most sublime views which feel like a true haven from the fast-pace of modern life, ensuring every second of downtime is well-spent.
After an initial consultation with the hotel’s Ayurvedic doctor, meals are tailored specifically, depending on each guest's needs and are prepared using ingredients grown on the hotel’s grounds. Treatments range from Ayurvedic to Western and all take place in a gorgeous open-plan spa that looks out onto the jungle where monkeys play freely.
Twice daily yoga classes, led by Saman, a reiki healer and yogi from Kandy are not only encouraged but highly recommended. The Shavasana that closes out each session is deeply relaxing and somewhat addictive.
Sleep comes easily here but if that’s one area of your life that needs improvement, Santani’s sleep package that incorporates elements of Ayurveda will aid no end.
Book it: Sleep, Recovery, Stress, Immune-boosting, Detox, and Rebalancing full board packages are available at Santani Wellness Kandy. Or book rooms per night: Garden View Chalets start from £293, and Mountain View Chalets start from £387. santani.com
Best for beach lovers: Taprana, Balapitiya
With three curated programmes, ranging from seven nights to two weeks, Taprana is close enough to the beach to hear the waves making it the ideal Ayurvedic hotel for lovers of the ocean.
Blending Sri Lankan tropical minimalism with local artistry, this intimate Ayurvedic haven has just twelve luxurious rooms, ensuring each guest has plenty of one-on-one time with Taprana’s Ayurvedic practitioners. Packages consist of three or four treatments per day, monitoring and consultations with the on-site Ayurvedic doctor, all meals, yoga, and a complimentary excursion for every two nights booked.
Book it: Double rooms on a full board basis, including treatments, start from £222 per night (seven-night minimum stay). luvayurveda.com
Best for Ayurvedic cuisine: Kayaam House
Kayaam House’s carefully designed, bespoke Ayurvedic programmes range from three to 14 days and are ideal for guests who wish to combine stylish design and comfort with tailored healing practices.
Beginning with an in-depth consultation with Kayaam’s experienced Ayurveda practitioner, bespoke itineraries are filled with restorative yoga practices, curated Ayurvedic therapies, and nourishing menus aligned to each individual’s dosha, with ongoing consultations throughout.
Incorporating traditional Sri Lankan ingredients which are renowned for their deeply medicinal properties, one of the highlights at Kayaam House is the cuisine made up of personalised menus that complement each individual’s Ayurvedic constitution.
Book it: Double rooms on a B&B basis start from £186 per night. thereverie.life
Best for a truly authentic experience: Barberyn Waves, Welligama
Complimentary Hatha Yoga and Pranayama (breathwork) sessions designed to awaken the Kundalini (third eye) and elongate the spine are a major focus at Barberyn, one of Sri Lanka’s leading Ayurveda brands.
With bedrooms facing the ocean, it’s easy to slip into a state of bliss, especially since daily Ayurveda sessions are mandatory and feature deeply relaxing treatments like Kati Vasti (a medicated oil treatment for back pain) and Shirodhara, where a warm oil (or other liquid) is poured in a continuous stream over the third eye or ‘Ajna Marma’, an area where the nerves are highly concentrated. Ayurvedic cooking demonstrations and lectures are also available.
Book it: Single rooms on a full board basis, including treatments start from £248 per night. barberynresorts.com
