The Sunday Times – Sri Lanka’s Star Spas

POSTED August 23, 2017

Sri Lanka is one of the hottest destinations on the planet right now. It’s always had the unspoilt beaches. Now it’s got chic new boutique hotels and an emerging restaurant scene, too. And if a holiday for you means hours whiled away in a luxurious spa, there’s another compelling reason to visit. The country’s wellness scene is becoming the affordable alternative to the holistic honeypots of Thailand and Indonesia, with A-list yoga instruction and authentic ayurvedic retreats. It’s five-star pampering at four-star prices. Here’s our pick of the best places to lie back and think of the savings.

The Sri Lankan Sam Kankanamge is one of London’s top osteopaths, but, these days, he divides his time between Wimpole Street and his new project, this retreat in a sliver of jungle between a pristine beach and a serene lagoon. Life here has a rhythm as steady as the surf that pounds the coast: sunrise yoga at the shoreline, meditation with a Buddhist monk, spa treatments prescribed by an ayurvedic doctor, free excursions to nearby temples, and cookery lessons with the village grannies. The same grannies cook the resort’s delicious Sri Lankan buffets, though the communal dining may not be to everyone’s taste. There’s late-night turtle-watching, but most guests retire early to their four-poster with a book.

Read the full article by Susan D’arcy in The Sunday Times.

Sam Kankanamge

Sam Kankanamge BSc (Hons) Osteo, DPO, Dip.Acu is an exceptional, world renowned healthcare professional, with over 25 years-experience transforming patients’ health, and has been called ‘the best back specialist in the country’ by The Times (2014).

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Sen Wellness Sanctuary

4.8

Based on 69 reviews

See all reviews Write a review

Sen Wellness Sanctuary

4.8

Based on 53 reviews

See all reviews Write a review

Asrar Mousli

10:24 16 Oct 21

My time at Sen was nothing short of transformational. Every day in that sanctuary brought me a new gift, a new truth, or a new opportunity to heal from my pain. It wasn’t always smooth, or necessarily happy, but it was deeply fulfilling to my body, my soul, and my soma. It almost felt like a pilgrimage to nature, to purity. The people I met there, the conversations and rituals we had together, the meals, laughs, and stories we shared, they were life-altering for me. Some of those moments left an impact that is still with me today, two months later. Thank you Sen team for all you have given and done. 🤍

Karin Richter

04:51 03 Sep 21

I was a part of the Golden Summer Retreat at Senwellnesssanctuary. This has been a very intense experience. The Sanctuary is built within the middle of nature on the lagoon near Tangalle with an outstanding architecture. The whole stuff is perfect working together within their different tasks and does everything for the wellbeeing of the guests. Very soon you don't feel as a guest but more as a member of a loving and caring family. Excellent ayurvedic food, doctor and treatments as a basic for a deep going transformation process with special tools and combination of ongoing steps. A real magic experience within the travel bubble in islandwide lockdown and global pandemic. My deepest gratitude for all the people there which makes this possible

Karin Richter

12:55 02 Sep 21

I just was part of the Golden Summer Retreat at Sen Wellness. This was a very special and magic experience on an outstanding place in nature with awasome people on a wonderful island. Started with super friendly and caring hotel managing team, best ayurvedic kitchen, doctor and treatments, lovely yoga work and special and carefully developed transformation tools and process. Highly recommend Sen Wellness for a mindful and deep going stay. My deepest thanks for all who created and worked for this space and give their best whatever their task is

Paul Kelly

05:34 06 Jul 21

This was my first wellness trip .. and I loved it!Every other holiday I have been on involved drinking and returning to normality feeling worse than I did before I left.After visiting Sen for 2 weeks, I felt brand new.Before leaving I was concerned that I would get bored, but I never did. Just pure peace, relaxation, and contentment, for 2 full weeks.You get so well looked after every day, from the early morning tea wake up call, to your serving of herbal medicine before bed. With plenty of yoga, meditation, and treatments in between.The food is delicious! Clean and fresh. The daily ayurvedic treatments are bliss and the beach is isolated and beautiful, perfect for an afternoon stroll.Thank you to all the staff at Sen for making my stay so worth it. From the management, chefs, cleaners, treatment therapists, yogis, the monk and especially the resident doctor, who put a smile on my face every day!I recommend Sen to anyone that just needs a good break from life. To switch off, refresh and reconnect with yourself. The results are long lasting.Paul.

