Benito Bungalow

Benito Bungalow sits on a green hillside at Haputale, on the southern edge of Sri Lanka’s hill country, surrounded by tea gardens, forest and rolling valleys. On clear days the views reach all the way south to the coast, and when the mist rolls in the house seems to float in the clouds. With five bedrooms, a full team of staff and the cool mountain air, it is a lovely base for families and friends exploring Lipton’s Seat, the tea estates and the waterfalls of the region.

Outdoors, manicured lawns and a well-kept garden wrap around the house, and a heated pool with a shallow end sits on the lawn with loungers alongside, warm enough for an evening swim. A shaded veranda on the ground floor has outdoor lounge seating and a dining table looking out over the hills, there is a garden swing, and upstairs the views open out from a terrace with seating.

Inside, a large open-plan room holds an expansive sofa, chandeliers and a ten-seat wooden dining table, with floor-to-ceiling glass doors to the garden and a fireplace for cool evenings. There is also a separate TV room, a library beneath the stairs, a grand piano and a fully equipped kitchen, though two full-time chefs mean there is no need to cook. The master suite has a super-king bed, wooden floors and a private balcony, three further bedrooms have king beds and the fifth has twin beds, all with en-suite showers, air conditioning and ceiling fans, and ground-floor rooms open straight onto the lawn.