Jetwing Warwick Gardens is not easy to reach, but after a 30 minute drive (from Nuwara Eliya) on small windy mountain roads you will be rewarded with an idyllic place to stay. This colonial house is surrounded by lush green tea plantations, it was originally built in 1880 by the Scottish owner of the Warwick Tea Estate.

The property is still a working tea estate with 30-acres of organic tea, coffee and vegetables. The house has just 5 rooms in total – 3 deluxe, 1 modern and 1 master. It is a popular place for groups to stay so they can have the whole house to themselves but independent guests can also book an individual room.

We stayed in Glenloch, one of the traditional deluxe rooms. For an extra special stay the master suite (Warwick) is the largest and most expensive room. Netherleigh (nicknamed the White Room) is more modern and is hidden behind a hanging tapestry on the main staircase. Unsurprisingly, all of the rooms are named after tea estates.

The English-style bedrooms were extremely comfortable. Our room had an indulgent four-poster bed, a roll top bath and beautiful views of the herb gardens below.

We enjoyed a 3-course Sri Lanka set menu dinner in the lavish main dining room. Fresh vegetable soup was served first (using only ingredients from their gardens), followed by Sri Lankan curry or Indian biryani – we chose to have vegetarian Sri Lankan curries (dhal, cabbage curry, spicy potatoes, local salad). Dessert was a light strawberry mousse.

The views we woke up to next morning were spectacular, steep hills covered in tea plants and the sounds of nearby wildlife. Breakfast was served on the terrace in the sunshine, a mix of local produce and fresh strong coffee.

There is no wifi at Warwick House, but to escape the modern world and feel immersed in Sri Lankan’s tea region this is a very atmospheric place to stay.

More information and book a room at Warwick Gardens here.

The Jetwing Group was started by Herbert Cooray in 1986. Now with 16 properties in Sri Lanka and (one in Auckland NZ) it is the largest independent Sri Lanka tourism brand in the country. As a company they pride themselves on offering eco-friendly, sustainable properties, and have won many awards for their efforts.

Vil Uyana is one of the most popular hotels in the group, and is often fully booked. It is a remote hotel found outside of Sigiriya, ideal for tourists keen to see the country’s main cultural sites. There is a main lodge which houses the restaurant, wine cellar, Graffiti Bar, library and pool, and also a separate spa and gym hidden amongst the foliage. We received a lovely voucher for a 15 minute head and neck massage on check-in, a perfect relaxing welcome.

Rooms are scattered among the grounds and buggies are used to get around. Our room was 142, a garden dwelling, but guests can also stay in marsh, paddy, water and forest dwellings. The bedroom was spacious but simply decorated. Perhaps the most elaborate part of the bedroom was the large outdoor bath and shower. The indulgent stone bath was surrounded by lily pad pools, and in the evening, bats and birds could be seen flying overhead.

The Vil Uyana grounds are filled with exciting and rare wildlife: monkeys, flying foxes, crocodiles, otters, fishing cats, civets, tiny squirrels, peacocks and other birds. It is also one of the best places to see the special Slender Loris species, and each night the hotel organises tours with a resident naturalist so guests can have sightings of this shy little creature.

Dinner, served in the main restaurant, is an atmospheric occasion. You can also request a special meal in the panoramic treehouse. We started our meal with a delicious warm homemade bread selection with butter and olive tapenade. Passion fruit sorbet was then served as a palate cleanser. For main course we opted for String Hoppers with coconut sambal, daal, and spicy potatoes, but guests could also choose to enjoy the tasting menu of the chef’s specialities.

Breakfast is included in the room rate and there is a large menu on offer with Sri Lankan and international dishes. We chose refreshing Sri Lankan green orange juice and a fruit selection with banana pancakes with maple syrup. We needed plenty of sustenance before the hike up Sigiriya Rock!

Sadly we only had one night at Vil Uyana, but even in this short time we could understand why guests fall in love with this special hotel.

More information and book a stay at Jetwing Vil Uyana here.

One of the main reasons I wanted to visit Oman was to see the vast desert that covers so much of the country. In photos, the slopes of sand look serene and otherworldly and I was so excited about the opportunity to witness this first hand on a tour organised by The Chedi Muscat.

We set off early with Abdul, our Golden Oryx tour guide, who The Chedi Muscat use for all their desert tours. His spacious modern four-wheel-drive car was very comfortable, and we were glad to have air-conditioning in the 40-degree heat.

Abdul was a very knowledgeable and friendly guide. For much of the two-and-a-half hour journey from Muscat he educated and entertained us with stories of Oman’s history, geography and culture. Abdul has been working in the travel industry since 1990 and was one of the first guides to give desert tours in Oman (so much so, that many joke the road to the desert is named ‘Abdul Road’ after him).

Just before arriving at Wahiba Sands Desert, we stopped in a small village to part-deflate the 4WD’s tyres – this, Abdul told us, gives the car much more grip when speeding around the sand dunes.

Wahiba Sands Desert is a vast mass of red and white sand. Traditionally home to the Bedouin Tribes, it is an inhospitable and tough terrain that only they know how to survive in. The desert adventure began with an exhilarating drive across the dunes and numerous stops for photos, before we arrived at a Bedouin camp. We were welcomed into their home to enjoy Omani coffee (infused with cardamom), fresh dates and to learn about Bedouin traditions. We also had the opportunity to see – and buy, if we wanted – a range of handicrafts made by members of the tribe, including bracelets, frankincense, myrrh, rugs and scarves. Tour guests are also able to pay a little extra to have a short camel ride, if they wish.

From here, we ventured on to Wadi Bani Khalid, the most beautiful oasis in Oman. Surrounded by date trees, cascading waterfalls and caves, it was a beautiful spot to take a cooling dip in the natural green water. The wadi was also home to lots of little fish that nibbled our toes while we swam around, so it doubled up as a spa treatment!

For lunch, we had a simple buffet at the wadi restaurant including grilled meats, dhal, bread and soft drinks. When we were ready to leave, we jumped back in Abdul’s car for the 3-hour drive back to Muscat. He recognised we were tired so left us to nap in the back while he navigated the route back to The Chedi Muscat.

The trip was the highlight of our time in Oman, and both Abdul and The Chedi Muscat were excellent hosts. To find out more, or to book a tour, contact The Chedi Muscat or Golden Oryx here.