Kumu Beach
Balapitiya
Kumu Beach is an intimate and contemporary beachfront hideaway, tucked behind the palm-fringed shores of Balapitiya on Sri Lanka’s southwest coast. With just 10 sleek ocean-facing rooms, this boutique hotel offers a quiet, design-led escape where modern luxury meets barefoot coastal charm. The open-air living and dining spaces invite in sea breezes and sunset views, while the palm-lined pool provides a serene focal point, just steps from the Indian Ocean.
Each guestroom features custom-designed furniture, crisp linens, curated artwork and oversized showers, blending minimalist style with a distinct Sri Lankan soul. Four rooms open onto a private garden terrace, while the upstairs suites boast expansive balconies and uninterrupted views across the Indian Ocean.
Dining at Kumu Beach is relaxed and meals are typically served al fresco. The menu celebrates seasonal ingredients and the island’s coastal bounty with line-caught seafood, grilled lobster, fragrant Sri Lankan curries and tropical fruit platters on offer.
When it comes to exploring, Kumu is superbly located for cultural adventures and natural wonders alike. The nearby town of Ambalangoda, just a 15-minute drive away, is famed for its balsa wood mask carving, with mask museums and performances of ritual Kolam dance. A short journey inland takes you to the former estates of Geoffrey Bawa (Lunuganga) and his brother Bevis (Brief Garden), two icons of Sri Lankan design and landscape architecture. Nearby Bentota’s lagoon offers jet-skiing and kayaking, while Hikkaduwa beckons with surf breaks and beach bars. Or head south to Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where cobbled streets brim with boutique shops, galleries and history.
Kumu Beach is part of the Teardrop Hotels collection, known for transforming historic and characterful buildings into stylish, boutique stays. Guests can combine a stay at Kumu Beach with Fort Bazaar in the heart of Galle Fort, Nine Skies in the tea-draped hills of Ella or Goatfell near Nuwara Eliya. There’s also the atmospheric Wallawwa in Negombo and the idyllic Camellia Hills bungalow in the Hill Country.
Whether you want to dive into local culture or simply sink into a sun lounger with a book and a fresh king coconut, Kumu Beach delivers elegant simplicity every time.
There are no foreign lands. It is the traveller only who is foreign.
Robert Louis Stevenson