Located three and a half hours away from Colombo, south of Negombo, Kalpitiya is a small secluded town that has many wondrous secrets that are known to very few people. In the hope of discovering what

attracts scores of people to this part of the island throughout the year, we set out on an adventure to Kalpitiya. Hoping to reach our destination as early as possible, we began our journey on a lazy Sunday as early as we

could, which was nearly two hours after sunrise. After the turn off at Palavi junction, we were greeted by salt pans and wind mills – two special features one can find existing harmoniously together only in

Kalpitiya. Before heading to the town, we made a stop at Alankuda, a small fishing town which has gained international recognition as a holiday destination.

Accordingly, the area was first occupied by Arab traders who were chased away by the Portuguese when they secured the land. Later on they had built a church in the hope of promoting Catholicism in the region. Partial ruins of the Portuguese church still remain inside the fort.

Although the fort comes under the supervision of the Navy, the building belongs to the Archaeological Department which needs to make a better effort at conserving and preserving this historical structure.

“Sri Lanka is recognized as one of the top five destinations for kitesurfing due to the venturi factor, which basically means that the wind is funneled through a gap in between the mountains and creates the perfect condition for kitesurfing," he added.

He said that while the kitesurfing season is from May to September, they have also identified that the weather conditions from December to February is also suitable, hence making this an all year round sport and the perfect location for it.

Léo added that since kitesurfing has been introduced into the list of sports for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, they hope that they can promote the sport in Sri Lanka and train several athletes to represent Sri Lanka at the games.

“Sri Lanka has the perfect location and all the equipment needed for kitesurfing is manufactured locally, so I think we have a good chance of coaching and preparing athletes for the Olympics. All we need is the support to promote the sport on the island," Léo explained.

The more sociable dolphins go to the extent of bow riding along the boat, while the shy ones stay clear of the boat spinning and flipping showing off their skills from a distance.

The dolphins swim towards the shoreline in the mornings to rest and socialize and to figure out their location before they head out to the deep sea in search of food in the nights. Accordingly, the dolphins reside in the area and swim towards the shore daily but can only be seen clearly during a certain period which spans from November to April as the seas are too rough for smaller boats during the rest of the year.

All resorts and hotels located along Alankuda and Kalpitiya organize boat trips for guests.

“I first came to Kalpitiya with friends many years ago and I instantly fell in love with the beach and the area and wanted to purchase some land. Eventually I invested in the land and continued to invest in building it up and setting up the place even when Sri Lanka was going through a difficult time. I had faith in the island, I knew that some day it will break free from the war era and it did and I’m very happy about it. Sri Lanka has everything anyone could ever want and I can’t imagine living anywhere else in the world apart from here in Sri Lanka at my home in Udekki,” he explained.

Recognized as one of the top destinations on the island by Trip Advisor, Udekki has two villas, two lofts and a shared villa consisting of five individual suites.

In order to see and experience the true nature of Udekki, one must visit it and I guarantee you, you will not be disappointed.

Speaking to Shirley, she related the story behind Palagama and how it came to be one of the finest holiday resorts in the island.

“After our family survived the tsunami in 2004, we felt close to the island and its people and decided to invest in Sri Lanka by purchasing a plot of land, hoping we could turn it into a family holiday home at some point. But given that my husband is an architect, he couldn’t stop himself from drafting some sketches for the plot which eventually evolved into what you see at Palagama now," Shirley explained.

Married to well known architect, Cecil Balmond, Shirley did not quite expect that her hopes of a Sri Lankan holiday home would transform into a resort comprising thirteen rooms.

The rooms are categorized into beach cabanas, wooden cabanas, cadjan cabanas and villas - all which are named after flowers. All rooms were designed by Cecil and his son John and decorated by Shirley, who has handpicked every furniture item and bed spread to give each room its own personality.

According to Larimon, Palagama is making preparations for a special package for guests who are interested in going on safaris to the Wilpattu National Park. This deal will reduce the hassle guests have to encounter when going on a safari including transport, entrance tickets and a guide to accompany them on the journey.

They also organize boat trips for dolphin watching and around the lagoon for a tour around the islands.

Glen Terry

Camilla Peace-Watkim

Jason Midro

By Shewani Synon

Pictures by Dennis Muthuthanthri