Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions
Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions is a unique vegan and vegetarian hotel in Sri Lanka where you will be able to relax and unwind, whilst eating nutritious and delicious vegan food. This is the perfect tranquil and restorative retreat location, and also makes an excellent option at the start or end of any vegan travel adventure to Sri Lanka. Having visited Sri Lanka regularly since 1999 we think we’ve found one of our favourite places on this enchanting island! Walk up the paved driveway and be prepared to be amazed by this Ayurvedic oasis on the Negombo strip. You’ll love the pool, your room will make you smile, the staff team will welcome you as part of the family and the vegan food is oh so very good.
Your wellness and wellbeing will be taken care of in a multitude of ways when you are staying at Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions. Starting with an Ayurvedic consultation that will prescribe Ayurvedic medicines and a series of daily treatments, you will also enjoy balanced meals prepared just for you based on your results and yoga classes to start each day. Wellness and wellbeing in each and every part of the day. Other than an evening stroll along the beach which is just over the road, we fully embraced our Ayurvedic retreat experience and spent all of our time within our newly discovered Negombo oasis.
The Vegan Food
The first thing to note about the vegan food at Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions is that it’s all beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. Dishes like the traditional rice and curry have been elevated with colourful edible plate-art forming a backdrop to the curries of the day. And as a bonus, the healthy focus of the food with all the natural ingredients, fresh herbs and spices, makes it feel positively living.
We started off with a soup and salad and then traditional rice and curry. First a healthy bowl of smooth leek and potato soup which had been topped with shredded leeks caramelised in coconut oil. Then the light and fresh avocado, mango and beetroot salad, stacked in a colourful cylinder with a drizzle of mango dressing. Our rice and curry was a curry lover’s dream, with 7 different kinds of curry neatly plated around steamed Sri Lankan rice. A vibrant carrot and garlic curry with whole cloves of garlic which had been simmered in the curry liquor until soft. A plantain curry made with roasted curry powder, a spicy tofu curry with huge cubes of firm tofu, a wing bean curry laden with turmeric, curry leaves, chilli and tomato. Then there was a traditional green leaves salad with fresh shredded coconut, curry leaves and shallots and a shredded cabbage dish, dry fried in coconut oil with curry leaves, mustard seeds, cinnamon bark, garlic and turmeric. Oh and a coconut milk dahl drizzled on top of the rice. It was hard to pick a favourite.
We could have continued to eat our way around the a la carte menu but after our consultation with the Ayurvedic doctor, our food was individually tailored to each of our needs. With the principle of ‘food is medicine’ at heart, our meals were specifically designed to give us what we needed from a health point of view. But unlike the other Ayurvedic medicine we were taking, our meals were still a joy to eat.
Favourites included the red finger millet roti served with vegetable cashew nut curry, a soy meat curry, onion salad and a pesto sauce. The roti were made by taking millet flour, coconut oil, fresh coconut, coconut water and curry leaves and making a dough. After rolling and cutting into thick circles the roti are dry fried on a skillet to give them a crispy, baked outer layer whilst the middle stays moist. They were perfect to scoop the deep green ‘pesto sauce’ which was nothing short of an absolute delight, one of those things that silences all talk at the table. Made from curry leaves, coconut oil, garlic, cashew nuts, mango chutney and vinegar it was like nothing else we’d ever eaten. Sweet, herby, garlicky, creamy and fruity all at the same time. Spread onto the roti then topped with a finely chopped onion, coriander, tomato salad it was the definition of moreish.
We also loved the devilled cauliflower, a Sri Lankan classic and green leaves salad served with vegetable ghee rice. And while we’re talking about Sri Lankan classics, we were happy that dishes like roti with spicy coconut sambol and mixed vegetable curry and upma with curry and onion sambol also made it into our meal plans.
Sweet treats were also never far away, making use of natural sweeteners like coconut treacle, dates, pumpkin and fruits to hit that sweet spot whilst still keeping the food healthy. Pumpkin pancakes drizzled with coconut treacle? Creamy squares of ‘Kiribath’ rice which has been cooked in coconut milk then drizzled with more of that coconut treacle as a twist on this usual savoury dish? Or how about a mango gel pudding, sesame balls with fruit salad or banana fritters? Sweet cravings were easily satisfied.
The Vegan Essentials
Vegan essentials come in all shapes and sizes at Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions. We normally focus on non feather pillows and duvets (available) or the availability of natural bathroom amenities (also available), but here at Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions we just have to mention the daily Ayurvedic treatments and medicines that were a integral part of our experience. Our treatments were extensive and immersive, following ancient healing traditions and delivered by expert Ayurvedic practitioners. Following our Ayurvedic consultation and upon entering the Ayurveda Therapy Centre we commenced upon a journey of massaging, steaming and oil pouring; a journey like no other. These were no ordinary massages, but treatments that were delivered with ancient knowledge and healing purpose, whilst the unique ‘swedana’ steam treatments saw us having our bodies heated by steam guns or within giant wooden boxes. And then there was the medicine, delivered to our room each day and prescribed to revitalise and cleanse. We have to be honest and say that some of it was a struggle due to the taste, but we were ‘all in’ and ingested everything that we were prescribed during our stay. The use of ancient medicine in the modern world that we live in is often ignored, we believe there is a place for the use of the use of Ayurvedic medicines and enjoyed learning more about this during our time at Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions.
Sustainability is something that Jetwing Hotels take very seriously at each of their “homes of Sri Lankan hospitality” throughout the country and that is easy to see at Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions. Of course there is no water or bathroom amenities in single use plastic bottles, these are all in recycled glass bottles. But in addition to that, sustainability initiatives includes all hot water being generated from renewable energy and all waste water being treated on site and used for the gardens. Sourcing fruits and vegetables locally wherever possible (including from their own organic gardens) means that our daily juices didn’t just taste delicious, but added to the ‘feel good factor’ during our memorable stay.
And you know what? We absolutely love the fact that when listing their sustainability policies they include the fact that they are 100% veggie / vegan, and how this has multiple health, environmental and ecological benefits. We agree that you can’t have the conversation about sustainability and not include dietary choices; well done Jetwing Hotels!
The Vegan Food Quest Verdict
For those of you looking for an Ayurvedic retreat with the most incredible vegan food, then look no further. You’ll find your nirvana at Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions in Negombo, Sri Lanka. But for anyone planning a trip to Sri Lanka, who loves healthy and nutritious vegan food in an environment that is all about wellness and wellbeing, this is the perfect place to stay during your Sri Lanka adventure.
We were guests of Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions but please rest assured that their generosity in hosting us didn’t influence our views.
Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions
Negombo
Sri Lanka
Telephone: +94 31 2275702
Email: resv.ayurveda@jetwinghotels.com
Cost From: £140 / $170 (July 2022)