Every room has a private veranda where canvas chairs are ideal to sit in while gazing at the sea or watching the passing game. Wild elephants often stroll the grounds or snorkel across the lagoon, while crocodiles bask on the nearby rocks. The guest rooms match the safari image. The sombre tones of their exterior walls are matched by the rich, earthy hues of their interiors. Ceilings are of mahogany, furniture of rich nedun and floors of dark, polished terracotta tiles.
Fabrics combine shades of green and brown in restful harmony.
After driving so far I decided to spend the rest of the day soaking up the atmosphere and relaxing. At sunset, I strolled along the vast expanse of beach. At the end of the beach, next to the hotel, is a fisherman s hut with sacks flying like flags from lines strung around it. I though this an odd attempt by the fisherman to establish his boundaries, until the hotel s general manager, Upali Weerasinghe, told me that the flags deter wild boar and elephants from lumbering through the fisherman s compound. The presence of elephants is very real.