Beautiful beaches, great weather, plenty of sun shine, wildlife and culture are plentiful on the island nation of Sri Lanka. And now that the conflict is over in Sri Lanka, and travel advisories are being lifted or relaxed, it is re-emerging as an exciting, safe travel destination in Asia.

Of course, the best part about vacationing in a peaceful Sri Lanka is that it can be much more financially reasonable than other destinations in Asia: a very important factor in today’s economic climate!

If you’re traveling to Sri Lanka, the safest places to visit are in the south and western parts of the country. We give you our top three luxury hotels in Sri Lanka below:

The Regency at The Galle Face Hotel:

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Recently refurbished, this luxury hotel in Colombo boasts amazing views of the ocean and provides guests with a lot of value. Each of the 80 rooms at the Regency at The Galle Face Hotel caters to both business and leisure travelers and are well equipped for all of your needs.

Super luxury suites include living and dining areas and are equipped with relaxing Jacuzzis (either placed in the room or on the balcony overlooking the Ocean).

What a way to capitalize on the view!

The good news for people who book this hotel through Kiwi Collection is that they get special VIP treatment due to our special relationship with the hotel. So, guests get complimentary room upgrades when available, the general manager’s VIP amenity, a bottle of sparkling wine, complimentary breakfast, early check-in and late check-out, a welcome drink for two, a welcome letter from the GM, a box of chocolates and a complimentary voucher for the Regency Tea Lounge.

Amangalla:

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Located in the picturesque town of Galle, Amangalla is a tiny boutique hotel that’s made up of buildings that are over 400 years old! The hotel features seven bedrooms which are right next to the reception area on the ground level of the Middle Street Wing.

Six chambers are located in the Church Street Wing and face the Fort ramparts. The hotel has four Garden Wing chambers and eight suites.

For a special occasion, ask for the Garden House – which is situated within the resort gardens. This two-story house features a private terrace and balcony.

Galle is an extremely interesting place to visit. Not only was it historically the main port on the island, it is full of old colonial architecture and is a good destination for lovers of history.

Guests who book this hotel through Kiwi Collection can take full advantage of our special relationship with Amangalla. Guests will receive a complimentary room upgrade when available and a bottle of champagne upon their arrival!

Amanwella:

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Amanwella is perfect base camp if you want to go on an exciting safari in Sri Lanka, or go diving in the Indian Ocean. This boutique hotel is close enough for guests to take day trips to Sri Lanka’s Uda Walawe or Bundala National Parks.

At only 30 rooms, you are sure to get an intimate experience here, and you won’t find a nicer setting for kicking back and relaxing. Amanwella sits amongst a mature coconut grove and is right on the beach. The suites at these hotels open on both sides, letting in cooling sea breezes (which is perfect for staying comfortable on a hot day).

Other great features of this hotel are its 45-metre infinity pool and two large sun terraces with sun loungers.

Guests who book this hotel through Kiwi Collection not only get the best available rate for the hotel, but also some added value during their stay, such as a complimentary room upgrade (subject to availability), and a complimentary bottle of Champaign upon arrival.

Click on the links below to learn about other safe hotels in Sri Lanka:
CASA Colombo
The Fortress
Ceylon Tea Trails
Kahanda Kanda
The River House

My travels in July took me away from the Kiwi Collection Asia Pacific office in Sydney, Australia to explore some exotic destinations throughout SE Asia.

My first stop was the island of Penang, Malaysia, which has both business and leisure qualities that attract guests from all over the world.  The island produces 25% of the world’s computer chips and is home to global companies such as Intel, Sony and First Solar, who have just invested over $1 Billion dollars in their new manufacturing plant.

The top business hotels include G Hotel, Penang which boosts contemporary design features, great food and beverage facilities and stunning executive loft suites overlooking the ocean.  The Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa is a lush oasis and is located on Batu Feringgi Beach.  The property is perfect for those interested in getting away from it all and indulging in their fabulous restaurants (six in total), the CHI Spa or simply lounging around the pool with beautiful rainforest surroundings.  For business travelers the property has extensive conference facilities.

