Ulagalla, one of the best small luxury hotels of the world, a stunningly luxurious hotel with 20 villas spread through the grounds of 58 acres consisting of paddyfields, verdant woodland and lakes. At its heart is a 150-year-old mansion which contains the reception area and above, the restaurant where you can dine looking down over the fabulous pool. Each villa has a bedroom, bathroom and separate living room and outside its own private plunge pool. The hotel is very keen to protect the environment and runs its own solar farm. There is plenty to do in the hotel such as horse-riding, nature walks, kayaking, bike riding, tour of the organic garden and a cookery demo. The hotel is about half an hour from Anuradhapura.