Woman, 47, tells Ben Fogle how she left her hospitality job in London, which was giving her panic attacks, to live on a mountain in Sri Lanka with no electricity or hot water – but now has 'more time' to spend on her to spend on well-being

A couple told Ben Fogle how they escaped the rat race in London and lived off-grid on a mountain in Sri Lanka.

Anke Dias Weerasinha, 47, and her husband Naveen Dias Weeransinha, 36, revealed how their constant anxiety and panic attacks prompted them to leave their city hospitality careers behind and focus on building something closer to nature .

The pair now run The Cliff Lodge – a remote glamping experience – since packing up and leaving the UK in 2017.

Their beautiful accommodation project – which consists of four glass pods – takes guests on a journey to the Haputale Mountains, past tea plantations and through the Foot Hills of the famous Lipton Seat. Visitors are invited to reconnect with the wilderness as there is no hot water, electricity or gas.

The pair told Channel 5's New Lives in the Wild – airing tonight at 9pm – how they built it all after years of working their way up the corporate ladder.

They initially considered setting up a glamping initiative in Britain, but found it too expensive.

But a trip to Sri Lanka – where Naveen initially comes from – inspired them to start their new chapter there.

The couple were first encouraged to move after Anka, who is originally from socialist East Germany, struggled with her health.

She had “panic attacks and anxiety and was having a really bad time.”

“Sometimes I just lay in bed all day and didn't really want to get out,” she told Ben.

'I'm so surprised, I'm so happy that I can talk to you about this now. I wouldn't have done that then.'

In the past, Anka felt like she was 'stupid' for having psychological problems, and as if she had 'disabled' her.

“And when Naveen said, 'Okay, Anka, let's just go,'” she explained.

The pair told Channel 5's New Lives in the Wild – airing tonight at 9pm – how they built it all after years of working their way up the corporate ladder.

The couple were first encouraged to move after Anka, who is originally from socialist East Germany, struggled with her health.

She is not now 'completely free' of panic attacks, but knows she is doing the best for herself.

And Naveen revealed that while Anka's health was the big catalyst, he felt frustrated with his career early on.

“I've always wanted to climb to the top,” he said. 'But by then I was already starting to wonder: is this whole job really for me?

'You know, why do people work here for 40 to 50 years, in shifts? But still, I appreciated these promotions and all. And I really worked for it.'

Naveen clocked in from 10am to midnight – and said he was expected to be 'so excited about it'.

“I liked it at first,” he admitted. 'I've discovered that it's all about the brand you wear, how you present yourself. Make sure you have the top button on, even if your tie is doing its job of covering it up…it was such a game.”

The couple came to Sri Lanka 'with nothing' – and no carpentry or home-building skills whatsoever – when they started working on The Cliff Lodge.

But with support from their team and some time, the couple built what Ben describes as a 'Utopia'.

Everyone at the Lodge also receives the same pay – in what Anka says is their attempt to find balance between 'living your life in your workplace or working from home'. Ben imagined himself taking in the breathtaking scenery

“We started with tents,” Anka explained. 'And we actually slept in a tent for a year and ten months. And you know, learning little by little how the wind works here, how the storms work – that you need a little platform, because when the big rain comes, the water just washes around here… So we have our lesson learned.'

Everyone at the Lodge also receives the same pay – in what Anka says is their attempt to find balance between 'living your life in your workplace or working from home'.

“We wanted to use our capabilities to create something where other people can also make a profit for themselves,” she said.

“The Cliff Lodge still exists, it's a business. We're just so lucky that we found a place where we can run the business the way we want without all this fake stuff or whatever.

'If something goes wrong here, we're all in this together. If things go well here, we're all in the same boat. There's no blaming or playing around or anything.”

Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild airs Tuesday February 6 at 9pm on Channel 5