Explore the whimsical gardens with a butler on this guided garden tour.

Lunuganga (meaning ‘salt river’ in Sinhalese), is said to have been used as a cinnamon and rubber plantation during the Dutch and British period respectively, before being taken over by Bawa in 1949 to develop as his weekend bungalow. The enchanting retreat and fascinating gardens were often considered a beautifully crafted experimental ground for Bawa, whose extraordinary work can be seen amidst the many architectural charms across the estate.

Elements of Italian Renaissance gardens, English landscaping, Japanese garden art, and the water gardens of ancient Sri Lanka come together to form Bawa’s most extravagant creation – a mecca for those enthusiastic about landscape design and architectural history. Lunuganga now also includes the three-bedroom house of Bawa’s dear friend – Ena de Silva. A batik artist based in Colombo; Ena commissioned Bawa to design her home in 1962 – a pivotal project in his life’s work. In 2009, when the land was sold and the house planned to be demolished, the Bawa Trust stepped in with a brilliant idea – to relocate the house to No. 5 at Lunuganga, a space that borders Bawa’s Lunuganga estate.

The house took three months to disassemble and six years to rebuild, and everything from the frangipani tree in the front courtyard to the slabs of river stone remains just as it was in the original house. You will have the opportunity to visit No. 5 at Lunuganga (Ena’s House), if it isn’t occupied at the time.