Malabar Hill, Sri Lanka Hotel

A hilltop haven surrounded by rainforest and paddy fields, just a short hop from the idyllic coast of SRI LANKA, comes with majestic views, a sense of privacy and top- notch cuisine drawing on local heritag.

The incongruous entrance to Malabar Hill only heightens the anticipation: a dust track winds up to a plateau carved into the hillside. There, guests are transferred into e-tuks that whisk them up the final ascent, along paths lined with dense, diverse forest. Then, suddenly, the trees part and the shimmering infinity pool comes into focus, followed by scalloped archways and crenellations. Views from this hilltop paradise stretch for miles on either side – to Weligama Bay or across wetlands and rice paddies. It’s easy to imagine it as
a historic fortress withstanding marauding tribes, so it’s a surprise to learn the 13ha estate is just a few years old. It may be the sun-bleached wood and antique Rajasthani furniture and rambling, havali-style corridors that make it feel so established, or perhaps it’s the mature rainforest setting.

The 12 guest villas belie its existence as a purpose-built hotel – only through being so delightfully functional and cleverly designed. All are built into the peak, looking outward, creating a sense of total privacy. Majestic views are maximised at every opportunity, from windows in the walk-in shower to floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open on to a private plunge pool and terrace. Hooked up to the concierge service via Whatsapp, it couldn’t be easier to bed in and rely on room service – except there’s too much to explore. Over 500 plant species await in the rainforest, which is home to the endangered purple- faced leaf monkey, and bird calls might belong to peafowls, scops owls or crested serpent eagles.

Beyond lies some of Sri Lanka’s most desirable coast. A 15-minute tuk tuk ride takes you to the Malabar Beach Club – a seaside extension of the hotel offering the day beds, showers and a beach menu to refuel from a day of surfing or sunbathing. Back at the hotel, sundowners come with views that show where supper came from: rice from the paddies, crab from the coast and fresh produce from the garden, plus the very best of the daily market. When the setting is so paradisiacal you really don’t need to look further afield.

Words by Rachel Walker.

This article was taken from the June/July 2024 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.