Lunuganga Estate Tourism

Historical Landmark4.5(139 reviews)

About Lunuganga Estate

Lunuganga Estate is the country home of the renowned Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. Started in 1948 and continually developed until Bawa's death in 2003, the estate is a stunning manifestation of his unique architectural vision and its integration with the landscape. Spanning an area of 15 acres, it's set on a promontory jutting out into a man-made lake and draws inspiration from Italian Renaissance gardens. The estate features a beautiful blend of tropical and European motifs, intertwining intimate courtyards, elegant colonnades, and wide-open lawns, punctuated by statues and scenic vistas. Visitors can explore a series of buildings, each with distinctive design features, gardens with varied foliage, and spaces that reflect tranquility and beauty. The garden is particularly notable for its spatial treatments and the seamless integration of natural and man-made elements. Today, Lunuganga offers guided tours and also serves as a boutique hotel, allowing guests to immerse themselves in Bawa's architectural legacy amidst the tranquility of his own tropical retreat.

Top 5 Reviews on Lunuganga Estate

elleg986
2.0
Wrote on 4 Jun 2024
Disenchanted. Rooms are poorly maintained
My husband and I appreciate history and architecture and picked Lunuganga Estate to have a tranquil stay away from the city and a differentiated experience. Upon arrival, we were impressed with the natural beauty, greenery and landscaping behind Mr Geoffrey Bawa's design philosophy of his country home. While we appreciate the preservation of Mr Bawa's home that he acquired in 1948 in its original form as much as possible, the state of the rooms have clearly deteriorated over time which could have been better maintained with some repairs and restoration, especially in the bathroom of our master suite, which was musty and the toilet bowl reeked of pee smell. We travel extensively and have stayed at many heritage hotels across the world but were rather disappointed with the standard of cleanliness and the state of the bathroom. On the first day we were greeted with a giant lizard in our covered fruit basket, only to find many more in our room hiding behind paintings and cupboards. But what was most off-putting was having a huge cockroach running around our room towards our bed in the middle of the second night, which made us very uncomfortable and disconcerted as we wondered if there were more lurking in our room that night that left us both sleepless and paranoid. It is regrettable to say that the Lunuganga Estate falls short of international standards befitting of the price it charges and the experience one would expect. Nevertheless, the waiting staff, butler, property manager and our guide were excellent, to say the least. The guided tour given by Mr Bawa's last butler was very well conducted, as he shared many anecdotes of Mr Bawa's personal life in his country home.
HED249
5.0
Wrote on 10 May 2024
Exclusive nostalgia
Historical venue epitomising Geoffrey Bawa's integration of nature into the premises architecture. This does for an unparalleled experience of exclusive character and classic service. The quality of the original designs have been preserved with minimal additions to comfort such as A/C and fine dining service in the main bungalow.
MClarepuffin
5.0
Wrote on 5 May 2024
Masterpiece and Tropical Heaven
So great view and very nice and friendly staff! The rooms are nice and artistic as well. Definitely a masterpiece that worth several visits. I stayed in 2 rooms May 2024 and feels different vibes but all good. You see real sketches and original artwork and collections in your room.
nikita1208
3.0
Wrote on 1 Apr 2024
Ena's Room
Was extremely excited to stay here - and booked the last room available - Ena's bedroom. The property is beautiful and highly recommend doing a tour of the gardens. Especially if you are a fan of architecture and Geoffrey Bawa. But unfortunately that's it. Ena's guest house is about a 10 min walk away from the main property and at night (plus in the rains) it's not an easy walk. Wish they had better lighting or even golf carts for when the weather is bad. Not sure I'd advise staying here if you are older/have mobility issues. For the first hour after checking in there was no water in the bathroom! The staff was very kind and helpful and got to it straight away. But by this time it was already late and we had a long travel day. However after the issue was resolved, the water had the most terrible smell - like something died in the tank! No idea what caused it and it did not go away. The bathroom floor was not very clean either. We understand that the Trust would like to maintain the property as it was in Bawa's memory but some things can be updated like - the locks for the rooms (ours was so old it took us nearly 10 mins to unlock the room and at this point it was so late and we didn't want to make the trek back to the main house), the faucets, pipes (for the smell), etc. Especially given the price of the rooms. We didn't have a chance to see the rooms in the main house so not sure how they are. Overall it's definitely worth visiting the property but not sure we would recommend staying here.
CameronS366
5.0
Wrote on 24 Mar 2024
Great experience
We had a wonderful 2 night stay in Cinnamon Hill 1 and 2 - perfect for 2 couples or a family - I wouldn’t necessarily want to share the building with someone we didn’t know as it is quite cosy. The history of the place is very interesting and the gardens are beautiful. We did the cooking class with Tharaka - very professionally done - highly recommended. All the staff were fantastic, especially Suneth for who nothing was too hard or a problem. Beautiful food with a magnificent view!