N-US">Sri Lankan hotel group Resplendent Ceylon has unveiled plans to add treehouse-style accommodation at its flagship Tea Trails resort, in response to demand from travel agents.

The property, set on a tea plantation in south-central Sri Lanka, is made up of five separate bungalows comprising 27 rooms.

The extension is set to be built on the ridge behind Dunkeld Bungalow, adding a further 20 to 25 rooms in a treehouse style, designed to blend in with the landscape. The development will also add a host of new facilities including a heated swimming pool, spa and wellness centre offering tea-focused treatments, and standalone restaurant, which would be available to other Tea Trails guests.

Malik Fernando, managing director at Resplendent Ceylon, said: “With Tea Trails being the most iconic of our properties, and in such demand – because tea country is so appealing with no other tourists and stunning scenery, it’s a really charming experience – you get a huge scramble at busy times.

“We thought about adding one more bungalow to make it six, but why not create a more modern, contemporary idea?

“These will give you a treehouse feel and they’ll be located on the top of the ridge with stunning views.

“It adds something quite different to the mix. We have single-handedly established tea tourism in Sri Lanka, so it’s important that we top and tail it for people or families who want longer stays.”

The extension is still in the planning stage, but Fernando said it would ideally be completed by 2020.

This is among a raft of new developments for the Sri Lankan hotel group, which opened its third property, Wild Coast Tented Lodge, on the edge of Yala National Park last November, and is set for further openings in Sigiriya Resort, due by the end of 2020, and a Robinson Crusoe-style beach resort at Trincomalee the following year.

Beachfront resort Cape Weligama has also added a new adventure centre in partnership with specialist activity operator Borderlands, adding whale-watching, mountain biking, kayaking and white-water rafting, among other activities. Wild Coast is also set to unveil Sri Lanka’s biggest leopard conservation station in July.

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