Living Heritage Koslanda

This was a magical place to stay. We were lucky that Lucy the owner was there during our stay. What her and her late husband have created (and she is still creating) on this 80 acre piece of land is nothing short of amazing. Lucy was full of local knowledge and history. She was extremely generous with her time for her guests as well as delightful to speak to. She is properly hands on too with the development and upkeep of this Estate. Stunning scenery, including tea plantations in the far distance, a waterfall that you can walk/climb to and plenty of nature to soak up. The staff were lovely & helpful. Our accommodation was beautiful and spacious. All in all a sanctuary to chill and relax at but with lots of places to see and visit that aren’t too far away should you wish to explore.

We think this might be one of our favourite places we stayed on our two-week trip to Sri Lanka. Beautifully hidden in the highlands, this hotel is a gem. The rooms are just what you'd expect in the jungle - local materials, mosquito nets, bamboo screens and balconies with great views out. The grounds are beautiful, the staff delightful and the food absolutely delicious. Highlights were the Ayurvedic massages, the infinity pool which has got to have one of the best views in the world and the onion bhajis! Hugely recommended.

Our 2 night stay at Living Heritage in March 2025 was perfect in every way. This is a relaxing oasis with lovely spacious accommodation and a beautiful infinity pool. All staff were very friendly and made all guests feel very welcome. 7.30 each evening was cocktail time and a perfect opportunity to meet other guests and the owner. A lovely atmosphere was created and the cocktails were the best we had ever tasted. I had an amazingly relaxing head shoulder and neck massage. It was faultless. Do not miss the chance to stay here

We had the most wonderful stay at Living Heritage Koslanda. The staff were amazing, the food was delicious and the setting was perfect. We stayed in Jungle Pavillion so there was a frog or two but the birdsong was delightful and it was very romantic! We had a super guide, Karun, who guided us to the top of the Diyalima Waterfall which was spectacular. He took us to the best parts and there were very few people around. It is remote but the swimming pool was gorgeous and just being there made us happy. As did a couple of massages by the résident masseurs. It has been a high point of our trip. Thank you!

We stayed at the Living Heritage for 2 nights last month, and I think this was our favourite hotel of the 7 hotels/lodges we stayed at in Sri Lanka, even though all were pretty special! This was another property out in the middle of nowhere and up a very rutted track, but our driver managed it slowly and it was worth the adventure! We loved our Forest Pavilion (no. 4), which was deep in the trees, on stilts like a tree house and open to the elements, screened just by mosquito nets and wicker blinds around the edge. It had all the facilities we needed including very comfortable bed with duvet (which we appreciated as it was cool at night), a fridge, ceiling and standing fan, hot shower and flush toilet. Despite the location we didn't suffer from biting insects (the nets did their job), but we did get visits from a few little creatures like a frog who liked to sit at night on the loo seat, geckos, a slug in the shower in the night and a poop left by an unknown visitor (giant squirrel?), who we heard rustling around in the bathroom in the early hours, plus a fire fly gave an impressive flashing display in the night - so you do need to enjoy being at one with nature!! The whole style of the property is very much open air living, with 2 large communal open air pavilion style seating areas and an open air dining area, close to the alternative solidly built suites. There's a badminton net set up nearby on the grass, as well as croquet lawn! The beautiful infinity swimming pool with sun loungers and seating pavilion (which is also used for spa treatments) are then a distance away, a steep walk up steps, and the forest pavilions are down further steps behind the pool, so secluded from the rest of the property. You could just hear distant murmurs from the other forest pavilions. Other than that it was just the birds and giant squirrels! We would just suggest this property is really only suited for guests with good mobility, given all the steep steps. Each evening prior to dinner an excellent free cocktail was served, made with the local Arrack. You were asked to pre order your main course earlier in the day from a choice of about 6-8 dishes and then there was a set daily appetiser, soup and dessert too. The hotel has its own impressive vegetable garden which we were shown around. Breakfast was good too - the first day it was served to us at our table and the second day with more guests, it was a buffet. We took a walk with the hotel's naturalist down to the property's own waterfall where you can swim in a pool if you wish, and he also does a dawn birdwatching walk which we heard was worthwhile from another couple. This hotel is a real oasis in the middle of nature and worth the long but scenic drive from Kandy through the hills to get here. On departure my wife was given a lovely bouquet of flowers, we guess because it was Valentine's Day, which was a really nice touch. We've also put a video of our experience at this hotel on our NoBana

We absolutely loved our stay at Living Heritage.. set in an amphitheatre of stunning trees with a swimming pool location to die for and charming staff.. nothing too much trouble.. we could not fault this place. They grow so much of what you eat.. and are so proud of their eco sustainability ethos. Mr Carrim and his staff should be very proud... A perfect place to be immersed in nature