Surrounded by 80 acres of paddy fields and untamed Sri Lanken wilderness, Living Heritage Koslanda is a luxury retreat situated in serene settings designed to bring you back to nature. This authentic resort is somewhat small, yet feels enormous because of how integrated it is with the thick forest that envelopes this idyllic hideaway.
The resort’s central highlands location close to Ella and Kandy makes this a great base to explore the local area from. A short 20-minute walk will bring you to a nearby waterfall that you can undertake, and if you’re lucky, you may even spy a wild elephant. There’s an abundance of wildlife in and around this lush resort. We were even told tales that elephants are an occasional midnight visitor to Living Heritage Koslanda.
As the eco-luxury resort is entwined with the Sri Lankan jungle, you might be surprised to find a place reminiscent of a traditional English styled cottage on the property grounds, however, one is what you will find. We stayed for a night in the stone walled Pepper Cottage, which was cosy and atmospheric.
There’s a semi-open walled living room for you to relax in if you need reminding that you’re not in the English countryside but in the tropics.
The cottage is one of three room unique categories available at Living Heritage Koslanda. If you want to really immerse into your surroundings, the beautiful timber Forest Pavilion overlooks spectacular sights of Sri Lanka. They’re completely open-aired and are raised above the treetops so that you can awake in your white curtain draped bed to never ending mountain views.
Traditional Sri Lanken architecture is the theme of the massive Luxury Villa Suites, which we stayed in for our second night. They are as elegant in design as they are big.
The bedroom and living area were two separate rooms, with the living area having an open ceiling in the centre so the room, which made for an impressive effect when it rained.
There’s a terrace for you to sit out and watch the mist rise above the forest and each of the Luxury Villa Suites came with their own outdoor plunge pools, which are decorated with vertical gardens and ferns. And when you’re ready to eat, the communal dining area is just a set of stairs away, so even if a tropical storm rolls in, you don’t have to go far for some delicious Sri Lankan cuisine.
You can gaze out upon paddy fields and beyond or watch the sun set from the resort’s infinity pool. The infinity pool is surrounded by the outskirts of the forest and we were observed during our morning swim by a family of curious and amused monkeys. The infinity pool does require climbing 70 steps to get to, so it’s not convenient for anyone with any physical disabilities.
You can arrange through the resort a visit to Diyaluma Falls. We were brought on an excellent trek by the resort’s resident guide who took us on an approx. 30 minute tuk tuk ride from the resort to the waterfall before guiding us on a comfortable 30 minute hike through the reserve to reach the river and the waterfall pools.
Our guide waited patiently while we took numerous shots of various angles and perspectives of the different parts of Diyaluma Falls until it was time to head back to the resort. We were extremely grateful to have our guide’s assistance as it would have turned the pleasant excursion a much harder task. It was well worth the 2,500 rupee that we paid.
The owner of Living Heritage Koslanda, Lucy Adams, has created a peaceful place where you can get a taste of the traditions of the country, explore Sri Lanka and connect with the locals while providing the service of a luxury hotel. This resort is a great place to switch off for a couple of days and connect with nature.
