Santani is situated 32 kilometres and about an hour’s drive from the historic and sacred city of Kandy on the former Aratenna Tea Estate which comprises 116 lush green acres within the small village settlement of Werapitiya.
The area of Kandy where Santani is located embodies Sri Lanka’s legendary beauty in its lush greenery, gently undulating landscapes and whooshing rivers. As in the past, Kandy is the spiritual centre of Sri Lanka, home to one of the most sacred relics in Buddhist culture as well as the Kandy Perahera, one of the world’s most extravagant pageants with over 100 adorned elephants and thousands of artists parading through the streets of Kandy every August.
High 30°C / Low 22°C
December to April
Idyllic Jungle Setting
The best design hotels in the world work in harmony with nature and the Santani ethos personifies this. Throughout the year our proximity to nature, while restorative, may also come with some minor disturbances. Frogs harmonise within the paddy fields but are not dangerous, neither are the beetles we see in and around the rooms at certain times of the year. Flies, moths and cicadas flutter about especially when they see the light and we do share our high elevation haven with some mosquitoes although relatively few.
Nets are provided in every chalet for your sleeping comfort. Here in our idyllic jungle setting, snakes play a vital ecological role in pest control. Even though many types of snakes found in Sri Lanka are largely harmless and do not attack unless threatened, we understand this is a genuine concern to our guests. For this reason, paths at Santani are well lit.
The Cool Climes of the Tea Country
Santani is located a comfortable 2,800 feet above sea level which means any time of year is suitable for a short or long retreat in our care. January to May we see mostly very pleasant days with temperatures between 22-30°C. We experience two rainy seasons – from September to December and between April and May.
During these periods, the holistic benefits of reconnecting with the natural world also means you may see beetles in your room and leeches when you hike in our surrounding jungle and tea trails. Santani provides leech socks to protect our guests on these invigorating treks.