Pruz0001 Pruz0001

18:32 24 May 21

Perfect place to truly reset yourself physically, mentally and spiritually. Pricing is very cheap for what they offer - all inclusive food (each meal a symphony!), treatment plan, massages, shirodara, cleansing options, beautiful accommodations, gorgeous secluded beach with turtles, daily herbs per your plan as prescribed, daily yogic practices etc etc. Current is strong so might need to arrange for lifeguard for swimming. I highly recommend this place for tired Europeans and US residents. Yes, even from US, totally worth the loooong flight. If you want to explore the country after quarantine at SenWellness, recommend hiring a private driver guide as public transport is not welcoming tourists per covid.

Trajce Dimkov

04:33 20 May 21

I spent 2 weeks at Sun Wellness to rest and recharge/detox from the every day life. It was an amazing place.The staff is professional and super helpful. We got delicious food everyday (mostly vegan), and daily support from a doctor that monitored how are we doing.The yoga teacher was also excellent and i enjoyed the 2 sessions we got every day.The massages were the best I got in my life. they really knew the anatomy of the body and focused on the right muscles and pain points. It was a great recovery after the yoga sessions and long beach walks.Finally, the beach is amazing. Its long with kilometers, its sandy, its full with palm trees. And the best part, we saw plenty of giant turtles nesting on the beach and small turtles hatching almost every day.The trip was a great pleasure, and left me refreshed, energized and more mindful. I warmly recommend this place.

Christian Wellinger

07:39 23 Apr 21

I was planning to come there for only one week to start practicing yoga and also to see if ayurvedic treatments were helping me to overcome some of the stress as most people experienced in this Covid period. After only a few days i already felt how the daily practices in Sen Wellness Sanctuary (with daily yoga and meditation classes, ayurvedic treatments and super healthy and natural food) changed my perceptions and helped me to become much more centered and connected with myself again. That is why i extended another week and it was a very good decision to strengthen the skills and way of life which is thaught there. The place is really well made which lots of attention to details and the location at the remote and beautiful Rekawa beach can not be better to get into the vibe and spirit you feel there.Thanks alot to Dr. Sam and the whole staff for this fantastic experience.

Gabrielle Stewart

16:58 20 Apr 21

I didn’t think it would be possible to travel somewhere far during this pandemic, let alone feel completely safe, in awe of all the country’s and the sanctuary’s protocols, and their ability to allow you to enter a bubble with a group of fellow retreaters so that for 10 days we completely forgot about the covid world out there. In our little haven between beach and lagoon we healed, relaxed, meditated, swam, did yoga, slept, made life-long friends and found an emotionally safe place to let go, process, feel vulnerable and share much needed laughter. You return home so healthy from the incredible locally sourced foods and the cleansing monitored by an impressive ayurvedic doctor, so at peace... Now the challenge is to use all those new tools we have acquired there and use them in our daily lives to feel happier and more fulfilled in our day to day lives. Thank you to the whole amazing Sen Wellness team. Namaste.

Pawel Marona

16:35 18 Apr 21

Amazing place with beautiful people. Delicious food and great, helpful stuff. I've been very satisfied of treatments and whole stay. Really recommend that place!

Mark Ford

13:21 18 Apr 21

The Sen wellness centre was a refreshing place to find. The current world, post covid climate only served to boost this gem of a (possibly) life changing, experience.Arriving at the centre was a little daunting to start with, people sitting at a large table engaging in lively, upbeat conversations, whilst the newbies sit in partial isolation. A requirement of law to ensure covid safety for all at the centre but a comforting experience none the less.After a day or so of settling in (this being my first experience of such a place), I was blown away by the warmth of the team. All professionalism and smiles, from the doctor to the cleaners, they all made you feel incredibly welcome and special.In turn, this encourages you to be equally open. Not an easy thing for us all to do but once you start, you begin to feel your way and gain in confidence, finding a better you.Then there are the treatments .. I have been a meat eater for 20 years and here I was with no meat, no dairy, no bread and butter and no alcohol, tea or coffee & enjoying it all, looking forward to all meals and often asking for seconds. It’s amazing how one’s pallet can change.Living on a mainly plant based diet took a few days to get used to but my body ended up feeling like it hasn’t done since childhood. Functioning as it should, processing the food easily, no bloating or discomfort and sleeping like a baby in the wonderful surroundings.The diet along with a tailor based health plan of herbal medicine, teas, detoxes, yoga and a general reset have changed the way that I feel and also how I am starting to think.It’s not just the food and the treatments. The energy of the staff and the guests who visit Sen Wellness is heart-warming experience, I cannot recommend it highly enough.I’d also like to thank all those that shared this experience with me .. thank you guys, it was amazing !Take time out of what you consider to be the important things in your life. Take a trip to this centre and find out for yourselves what is really important. Forget the constant consumption that we are fed, as being a necessity to happiness on a daily basis - go and feed your soul, you really will not regret it !