On the eve of Anantara’s 15th birthday, Minor Hotel Group announced the opening of Anantara Kalutara Resort in October 2016.
Only 10 minutes from the historic town of Kalutara and an hour from Colombo, Anantara Kalutara Resort is located on Sri Lanka’s southwest coast. The peaceful beachfront setting between the Indian Ocean and Kalu River boasts coastal, river and lagoon frontage.
Surrounded by tropical gardens, the resort was designed by the late Geoffrey Bawa, Sri Lanka’s most famous architect.
All 141 guest rooms, suites and pool villas have private balconies, bathtubs, and wine humidors. Suites and villas also have Bose Bluetooth speakers, private pools and gardens, and a Villa Host on hand for all special requests.
Three restaurants dish up international favourites and local specialties, coastal Italian dining with ocean views, and the best of Thai, Indian and Chinese cuisines. Market life and master chef tips ignite culinary passions at Spice Spoons cooking school. Relax with drinks, food, music and friends at the Upper Deck Bar, and the Dining by Design program tailors private dinners for guests in and around the resort.
There is a library dedicated to Geoffrey Bawa, an adults pool and a family pool. There are yoga classes in the spa pavilion and there’s gym that overlooks the river. The Watersports Centre offers jet skiing, water skiing and banana rides.
The double storey Anantara Spa has two yoga and meditation pavilions and is surrounded by a lotus pond. There are eleven treatment rooms, including six for individuals, four for couples and one dedicated to Ayurvedic therapies. Children enjoy fun experiences from a chocolate oil massage to hair braiding and teen girls are treated to facials, manicures and pedicures. Teen boys are groomed and buffed and the spa also offers special ‘Mum and Me’ and ‘Dad and Me’ packages.
There are two meeting rooms onsite and a 500-seater conference centre, expected to open in March 2017, that can fit up to 300 guests.
An SUV limousine service is available for journeys between the resort and Kalutara South Station just five minutes away, and Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport, a two hour drive.
The resort is ideally located for travellers seeking adventure. Scenic helicopter flights reveal a bird’s eye view of Kalutara’s exotic beauty. Guests can head out for a picnic beside a waterfall, go river fishing on a traditional boat with a local guide, or go on a sunset river cruise.
Local treasures include the architectural splendour of Richmond Castle and the world’s only hollow Buddhist shrine. Tours of tea plantations and the Dutch fort in Galle relive colonial times. Nature highlights range from dolphin and whale watching boat trips, to national park safaris, the conservation efforts of a turtle hatchery and exploring virgin rainforests.
