උණවටුන
Earthly paradise on the Indian Ocean
Ah, Unawatuna, if only I’d had longer to stay. This small slice of paradise is down on the Sri Lankan south coast not far from Galle, and boasts small, quiet hotels and delicious food all around a golden crescent of sand. The Dutch landed here in 1640 after defeating the Portuguese up the coast near Colombo. The village suffered terribly during the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004, but has bounced back and been carefully rebuilt, like you’d never have known it had happened.
I stayed for two nights in the Thambapanni Hotel, set a little back from the beach in a beautiful jungle environment. At the time of my 2011 visit there were no international or resort hotels in the immediate vicinity, most accommodation was fairly basic but that’s part of the appeal. There has been significant development since then, and I suspect it will have lost some of its charm as a result. As I’d come to expect from Sri Lanka, all the food I tried was brilliantly tasty.
Rooms available right on the beach. Wish you were here?
With coconut palm trees it was every bit the archetypal tropical beach.
On a hill at the west side of the beach is the local Buddhist stupa, or Dagaba.
Unawatuna beach itself, a ramshackle assortment of lodgings and cafes.
Colourful boats bob upon the beautiful blue waters of the Indian Ocean.
Waves crash on distant rocks lined by palm trees. The sand doesn’t extend much beyond the main crescent, this was as far as I could go without heading inland.
Palm trees swaying gracefully in the breeze. It doesn’t get much more chilled out and relaxed than this.
The only other place I had visited at this stage which fitted the bill of tropical island paradise, was Ilha Grande in Brazil, six years earlier. It was about time I came back to a place like this!
Fun Island Tours looking for customers in Unawatuna bay. But not under the water, hopefully.
I picked up a couple of dresses from a local tailor, tempted in by the colourful display outside. “I’m sorry sir, we don’t have anything in your size” he said. Just as well they weren’t for me!
The Thambapanni Hotel was my tropical hideaway for the three days I had in Unawatuna, this was the view just outside my room.
Floating flowers detail at the Thambapanni Hotel.
As the sun started setting I climbed up on the rocks in the west to watch it go down.
And very glad I was too, it was a real treat of red and gold.
From the local stupa I watched as the sky went from red to purple to black.
Back at the hotel it was great to be able to have a peaceful swim before dinner.
Night time at Unawatuna beach, no loud music or lairy discos, just the peace of the waves lapping and a quiet restaurant with tables on the sand. Perfect.
I closed out my evening with some imported Danish brain and nerve tonic, just the thing to set me up for a good night’s sleep.
Created 2013 | Updated 2024
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