Kahanda Kanda in Koggala

This was our first trip to Sri Lanka and was made extra special with staying at Kahanda Kanda. All the staff were excellent and looked after our every need! The villa was amazing and we have already booked to come back!

I spent a week at this sublime boutique villa hotel in southern Sri Lanka, owned by ‘George of the Jungle’ as he literally presides over a zoological garden of a variety of flora and fauna, including peacocks and other avian life, monkeys, reptiles, fish, dogs and cats deep in the jungle in the village of Kahanda. George (a Brit who’s made Sri Lanka his home) is a great host and it feels like you are a guest not of a hotel but of his private members’ club. He’s a very affable gentleman and a designer by profession so the entire hotel screams style and taste. Many guests are regular returnees. The architectural style is a colonial with each room being its own private, spacious and secluded villa, some with their own ‘jungle pools’. The grounds are a mixture of tea plantation and a myriad of other plant life including mango and coconut palms. The villas are 5 star quality. Very comfortable beds, air conditioning, double showers and basins, books, robes, tea and fresh ground coffee. WiFi is excellent throughout. Environmental sustainability features big here too, for example being a plastic free environment and using electric vehicles. You select your villa when you book. Although I was very fortunate and honoured to get a free upgrade on arrival! The atmosphere is one of extreme tranquility and relaxation. Kahanda Kanda (or KK as it’s known here) is in the middle of nowhere but an easy Tuk Tuk or taxi ride away from Galle and other south coast towns and villages. There is also its sister hotel, KK Beach, a 10 minute drive away on the coast. If you want to come to switch off for a few days or a week or longer this is the perfect place. There is also a spa. At the centre of the estate are the bar and dining pavilions. Both are open air. This is the hub of the hotel. Food and drink options are excellent. A mixture of Sri-Lankan and non-Sri-Lankan fayre. Breakfast is included in the room rate. And Amith the barman makes excellent cocktails. What really makes KK stand out though is its hard working, efficient and extremely friendly staff. Every staff member is ready to greet you with a smile whenever they see you and always ready to help with any issues or requests. From the pool man and gardeners to the managers and George himself and everyone in between. My needs were often anticipated before I’d voiced them! Things work extremely slickly here and the communication between staff is first rate, so that everyone is on the same page. A few honourable mentions: Chamiru, Pathum, Ushadi, Chanaka, Aruna, Rashen and Amith. And several more whose names escape me! Most guests here are couples (and it’s an adults only hotel) so the fact I was a solo guest was a little out of the ordinary, but everyone went above and beyond to make sure I never felt alone. I had also pre-arranged many excursions through KK so I used it as my (very luxurious) base to come back to in the evenings mostly. And luxury it certainly feels like. But my week was made extraor

We had an exceptional 8 day stay at Kahanda Kanda. The location of the hotel is incredible. Our villa (Kadju) had a view of the forest from the canopy level and we were treated daily to sightings of Langur monkeys, hornbills, parakeets, humming birds, peacocks and and array of other beautiful birds and lizards. None of these come too close or are a bother. They just make for spectacular viewing and entertainment so be sure to bring a camera and binoculars. The villa itself was amazing. It’s huge and well furnished with quality items and a real feeling of a bygone era with all the romance of the location to make you feel you are a million miles from anywhere. The shower, bed and facilities were outstanding and the air-con was efficient and hassle-free. We were extremely comfortable. We had an infinity pool which was perfect for cooling down and flapping around! The staff are brilliant. One of the real highlights we would say. Nothing is too much for them and they are keen to help. I needed a lot of information about the resort before we booked as I have a disability and some issues with steps. The reservation manager Aruna, made me videos and answered all my questions in details and at speed. It’s why we booked in the end. There are about 20-30 steps up to the reception on arrival which I found to be fine. There is a handrail to help and the staff will always help too. Our villa (Kadju) was near reception and the dining/pool area but was very separate from it so it was very quiet, not that it matters as the whole estate is quiet. There were no steps at all from the villa to the dining and reception area so it was perfect for me. There are a number of villas near the reception/dining area also without steps, so there is a good choice for those avoiding mobility difficulties. The food was exceptional. Set menu for three courses and about four options per course each day. There is also a la carte but we found that the set menu offered great choice even for 8 nights! We never tired of it and there was no significant repetition, if at all, from memory. Great wines and a huge range of cocktails and mocktails too. We were really surprised with how good the food was and we went with the belief the food was of a high standard. Compliments to the chef! We had a day trip to Galle and Galle Fort which we would highly recommend. Our tuk-tuk driver was happy to show us other places along the way too and it only cost about £10 in total (ex tip which we added). There are a wide range of other excursions offered too… from whale watching trips, to a boat outing on the nearby lake to many other smaller and less intense trips to stimulate the senses! Overall this was a real treat and we have travelled extensively throughout Asia for 30 years and this was an absolute gem. We will return for certain.

We came here for a belated honeymoon - it was well worth the wait! This hotel is absolutely beautiful - like something out of the Netflix series White Lotus! The location is great - secluded and lush surroundings but within very easy reach of the beaches and Galle centre. The food was excellent, too with plenty of choice. We had a spacious villa with a private pool surrounded by trees where we could watch the beautiful birds and monkeys. The massages at the spa were a highlight - and there was plenty to do without having to leave the hotel if we wanted- yoga, tours of the tea estate and cinnamon plantation- but we were enjoying the laid back luxury of our villa too much to leave for long! Finally the service was incredible - attentive, smiling and friendly without being intrusive - it was the perfect balance and we felt very well looked after. We are already planning our return trip to this special place. Thank you Kahanda Kanda for giving us a honeymoon to remember - what a dream holiday ❤️ Lucy and John

We had the perfect family retreat with KK in early January. From the very start we experienced the full calm of the beautiful surroundings and benefitted from excellent and attentive staff. The rooms that we booked were well designed and beautifully styled and the restaurant was superb. The owner ( George) makes a great effort to make sure that everyone's happy. We will hopefully return next year.

We loved our time here as we finished our Sri Lanka tour. Peacock was our villa - lovely and spacious with views over the tea plantation Food was some of the best we had on our trip. Lovely local curries but everything we had was excellent The owner George cooper is a great guy we loved chatting to him The cycle ride around the paddy fields was lovely plus the local turtle hatchery also excellent from KK. Around 30 minutes from Galle too so a great base to see the local area. All in all a standout place would definitely recommend

Wonderful calm atmosphere. Very tranquil and the perfect place to spend the last few days of our trip to Sri Lanka. The location is perfect to access local points of interest and shuttle bus is available to take you to KK Beach. The rooms and clean and provide all you need for your stay. Staff are very attentive and nothing is too much trouble. We will be back (again)

Beautifully designed property, great service, especially the housekeeping team.

KK Galle ticked all our boxes!! From the moment of checking-in, until the very last minute the service we received was beyond exceptional.. Every single person who catered us, provided such amazing service and care making the stay at KK even more memorable and special. Needless to say the food was at such a fine quality both taste and the presentation wise… Not for a second we experienced a negativity during our stay and the only regret we had was the fact that we had to leave next day.. If we hadn’t booked another place for our second day, without a doubt we would have stayed there for longer.. We would like to thank the whole team at KK for their amazing hospitality, service and care taken on us during our short stay. Keep up the good work and we hope to visit KK again soon

A very pleasant trip. The hotel was quiet, the staff were very attentive, and it was a great place to do nothing, relax, get close to nature, listen to the birds, and see the monkeys and peacocks.