Tri, a stunning new eco-resort in Sri Lanka, is a gateway to the island nation’s underexplored interior

by Jen Murphy

Travelers began returning to Sri Lanka after the country’s 25-year civil war ended in 2009, but most headed for the beach. Now British photographer Robert Drummond and his wife, Lara Baumann, are luring visitors a mile into the serene interior with Tri, which sits on six lush acres on the north shore of Koggala, the country’s largest natural lake.

The property is a collection of eight sleekly designed stand-alone suites—with plants growing on their rooftops—and a main house with a 40-foot tower; every bedroom has a view of the water. At sunset guests head to the tower’s rooftop terrace to sip beetroot cocktails before tucking into a seven-course meal of local delicacies like lake oysters with papaya ceviche or cinnamon quail with pickled mung bean sprouts.

In the morning, Baumann teaches yoga classes on a treetop platform floating above a nearby bamboo grove. She developed her own method, Quantum Yoga, and has clients with names you’d recognize.

Can’t touch your toes? Explore the lake by kayak or go fishing while balancing on a stilt like locals do. It’s tougher on your core than any asana.