Spotlight on Good Travel places to visit in Sri Lanka’s central hill country
Traveling in Sri Lanka? Check out these Good Market approved social enterprises, responsible businesses, and community initiatives that prioritize people and the planet. This list includes travel experiences and places to eat, shop, and stay in Sri Lanka’s central hill country, which includes Kandy, the Knuckles mountain range, Kitulgala, Peak Wilderness sanctuary, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, and more. You can also find lists of Good Market approved enterprises for the south west, south, south east, east, cultural triangle and north, and north west.
Know an initiative that should be included? Get in touch or encourage them to apply.
Kandy Area
Buono Cafe
Kandy, Sri Lanka
BUONO Food for Life is a social enterprise started to support Child Action Lanka. It is a locally run community cafe in Kandy town that hosts local events and serves coffee, smoothies, baked donuts, and other snacks. 100% of …
Earthbound Creations was started in 2013 by a Sri Lankan social entrepreneur to create handcrafted products from recycled waste materials. They are particularly known for their recycled newspaper pencils, bags, bowls, …
Halgolla Plantation Home provides a unique farmstay experience in a home occupied by the van der Poorten family for three generations. Visitors can enjoy guided tours of the plantation, bird watching, walking trails, an …
I Am Upcycled is an initiative of Green Life Generation, a social enterprise focused on community based sustainable development in the village of Kengalle. They collect waste materials from local construction sites …
The Kandy Samadhi Centre is a unique nature retreat designed to calm the mind and promote wellness. They offer traditional vegetarian food made from organically grown ingredients, Ayurvedic massage and treatments, …
Nisala Foundation is situated in the central highlands of Sri Lanka and hosts residential Vipassana and mindfulness meditation retreats each month for beginner, intermediate, and advanced students. The center …
Rangala House offers hill country accommodation near the Knuckles forest reserve World Heritage Site. They produce sun-dried tomatoes, dried fruit, tahini sesame paste, peanut butter, marinades, and chutneys for the …
Selyn supports more than 1,000 rural women and is the only Fair Trade guaranteed handloom company in Sri Lanka. They produce an export quality range of handloom clothing, toys, housewares, and accessories. Selyn is …
Sthree, which means “woman” in Sinhala and Tamil, is a social enterprise started by the Women’s Development Centre that promotes handcrafted products from disadvantaged women and people with disabilities. They …
Sunimal’s is a family business that has been producing handloom clothing, shoes, bags, accessories, housewares, and toys since 1980. Fabric is woven on traditional looms in their own workshops and the finished products are …
Tamarind Gardens is a small farm in the Kandyan hill country of Sri Lanka that is committed to sustainability and community service. The main industry in the area is dolomite mining and Tamarind Gardens works to provide …
Welikande Yoga Retreats offers food, accommodation, and event facilities on 12 acres of land overlooking the Knuckles mountain range of Sri Lanka. The center was developed as a place for people to gather, learn, teach, …
Jungle River is a nature retreat in Sri Lanka’s hill country near Aberdeen Falls. Over the past 20 years, they have reforested 10 acres to remove carbon dioxide, release oxygen, and contribute to a cleaner, healthier …
Paradise Farm was developed to promote sustainable agriculture, train nearby villagers in effective organic practices, and instill a love and respect for nature. The property includes an 80-acre organic tea garden, …
Wanakaset, which means agroforestry in Thai, is a dynamic and ecologically based natural resource management system. Wanakaset Sri Lanka stewards 20 acres of land with the goal of regenerating the forest and watershed …
Forest Hill specializes in wild tea from Warnagala, an abandoned estate in the Sri Pada mountain range. The tea was planted by Scottish planters during colonial rule, and over the next 130 years, it grew from conventional tea …
Sri Bodhiraja Foundation is a registered non-profit that was started in 1991 to ensure the wellbeing and happiness or all beings, both human and non-human. Each month, they serve more than 10,000 people, across all religious…
Ayurveda Coffee Shop offers healthy food and drinks, Sri Lankan cooking classes, yoga, and meditation in Nuwara Eliya. They are committed to operating in an environmentally responsible way and supporting the local …
Guayapi Lanka’s Maussawa Estate is a 20 hectare analog forest garden near the village of Pundaluoya. They offer farm stay accommodation, ecotourism experiences, and organic meals. The property was restored according to …
Jetwing is a pioneer of sustainable tourism in Sri Lanka and operates more than 35 hotels and villas across the country. Their Sustainability Strategy focuses on six key categories: Energy & Carbon, Water & Waste, …
Senani produces organic fresh herbs, flowers, vegetables as well as homemade cheese, yogurt, kefir, jam, marmalade, and pickles at their guesthouse in Nuwara Eliya. Senani Bungalow is a 100-year-old planter …
Sunrise Farm is an organic demonstration farm situated on top of a hill in the center of Nuwara Eliya town. This area of Sri Lanka is known for its heavy agrichemical use. The master farmer behind Sunrise Farm specializes in …
Amba Estate was established to create a model of economic opportunity and environmental restoration in Uva Province, an area of Sri Lanka with high poverty and minimal investment. Amba’s founders are focused on …
Belipola was started by Dr Ranil Senanayake in 1983 as a research and training center for analog forestry. At the time, Belipola was an abandoned tea estate with tall grasses, old tea bushes, and degraded soil. Using …
Living Heritage Koslanda is a luxury boutique hotel in Sri Lanka’s hill country that was developed over more than thirty years to respect and preserve the region’s natural biodiversity and traditional heritage. The forest retreat …
Wilder’s is committed to immersive farming practices for human health and ecological health. They cultivate 10 acres in Ella using traditional organic techniques with a focus on biodiversity, natural cycles, and living soil. …