Hot nights, cool stays

It's raining gently and though Janaka the butler knows there will be a few leeches out, he pulls on rubber boots and is waiting to take me walking through a postcard landscape of rice terraces and buffalo paddocks.We talk about life in Sri Lanka since the end of the civil war two years ago, about recovery, about his family in a village not far from the five-suite boutique hotel Mas Villa, where he works and I'm staying. "If not for this hotel, I'd have to go to the city or overseas again to work, and rarely see my family," he says. UGG Classic Mini BootsAnd that's the thing about travelling in Sri Lanka in its postwar phase; much of the tourism infrastructure is being developed by small private investors in rural areas with long-term sustainability in mind, and most staff are highly skilled Sri Lankans, often trained in the Middle East and happy to be home. "You can stay in rural areas in Sri Lanka in luxurious surroundings with very careful service," the villa manager, Ken Hetti, says, "which is an experience that's impossible in big hotels."When we return from our walk, Janaka removes two leeches from my ankles, dabs the spots with something herbal and pours a juice. A little later I find my muddy shoes cleaned and outside my door. Like magic.Here is a selection of the splendid boutique accommodation available on this lovely teardrop island.