THE WALLAWWA

Kumu Beach’s sister property The Wallawwa is the perfect place to bookend a Sri Lankan holiday with less than ideal flight times (which is often the case when travelling from Singapore). Stop and get your bearings at this 18-room gem located 15 minutes from Bandaranaike International Airport. Travellers with kids can book family suites with interconnecting rooms, or the sprawling two-bedroom, two-bath Mountbatten Suite, complete with private gardens and plunge pool.

A former home of an 18th-century chieftain and home to the Royal Air Force during WWII, The Wallawwa sports a large lawn where families can play croquet and cricket in the shade of rambutan and frangipani trees. There are caroms, chess and board games in the library, and a pool hidden in the jungle not far from the hotel’s restaurant (which serves any dish on the menu in kids’ portions). We took the kids to explore the hotel’s twoacre fruit and vegetable garden, and later sipped cocktails with lemongrass and mint plucked straight from it. There are kite- and lantern-making sessions, as well as a Kid’z massage in the spa (with three young daughters, we aren’t quite ready to get that going yet).

All ages will enjoy the complimentary tea break served on the verandah. We checked in just as the waiter cleared the last slice of cake; he graciously sent a tray of tea, cookies and cakes to our room despite our delinquency. The hotel is well-versed in early morning flights, and guests can request transportation and breakfasts packed to-go at any hour of the night.