By Rihaab Mowlana
Photo courtesy: Amba Yaaalu

When Amba Yaalu Kandalama first made headlines as Sri Lanka’s first hotel fully managed and staffed by women, the internet did what it does best: half-applauded, half snickered. The concept was hailed as “empowering” by some, while others cracked predictable jokes: “Will there be enough parking?” “Hope they’re not all PMSing at the same time.” But step onto the grounds of this mango-scented hideaway, and all the noise quiets.

Set on a 457-tree mango plantation beside the Kandalama Lake, Amba Yaalu feels worlds away from the usual hotel script, and not just because it’s run entirely by women. Inspired by the beloved Sinhala novel Amba Yaluwo (Mango Friends) and the golden age of Sri Lankan cinema, the hotel wears its theme lightly but charmingly: retro cinema posters dot the hallways, and the restaurant is aptly named Bioscope.

The moment you arrive, the all-female team’s presence is unmistakable. It’s not a marketing gimmick, it’s a palpable, lived difference. You’ll notice it in the warmth of the welcome, in how the staff work together with quiet cohesion, in the way things are done without fuss but with intent. There’s no managerial peacocking, no performative service gestures. Just genuine hospitality.

The property itself is small and intimate; 33 rooms spread across suites, deluxe rooms, and a couple of spacious attic-style family units. I stayed in one of the latter, where the attic, with its own beds and windows looking out over mango trees and the misty Sleeping Soldier Mountain, felt like a dreamy nook pulled from a children’s book. Think “quiet luxury” but with real charm, not trend-chasing minimalism.

The buffet isn’t extensive, but what’s there is consistently excellent. Fresh, flavourful, and clearly made with care. Every meal felt intentional. There’s a vegan/vegetarian restaurant on site as well, if you want to lean deeper into the clean-living rhythm the hotel gently encourages.

Beyond food and sleep, Amba Yaalu leans into holistic wellness; there’s yoga, Ayurveda treatments, bike rides through the village, and sunset kayaking on the lake. It never feels forced. Just available, if you want it.

And that’s perhaps the most striking thing: the hotel doesn’t shout its uniqueness. It simply lives it. You might come for the headlines, “a hotel fully run by women!”, but you stay for how that fact quietly shifts the energy of everything.

This isn’t just a place to check into. It’s a soft rebellion in the shape of a lakeside retreat.