You'll find the Brief Garden 10 kilometres inland from Bentota. A barely controlled riot of a garden out of The Jungle Book, the grounds are a lovely place to get lost. The house, which used to be the home of Bevis Bawa, brother of renowned architect Geoffrey Bawa, has an eclectic range of artwork on display – from homoerotic sculpture to a wonderful mural of Sri Lankan life in the style of Marc Chagall.

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Visit the old house, which has an eclectic range of artwork on display, including a mural of traditional Sri Lankan life in the style of Marc Chagall and a variety of pieces painted by local artists. After seeing the house, explore the beautiful Japanese-style gardens, a mesmerising, barely-controlled riot of tropical splendour which spreads across two acres.

Past visitors include Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier who stayed here in 1953 during the filming of Elephant Walk.