Boutique hotel · Teardrop Hotels · Bentota

Lunuganga Country Estate

A 15-acre garden estate on the shore of Dedduwa Lake, a few minutes inland from Bentota

About Lunuganga Country Estate

Rooms
8 types
Dining
1 place
Wellness
Spa
Swimming
Pools

Geoffrey Bawa's own country estate, a former rubber estate he spent more than 40 years shaping into gardens of lawns, sculptures, lily ponds and framed views over Dedduwa Lake.

It has 10 rooms and suites, including Bawa's own bedroom, a glass-walled room above a portico and No. 5, the 1962 house Bawa built for the batik artist Ena de Silva, moved here from Colombo.

Guided garden tours run daily, and afternoon tea and an evening social hour with gin and tonic and local beer are part of the stay.

Rooms and suites

  • The Geoffrey Bawa Suite
    Queen bedPlunge pool

    Bawa's former bedroom, with the queen bed he slept in, his library and original art, a private courtyard and a plunge pool off the bathroom.

  • Main House Studio
    King bed

    Bawa's former guest suite opposite his bedroom, king bed, a large porcelain tub and a private courtyard.

  • Gallery Studio
    Four-poster king bed

    The largest bedroom, once Bawa's art gallery, with a four-poster king bed facing a courtyard through a glass wall.

  • Glass House
    Up to 2Forest view

    A glass-walled bedroom for 2 set among the trees on top of a portico by the entrance court.

  • Gate House
    Forest view

    Upper-floor room in a grove of trees near the entrance gate.

  • Cinnamon Hill 1 and 2
    King bedUp to 3

    2 private bedrooms in a 1990s building on Cinnamon Hill, the closest rooms to the pool; king bed, up to 3 adults or 2 adults and 1 child.

  • No. 5 Suites
    King bedsVeranda

    3 suites in Ena de Silva's former house (Master Suite, Ena's Bedroom, Guest Bedroom), with king beds, Kandyan-era furniture, baths and verandas.

  • No. 5 Entire Villa
    Up to 7

    The whole 3-bedroom house around its open courtyard, for up to 7 guests.

Dining

  • The restaurantOpen-plan dining room over the gardens and the lake, serving Sri Lankan dishes such as hoppers, kiribath and mustard fish curry alongside international food, with produce from the estate.

Wellness

  • Yoga sessions for all levels, focused on posture, alignment and breathwork.

Amenities

Pools and spa

Infinity pool with lake viewsYoga sessions

More dining

Lake-view restaurantAfternoon tea on the veranda, 15:30 to 16:30Social hour with gin and tonic and local beer, 17:00 to 18:00Children's menu

Activities

Guided garden tours at 11:00, 14:00 and 15:00Private and curatorial garden toursBeaches and water sports in Bentota nearby

For families

No. 5 villa for up to 7Cinnamon Hill rooms take a child

Services

Garden weddings

Good to know

  • The gardens are open to day visitors on guided tours; guests share them with tour groups at set times.
  • Personal photography is allowed outdoors without flash or tripods; professional shoots need written approval from the Geoffrey Bawa Trust.
  • No alcohol is served on government-declared dry days.
  • About 1.5 hours by road from the airport or Colombo; the coastal train and seaplanes to Bentota lagoon are alternatives.

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