Uga Riva may have opened in 2023, but the beautifully restored Sri Lankan manor house is a whopping 180 years old
Nestled in a coconut plantation, the hotel is secluded and small with only seven guest rooms. It’s away from the busy centre, located on a quiet street in the suburbs of Negombo and only a 10-minute tuk tuk to the beach.
Despite being so old, Uga Riva has managed to uphold the building’s charm. Spread across one level, it’s got plenty of bright open spaces and antiques dotted throughout. We’re not sure if it was the size and location of the hotel or the surrounding nature that gave Uga Riva its calm energy, but was very easy to switch into holiday mode here. The real showstopper is the pool area – with five acres of lush greenery as a backdrop, it was the perfect spot for a dip and some afternoon lounging.
During our visit, we stayed in one of the superior rooms. The room was large and beautifully designed, with a huge four-poster bed, vintage wooden shutters and wardrobe, and a double bathroom. It also had a mini-bar stocked with Sri Lankan goodies, an espresso machine and a selection of Sri Lankan tea, which we took advantage of during a lazy morning.
However, breakfast at Uga Riva is worth getting out of bed for. Starting with a basket full of warm pastries, you can then choose up to three courses of brekkie dishes with a Sri Lankan spin. Our favourites were the super creamy buffalo curd parfait and the Riva poached eggs, a spiced take on eggs benedict with pork curry and seeni sambol.
Being so small, the hotel doesn’t have a restaurant, so instead each room has its own dining space for both breakfast and dinner. This provided a peaceful spot to enjoy a candlelit meal come evening, minus the risk of any overly loud people ruining the ambience. From the starters, we recommend trying the juicy coconut & sesame-crusted prawns served with a fresh slaw. We then couldn’t resist ordering the lagoon crab curry with roast paan, a Sri Lankan-style sweet bread for dipping into the rich sauce. All this was washed down with a few Negombo Negronis and Arrack Old Fashioneds.
Negombo isn’t at the top of Sri Lanka’s most visited destinations; being only a 30-minute drive from the airport, it’s often a pit stop for travellers pre- or post-flight. We welcomed this, allowing us to experience a side of Sri Lanka we’d rarely seen on our trip, living like a local without the flock of tourists. One afternoon during our stay, we enjoyed an epic tuk tuk tour with Kevin, head butler from the hotel who showed us all the sites of Negombo, including the famous fish market, sampling delicacies like boondi (a must-try if you have a sweet tooth), and ending with a mega sunset on the beach.
Uga Riva feels like a hidden gem in a relatively unknown part of Sri Lanka and is definitely worth a visit if you’re planning a trip to the island. We ended our trip there, and it provided the perfect place to spend our final days relaxing and savouring the sunshine, before saying a fond farewell.
64/1, Thoppuwa, Road, Negombo 11500, Sri Lanka
ugaescapes.com