JUST TWENTY KILOMETRES SOUTH OF COLOMBO AIRPORT,

the hotel is convenient for holiday-makers, transit air passengers and as a halt before/after a tour of the country. Everyone is on an all-inclusive package.

That package offers: a reasonably spacious room with a telephone that has international dial facilities, three meals, usually buffets, plus snacks throughout the day, soft drinks and local alcohol, thrice a week trips to the Brown's Beach Hotel at Negombo, once a week trip to the historical Buddhist temple at Kelaniya, and of course, the friendly and hospitable service of the staff.

The hotel has an adequately equipped conference hall plus email/fax/photocopy facilities, in case you need to mix business with pleasure.

The spacious garden, fringed by coconut palms and a pine mini forest at one corner, offers secluded lounging spots. You can also have your fill of the hot Sri Lankan sun in the fenced in sandy patch of undisturbed beach.

For sea bathing the hotel takes you to Negombo beach since here the rocky bed of a reef and an abrupt depth makes bathing perhaps not ideal. But the sea provides a wonderful spectacle. You can watch catamarans or indigenous wooden boats sailing past and fishermen coming to the beach with their daily catches. Deep sea fishing can be arranged.

You can always visit the surrounding fishing villages. The people are friendly, simple and hospitable to tourists. Look for the August festival at St. Mary's church, which goes on for over a week or the colourful festival at Kelaniya Buddhist temple, which takes place on the October full moon day. The hotel can arrange guided boat trips for watching birds in the nearby protected wetland of “Muthurajawela”. You can also ask for a pony ride or an elephant ride.