Lunuganga
Bentota
Lunuganga Garden Tour
We offer guided tours at Lunuganga daily: 11:00 a.m. | 2:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m.
Foreign Rate: USD 20
Local Rate: LKR 3,500
Local Student Rate: LKR 500
Payment can be made in cash or via credit / debit card (either in USD or LKR)
Children under 7 years of age enter free
(Prior reservation is not required for garden tour)
Please contact us via e-mail for curatorial tour appointments: info@geoffreybawa.org
Please contact us via e-mail for private guided tour appointments: enquiries@teardrop-hotels.com
Please contact us via e-mail for group visit appointments: enquiries@teardrop-hotels.com
Tours by third parties are strictly not permitted.
Curatorial tours by a Geoffrey Bawa Trust curator can be arranged by prior appointment (subject to availability).
Private Curator's Tour rate: USD 1500 nett per tour, for a maximum of twenty people. At the discretion of the Trust, a larger group than 20 may be accommodated at an additional charge of USD 50/pax per head.
Private tours by our trained in-house tour guides can be arranged by prior appointment (subject to availability). We recommend booking private tours at least two weeks in advance to maximize availability.
Private Guided Tour rate: USD 50 nett per person, for a maximum of ten people. Includes refreshments at the end of the tour (tea/coffee with cookies and cake).
Photography
Personal photography is allowed without the use of flash or tripods in the outdoor spaces; publication or commercial use of photographs is only permissible if expressed approval has been obtained from the Geoffrey Bawa Trust.
Accessibility
We welcome visitors with disabilities but there are steps, steep inclines and uneven surfaces throughout so not every part of the garden will be accessible to all. There are very few handrails on the property. Please let us know about any special requirements in advance and we’ll try to make your visit as enjoyable as possible.
All proceeds from private tours support the education and preservation mission of the Geoffrey Bawa Trust which is a non-profit organization with charitable status in Sri Lanka.
Lunuganga
Tucked away behind a steep dirt road in Bentota, Lunuganga—Geoffrey Bawa’s “garden within a larger garden”—is an oasis for Sri Lanka’s diverse wildlife and a haven for local and international visitors alike.
Lunuganga has always been a site of transformation. Bawa acquired the former rubber and cinnamon plantation in 1948, on the cusp of his thirtieth birthday and Sri Lanka’s independence from Britain. In doing so, he affirmed his intent to create “something that would be shaped by my present and future dreams and imaginary.” Converting the land from a plantation into a garden was a key step; replacing an extractive practice of colonial occupation, the garden blossomed into a rich ecosystem of mostly endemic flora and fauna.
Lunuganga directly translates to “Salt River” in Sinhala. Indicated by numerous artistic renderings and Bawa’s own recounts, he felt the space possessed a sort of magical, boundless quality, writing, “The area one was dealing with was about twenty-five acres but with its surrounding lakes the land beyond seems to go on forever.” Each visitor discovers Lunuganga on their own terms, with its myriad walkways and sanctums for pause. In Bawa’s own words, “...it seems to me to be almost inevitable that it should be there.”
Stay & Dine at Lunuganga
The open plan lake-view restaurant gazes into the garden. Lunuganga is the venue to try some of the island’s standout dishes – plain or egg hoppers, kiribath, and fiery chilli- and lime-infused coconut sambol – as well as international and contemporary Asian fusion meals.
Traditional rice and curry can be enjoyed at lunchtime and also at dinner, and curries are also on the menu for breakfast, alongside more traditional western options such as scrambled eggs and homemade granola. Drinks include coffee, Ceylon Tea and freshly squeezed juices.
All dishes use the finest local ingredients, and many of the fruits, vegetables and herbs used in our freshly cooked meals are plucked daily from our kitchen garden.
Our chefs cater to all dietary requirements, and a children’s menu is also available.
We welcome outside diners visiting Lunuganga as part of a garden tour, when booked in advance.
We welcome visitors with disabilities but there are steps, steep inclines and uneven surfaces throughout so not every part of the garden will be accessible to all. There are very few handrails on the property. Regretfully, due to stairs, the Gate house and Glass house rooms are inaccessible for wheelchairs. Please let us know about any special requirements in advance and we’ll try to make your visit as enjoyable as possible.
Reservations:
Call: +94 773 638 381 | +94 777 252 271
E-mail: enquiries@teardrop-hotels.com