On the east coast of Sri Lanka is the city, which is considered the hottest on the island. This is Batticaloa, which is home to just under 90,000 people. The port city and seaside resort is located in a picturesque location in the area of three lagoons. If you go from Colombo to Batticaloa by road, you have to overcome a distance of 320 km. Travel time is at least 5 hours. Usually tourists get there by train (8 h. 36 min.), bus (8 h. 24 min.) or plane (2 h. 50 min.).
Batticaloa: why do tourists come here?
The first information about Batticaloa dates back to the VII century BC. e. Then these lands were inhabited by Dravidian tribes. For several centuries, many peoples were replaced in Batticaloa. From the beginning of the XVII to the end of the XVIII century, colonizers settled here: the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British. Now the descendants of Europeans live in the city, as well as Sinhalese, Larakalla and Tamils. Foreign tourists go to Batticaloa and the surrounding area for several reasons:
- relax in solitude among coconut palms on wide beaches evenly covered with soft yellow sand;
- get acquainted with local historical sites: a lighthouse built in 1913, well-preserved bastions of the Dutch fort (date of construction – 1628), Buddhist and Hindu temples;
- take part in a safari in the national parks: Madura Oya, Mineria, Vasgaruwa and Gal Oya; reserves are interesting for tourists as habitats of Indian elephants and rare birds.
The climate of the area is characterized as tropical monsoon. In the city and the surrounding area reigns eternal summer. From January to December, the air warms up from + 28.3 to + 33.7, water – from + 27.3 to + 30.3. Tourists come to the resort from the first week of March until the end of October. During this period, the least precipitation falls. In Batticaloa and the surrounding area of the resort, more than 70 hotels are open for foreign travelers. Ten of them unofficially won the competition and are recognized by tourists as the best local hotels.
Amaya Beach Passikudah
A great option for beach lovers is the five-star Amaya Hotel. Five three-storey buildings of the hotel are located 150 m from the coast of Pasikuda – a picturesque bay. Hotel Amaya is 33 km from the centre of Batticaloa in the small town of Kalkuda. For guests there are 125 bright spacious rooms of six categories. A variety of activities will surprise any tourist:
- fishing in the lagoon;
- windsurfing;
- swimming in a large swimming pool (length – 41.5 m, width – 4 m) in the recreation area, where tables and armchairs are installed;
- training in a fitness room equipped with modern equipment;
- massages, aromatherapy and other health and beauty treatments at the spa;
- cricket, bocce, beach and water volleyball, croquet, table tennis, badminton, chess, darts in specially equipped rooms or on the courts.
For young guests, the doors of the game room are open. If desired, vacationers can go on excursions to one of the neighboring national parks or for a walk on comfortable boats through the nearby lagoons. On the territory of the hotel there are several gastronomic establishments:
- Aqua – bar located by the pool;
- Spice Market – restaurant, the menu of which includes Asian and Sri Lankan dishes;
- Reef Café is a cozy café serving snacks and strong coffee;
- Honey Beach Club is a beach bar.
Anastasia Vetrova, St. Petersburg, Russia. The first time I rested with a friend in Sri Lanka on the shores of an endless stormy ocean. Hotel “Amaya” was chosen because of the location next to a large beach and away from places where crowds of tourists usually meet. Here you can not only have a great time on the beach, but also find something to your liking on its territory. We did not have a single free minute: swimming pool, exercise bike in the fitness room, table tennis, treatments in the spa, beach volleyball, excursions to nature reserves. You can list for a long time what the rest days were filled with. By the way, in the hotel there is an employee, a Lankian, who speaks Russian quite well. The service in the hotel as a whole and in the main restaurant can be rated at 5 points out of 5.
Karpaha Sands
Between two beaches – Jinnah (in the south) and Kalkuda (in the north) – is the territory of the hotel “Karpaha Sands”. The five-star hotel is a complex of 17 luxury villas built in the form of large comfortable tents. The hotel is set among coconut palm trees directly on the sandy beach, which stretches for about 15 km. Karpaha Sands offers guests a variety of holidays, useful for health and good mood:
- board games on specially equipped grounds;
- Ayurvedic treatments and several types of massage in the spa area;
- swimming in the sea and two swimming pools: children’s and panoramic;
- watching movies in the summer cinema located on the beach;
- barbecue with candles placed in the lanterns on the picnic area;
- reading in the library, where books are presented in three languages: Tamil, English and Sinhala.
