A Romantic Sanctuary

The Anantara Kalutara in Sri Lanka offers a touch of luxury combined with flair for the perfect dreamy destination wedding or honeymoon.

- Maya Lalchandani

The Kalu Ganga (Black River) flows calmly right through the heart of Kalutara. It gives rise to an abundance of endemic birds and some form of wildlife. During a visit to the place, watching the famed Sri Lankan fishing from atop a traditional ‘Oruwa’ (sailing vessel) would be just the thing to do.

The Anantara Kalutara Resort offers its guests the opportunity to see the traditional side of Sri Lanka. Just an hour and a half away from Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport, we were driven in an SUV limousine service to the Dutch Colonial style hotel, roofed with terracotta tiles. The whole property had the mixed stamp of historical tributes and the famed Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa.

A traditional welcome with the local beauties sashaying their way towards the lobby proved to be an interesting and heartwarming sight. Going through the property’s large open spaces, I could not help but wonder how a destination wedding would feel and look amidst such grandeur. Exchanging vows in a private ceremony either on its beach or just beside the Kalu Ganga would bring about the feeling of the ‘Jayamagalgatha’, a form of traditional blessing after one says – ‘I Do’.

The hotel is built in a true Tropical Modernist style having 141 guest rooms, suites and pool villas. All equipped with five star luxury amenities such as in-suite bars, wine humidors and Nespresso machines. Luxury and comfort in its basics is what Anantara Hotels are all about, offering king-sized beds with luxury linens, LED flat screens, rain showers and bathtubs. We chose to be in a Deluxe Ocean View room beside the gentle waves of the Indian Ocean. The view from the balcony was breathtaking as we sipped from tender coconuts.