It begins with one of tourism world’s most-spellbinding images; a 3-story high elephant standing majestically in a heavenly habitat that evokes a spontaneous awe. Nestled on a 16-acre river-front nature enclave on the edge of Sri Lanka’s most famous wildlife park, KumbukRiver is an eco resort like no other, winning the coveted travel Oscar as the world’s leading eco-lodge at the World Travel Awards. It’s among the world’s top 10 most unusual hotels and was featured in Lonely Planet’s 50 Paces to Stay to Blow your Mind while Rough Guides listed it in Clean Breaks: 500 new ways to see the world.