`A HOME AWAY FROM HOME'

is how the hotel likes to see itself. And, indeed, the hotel does convey a feel of ease. A good place if you are looking for a family vacation at competitive prices on all-inclusive terms.

As you walk into the cosy lobby, a whiff of sea-smell captures your senses. Out into the backyard through the adjacent bar lobby and the Indian Ocean sings, less than a couple of hundred footsteps away. Tamed by a reef, here friendly waves roll gently onto a very private looking beach.

The sea-fronting garden offers a picturesque swimming pool, an abundance of sun and welcome patches of shade under the thick canopies of old trees. Squirrels scurry around and giant but friendly lizards come close hoping for a tasty treat.

The sea-facing, two-storeyed main building spans the bay in a sweeping curve. All the standard rooms are nice and comfy, airy and clean. They are adequately spacious, each with a wide balcony or terrace. The breeze and the open view of the sea make air conditioning unnecessary. The air-conditioned rooms face the front garden where there is a wooden bridge and a tree house to keep the children engaged.

The hotel offers ayurvedic treatment ( a qualified doctor comes three days a week), massage and bath at a homely earthen house on its premises. Although rest and relaxation is the flavour of the place, you get regular activities such as aerobics, tennis, basketball and volleyball. Those on the lookout for a vigorous holiday can take the daily free bus trip to Confifi Marina on Bentota beach and enjoy all kinds of water sports. Evenings generally feature light entertainment programmes but once a week there are disco-nights.