Track leopards, elephants and pick tea at Sri Lanka's most immersive stay

Long touted as a destination on the rise, Sri Lanka is stepping into its well-deserved moment in the sun.

Pawprints on the Pekoe Trail

If you were looking at our small group from above, we’d resemble a trail of ants moving slowly through a lime-green carpet. Squint your eyes and you’ll see the sky is blue and the sun is flooding the landscape in halogen-bright light, making the occasional passing trishaws twinkle like toy cars.

It’s around the five-kilometre mark on stage seven of the Pekoe Trail in Sri Lanka’s Hill Country that you’ll notice three of the five members of our group pull to a stop. Zoom in close and you’ll see Uga resorts guide Ruban Rathnasingham drawing circles in the dirt with a stick.

“Look here,” says Ruban, squatting on his haunches. “These are fresh leopard tracks. The leopard must have walked along this track last night,” he says.

All this just a short drive from our accommodation at the recently restored Uga Halloowella, in the quiet hills behind Hatton, overlooking Castlereagh Reservoir. We have spent the better part of the morning hiking a secluded stretch of the 300-kilometre trail, the first stage of which was officially opened by longtime Sri Lankan resident and sustainable tourism pioneer Miguel Cunat in late 2023.

Uga Halloowella is tucked away in the quiet hills of Hatton in the heart of Sri Lanka’s tea country, near to the start of Stage 7 of the Pekoe Trail. (Image: Uga Resorts)

“This is the longest walking path in Sri Lanka. This section of the path was used during the British colonial period to transport the tea leaves to the factories and then onto Colombo for export. Miguel took some old maps and used them to connect the roads and paths with beautiful places like rivers, reservoirs and temples,” says Ruban, whose grandparents worked in the plantations.

“The Pekoe Trail immerses visitors in the region’s tea history. It crosses train lines and circles tea factories, passes churches and shrines and leads to viewpoints that look out over the valley,” he says.

While the vision for the multi-stage, multi-day hike – which starts in Kandy and ends in the hill town of Nuwara Eliya – was to promote Sri Lanka as a world-class hiking destination, the Pekoe Trail also provides opportunities for the villagers who live in the heart of Hill Country.

Ruban Rathnasingham guides guests of Uga Halloowella. (Image: Carla Grossetti)

“When I started, I was just one person. Now our team has 13 members. Four of them are from the Sri Lanka Girls Guide Association and that’s very good news. It means the walk is providing a future for the next generation of women who don’t want to pick tea. There are also opportunities for local people to make business selling fresh coconuts or homemade snacks along the trail,” he says.

Our visit to Sri Lanka coincides with the annual full-moon festival of Vesak Poya, where we observe locals praying for the rain the country’s booming tea industry relies on at the colourful Maanica Pillayaar Hindu temple in Hatton. Near the entrance are two women fluttering about in green and pink saris and, deep inside, Hindu priests dressed in white dhoti chanting in front of the different deities.

The humidity is high as we leave the temple and wind our way through the hills, where we gain an even greater appreciation for the women working in the fields that ripple like an emerald sea. During the hike, we pass children holding hands, who happily pose for photographs. We also pause in front of a garish statue of Sudalai Madan, a Hindu border guide, wielding a scythe. And stop to admire the colonial-era Chrysler’s Farm Tea Factory, built in 1870.

The Pekoe Trail corkscrews around Sri Lanka’s Hill Country. (Image: Carla Grossetti)

The Pekoe Trail also threads past plantations dotted with female tea pickers wearing brightly coloured burlap sacks. And through a village with homes made of mud bricks, plywood and tin where loud music fills the air, joyful and raucous. In addition to the thrill of seeing fresh leopard tracks, we see the odd squirrel scuttling from tree to tree. And share Ruban’s joy at spotting his favourite birds “the red-vented bulbul and scimitar babbler” in the branches of grevillea trees.

Uga Halloowella also curates an immersive field-to-factory tour of the Norwood Tea Estate in the Central Province. After learning about the plucking, weighing, drying and packing process – which is all completed within 24 hours – we head back to Uga Halloowella where the ritual of enjoying afternoon tea feels more significant than ever.

A luxurious stay in Sri Lankan Hill Country

The leisure arm of the Finco Group attained Uga Halloowella in 2024 and, after an extensive refresh in collaboration with renowned Sri Lankan architect Channa Daswatte, reopened the 1912 bungalow for business in December 2024.

