Honeymoon Hot Spot - Amari Galle

On a quest to discover the best honeymoon spots for you, in Sri Lanka and overseas, we stumbled upon Amari Galle, which is located on the coast of Sri Lanka’s beautiful down south beach. It’s just about a 2-hour drive from Colombo on the highway or maybe just a bit more if you pit-stop for a quick brekkie. Unfortunately for us, we set off on an unpredicted rainy day, which killed the mood - but usually on any average day, there’s bright sunshine and warm Sri Lankan weather greets you better. This didn’t stop us and staying indoors helped us to explore the best of what Amari Galle has on offer for their honeymooners. Let’s find out more...

You’ve got to admit SL hospitality is unmatchable and Amari didn’t fail to impress. We were greeted with warm smiles, cold towels and refreshing cold drinks, and check-in was a breeze. I was ushered to my honeymoon suite, which was also the presidential suite and the rest of the crew to their rooms. My bags had already been waiting in there for me, which was very thoughtful and convenient. 

THE HONEYMOON SUITE

The honeymoon suite was literally a big house! A massive living area which was big enough for a house party, let alone a honeymoon for two - mhhh... and I am thinking post-wedding party for the bridal retinue? Pushing the thought aside, we explored more. There’s a well stocked bar with a mini kitchenette and a visitor’s toilet. The vast deck with an outdoor jacuzzi is just the cherry on top with a million buck view. You can enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the entire hotel on the left and also the magnificent ocean on your right. The jacuzzi was romantically decorated with flowers (although quite overdone for my taste - I should’ve asked for rose petals only!) and candles. However, this spot is ideal to spend the evening watching the sun go down, cuddling next to your loved one and of course with a bottle of chilled bubbly. 

Next we entered the bedroom, which made us change our mind about the best spot to spend the afternoon. This room is huge - with a massive glass wall that offers a fantastic view of the ocean - don’t worry, you can draw the curtains for privacy! The bed was beautifully decorated with ‘Happy Honeymoon’ greeting. I must admit, the bed was fit for a king - big and comfy, with crisp clean white sheets. 

Just behind the bedroom is the bathroom with ‘his & her’ washbasins, a bathtub full of petals to set the mood, shower cubicle, toilet and you very own sauna! How cool is that? This suite gives you no reason to leave your room! Yes, that’s right - you can even dine in-room, where they set up the table out on the deck (if you prefer an outdoor candlelight setup) or you can have your meals laid on the colossal dining table inside. Now, isn’t this the perfect way to spend some quality time for newlyweds? 

We checked out the deluxe rooms too, which were spacious and painted in bright teal with matching furniture of subdued colours. All rooms of the this hotel come with a view of the ocean that offers guests to choose a room suitable to their budget without compromising on the fantastic view or room comfort. 

FOOD

The standard meals are provided in buffet style with a wide selection of international and local cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner at Ahara Gourmet Gallery. Seating arrangements are indoors (with air-conditioning) and outdoors (overlooking the pool). But if you want something exquisite and make your first few meals as Mr. & Mrs. a little more interesting and memorable, speak to their executive chef Sampath Maddawattege, who will accommodate fine dining options for you. They do have quite a few other location options available, such as the outdoor checkerboard deck, cozy business lounge, etc. But if you want to make things extra special, you can request a romantic dinner set up by the beach - yes, with bonfire, candles, petals and the works. Unfortunately for us, we couldn’t capture this setup, as weather Gods weren’t on our side that day. But the downpour didn’t stop us from enjoying the delicacies that were prepared especially for us.

The canapés presented, to be enjoyed at the bar were too beautiful to eat. The detailing was immaculate and they tasted great. The lunch was in par with what you’d find at any other 5-star hotel buffet, but Chef Sampath made sure dinner was remarkable. The mouth watering juicy rack of lamb and tender medium cooked salmon not only filled our stomachs but pleased our eyes too. We tried out the buffet too and I personally found the dinner buffet outdoing the lunch. However one thing is for sure – the menu caters to anyone, with a wide variety of choices available.

THE BEACH, POOL & BAR

So this hotel is not for the surfers. Yes, they don’t have a surfing beach although the hotel is placed on the shore. But how they compensate for this is with their very own private sea pool – yes you read it right! There’s a little round enclave, which serves as a plunge seawater pool that is exclusive to the hotel guests. But if you really do want to go for a swim in the ocean, there are plenty of spots not too far away. If you are all in for water sports such as scuba diving, snorkelling, windsurfing and kite surfing, Unawatuna and Hikkaduwa are two popular destinations that are within close proximity.

If the natural seawater pool isn’t enough to settle for, there’s a huge outdoor pool with a bar right at the center along with cozy gazebos that are ideal to spend the daytime. Looking like a scene from a Miami Beach with some sensational drinks, quick bites and light snacks the Shoreline Beach Club is where you’ll want to be, especially if are a selfie king or queen like me!

Bommu Rooftop Bar has an amazing panoramic view of the bay and is a fabulous place to be to watch the sunset with a delicious cocktail in your hand. There’s a soothing breeze and the sound of the crashing waves serve as music to your ears. But towards late evening, the vibe transcends with the lighting and upbeat music that sets a club kind of ambience. This actually brought us back to the bar for post dinner drinks. 

The barmen are well versed with mixing flavours, which was evident in the fusion cocktails they had on offer at the time. They came to us to inquire our likings and tested our palates with some fabulous cocktails that kept us very happy! And I am sure, as newlyweds, you would love to treat yourselves to a night out, especially if being in that massive suite all day is kind of suffocating. Hey, everybody needs some space, even if you’re on your honeymoon!

BREEZE SPA

The Breeze Spa is not only a spa; it comes with full on salon services too. This is definitely a plus if you are heading back from your honeymoon to a homecoming, saving you time spent on treatments to prep you up for the event. There’s an experienced team of pros to guide and help you select a treatment that’s best for you and ensure you relax your body and mind. There are couple therapies as well; to help you bond and indulge in a little much needed pampering. 

OVERALL EXPERIENCE

It was definitely a fantastic stay for us. The general manager Mr. Puneet Dutta, ensures the smooth operation of the hotel along with a dedicated staff ever willing to help and assist. He’s been here since the inception of the hotel and is seen paying attention to every detail, which owes to the hotel’s success in such a short time. Amari Galle is a superb hotel with all amenities you’d expect from a 5-star hotel coupled with great service, plenty recreational activities for newlyweds, appetizing food and excellent room comfort, and hence wins my approval as a remarkable honeymoon hot spot. 

FACT FILE:

Location:

Galle Road, Ginthota

Highlights:

Āhāra Gourmet Gallery, Shoreline Beach Club & outdoor swimming pool, Bommu Rooftop Bar, Breeze Spa

Transport:

Bandaranaike International Airport (160 km), Galle Railway Station (4 km)

Nearby:

UNESCO World Heritage Galle Fort (5 km), Unawatuna Beach (10 km), Hikkaduwa (14.3 km) Japanese Peace Pagoda (10 km)

Services:

Free Wi-Fi, Voyager Lounge, Kids Club

GPS:

6.052315, 80.181213