Guests can quench their thirst with fresh juices or cocktails at the bar next to the infinity pool. The restaurant, located near the coast, offers delicious dishes prepared with local products. Guests of the hotel have dinner and lunch in the villas or among the palm trees on the beach, from where you can watch the bright sunsets and the ocean, constantly changing colors.
Henry White, Brisbane, Australia. Karpaha Sands is the perfect option for tourists like me and my wife – lovers of wide sandy beaches, comfort and tropical nature. Here you feel as if you are on a desert island. Quiet, only the sound of the ocean and the rustle of palm fronds. This place becomes especially beautiful in the evenings, when the lights turn on, and the sky is painted with variegated sunsets. The beach seems deserted. In the morning hours, the water in the ocean is unusually clear. As with many other hotels in Sri Lanka where we have stayed before, the service at Karpaha Sands is, without exaggeration, at the highest level.
Anantaya Resort & Spa Passikudah
850 m to the west of the hotel Amaya Beach and 100 m from the sea shore is the territory of the five-star hotel “Anantaya”. The sound of the ocean, a wide and long sandy beach, high waves, a coconut grove, cozy rooms and villas – all this awaits tourists who will opt for Anantaya. On the large green territory of the hotel there are several facilities that guarantee a variety of leisure activities for vacationers:
- a spa offering Balinese massages;
- an outdoor pool in the form of a tropical river, across which strong wooden bridges are thrown;
- green area for a relaxed pastime; here you can relax under sun umbrellas, sitting on wide sun loungers;
- a small gym.
Anantaya is equipped with 55 two-storey villas and spacious rooms in buildings surrounded by tall coconut palms. Guests of the hotel can enjoy a game of water polo in the pool. For vacationers, the doors of two restaurants are open: Seaboard Deck (Sri Lankan dishes) and Singing Fish (seafood). Two bars – on the beach and next to the pool – offer a wide selection of drinks and light snacks.
Sabine Krause, Cologne, Germany. My husband, my children and I have vacationed several times on Pasikuda Beach. This is the first time hotel has been staying at Anantaya. We were attracted by the favorable location of the hotel – near the beach and a grove of coconut palms. The room is just huge. In the evenings, we relaxed on a large terrace, from where you could admire the colors of sri Lankan sunsets and the motley ocean until sunset. There are quite high waves in this place. True, rescuers are always on the alert. We had an incident when they had to rescue Indian tourists, who were carried away by the waves far from the shore. Everything ended happily. In the main restaurant, the choice of dishes is small, but the chefs cook very tasty. Service at a decent level. My husband was also pleased that the hotel has a gym and a lovely swimming pool where you could not only swim, but also play water polo.
Maalu Maalu Resort & Spa
For tourists who dream of spending a few days of summer vacation among coconut palms on a sandy beach, one of the most suitable options will be a five-star hotel with an unusual name “Maalu Maalu”. The hotel is located 650 m northwest of Anantaya Resort & Spa. For tourists, 40 comfortable villas of four categories are available.
Hotel Maalu Maalu is located on a clean beach covered with soft light brown sand. On the territory of the hotel complex there is everything that will provide an interesting pastime for vacationers:
- a long swimming pool located on the beach between villas and palm trees;
- a room for watching movies;
- a spa complex offering Ayurvedic treatments as well as body treatments with herbal oils.
For guests of the hotel offers excursion programs and entertainment on the water. The most popular among vacationers are boat trips along the nearby lagoons. The hotel has three gastronomic establishments:
- Karadiya is a restaurant serving authentic Sri Lankan dishes;
- Habala & Ruwala – a spacious bar equipped by the pool;
- The White Sands is a panoramic restaurant where guests can get acquainted with the taste of Sri Lankan dishes and admire the views of the vast ocean.
Raymond Dutton, Bristol, UK. After a long search on the Internet for a picturesque place on a sandy beach, we stopped at Maalu Maalu. The hotel suited us in everything – three Britons, lovers of a relaxing holiday on the islands. First, a clean beach. Secondly, wonderful villas, similar to village huts, but equipped with everything you need for the comfort of Western Europeans. Thirdly, excellent service. I would like to note the professionalism of the employees Dylana and Gihan, the manager Ashok, as well as the waiter Yanika. The spa complex is better than all those that we have visited before, when we rested in Sri Lanka.
Uga Bay
Just 130 metres south of Hotel Maalu Maalu is the grounds of the Uga Bay Hotel Complex. Several modern two-storey buildings are equipped here. The 24 studios have access to the sandy beach next door. The branches of tall palm trees growing on the territory of the hotel protect from the bright sun.