My next stop was to the Four Seasons Langkawi a hotel that is worthy of our highest rating in the collection, a 5 Star + WOW Pick.  It is surrounded by 500 million year old limestone cliffs located right on Tanjung Rhu, one of the island’s best beaches.  The most striking features of the property are the middle-eastern design elements, beach surroundings and sheer size.

I was also able to fit in a quick visit to the two GHM Hotels on Langkawi, the iconic Datai and the Andaman Langkawi.  Both hotels are surrounded by spectacular rainforests and have excellent beachfront.  Note the roads to the above resorts are both quite windy!

An exciting new opening (September 1st), led me to Kuala Lumpur (KL) and the Club at The Saujana. This new luxury hotel has a very chic entrance and guest-welcoming lounge, which looks onto their pool water feature and lush tropical surroundings.

The designers have been really clever in hiding the elevator on the first floor with an amazing wine cellar which guests can browse through while awaiting the lift. It is the perfect oasis for those travelling to KL wanting an escape from the central business district, as the resort is only 30-45 minutes away depending on traffic. The hotel offers many different stylish room configurations, my favourite being the corner executive suite.

I would highly recommend experiencing their Japanese and Italian restaurants. For avid golfers the property is surrounded by two 18-hole championship golf courses of the Saujana Golf & Country Club. The owners are also planning on developing the land next door where a new spa and wellness centre is envisioned.

Geoffrey Grier is an American financier based in Hong Kong and Macau.  Mr. Grier has lived in the Orient for over fifteen years and enjoys visiting far-flung and exotic locales throughout South East Asia.  Grier is part of our Kiwi Insiders that travels the globe visiting properties in the Kiwi Collection, sharing his experiences.

I thought I would follow up my previous travel post to Luang Prabang, Laos and complete the journey with a posting of a trip I made late last year to the capital of Laos – Vientiane.  While I consider Luang Prabang the jewel of the country, Vietiane is only a short flight (or long river boat ride) away and the capital represents the centre of culture, commerce and administration in Laos.

Vientiane is by far the largest city in Laos with a population of approximately 450,000, or about 7 per cent of the country.  Like all of Laos’ major cities, Vientiane is situated on the bank of the Mekong River and it boasts serene Buddhist monasteries along with significant monuments, pagodas and French Colonial architecture that dominate the scene on the city’s streets.

Vientiane is a welcome respite from the rest of bustling Southeast Asia – there are no touts pestering tourists on street corners, no traffic jams, and incidentally, not all that many sights to see.  It’s a sleepy, little capital and its main roads are bereft of traffic even on weekday afternoons.  Backpackers, perhaps having finally tired of the Thailand Islands further south, have begun to migrate to Laos and are a welcome sight everywhere.  French Colonial architecture sits next to gilded temples; and freshly baked French bread is served next to home-spun shops selling noodles.

1. First day in Vientiane, arriving from the nearby airport by restored antique car at my hotel, the Settha Palace.

2. I jumped right into a cultural tour of the town – here is Wat Sisaket, the oldest temple in Vientiane, originally built in 1818 and home to more than 6,800 Buddhist images and statues.  It is the only temple to survive and not be burned during the numerous wars with Siam (today known as Thailand) and remains the most popular temple for foreign visitors.

3. One of the outside walls of the outer courtyard of Wat Sisaket, typical of the hundreds of niches and shelves containing thousands of Buddhist statues.

4. Wat Ho Phra Keow, originally built in 1565 by King Xayasethathirath (yep, that’s a mouthful) when he moved the capital from Luang Prabang to Vientiane.  Also the former home of the famous Emerald Buddha, which now resides in Bangkok.  Rebuilt in 1936 after numerous wars with Siam (now Thailand) and, interestingly, the most popular place to visit for Thai tourists.

5. One of the outside corridors of Wat Ho Phra Keow.

6. That Dam Stupa – pre-1828, and a structure that supposedly protected the Lao people during the great Siamese War of 1828.