About us
A place of power with a history
People who follow their vision. A plot of land that awakens longings. And you can read what the moon has to do with it here.
Susanne Kleiner
Susanne Kleiner, born in 1971, has been self-employed as a communications expert, copywriter, trainer and coach since 2010. In the year she set up her own business, the German Palatinate native travelled to Sri Lanka for the first time. It was there that the idea of bringing her own Ayurveda resort to the world captured her heart and relentlessly paved its way.
The Ayurveda enthusiast spends around two months a year in Sri Lanka. She takes an Ayurveda cure while enjoying and taking strength from the surrounding beauty of. Her mission is to help people to develop personally and trust their intuition. She accompanies managers to find their personal inner power in order to strengthen themselves mentally and gain clarity. She is responsible for communication, public relations and letting the property for Sandaru Lanka. Susanne lives with her partner Heinz in Freiburg im Breisgau.
Thushara Sinhara Sampath Silva
Thushara Sinhara Sampath Silva, born in 1976, has worked in the hotel and tourism industry for over twenty-five years. The Sinhalese started out as an Ayurveda therapist and later learnt about the running of a 5* Ayurveda hotel in room service. This was quickly followed by a management role.
Thushara loves being creative getting things done and getting personally involved. This passion motivated him to work as a freelance tour guide. His enthusiasm for getting to know people and introducing them to the beauty of his native Sri Lanka allowed him to gain a foothold in the tourism sector. For guests the fluent English-speaking Sri Lankan is the person who listens and takes care of everything that contributes to a relaxing holiday in Sri Lanka: an inspirational round trip, enjoyable excursions and a relaxing Ayurveda break.
As Managing Director at Sandaru Lanka, he is responsible for day-to-day operations, recruiting and managing the staff and looking after the guests. Thushara lives with his wife Rasika, his son Sandaru and his daughter Miheli Sahanya in Beruwala, Sri Lanka.
The story
“I want to fly where it’s warm and do something good for my body – and I want to travel alone.”
In September 2010, Susanne goes to sleep with this wish. Behind the 39-year-old lies the end of a relationship lasting several years, the loss of her job, a freshly completed Master’s degree in Krems and ahead of her: starting her own business.
Waking at dawn, she has, but one thought, ‘Sri Lanka’. And so ‘no sooner said than done’ she books: a week’s round trip and four weeks of Ayurveda treatment. She sets off to explore the pearl of the Indian Ocean.
It was Thushara who accompanied Susanne on her tour. On the long car journeys between Sigirya and rock temples, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy and historic royal sites, they philosophize about Buddha and the world. Winding through the tea plantations, they talk about personal crises and turning points in life.
They discuss what nature teaches us: to live now and let go of what has passed.
Susanne has her first panchakarma treatment. The natural healing methods do her good. The massages with warm herbal oils bring energy into the flow. And everywhere she goes, she encounters that smile that embalms her soul.
“For the first time in my life, I felt complete, whole,” she beams, “without a job, without a husband, without children, without a mother.” Susanne’s mother had died of cancer when she was 8 years old.
The young entrepreneurs ponder on the idea of creating a place for people who want to find themselves and enjoy Ayurveda.
When Susanne went on a day trip with Thushara, she told him about it. “Then let’s do it together” – was his immediate response, and in the twinkling of an eye this joint journey was started.
After that, the vision lived on in both of them until 2016, when the hillside property in Maggona near Beruwala realised Susanne’s dream.
Using their own funds, Susanne and Thushara developed the resort step by step over the next few years. Sandaru Lanka welcomed its first guests in August 2023.
What’s the story behind the name Sandaru Lanka?
The moon suits Sandaru Lanka and emphasises the attraction of this place in a restrained yet magical way. The moon is always complete – but it is not always completely visible.
Without waning, no waxing. Without waxing, no waning. Sandaru Lanka supports you in coming into your inner and outer being.
It symbolises change and transformation. It stands for becoming and going. In Buddhism, the full moon symbolises stillness and perfect wisdom. The crescent moon embodies the feminine principle, the receptor.
Connect with your natural rhythm in Sandaru Lanka. Discover and strengthen your true nature. Retreat or engage in dialogue. There is space here for what is good for you now in this phase of your life.