The turquoise door at Welikande, opening onto Victoria Lake and the Knuckles range

Knuckles Mountain Range · Sri Lanka

Wake in the mountains.Practise by the lake.Eat what we grow.

All-inclusive yoga retreats on a 12-acre jungle estate. Daily yoga in open-air shalas, farm-to-table meals and a new adventure every day.

★★★★★ 5.0 · 80 Google reviews All-inclusive from $110 per night Arrive any day · from 2 nights

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45 minutes from Kandy · Airport transfers arranged for you

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How it works

Come when it suits you, stay as long as you like

Our retreats are all-inclusive and run on a rolling basis, so you choose the dates and the length of your stay. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned practitioner, this is a chance to start or deepen your yoga practice, and to get to know Sri Lanka along the way.

Your roomPrivate, en suite, with mountain or lake views

Three meals a dayVegetarian, grown on the estate or bought at the village market

Two yoga classes dailyMorning and evening, in open-air shalas

A daily activityCooking class, cultural tour, waterfalls and more. Transport, lunch and a local guide included

Tea and coffeeUnlimited, and we roast our own coffee

WifiThroughout the estate

Cloud filling the valley below the estate at dawn, the mountains standing above it

The Knuckles Conservation Forest

Some mornings the valley fills with cloud and the mountains become islands.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, and the reason everything here feels different

A day at Welikande

Your day, from first light to the last plate

Nothing is compulsory. This is the rhythm, not a timetable.

A guest sitting in meditation on the terrace, looking out over the valley

6.30am

Quiet time

The sky brightens over the rolling hills of the jungle, as far as the eye can see.

7.30am

Morning yoga and meditation

You walk down the estate to an open-air shala overlooking Victoria Lake, and are guided through an energising sequence. Hatha and vinyasa flow.

9am

Kola Kanda, then breakfast

A traditional Sri Lankan herbal drink that warms you through, followed by a communal breakfast on the mountain-view terrace.

10.30am

A daily activity, or nothing at all

A tea factory, a waterfall, a village market, a Buddhist temple. Transport, lunch and a guide are included. Or stay for the pool and a massage.

5.30pm

Sunset yoga

As the day becomes night, a restorative practice of deep stretches, yin, yoga nidra and guided meditation.

7pm

A Sri Lankan feast

Grown on the estate where we can, cooked that afternoon, eaten together.

Rooms

Four room types, one price unit

Every rate is all-inclusive and shown per person or per room, per night, so you can compare them at a glance.

Solo Traveller

Lake View house

Sleeps 1. 4 of these.

$110 per person, per night

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Solo Traveller

Main building

Sleeps 1. 3 of these.

$125 per person, per night

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Couple's Double

Main building

Sleeps 2. 3 of these.

$200 per room, per night

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Twin

Main building

Sleeps 2. 4 of these.

$200 per room, per night

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See all rooms and what is included

Three ways to come

Welikande suits three quite different visits

A guest sitting in meditation above the valley

Come for a retreat

Solo travellers and couples, two nights or two weeks, arriving any day.

See retreats and rooms

Two practitioners in partner yoga above Victoria Lake

Host your own retreat

Bring your group. Two shalas, the whole estate to yourselves, and a room for you.

Hire the venue

A White-throated Kingfisher, one of the birds seen around the estate

Come for the birds

Inside a UNESCO forest holding around 128 species, 17 of them found nowhere else.

Birdwatching at Welikande

Michael, founder, on the estate — **Michael**Founder

Tush, owner and chef, on the estate — **Tush**Owner and chef

Michael and Tush together on the estate, the mountains behind them

Our story

Love is the foundation of our home

Michael fell in love within thirty seconds. It took Tush six months to admit the connection. They have been in love ever since, and were married in October 2025.

Michael first came to Sri Lanka in 1983 as a traveller and felt an immediate connection to the land and the people. More than a decade ago he bought property here on a whim. The plan was a quiet summer house. It became twelve acres and six homes on a mountain top.

Tush grew up in a family where Ayurvedic knowledge was inherited: her grandfather was an Ayurvedic doctor. She began by taking in lodgers, cooking three meals a day for up to fifty people on a small budget. That cooking, a fusion of Sri Lankan and European, is what you eat here today.

Our mission is to create a home away from home, particularly for young travellers, so they can feel safe and loved for a few precious days.
Michael and Tush, owners

In their own words

What guests say when they get home

We have never asked anyone to say anything in particular. These are the words and the faces of people who stayed, filmed on the estate.

