Athul Prasad
Leaves rustled in the tall trees overhead, and I felt a cool breeze on my skin.
I could hear the gurgle of a stream in the distance, and the sounds of chanting.
I was in the tropical woodland surrounding a centuries-old Buddhist monastery, in Matara, Sri Lanka.
Toque macaque monkeys on the rooftops of Wild Coast Tented Lodge.Credit:Athul Prasad
Ramya Jirasinghe, a mindfulness coach, was walking me through a one-on-one meditation session.
Slowly, the tension in my shoulders eased.
My mind swirled with images of all that I had experienced in the previous week.
From left: The pool at Malabar Hill, a boutique resort on the southern coast of Sri Lanka; Trilank, a naturalist guide in Yala National Park.Athul Prasad
As instructed, I let them flow freely.
I was wary of going, concerned that the children and their parents might feel objectified.
But Rangi Gamage, who is employed by the tour operator to teach the class, convinced me otherwise.
From left: The lobby at Amangalla, a hotel in Galle Fort; garnishing a gin cocktail at Smoke & Bitters.Athul Prasad
Gamage is an artist trained in Pahatharata Natum, a traditional form of folk dance.
Gamage had prepared a typical farmers meal and served it in a clearing between her familys millet fields.
All of it was accompanied by a regional variety of red rice, pickled vegetables, and crispy pappadums.
From left: The veranda at Amangalla; an auto-rickshaw in Galle.Athul Prasad
Sensing the stupor her meal had induced, Gamage went in for the kill.
They actually enjoy performing for guests, she said, once again referring to her dance-therapy class.
In their regular schools the children are often left out of events.
Sari-clad women in Galle.Athul Prasad
This makes them feel included.
The class was held in a large hall, open on three sides.
I watched as 20 differently-abled children filled the room.
The Kanneliya rain forest.Athul Prasad
They were, I was told, from the areas most impoverished neighborhoods.
They struggled; they laughed and tried to keep up.
Every so often Gamage would correct a childs posture, or commend others for their hard work.
From left: Traditional teak and rattan seating at Amangalla; a private plunge pool at Malabar Hill.Athul Prasad
Does he know the song?
the girl asked Gamage.
I replied in the affirmative.
From left: One of Malabar Hill’s lounge areas; a Sri Lankan breakfast of egg hoppers, served at Fort Bazaar.Athul Prasad
Whether civil war or political upheaval, weve learned to roll with the punches.
The hotels wastewater is treated and released into nearby watering holes for the benefit of wildlife.
All of this is funded by a superlative level of luxury.
From left: Guest suites at Wild Coast Tented Lodge, near Yala National Park, which were designed to resemble cocoons; inside a Wild Coast Tented Lodge guest suite.Athul Prasad
Though I seemed to find invention everywhere I looked, it wasnt always prompted by necessity.
I ordered a negroni made with a Sri Lankan gin, Colombo No.
7, that has notes of native spices such as cinnamon.
From left: A surfer takes to the waves near Hiriketiya; waiting for waves at Ahangama Beach, near Weligama.Athul Prasad
Our thought was: how do we deliver Sri Lankan flavors but in a progressive and sustainable way?
Its made with a tea-infused rum, spiced orgeat, and triple sec, all three created in-house.
Another occasion of great revelry was the evening I spent at a Galle Fort landmark, the Amangalla hotel.
Elephants in Yala National Park.Athul Prasad
The building we were drinking in dates back to 1684, when the Dutch ruled over Sri Lanka.
One evening I walked around the ramparts overlooking the Indian Ocean, where families sat enjoying the breeze.
Elderly women played with their grandchildren.
A bird’s-eye view of Wild Coast Tented Lodge, on the Indian Ocean.Athul Prasad
Men chatted outside a whitewashed mosque, its name in Urdu written in an Art Deco font.
Kids ate ice cream and cotton candy, while teenagers played cricket in the narrow lanes between homes.
Its produced on a machine with dozens of bobbins, and theres one right by the cashiers counter.
From left: Rangi Gamage, who runs dance classes and village meal experiences for Ayu in the Wild; village-style vegan dishes at an Ayu in the Wild lunch.Athul Prasad
Back on the grounds of the Buddhist temple, my meditation session was almost at an end.
Suddenly, the silence was interrupted by a ringtone-like sound: popopopopo.
It was the call of a crimson-fronted barbet.
The boutique resort Malabar Hill.Athul Prasad
The barbet, along with a chorus of other endemic birds, provided the soundtrack.
As I squinted to examine it more closely, a yellow eyelid opened to reveal a blank stare.
I quickly stepped back: the creeper, about five inches long, was actually a green vine snake.
From left: Drinks on the veranda at Amangalla, a hotel in Galle, Sri Lanka; floral décor at Malabar Hill, a hilltop resort near Weligama.Athul Prasad
In that moment, my own urban issues seemed trivial, even meaningless.
I was being nudged out of my reverie.
It had been blissful, recollecting all that had happened on the island.
From left: The verdant grounds of Malabar Hill; terrace dining at Fort Bazaar hotel.Athul Prasad
And even more blissful that my teacher hadnt been able to tell that my thoughts were drifting.
Which only means we can do it again.
Shoba:Shop for traditional Sri Lankan lace atShoba, the Pedlar Street cafe and gallery.
From left: A painted stork at Bundala National Park, in Sri Lanka; a peacock in the park.Athul Prasad
Urban Island:Born as a skills-development project for rural artisans,Urban Islandproduces high-quality handmade homewares and textiles.
29 on Asias 50 Best Bars list.
The gardens provide fruits and vegetables for the hotels kitchen.
