Glass-walled Mountain View Chalet raised on a deck amid hillside greenery — Santani, near Kandy, Sri Lanka

Santani Wellness Kandy

Werapitiya, Kandy · Sri Lanka

Availability

Year-round

Per unit

20 chalets + Villas · 2–6 guests

Region

Kandy

Price range

$$$$

Price range

$$$$

Per unit

2–6 guests

Type

Wellness retreat

A guest walks the edge of the infinity pool beneath pink sunset clouds over the mountains
Infinity pool with shaded cabanas nestled in dense forest below the hillside
Glass-walled chalet raised on a deck amid thick greenery on the hillside
Villa bedroom with a low bed, timber floor and floor-to-ceiling glass onto the mountains
Glass-walled dining pavilion with set wooden tables overlooking the mountains and valley
Row of loungers and parasols along the infinity pool under a bright mountain sky
Infinity pool and parasols tucked into the forest below chalets hidden in the trees
Aerial view of chalets scattered along a green ridge with mountains beyond
Two-bedroom villa's private plunge pool on a terrace above the forested valley
Open-plan villa kitchen and bar counter in concrete and timber with stools and a glazed wall
Private plunge pool and loungers on a villa terrace above a misty mountain valley
View from a chalet bed through the mosquito net to loungers and mountains at sunrise
Chalet interior with a canopy-net bed and armchairs opening to a terrace over the valley
Two guests practising yoga in the open glass Surya Shala pavilion facing the mountains
Main pavilion lounge with dark sofas, a floating timber staircase and glass walls onto the forest
Two guests receiving side-by-side massages from therapists against a stone wall
A guest relaxing in the timber sauna beside a large window onto the greenery

Santani Wellness Kandy

Werapitiya, Kandy

Wellness retreat · $$$$

20 chalets + Villas · Year-round

  • Supports village schools and over 100 local artisans
  • Solar power and biogas from the kitchen's own waste
  • Recycled water irrigates the gardens
  • On-site greenhouse and beekeeping
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Welcome to Santani Wellness Kandy

The name means roughly in harmony with the elements, and the design follows it: chalets built for natural airflow with no air conditioning, a spa cut into the hillside, and no televisions anywhere. It runs as a full wellness retreat, with resident Ayurvedic doctors, structured programmes and a kitchen built around the six tastes of Ayurveda.

20 stand-alone chalets, 16 looking at the mountains and 4 facing the gardens, sit alongside larger two- and three-bedroom Mountain View Villas with private infinity pools. The chalets are pared back and cooled by ceiling fans and mountain air, only the villas are air-conditioned. Rates are full board, following the Rasa Haya cuisine of six tastes, with an Ayurvedic doctor adjusting meals to each guest.

The spa runs across three open-air levels of the slope, with a hydrotherapy suite, sauna, steam room, salt bath and treatment rooms over the paddy fields. There is a 16-metre infinity lap pool and a yoga pavilion with morning and evening sessions. The building won a Geoffrey Bawa Award for architecture, and the resort holds a MICHELIN Key.

The estate sits about 40 km east of Kandy, past the town of Teldeniya, on a ridge with 300 metres of private river frontage. Rice fields, tea and forest surround the chalets, and the Knuckles Mountain Range rises to the east. Kandy and its Temple of the Tooth are close enough for a day trip.

Solar poweredReclaimed materialsSustainable architectureOrganic gardenFarm-to-table kitchen

Accommodation

20 chalets + Villas

Capacity

2–6 guests per unit

Availability

Year-round

Price range

$$$$

Amenities

Pool · Spa · Restaurant · Wi-Fi · No pets

Included

Full board included · Daily morning and evening yoga · Access to sauna, steam room and salt bath · Daily guided river walk

Good to know

  • Children under 12 stay only in the three-bedroom villa with a nanny, the chalets are built for two adults.

  • Chalets and the three-level spa are set into a steep hillside, so expect steps and slopes.

  • There are no televisions and wifi only comes on request, the place is built for switching off.

Why it's a Positive Escape

A wellness retreat on a hillside estate near Kandy, with rooms cooled by mountain air instead of air conditioning.

Community

  • Village school support

    the resort renovates and supplies nearby schools, including Dalumaduwa School, which teaches the children of tea estate workers

  • Samula Heritage Festival

    an annual festival of traditional Sri Lankan crafts and rituals that supports over 100 local artisans

  • Monthly community clean-ups

    monthly Sharmadhana clean-ups bring resort staff and local residents together to maintain the surroundings

Energy

  • High-capacity solar power

    solar panels supply a significant share of the resort's electricity

  • Air-conditioning-free chalets

    chalets are designed for natural airflow, which cuts energy use by over 70% against an air-conditioned room. Only the villas are air-conditioned

Water

  • Recycled water for the gardens

    an on-site sewage treatment plant recycles water to irrigate 80% of the gardens, which cuts groundwater use by about 40% a year

Food

  • On-site greenhouse and beekeeping

    vegetables, herbs and microgreens grown on site, with honey from the resort's own hives, feeding the wellness kitchen

  • Sourced from nearby farms

    jaggery, jackfruit and fresh milk bought directly from neighbouring farmers

Waste

  • Organic waste turned to biogas

    food scraps and garden waste are converted to biogas that powers cooking and heating

Materials & Construction

  • Reclaimed timber construction

    buildings framed with reclaimed wood to reduce demand for new timber

Transport

  • Electric buggies on site

    supplies, luggage and linen are moved around the resort by electric buggy rather than fuel vehicles

Travel mindfully

  • The seasonal elephant-gathering excursion adds jeep traffic to national parks where wild elephants congregate. Keep your distance and go at quieter hours if you join.

Getting there

Train station · 40 km

Kandy Railway Station

Direct trains run from Colombo Fort to Kandy, one of Sri Lanka's classic hill-country rides and the lowest-carbon way to arrive. From the station it is about 1 hour by road, which the resort can arrange.

Airport · 150 km

Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB)

Sri Lanka's main international gateway. The resort arranges road transfers, 4 to 5 hours, with a complimentary one-way transfer on longer stays. The final stretch is a narrow winding hill road.

Photos · © Santani Wellness Kandy

Last verified: August 2026

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