“My 7-day stay at Welikande was absolutely amazing. It started with a warm welcome from Michael and his wife Tush and the rest just built on it. The location is exceptional, nice and clean rooms with all you need, and practising yoga at the shala with a mind-blowing view while listening to the singing of birds is such a relaxing experience.”

Lucy, Prague

“Welikande is one of those places that feels like home from the second you arrive. From the delicious home-cooked food, yoga and meditation twice daily, and the fantastic experiences and excursions: massage, pottery, waterfalls. All you need to do is turn up, and the rest is taken care of. Can't wait to go back.”

Gemma, London

“Arriving at Welikande is like reaching the top of the world. Mountains and lakes as far as the eye can see, and no photo will ever come close. The property is gorgeous, as are the lovely hosts whose hearts and souls are poured into this paradise. The experiences on offer are totally unique. I spent six weeks in Sri Lanka and nothing came close to the unusual daily adventures we had.”

Rachel, United Kingdom

Sarah, from Ireland

A Sri Lankan lunch on the terrace: rice, curries, poppadoms and bananas grown on the estate

Farm to table

Let food be thy medicine

Our food is fresh, plant-based and, most importantly, delicious. We grow nearly everything on the property, and what we do not grow we buy from vendors in the nearby villages. We even roast our own coffee.

Three vegetarian meals a day, included in every rate
Grown on the estate, or bought that morning at the village market
Coffee we roast ourselves
Vegan and dietary requirements are normal here, not an exception

How we eat here

Where we are

45 minutes from Kandy, inside a UNESCO forest

4h: Colombo airportTransfer arranged on request
2h30: SigiriyaAcross the cultural triangle
45min: KandyThe nearest town, and the nearest station
$85: Airport transfer Per car each way, arranged for you.

Transfers and travel details

Welikande Yoga Retreats, Udisspattuwa, Knuckles Mountain Range

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Instagram

Follow the estate

@welikande.yoga.retreats

Sunrise over the mountains from the estate

A guest stretching during the morning class

The pool looking out over the jungle at first light

Tea picking in the plantations below the estate

The mountain-view terrace where breakfast is served

A hammock on the veranda, looking down to Victoria Lake

Partner yoga on the terrace above Victoria Lake

Ayurvedic preparations of oils, herbs and flowers

Two guests at the meditation spot, at the top of the estate, as the sun goes down

A White-throated Kingfisher above the water

One of the five waterfalls, with its natural pool

Victoria Lake and the ranges beyond, from the upper estate

Sunset over Victoria Lake from the meditation spot

Victoria Lake, from the meditation shala

The day ends the way it began. Slowly, and outdoors.

Sunset practice runs at 5.30, and nobody has ever been late for it

Before you book

The questions guests ask first

Ask something else

Do I need to have done yoga before?

No. Both daily classes are taught for every level, and beginners are the norm rather than the exception. The morning class is energising, the evening class is slow and restorative.

What exactly is included in the price?

Your room, three vegetarian meals a day, two yoga classes a day, a daily activity with transport, lunch and a local guide, unlimited tea and coffee, and wifi. Airport transfers are the one thing added on top, at $85 per car each way.

Can I come on my own?

Yes, and many guests do. There are rooms for one, priced per person, and everyone eats together on the terrace, so nobody eats alone.

Do I have to book set dates?

No. Retreats run on a rolling basis: you arrive on any day, for two nights or two weeks, and step into the rhythm of the day.

How do I get there?

Colombo airport is about four hours away, and we arrange a car to meet you. Kandy, the nearest town and station, is 45 minutes. The last stretch is a mountain road.

Can you cater for vegans and allergies?

Yes. Every meal is vegetarian, vegan is always possible, and dietary requirements are normal here. Tell us when you book.

Wake in the mountains.Practise by the lake.Eat what we grow.

Come when it suits you, stay as long as you like

Your day, from first light to the last plate

Quiet time

Morning yoga and meditation

Kola Kanda, then breakfast

A daily activity, or nothing at all

Sunset yoga

A Sri Lankan feast

Four room types, one price unit

Solo Traveller

Solo Traveller

Couple's Double

Twin

Welikande suits three quite different visits

Come for a retreat

Host your own retreat

Come for the birds

Love is the foundation of our home

What guests say when they get home

Let food be thy medicine

45 minutes from Kandy, inside a UNESCO forest

Follow the estate

The questions guests ask first

Plan your stay