I have been extremely fortunate in my life to stay in some amazing places. Kahanda Kanda (KK) is one such place. This holiday really felt like a second honeymoon, partly because we were without the children but mostly because of the hotels we stayed in.

KK is around 20 minutes drive from Galle in South Sri Lanka. Surrounded by tea plantations, paddy fields and wildlife with 10 individual suites/villas (3 with private pools) it is everything I dream Sri Lanka to be. Lush, green, bright, eclectic, welcoming – it makes the most of its stunning surroundings in the chicest way possible.

I love that there are few solid walls; everywhere you go in KK there are open views, whether it be to bright walls, lush greenery or lily ponds. It is such a delight to the eye as well as to the ears (the symphony of bird song, monkeys and crickets is the most wonderful thing to wake up to).

As all the villas are so different we took some time deciding which one to stay in and as a result ended up staying in two of them – something I would highly recommend.

The Mango Suite is beautifully romantic; has it’s own private entrance just a few steps from the pool and a gorgeous veranda overlooking the tea plantation.

Even the worst insomniac could sleep here. The mattress is amazing and having the fans whirring (I hate aircon) and the breeze coming through the open doors gently billowing the mosquito net is so wonderful. Then hearing and seeing the monkeys in the morning chasing each other in the trees is the icing on the cake!

The food is also excellent – I’m afraid my food photography failed here as I was too busy eating! Their curries and cocktails are fabulous and if you’re staying in Galle, well worth the trip.

The next night we spent in KK’s incredible Dubu Suite. We knew it would be amazing from the pics on their website but when we saw it we were blown away. Only a few minutes walk from the hotel through the tea estate we were led through the large back garden to this stunning antique Joglo house, imported from Java and rebuilt in this beautiful spot.

In the evening it glows like a lantern:

You can see why they call this the honeymoon suite.

The house has an open plan layout including a sitting and dining area with doors leading out on all sides to the private garden and swimming pool. It was wonderful to fling all these open as the sun came up.

The detail in this house is mind blowing – the wood and carvings are so detailed, we still can’t believe how they rebuilt it here.

You are so spoilt here that you have the choice of not one but two bathrooms either side of the house. The first is down some stairs and is enclosed and the second (my favourite) is on the opposite side with a private but open-air shower.

The service is just as good staying here as in the Mango Suite. The staff here are exceptional and always come with a smile. It was so indulgent having our Sri Lankan breakfast served to us by the pool…

… and so refreshing to take a dip after breakfast in this gorgeous free-form pool overlooking the jungle.

The most magical night of our trip was spent here. We had a wonderful candlelit Sri Lankan dinner on our verandah watching the most incredible electrical thunderstorm and shortly after it  ended all the fireflies came out to play. It was a night I will never forget.

(For further info and booking visit their website.)