Explore the beauty of Sri Lanka through Geoffrey Bawa’s architectural legacy

“In nature, nothing is perfect, and everything is perfect.” 

While widely attributed to American poet Alice Walker, this statement offers a succinct distillation of Geoffrey Bawa’s design ethos. The Sri Lankan architect has long been associated with the saying, and it could well serve as the guiding principle for his “tropical modernist” aesthetic, which prioritises placing new buildings not just amid, but as a sympathetic part of, the natural landscape. 

Now, 23 years after his death, travellers can experience Bawa’s holistic conceptions in the most visceral way possible – sleeping and living in them. Cathay Holidays has themed an entire nine-day, seven-night trip around exploring Bawa’s legacy: “An in-depth exploration of Bawa’s architectural wonders”. The package includes stays at three hotels designed by Bawa himself, as well lunch at his residence, the iconic Lunuganga estate. Also on the itinerary are three Unesco World Heritage Sites and the renowned Nine Arch Bridge railway bridge of Ella, also known as “the Bridge in the Sky”. 

For more inspiration, don’t miss our guide to the top sights in Sri Lanka and our expert tips on exploring the country’s north. 

Who was Geoffrey Bawa? 

Geoffrey Bawa was never meant to be an architect. Born in 1919 in the bustling capital of Colombo, he travelled to the UK at the age of 19 to study law, at his parents’ encouragement. On his widespread travels, he discovered the beauty of Renaissance Italy, yet dutifully returned home after World War Two to take up practice. It was only following the death of his parents that Bawa, at the age of 38, finally pivoted to architecture. The more than 200 designs he left us established him as one of Asia’s best-known celebrity architects, and today Bawa is widely regarded as the father of the distinctly regional stream of “tropical modernism”. 

What exactly is “tropical modernism”? 

Bawa’s design ethos was inherently sustainable, long before the term became a buzzword. Rather than attempting to tame the environment, he imagined structures that coexisted alongside their natural surroundings, blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces. 

Instead of singular glass monoliths, clinically sealed and reliant on air conditioning, Bawa thought in terms of interconnected structures made from earthen concrete, wood and brick, carefully placed in wider compounds defined by balance and cooled by air flow. His homes always “related to all the garden spaces on the property in different and magical ways,” wrote Gerhard W Mayer, co-founder of the US Livable Communities Initiative and a former mentee of Bawa. 

These harmonious elements are on full display in the four properties included in Cathay Holidays’ Bawa-inspired itinerary. Learn more about each unique tropical retreat below. 

Heritance Kandalama 

Guests on the “Bawa’s architectural wonders” tour spend two nights at Heritance Kandalama , a monumental hotel in the wilderness that was conceived to take in the majesty of the Unesco-recognised Sigiriya – an ancient rock fortress carved into the shape of a lion, which appears like a distant mirage. Perhaps this dreamy vantage inspired Bawa to construct his 1995 masterwork on the side of a cliff face without employing earth-moving machinery, to ensure the native rock formations were undisturbed. Immersed in jungle vegetation, its seven storeys and 152 rooms unfold over a lush 85-hectare estate outside of Sri Lanka’s second-largest city, Dambulla. 

Heritance Ahungalla 

After visiting Kandy, guests next encounter Bawa’s genius at Heritance Ahungalla , an influential beach resort opened back in 1981. Originally named after the Greek god Triton, it unfolds along the Colombo coast in a series of characteristically cooling, interconnected buildings, punctuated by gorgeous infinity pools that appear to merge with the crashing ocean. Bawa reportedly conceived this design on-site, at full scale, strolling the sand and making gestures for his team to log on paper. Yet despite the macro focus, every column and corner was meticulously accounted for. 

Lunuganga 

Saving the best for (almost) last, on day seven, guests have the privilege of an exclusive lunch invite at the most revered property of all: Lunuganga . In 1948, Bawa returned from two years of travel across Asia and Europe to set up home in the newly independent Sri Lanka. He purchased an abandoned rubber estate and set about crafting his dream home, appointing an architect’s firm to realise his vision. 

Shayari de Silva, the curator of the Bawa Trust, later remembered how the uncompromising figure “literally moved mountains to create the slopes and views that he wanted”. In the process, he didn’t just conjure the ultimate self-portrait; he sparked his creative vision and steeled the resolve to reorientate his life to his true calling.  

Jetwing Lighthouse 

The tour ends in the beautifully preserved southern town of Galle, with a stay in one of Bawa’s final projects. Deliberately reflecting the style of the town’s iconic 17th-century Dutch fort, the Jetwing’s seaside property sits daringly at the top of a cliff, facing southwest over a rocky outcrop towards the fury of the sea. Artist Laki Senanayake designed the famed interior staircase, which symbolically depicts an ancient battle between Sinhalese and Portuguese warriors. 

This tour is one of three distinct Sri Lanka itineraries curated by Cathay Holidays. You can find more information on alternative trips below. 

Waves, wildlife and ancient wonders tour 

If you’re looking for adventure, this nine-day itinerary delivers. Your journey begins with leopard spotting on safari in Wilpattu National Park and whale watching in Trincomalee. It takes you up Unesco World Heritage Site Sigiriya Rock Fortress, through ancient temples in Dambulla and Kandy, and ends with a tea factory tour.  

Sri Lanka discovery tour 

This six-day itinerary is the ideal option for first-time visitors to Sri Lanka, offering a well-rounded taste of the country. Things kick off with a safari at Minneriya National Forest, slow down with a spice garden tour in Matale and continue with a city tour of Kandy. The journey ends with a visit to a tea factory and mangrove river boat ride.  

Learn more about, and book, our curated Sri Lanka itineraries below.