Wilpattu National Park, Jaffna and the North, Sri Lanka

This eco-friendly, six-roomed property offers accommodation in stilted cottages on the sand-rimmed shores of a pretty lake. Large numbers of water birds gather here in season, and the gardens are alive with butterflies, tree squirrels and kingfishers. The salt-water pool is chemical-free and a relaxing place from which to enjoy the local wildlife and, after dark, fabulously starry skies. TransIndus clients routinely rave about the cooking – being such a small property the chef can cater for guests individually – and the welcome from the staff is genuinely warm.