Jungle Beach, an Uga Experience
Contemporary castaway villas
Literally lush Kuchchaveli
Jungle Beach, an Uga Experience – by remote rural village Kuchchaveli, in Sri Lanka – is the kind of tropical pad Robinson Crusoe would have lived in, had Defoe browsed Architizer. Set in luxuriant shrubland, the hotel has a near-deserted beach, treehouse-style restaurant and bar threaded through with exotic foliage, and castaway-chic villas cloaked by mangroves – perfect for privacy-seeking twosomes.
Planes
Fly into Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport, and hop on an air taxi to Trincolamee China Bay domestic airport; the hotel is a 40-minute drive from there. Flights arrive at Colombo from the UK and Europe via Doha International; flights across the Pacific arrive via Kunming Airport, or direct from Australia. Call our Smith24 Team on 03300 376 891 to arrange flights and transfers.
Automobiles
The hotel’s remote locale makes a hire car handy – if you’re quick on the draw with the horn and brake, and are an able cow dodger. Acquire an international driving licence and recognition permit before you go. Airport transfers (US$200 each way from Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport; US$55 one-way from Trincomalee) and drivers for excursions can be arranged. Colombo is a four-and-a-half hour drive away; Jaffna, three hours, and on-site parking is free.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
Blessed with picture-perfect beaches, curvaceous lagoons and unspoilt swathes of jungle, Kuchchaveli and its rural surrounds remain untouched by the country’s tourism boom, for now. Jungle Beach’s remote locale means you’ll spend most of your time on site, but there’s plenty to do when you’ve finished contemplating the reserve’s natural beauty: swim and sunbathe and play volleyball. There’s an underwater Vegas of neon reef fish to see on snorkelling and scuba-diving trips, or you can zoom over the ocean on a jet-ski or sailboat. For trips off site, you can self-drive, but an easier option is getting the hotel to hire drivers and plan a day trip for you. If you want a change of scenery, of sorts, head to groomed Nilaveli beach or wild Uppuveli – 20–30 minutes’ drive away. Trincomalee town, a former Dutch colony, has plentiful historic sites, including one of the world’s most impressive natural harbours (the site of many a colonial sea-battle). Circumnavigate Portuguese-built Fort Frederick’s walls, and see the sacred tree, gold Shiva statue and Chola bronzes at Koneswaram Temple, both perched atop Swami Rock. The site also has a vertigo-inducing Lovers’ Leap. Swap soaking in mineral-rich waters, for a fun yet unceremonious bucket dousing at Kanniya Hot Springs, a 25-minute drive from the resort, and wander through the unearthed dagaba base and statuary at Thiryaya archaeological site – a 10-minute drive north from Kuchchaveli. Nature lovers can hop on a dolphin and whale-watching trip or spend the day on Pigeon Island National Park, but hiking and biking through the jungle provides plenty of flora and fauna-spotting opportunities.