The other 22 rooms, located on the second floor of the houses, are equipped with spacious balconies, from where the ocean is clearly visible. The green territory of the hotel is a complex of facilities designed for guests to relax:
- large swimming pool;
- stage area;
- recreation area on a clean beach;
- sports hall;
- a room for playing American billiards;
- a spa with rejuvenating treatments and more than five types of massages.
Guests of the hotel eat in a cozy restaurant, the menu of which is dominated by seafood. For those who wish, breakfast and dinner are served in the rooms. There is a small bar on the beach all day.
Irina Bykovich, Lviv, Ukraine. We, two families from Lviv, had a wonderful five days at the hotel “Uga Bay”. We were greeted as very important people. It’s nice when employees are attentive and friendly to each guest. The location of the hotel is excellent. The pool is big and very beautiful. To our surprise, the rooms were cleaned twice a day. So it was perfectly clean. The beach begins on the territory of the hotel. The waves are high, but not always, so there is bound to be a relative lull when you can swim. Our men spent a lot of time in the gym and surfed. We women disappeared for hours in the hotel’s spa. The food in the restaurant is delicious and varied. We can safely recommend “Uga Bay” for couples who are not indifferent to beach holidays, tranquil surroundings and tropical nature.
The Calm Resort & Spa
For a relaxing pastime, head to a quiet location surrounded by palm plantations, 120 metres north of the Maalu Maalu. Four-star hotel The Calm offers vacationers accommodation in 70 furnished rooms of five categories. The buildings of the hotel, the name of which can be translated as “tranquility” or “silence”, are two-storey comfortable villas.
For vacationers, a variety of activities are available, ranging from traditional cycling and fishing to diving and snorkeling (snorkeling in coastal waters and wearing a mask). On the territory of the hotel there is always something to fill the vacation time:
- classes in a small fitness center;
- rest on a clean beach covered with light yellow sand;
- swimming in a C-shaped pool;
- Indonesian healing treatments at the spa.
The hotel has a stylish lounge bar. The restaurant serves a wide range of seafood dishes. Chefs use recipes of Sri Lankan and international cuisine. Guests of the hotel are happy to dine on the beach, where tables and dim lanterns are installed, creating a romantic atmosphere together with sunsets.
Marquel Lemaître, Namur, Belgium. We visited Sri Lanka for the first time. Amazing country. No less wonderful is the place where the hotel The Calm is located. Green area, clean beach, friendly staff, silence, spacious rooms, beautiful sunsets, unusually delicious dishes. What more could you ask for? The spa specialists deserve the greatest praise. If next time we will rest in Sri Lanka, there is a 100% probability that we will choose this particular hotel. The hotel deserves not four, but five stars.
Amethyst Resort Passikudah
Near the hotel Anantaya, 850 m west of Amaya and 500 m southeast of Uga Bay is the hotel complex “Amethyst”. This place is famous as one of the most picturesque and calm on the east coast of the peninsula. Four-star hotel Amethyst includes 20 cozy one-storey cottages. For vacationers, there are facilities that help to diversify leisure during the holidays:
- a large swimming pool located between the cottages; in the evening there is a variegated illumination;
- relaxation area on the beach, equipped with wide sun loungers and sun umbrellas;
- billiards room.
The hotel has a spacious green area with wooden decks. Very close to the hotel complex there is a small lagoon. For hotel guests, the doors of two stylish bars are open. Taprobane Restaurant serves a variety of fish dishes and seafood. Guests can enjoy candlelit dinners on a specially equipped barge set in the lagoon. Activities such as windsurfing, water scooter, motor boating and more are also available for holidaymakers.
Vyacheslav Sinitsyn, Moscow, Russia. Hotel “Amethyst” met my wife and I’s expectations. We rested here on the advice of friends. The first thing that awaited us was a heartfelt meeting. The hotel operates on an all-inclusive basis. The grounds are well maintained, clean and quite large. Seafood dishes in the restaurant were always different and extremely tasty. For the first time in my life, we saw the ocean. To convey impressions, we took a lot of pictures for Instagram. My wife and I recommend “Amethyst” to anyone who dreams of relaxing on the shores of a noisy ocean, but at the same time in a quiet and peaceful place.
Kay Jay Beach House
Ideal for a small group of close relatives, friends or colleagues, it is 850 metres south-east of the Amethyst Hotel. On the shores of Kalkuda Bay is a four-star boutique hotel Kay Jay. Vacationers can rent the entire comfortable house or one of the six spacious rooms with panoramic windows. The hotel offers a choice of several interesting activities:
- swimming in a small pool located in a green recreation area;
- cycling in the surrounding area;
- boating;
- windsurfing;
- swimming in the ocean; thanks to the coral reef located near the coast, there are no high waves.
