Santani Wellness Kandy

Santani sits on Arathenna Estate at Werapitiya, in the hills east of Kandy, at the end of a 12 km road from Teldeniya. Accommodation is 16 Mountain View and four Garden View chalets, plus two- and three-bedroom villas. Rooms have no televisions, and Wi-Fi is available on request. Children over 12 can stay in the Garden View chalets.

Every rate is full board, with fresh juice and herbal tea, use of the spa's thermal salt bath, steam room and sauna, hatha yoga morning and evening, and a guided nature walk each day. Architect Thisara Thanapathy won the Geoffrey Bawa Award for Excellence in Architecture 2016/2017 for the spa building, and Santani holds one Michelin Key.

The wellness programmes are the core of the place. Seven are listed: Sleep & Recovery; Stress, Burnout & Emotional Wellbeing; Gut Health, Detox & Weight Management; Longevity & Vitality; Women's Wellbeing; Mobility, Strength & Recovery; and Yoga & Meditation. Each includes Ayurvedic doctor consultations, a daily 90-minute treatment, personalised meal planning, lifestyle guidance and private yoga and meditation. A resident Ayurvedic physician assesses each guest's constitution and current imbalance and designs the plan, and progress is reviewed during the stay. The Sleep & Recovery programme runs from five nights, with seven to 14 recommended, and uses treatments such as Shirodhara, Abhyangam and Yoga Nidra. A pre-arrival consultation can be booked for $50, credited to the stay.

Santani suits adults who want a structured Ayurveda programme in a remote hill setting, and guests on shorter stays who want yoga and spa access built into the rate.