Wellness enthusiasts will be delighted at Santani, Sri Lanka’s first luxury resort specializing in Ayurvedic wellness. The program includes Ayurveda, detox, yoga and an exceptional holistic spa. These enlightened treatments and teachings will not only enable you to live in the moment, but also help you embrace a healthy lifestyle long after you’ve left. This makes Santani Wellness Resort one of the world’s finest luxury wellness resorts.
Between jungle and rice fields
Nestled at an altitude of 800 meters, the 48-hectare Santani estate is set back from the world, an hour’s drive from the sacred city of Kandy in the Aratenna. This region, once dedicated to tea cultivation, offers a secluded and peaceful setting for escape and well-being. Its green, gently undulating landscapes and tumultuous rivers captivate the eye. Steeped in history, Kandy remains the spiritual heart of Sri Lanka, home not only to one of the most sacred relics of Buddhist culture, but also to the Kandy Perahera. This extravagant spectacle, celebrated every August, unveils grandeur with over 100 ornate elephants and thousands of performers parading through the streets of Kandy. Explore this land where nature and spirituality intertwine harmoniously.
The story of Santani Wellness Resort, a quest for balance
The story begins with a group forming during years of study in Sri Lanka. These individuals, who quickly became friends, harmonized their academic careers with moments of escapism, especially camping. However, professional success brought challenges, leading to the search for solutions to manage stress. A love of nature persisted for many years, and travel memories forged a special desire to create a soothing place. Introduced to yoga and meditation, founder Vickum Nawagamuwage discovered the importance of physical and mental balance for well-being. Inspired by this personal transformation, he founded Santani, a place that embodies prosperity, emphasizing the importance of symbiosis with oneself and the world.
Minimalist architecture
At first glance, Santani is a sleek, modernist architectural ensemble, discreetly perched on a plateau of jungle and rice terraces. Each space is designed to be flooded with the extraordinary light that bathes this plateau. Large skylights, slender metal frames and flat roofs protect against sun and rain, while letting in light and reflecting the landscape– a resolutely holistic architectural style. What’s more, the altitude and natural ventilation of the rooms make it possible to avoid air-conditioning and thus conserve more natural resources. That’s 70% less energy consumption than other hotels in the same climate.
The living modules are based on the Sri Lankan concept of the “ resting place ” , or ambalama. These glass, wood and metal chalets, lined up side by side, all offer the same luxurious, minimalist experience. In fact, each room features a large room with dark wood walls, soberly furnished with a four-poster bed surrounded by mosquito nets and armchairs. As the room ends in a terrace, the indoor-outdoor boundary is deliberately blurred to encourage a state of relaxation, rest or meditation.
To ensure the peace and quiet of our guests, Santani only allows children aged 12 and over. For families with teenagers, there are four large chalets a little way from the resort.
Back to nature and digital detox
In this holistic approach, Santani places great importance on respect for nature, emphasizing cohabitation rather than eradication. Simple solutions such as mosquito nets, twilight-lit paths and anti-bleeding socks are adopted to protect visitors from the potential inconvenience of merging with nature.
Like the sacred Buddhist caves that dot the surrounding mountains, Santani is a haven of disconnection from the hustle and bustle of the world. For an authentic digital detox, the common areas are free of connected objects and wifi. In addition, rooms are not equipped with televisions, and Wi-Fi access is available on request only.
Care based on the quest for balance
Ayurveda, at the heart of well-being
Ayurvedic treatments, massages, yoga and hydrotherapy are the main tools used by practitioners at Santani. In addition to the permanent team, you can regularly benefit from the teaching of a master in his or her discipline, whose knowledge is internationally recognized. Naturally, Ayurveda is the cornerstone of the resort. Start with an initial consultation with a therapist to identify your doshic constitution. Care will then be adapted according to this analysis.
Santani was born out of a desire to help people find the tools within themselves to strike a balance between external demands and the need for personal fulfillment. Santani, which means “harmony” in Sanskrit, was born of the idea that lasting well-being begins when we agree to rediscover a balanced relationship with nature, both inside and out. A quest for harmony that prevails in every space, and in every treatment gesture.
A variety of wellness packages to suit every taste
Santani offers a variety of wellness packages, covering topics such as yoga, detox, weight loss, sleep, menopause, addiction withdrawal, anti-aging, and many more.
Santani’s wellness packages are designed as a response to the evolving challenges of contemporary stress. In a world where mental pressures often outweigh physical challenges, these programs aim to strengthen mental, spiritual and physical adaptability. Faced with today’s avalanche of stress, Santani proposes a preventive approach to health. Indeed, vitality is based on adaptability and the preservation of overall well-being. As such, these packages offer a way to strengthen body and mind, promoting resilience.
A spa in the heart of nature
Spaces dedicated to well-being are entirely open to the outside world. Stone, wood, earth and water come together to help you relax and reconnect with your inner self. Just as the futuristic architecture is in perfect harmony with the surrounding environment, the techniques applied to wellness at Santani combine science and tradition. In addition, the latest discoveries in the science of health and rejuvenation are combined with Sri Lanka’s deeply-rooted Ayurvedic tradition.
What’s more, Santani has the distinction of being Sri Lanka’s first complete spa destination, housing the country’s very first full hydrotherapy facilities. The wellness center itself is set on three levels on a hillside. Reception and consultation are at the highest level. Go downstairs to discover the Spa area. There’s a steam bath, a red cedar sauna and a salted thermal water bath to warm up before treatments. It’s also the perfect opportunity to enjoy the view over the emerald rice paddies.
Go down another level, and it’s here that the treatment rooms welcome you for personalized care. These treatments are tailored to your specific needs, identified during the initial consultation. At the end of the day, or between two yoga sessions, a dip in the infinity pool is a must. And admire the 180-degree panoramic view of the surrounding hills…
Gourmet and made-to-measure plates
At the Santani table, there’s no menu to choose from. Each guest is offered dishes meticulously adapted to his or her specific needs. A ketogenic diet, a vegetarian Ayurvedic diet and, of course, a detox are the three pillars that underpin our top-level cuisine.
At Santani, culinary diversity is expressed through dishes tailored to different needs and preferences:
- For followers of the ketogenic diet. A delicacy featuring grass-fed Australian beef steak, accompanied by herbed squash cake and mushroom purée, all sublimated by a tamarind sauce.
- For lovers of Ayurvedic dishes. Traditional Sri Lankan curry, prepared with organic rice and vegetables, offering a culinary experience rich in flavor and balance.
- For a frustration-free detox. Healthy gourmet moments, such as a delicious vanilla almond smoothie, enriched with dates and chia seeds. A veritable explosion of benefits for the palate, combining pleasure and balance.
Finally, gastronomy and well-being merge harmoniously at Santani. The plates are as carefully presented as they are balanced and healthy in their composition. The experience of harmony also includes pleasure, which can be fully savored at the open-air bar dedicated to biodynamic wines and freshly squeezed juices.
Video
Book Santani Wellness Resort
Rates: from 275 euros per night
Exclusive Luxe Wellness Club benefit: A complimentary 5-course private dining experience on the last night of your stay.
or call us for the USA on +1 (646) 980 6652 and for the UK on +44 20 4577 3258 to discuss your holiday plans.
