Lunuganga (Geoffrey Bawa's Garden), Sri Lanka

Lunuganga was the country home of Geoffrey Bawa, Sri Lanka's most celebrated architect and the founder of the style known as tropical modernism. He bought this former cinnamon and rubber estate on the Dedduwa Lake near Bentota in 1948, and he spent the next fifty years reshaping it. Many people consider the garden his finest and most personal work.

What makes it special

Lunuganga isn't a flower garden. It's a sequence of outdoor rooms, terraces and long views, where the design is so careful that it looks almost natural. Bawa moved earth, cut openings through trees and even lowered a hill to frame a view of a distant temple across the lake. Statues, urns, pavilions and water gardens appear as you walk, and the mood changes at every turn.

Highlights include the view from the main house across Cinnamon Hill, the Water Garden, the black-and-white tiled terrace known as the Red Terrace, and the small buildings Bawa added over the years to use as studios and guest rooms.

How to visit

The estate is run by the Geoffrey Bawa Trust, and it also operates as a small hotel.

• Garden tours are guided, and they run at set times of day. They last around an hour to an hour and a half. You can't simply wander in, and numbers are limited.
• Booking ahead is strongly advised, especially from December to March. Check the current tour times and prices with the Trust or ask your hotel to call.
• Lunch or afternoon tea on the terrace can usually be booked together with a tour, and it's a lovely way to extend the visit.
• Staying overnight in one of the rooms lets you have the garden almost to yourself in the early morning and evening.

Wear comfortable shoes, as paths are uneven, and bring insect repellent. Photography for personal use is generally allowed in the garden.

Who will enjoy it

Anyone interested in architecture, gardens or design will find it memorable. If you've admired Bawa's hotels elsewhere in Sri Lanka, such as those at Kandalama or Ahungalla, this shows where his ideas were worked out. Young children may find a guided garden tour slow.

Brief Garden

A few kilometres away is Brief Garden, created by Geoffrey's brother, Bevis Bawa. It's wilder, more playful and full of sculpture, and you can explore it at your own pace. Many visitors see both in one day.

Getting there

Lunuganga is about 15 minutes inland from Bentota by tuk-tuk, and roughly 2 hours from Colombo. The last stretch is along narrow village lanes. It pairs well with a Madu River boat trip, and it fits into a south coast itinerary or one of the longer day trips from Colombo.