The luxury five-star resort is surrounded by a patchwork of tea plantations. (Image: Uga Resorts)

There are just six bedrooms in the colonial-era lodge, which is filled with heirlooms, antiques, leatherbound chairs and chandeliers. The living room features the original pinewood panelling, teak furniture and soaring glass windows that give it the look of a ship’s cabin. And the dining room is adorned with a fanciful mural of endemic trees and flora painted by local university students that depicts the property’s proximity to the greenery that stretches towards forever.

Uga Halloowella dates back to 1880. (Image: Uga)

General manager Seshaya Ranasinghe agrees the acquisition and subsequent transformation of Uga Halloowella is emblematic of the brand’s evolution, which has become a benchmark for conscious hospitality in Sri Lanka. Seshaya’s ascent from hospitality student to the role of general manager also exemplifies Uga’s commitment to fostering female leadership.

The Planter’s Suites at Uga Halloowella are all old-world elegance. (Image: Pradeep Gamage)

“Uga’s commitment to sustainability has created meaningful opportunities for women, not only by opening doors to work in the industry, but also by nurturing their growth into leadership roles. I am proud to say I am one of the women who was identified as a future leader. Uga has made remarkable progress in gender balance. We now have women holding positions in all our key properties,” she says.

The property’s commitment to leopard conservation also deserves special attention and is at the heart of a stay at Uga Halloowella. While the chance of sighting a leopard in Hill Country is rare, naturalist Nisal Herath does invite guests on bush walks through their territory. Nisal also presents a slideshow that demonstrates his efforts to track and monitor the leopard’s movements, which has become his “passion and purpose”.

Yala National Park is leopard country. (Image: Dhanushke Halwathura)

“The leopard in the Hill Country is one of the largest and most colourful leopards in the world. It’s quite special because it’s an endemic subspecies and found nowhere else in the world,” says Nisal, while playing footage captured by his camera as part of his Leopard Conservation Presentation.

“I like to take guests through a section of jungle that is a wildlife corridor for the leopard. It’s their territory. The tracking data I’m gathering here helps researchers understand leopard social structures, movement patterns and behaviour, which is crucial for conservation and avoiding human-leopard conflict,” he says.

The chances of seeing a leopard in the wild increase dramatically at Uga Chena Huts on the fringes of Yala National Park, which is also home to herds of elephants. The country’s relatively small size also makes it feasible to go on a scenic drive to see wild elephants and bird life from Uga Ulagalla in Anuradhapura to a surfing safari from Uga Prāva in Tangalle on the South Coast within a few days. Guests of Uga Ulagalla are also treated to a talk led by head naturalist Katharina Raaben about the advancements made by the onsite Elephant Research Center.

Uga Chena Huts borders Yala National Park, which is teeming with wildlife. (Image: Getty/Tharindu De Silva)

The art of meaningful travel

Since its first luxe retreat opened in 2010, Uga has opened six more properties that capitalise on the country’s natural assets. In addition to the aforementioned properties, there’s Uga Jungle Beach in Trincomalee, Uga Bay in Pasikuda and Uga Riva in Negombo, just a half-hour drive from the airport.

Uga’s vice president Marcelline Paul says the Sri Lankan-owned hospitality group is redefining what meaningful travel looks like by offering guests luxury with a deep respect for nature, culture and heritage. “We’re not just selling rooms. We’re offering a window into the heart of Sri Lanka,” he says.

“Uga aims to put Sri Lanka on the map by showcasing different destinations through its properties. For instance, Uga Riva is on a two-hectare coconut plantation and serves as an incredible luxe alternative to an airport hotel in a pristine setting. Uga Ulagalla in the Cultural Triangle offers activities like horseback riding and kayaking on 24 hectares. And we’ve just opened the brand-new Uga Prāva on the pristine shores of Tangalle,” he says.

Marcelline shares that Uga resorts also has plans to give Uga Jungle Beach a contemporary refresh while maintaining “its meaningful connection to the destination”.

