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Published: December 19th 2013
Monday 9
th December: as our next destination was only 46 miles / 74kms up the coast we spent the morning wandering around the Fort area, staying mainly on the ramparts to benefit from the breeze and enjoy the views. At midday Diya arrived to take us to the Avina Hotel at Kalutara up the coast. We stayed on the coast road rather than taking the Southern Expressway, a motorway that links Colombo with Galle, in order to enjoy the views. The area through which we travelled had been hard hit by the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004, including where a train had been overwhelmed by the tidal wave: – “taken by the water” as Diya would say. Occasionally we would pass houses and shops that were derelict and looked fire damaged having been abandoned after the tsunami, but most homes and shops have either been rebuilt or replaced. We arrived at our hotel just before 2pm and paid off Diya our most excellent driver and guide; having agreed with him that he would pick us up on the 13
th and take us to Colombo for our final night and then to the Airport the following day. We then had a rather
Tsuami effect
Devastated house on the coast roadmediocre lunch, unpacked and went for a walk back along the road leading to the hotel to look for a restaurant that was highly recommended by Tripadvisor, our guiding light. We found the restaurant and then walked back to the hotel along the beach. The waves were particularly powerful here and safe swimming was out of the question. In the evening we went for dinner at the nearby restaurant as the hotel menu didn’t appeal. It was explained to us by the owner of the little restaurant that a single order of tiger prawns (at £7.50) would be enough for both of us. He was clearly not trying to rip us off: and so it proved. We had a really delicious meal and a couple of beers (for me) all for less than £10. After, while we were finishing our drinks and remarking that this restaurant would be a good substitute for the uninspired menu and service at the hotel I spotted a large rat walking along the rafter between the restaurant and the cooking area. “Was that a squirrel?” asked a querulous and somewhat hopeful voice on my left. Whilst not wanting to disappoint my wife, honesty compelled me
Big bad waves
The slope of the beach gives some idea of the strength of the backwash: hence definitely no swimming here to confirm that it was indeed a rat. Just as well, as another slightly smaller rat followed the same route almost immediately. While acknowledging that this had been one of the best (of many) excellent seafood meals on our trip, as well as being by far the best value for money, neither of us could face the prospect of eating there again. Also, to be fair, neither of us had any stomach problems subsequently.
Tuesday 10
th December: in the morning after an uninspired breakfast we reviewed the situation and decided that as the hotel didn’t offer anything other than a swimming pool (its gym was a joke: 2 decrepit cycling machines and a cross trainer), no tennis and sailing/canoeing on a murky lagoon, it would be better to write it off and head back to the Mount Lavinia. By midday I’d reserved a room at the Mount Lavinia similar to the excellent one we’d enjoyed on arrival in Sri Lanka, and had arranged for Diya to come and collect us at 4pm. The hotel manager checked with both of us separately why we were bailing out three days early (having already paid and with no chance of a refund)
and was told, by Jane, that it was the menu and by me that it wasn’t what we’d hoped for – no character and limited activities. Diya duly picked us up at 4pm and we headed off to Colombo and our favourite hotel. Checking in at the Mount Lavinia went somewhat slowly and we had to wait half an hour before we were shown to our room. However, we weren’t concerned as we were very pleased with the room and to be back there, and celebrated by heading off for an excellent dinner at the Seafood Cove – another favourite.
Wednesday 11
th December: nothing to do except relax and look for clothes for the grandchildren at the nearby Odel department store: have a very nice lunch at a restaurant near the Hotel, check out some necklaces at a jewellery shop next to the restaurant and go for walk along the Hotel’s beach. For dinner we tried the buffet as I had spotted a rather good looking paella being prepared. It was good but as usual with buffets my weak will failed at the sight of so much good food and I overate.
Thursday 12
th December: the customary red
Mount Lavinia Hotel
The view from the Governor's Walk, over the Governor's Terrace, towards Colombo flags on the beach warning against swimming had been replaced by red and yellow flags indicating that swimming was ok – sort of. So in I plunged and it was quite exhilarating, splashing in the waves; and it would have been better with less foreign objects in the water such as plastics and foliage. After a shower on the beach I returned to the main hotel building and enjoyed a swim in the main pool on the Governor’s Terrace with its spectacular view up the coast to Colombo while Jane stayed on the beach. Then we rounded off our stay with a final delicious dinner at the Seafood Cove.
Friday 13
th December: time to move to our last hotel, the Galle Face Hotel in the old part of Colombo. After a leisurely morning lingering over the excellent buffet breakfast and packing Diya picked us up at midday and we headed off for the 6 mile / 10 km journey to the Galle Face stopping for an hour at Barefoot to do some last minute shopping, and then to a shopping mall to buy a case in which to pack the shopping. We arrived at the Galle Face Hotel around 3.30pm
in need of some refreshment and snacks. It seems that these were only available on the terrace and not in the airconditioned dining room, which is what we had wanted on account of the heat and humidity. Jane was quite disappointed by this a she had a happy memory of a sumptuous high tea – cucumber sandwiches, cakes, pot of tea etc – being provided when she stayed there in 2004; and this had been a major factor in deciding to stay at the Hotel. However the Hotel is undergoing renovation and is operating at less than half its original capacity and with limited services. So we had cold drinks and a sandwich out on the terrace. Later we went out to take a look at the main wing of the Hotel, which is the section being renovated, on Galle Face Green. It’s certainly a big job as it’s a very large hotel occupying an entire block. On the way back to our wing we checked out the Pub on the Green, the Hotel’s public bar on the main road, to see what it offered and it was like stepping back in time, but in bad way, as it had
a smoking section and the smell of cigarettes pervaded the whole place: just like in the bad old days back home when smoking in pubs was permitted. Dinner was also a disappointment with a limited yet very expensive menu on offer in the Dining Room so we had another meal out on the terrace.
Saturday 14
th December: the flight was scheduled for 1pm so we left the Hotel at 9.30am to give us plenty of time to get to the airport and check in. Once again it was Diya who drove us and we arrived at the airport at 10.40 with plenty of time for checking in. The flight left on time and 12 hours later deposited us at a cold and damp Heathrow; 7.30pm local time. The car park service was excellent and our car was delivered to the terminal within 5 minutes of me telephoning the car park. Then, off down the M4 through increasingly heavy rain (Oh joy!) and home by 10.30pm.
Impressions: Sri Lanka is a lovely country, extremely fertile and scenic. The people are the friendliest that we’ve met; and it’s not just an act. The seafood is wonderful. Of the seven hotels that we
Unimpressed spectator
More interested in food than Jenks's swimming exploits stayed in three were really good: three were disappointing and one, the Mount Lavinia, was outstandingly good.
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