Resplendent Ceylon has announced its newest resort offering – the Wild Coast Tented Lodge. Located at the edge of Yala National Park in the South-Eastern part of the country, renowned for its dense leopard population, this luxury tented lodge is situated where the jungle meets a beach overlooking the waters of the Indian Ocean. Set to open in mid-October 2017, Wild Coast Tented Lodge will also be a member of Relais & Chateaux, an association of some of the finest hotels and restaurants around the world. The resort design has been conceptualised by Nomadic Resorts – a consortium of Dutch, English and Sri Lankan designers, wherein it blends into the surrounding landscape built with handpicked natural materials.
Wild Coast Tented Lodge will consist of 36 vaulted tents – “Cocoons” and “Urchins” – providing the comfort of a luxury resort with the feel of a safari-style wilderness experience. The use of arched fabric and bamboo allows each tent to take on the shape and colour of the rocks scattered nearby, and these tents have been laid out in the shape of a leopard’s paw print. The Cocoons measuring a 55 sq mt will each be air-conditioned and consist of furnished interiors, fusing colonial expedition chic with contemporary design innovations, such as teak floors, freestanding handmade copper bathtubs and four-poster beds. There will be four secluded beach-facing Cocoons that offer private plunge pools, whilst 16 more Cocoons are dotted around five watering holes designed to attract a variety of fauna including birdlife and amphibians, where guests will be able to enjoy views from the outdoor decks. An additional eight family Cocoons will house an adjoining twin-bedded 20 sq mt Urchin tents, ideal for children and young adults alike.
The resort would also consist of world-class dining experiences, an open-air bamboo-clad ‘Ten Tuskers’ bar and ‘Dining Pavilion’ also wrap around the resort’s free-form swimming pool. Guests will be able to enjoy creative daily changing menus of authentic Sri Lankan cuisine in the restaurant, as well as sun downer cocktails and picnics al fresco on the sand dunes. The ‘Sanctuary Spa’ will offer a range of natural treatments developed in-house with native Sri Lankan ingredients such as ceylon tea and ceylon cinnamon. The library will double up as an educational centre where guests can learn about the surrounding wildlife in the park and watch documentaries, further explained by the lodge’s expert guides and naturalists.
Vehicles will whisk guests to the quietest corners of Yala National Park, whilst expert guides will talk guests through the diversity of flora and fauna, including elephants, sloth bears and leopards. A variety of lectures and workshops will offer an insight into the fascinating natural surroundings.
Water from guest rooms and public areas will be recycled for use in landscaping and a solar plant will meet 40 per cent of energy needs, and organic waste will also be composted on site for use in the landscape. The resort will house a conservation station dedicated to monitoring and protecting vulnerable wildlife within the surrounding area, including the Sri Lankan leopard.