The hotel’s highly qualified chef and his assistants prepare delicious Sri Lankan, Indian and European dishes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the relaxation area or in the guest rooms. Guests can also have a picnic with barbecue in a specially equipped area.
Gordon Miller, Bramton, Canada. Kay Bay is a great hotel for those who want to really retire with friends or family. The rooms are quite spacious with large windows. The beach, located very close by, is almost empty. At least at the time when our group of friends were resting, except for us, there was no one in the villa or on the shore of the bay. There are practically no waves in the ocean, as is usually the case in Sri Lanka. The staff is very polite. Everyone they talked to speaks good English. Most often we were served by Prasad, who fulfilled any requests. Breakfasts, as well as dinners, are hearty and delicious. Of the drinks, juices and Ceylon tea prevailed. In general, we got everything we wanted: a few days of rest in silence on the ocean, away from the city hype, in the circle of friends.
Laya Waves
Kay Jay Hotel is just 300 metres away from the Layaways Hotel Complex. Silence, green territory, beautiful two-storey houses standing close to each other, a long deserted beach – these are the advantages that tourists who have chosen Laya Waves for recreation receive. For guests there are 8 rooms of three categories. On the second floor of each cottage there is a room for children. To make the rest of the guests diverse, several activities are offered for them, for which tourists come here:
- relax by the pool on soft sun loungers;
- organization of excursions to Batticaloa;
- diving equipment rental;
- walks along deserted beaches with stops in order to admire the beauty of the ocean or sunbathe;
- swimming and swimming in the outdoor swimming pool, located in the green area of the hotel.
Two cozy bars offer visitors to get acquainted with the skill of bartenders in the preparation of original cocktails. The chefs of the hotel restaurant try to surprise guests with a variety of dishes and Sri Lankan delicacies.
Ruby Young, New Plymouth, New Zealand. Laya Waves is a wonderful place if you have a great desire to relax from communication. The sound of the ocean is taken for granted and does not disturb the peace and quiet at all. Unobtrusive staff is another plus of the hotel. The beach seems wild. We, three girls who came to Sri Lanka for silence, walked along the coast and did not meet a soul. Although almost all the rooms in the hotel were occupied, we rarely crossed paths with other tourists. It mostly happened by the pool or in a restaurant. By the way, the food is of very high quality. True, in the restaurant we only had breakfast, lunch and dinner in a cafe near the hotel. We recommend Laya Waves to anyone who dreams of a short holiday in a quiet deserted place.
Passi Villas
For lovers of comfort, sandy beaches and silence, the hotel “Passy Villas”, located 100 m south-east of the Hotel Amaya Beach, is suitable. Passi Villas offers vacationers accommodation in 54 rooms, located in six two-storey villas and three modern buildings. Leisure activities in the four-star hotel are like the offers of other hotels nearby:
- outdoor swimming pool with a separate section for young vacationers;
- boating or canoeing;
- tours;
- beach holidays;
- windsurfing;
- water skiing;
- fishing in the ocean;
- swimming and scuba diving.
The green area of the hotel is well-groomed and clean. The recreation area is equipped with a small picnic area. From the villas and buildings of the hotel to the sandy beach there are wooden paths. The hotel’s restaurant serves a wide range of local dishes.
Godfrey Mulder, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. Hotel Passi Villas fully corresponds to its name – it consists of several beautiful villas, repeating the design of the facade of the main building. The rooms are cozy, clean, bright and spacious. On the territory grow not only palm trees, but also fruit trees, so it seems that you are in a tropical garden. The staff, like most Sri Lankans, are very friendly. Sincere smiles are a distinctive feature of local residents. We returned to our homeland with wonderful memories of a paradise of nature. This is a great merit of the hotel Passi Villas.
Each of the hotels named earlier is worthy of staying for a beach holiday among tropical nature on the ocean coast. It will not be easy for tourists to make a choice, since the hotels are similar in many ways. They are united by their favorable location near the sandy strip, away from the noisy urban centers and among palm plantations.
The infrastructure of hotels, the level of service and a set of entertainment – all this is also largely similar. However, the Karpaha Sands Hotel has one significant difference – these are villas, which are large comfortable tents “hiding” among palm trees. This type of premises creates a special flavor when Sri Lankan traditions and untouched nature are combined with European comfort.
Selection of hotels Batticaloa on map
