First luxury boutique hotel:

Divyaa Lagoon Resort opens in Kalpitiya

Divya Lagoon Resort opened its doors in Kalpitiya recently, making it the first star class luxury boutique hotel to be constructed on the Dutch Bay and the new Tourism Zone

Built on four acres of land, the resort nestled between the Dutch Bay Lagoon and the Dutch Bay, captures the true essence of nature and wildlife with minimal disruption to the Eco system.

With 7 Tropical Villas, 2 Pavilion and 2 Veranda Suites each with its own verandah and modern amenities, these 11 beautiful rooms languishes on the shores of Kalpitiya offering a view of the lagoon and sea while blending in well with the environment in the most natural and picturesque way. Each room has its individual design, furnished in Colonial style with several water bodies and large landscaped gardens.

Facilities

Private beach facing Varendah and garden, 15 ft long private plunge pool, private dining facility in the garden. Divyaa will also make special arrangements for guests to dine on the beach upon their request. Includes main pool with 6 seat Jacuzzi, a 5000 square foot pavilion, state-of-the-art kitchen facilities including show kitchen, 30-50 cover restaurant, large pool side bar, lagoon lounge areas and 2 lounge decks built into the lagoon.

There is a varied menu of Sri Lankan, Western and Fusion cuisines by Master Chef Darrel Smith, who uses the freshest organic ingredients from the area with some vegetables grown in the back garden while a lot of the others are local produce providing up to 450 farmers from the area with livelihood opportunities. Chef Smith also specializes in the traditional Muslim cooking which has been added to the menu in celebration of the traditional cuisine of Kalpitiya given the large number of Muslims who live in and around this coastal town.

"Kalpitiya has been identified as a tourism haven with a lot of potential given the investment opportunities available. We are proud to be the first luxury boutique hotel in Kalpitiya and are confident that with our hotel we will be able to position the area as a top tourist destination in the country. We also recognize the need for protecting the environment, mainly the wildlife and marine life in these areas and we put great effort into supporting causes to keep Kalpitiya as pure as possible," Divyaa Lagoon Resort Chairman Zarook Marikkar a veteran in the Travel Industry here in Sri Lanka and a former Tour Operator in the UK said.

The bay of Kalpitiya is surrounded by sandy beaches and lagoon inlet of shallow water. The beach is flat and sandy; and provides a very soothing effect on the feet. Its panoramic views and clear, cool waters are ideal for swimming which has made it a much adored destination by holiday makers.

Kalpitiya is home to Sri Lanka's largest Coral Reef - The Bar Reef. Wild life enthusiasts will be happy to notice that the islands around Kalpitiya especially those by the lagoon are covered with lush green mangroves that offer a haven for wildlife while the surrounding wetlands have been brimming habitats for local and migratory birds.

Outdoor activities

Safari trips, snorkeling, kayaking, canoing, sailing and windsurfing along with Kite Surfing which is fast becoming a great sport in that area.

Just a boat ride away from Divyaa Lagoon Resort is the largest wild life sanctuary - Wilpattu National Park. Guests will be able to catch a glimpse of leopards, bear and elephants roaming around freely. Whales and dolphins inhabit the deeper waters off the Bar Reef while the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins can only be seen in waters around this area which is just a 40 minute boat ride away from the Resort.

Marikkar who is also the President of Kalpitiya Resorts Association added that what is unique about this location is there is a practically good season all year around. Unlike the South and the East where there are specific seasons, Kalpitiya can be visited throughout the year except for a few occasional rainy days.

Divyaa Lagoon Dutch Bay Kalpitiya is a part of Divyaa Resorts Ltd that owns several land banks right round the country on the beaches of Sri Lanka. Spanning from an Island in Dutch Bay, beach land in Dolphin Bay, Talawila, Kalkuda and Batticaloa where the company has been working with a Austrian firm of Architects who have designed luxury hotels that blend with each location.

The aim of Divyaa resort Group is to provide Divyaa's own brand of authentic hospitality by catering to the luxury traveler.

Interlink Group that began in London in 1973 was a pioneer in travel and tourism that specialized in Tour Operations to the East with its own tour program in 1978 out of London to Sri Lanka, Maldives, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Hong Kong.