Uga Prāva is perched along the cliffs at Tangalle. (Image: Uga)

In addition to offering ease of access to wildlife and nature experiences, Uga reflects Sri Lanka’s emergence as a world-class culinary destination. Uga’s group chef Rasika Weeraratne says 90 per cent of the ingredients he sources are sustainable and provide employment opportunities for local growers and producers. Giving back to the community is something he is very proud of at Uga.

“Jackfruit, banana blossom, curry leaves, lemongrass and lime leaves are just some of the ingredients we source for the restaurant at Uga Prāva. I like to create dishes that are traditional to each region. I also love the freedom to develop recipes that break with tradition and introduce new techniques,” he says.

Culinary excellence is a core pillar at Uga resorts. (Image: Eyeris Private Limited)

This approach is evident at Uga Prāva, which features seafood signatures such as Sri Lankan-spiced sesame tuna tataki, lagoon prawns with yellowfin tuna steak and desserts such as a jaggery coconut and cashew spiced pudding.

Reflecting on what’s changed and remained

Several new highways and a rail line have been built since I first came to Sri Lanka 25 years ago. But what impressed me back then, impresses me still. Kilometres of palm-fringed beaches, ancient ruins, hills terraced by tea plantations, wildlife parks, UNESCO sites and colourful festivals.

While the island nation remains known for its tea plantations, the soul of Sri Lanka lies in its diversity. After three decades of war, the devastating aftermath of the tsunami, the Easter Sunday attacks, impact of Covid-19 and subsequent economic downturn, it feels like the country is finally poised to embrace prosperity.

Now more than ever, Sri Lanka seems ready to capitalise on opportunities in the global tourism landscape, with companies such as Uga promoting a considered approach that enhances the appeal of a stay for discerning travellers.

Visit Galle Lighthouse, built by the British in 1848. (Image: Carla Grossetti)

While I could stay glued to the sun lounger beside the pool at Uga Prāva, there are immersive options that beckon. There’s a boat ride around Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary during the hush of sunset, where we spot water buffaloes and shore birds. A two-wheel tour around the rice paddies and wetlands spangled with water lilies with local adventure company, Sensory Indulgences. And a side trip to Galle to take happy snaps of the lighthouse and heritage architecture and shop for souvenirs.

Spot water buffaloes at Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary. (Image: Carla Grossetti)

I was expecting Sri Lanka might have changed beyond recognition when I returned all these years later. But although the luxury accommodation market has grown, the jungle still claws at the coastline, and it still feels rugged and raw.

My beach-chic suite at Uga Prāva is just a few hours away from the homestay in Midigama where I spent a month of my honeymoon. Although the two properties could not be more different, the whooshing sound of the ocean lulling me to sleep is familiar, and it’s equidistant from the sea.

Apart from the endless ebb and flow of the Indian Ocean, the other constant that remains is the warmth of the Sri Lankan people. And it’s their enduring spirit of kindness that will stay with me once again as my personal story and the greater story of Sri Lanka intersect.

A traveller’s checklist

Getting there

SriLankan Airlines offers direct flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Colombo, travelling between Sydney and Sri Lanka four times a week and daily from Melbourne.

Staying there

Uga Prāva embraces a more modern, minimalist design. (Image: L.S Amal Prasad)

Uga Riva is far from the agitated honking that fills the air in Colombo and the best option for a stay relatively close to the airport. Tick off the trifecta of tea, sea and safari with a stay at Uga Halloowella, Uga Prāva and Uga Chena Huts. Uga offers an all-inclusive package that includes a butler service.

Eating there

Dine amid rice fields at Uga Ulagalla. (Image: Uga)

Kamatha is a dining experience set in the centre of a working rice paddy that is integral to a stay at Uga Ulagalla. Led by local village women who cook 25 dishes over a wood fire using recipes that have been passed on from generation to generation, the banquet is what Sri Lankan royalty would eat every day. Enjoy afternoon tea by the infinity pool at Uga Halloowella, a contemporary take on Sri Lankan seafood at beachfront Uga Prāva and a bonfire dinner at Uga Chena Huts.

Palm-thatched Uga Chena Huts are dotted through the jungle. (Image: Uga)

Playing there

Take a tour of the tea plantations with an Uga Halloowella guide. Spot birds at the Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary or cycle around the wetlands with Sensory Indulgences from Uga Prāva. Spot blue whales from Uga Jungle Beach on the north-east coast and take a cooking class in Uga Ulagalla.