Bentota Beach Hotel

...our days at the 5* Bentota Beach hotel using the pool & bar, for a small fee of £2 you can go to any hotel & use their facilities.This is a nice way of checking out the other hotels & generally being nosey.We fell in love with the place & decided then that if we went back we would stay at the hotel.One of the main things that had swung it for me was the resident elephant who was also part of the wedding ceremony.

Sri Lanka or Ceylon ...
...Sri Lankan Airlines & the Bentota Beach hotel & also for Monarch ,who also fly there, & the details of room prices for 4* The Serendib hotel situated right next door to the grounds of the Bentota.The Serendib is much smaller but equally well equipped with as friendly staff as the Bentota. We put these details into our wedding invitations & didn’t really expect anyone to say yes.My dad said He was too old?(don’t ask) & my mum had already booked to ... more

WHY SRI LANKA YOU ASK?

J & I had been to Sri Lanka for a holiday when we first started seeing each other. We had booked a last minute deal & stayed in a guest house . Whilst there we spent our days at the 5* Bentota Beach hotel using the pool & bar, for a small fee of £2 you can go to any hotel & use their facilities.This is a nice way of checking out the other hotels & generally being nosey.We fell in love with the place & decided then that if we went back we would stay at the hotel.One of the main things that had swung it for me was the resident elephant who was also part of the wedding ceremony.

Sri Lanka or Ceylon as it was once known is an Island off the southern tip of India in the Indian Ocean .It is a ten & three quarter hour journey if flying direct.There are sometimes stopovers in the Maldives which is a wonderful place to see & as we had planned our honeymoon there we didn’t mind stopping to see what it was like.
The hill district of Sri Lanka is very different to the coastal regions.Lush with greenery & tropical plants and wildlife that can not be seen near the coast.It is also cooler here & cardigans are required in the evenings. Kandy is very good if you like it a bit cooler & wish to explore gem shops & wood carving shops,temples & some very good book shops.

TRAVEL TIPS

The currency in Sri Lanka is the Sri Lankan rupee although dollars are preferred and tips at the end of your stay should be payed in dollars.
Unless you are only planning on visiting the capital Columbo you need to take malaria tablets before leaving the UK & on your return.

Recommended inoculations are Hepatitis, Menningitis Tetanus &Typhoid TB inoculation is recommended for children.

If you are planning to marry there your passport needs to be valid for at least six months after you leave & you need to have been in the country for four to six days. Also stick to drinking & brushing teeth with bottled water as tap water is unsafe.

The time there is + 6 hours GMT.

Best times to travel are during January , February & March or October, November & December.The rest of the year the temperature is either unbearably humid or there are monsoon rains.We had been before in October when the average monthly rainfall is the highest at 15” but it all came on one day & the temperatures cooled off for a while which was a welcome relief. But after the rain dries it becomes very humid. I don’t know if you have experienced a monsoon rain but it is something to see and enjoy.

PLANNING THE TRIP

I had researched a few travel companies that also do weddings abroad & decided that Kuoni sounded like the most comprehensive & reliable.Every time I phoned the wedding enquiry line I got straight through to a very helpful person.There was no problem they couldn’t solve for me I would definitely recommend them to any one.

For £846 on top of our travel & accommodation the wedding package buys you all the legal paperwork including two certificates the original in Sri Lankan & a version in English,a celebrant to perform the ceremony, services of a wedding planner, bouquet for the bride & bridesmaid, button holes for the groom & best man,a spa treatment for the couple, your 5 course wedding dinner, a cake, bottle of bubbly, decorated ceremony location,candlelit dinner ,5 course wedding breakfast ,firecrackers, photographer an album of pictures from the day & a video.And of course the most important thing for me was the ride on the elephant through the grounds of the hotel & along the beach. Imagine trying to get all that for £846 at home?All details can be discussed & finalised with the wedding planner who speaks perfect English as do most people who work in the hotel.All this is also covered by Kuoni wedding insurance so if anything goes awry your covered.

So excitedly we booked to fly out on 3rd Feb 2003.

We printed details of Sri Lankan Airlines & the Bentota Beach hotel & also for Monarch ,who also fly there, & the details of room prices for 4* The Serendib hotel situated right next door to the grounds of the Bentota.The Serendib is much smaller but equally well equipped with as friendly staff as the Bentota. We put these details into our wedding invitations & didn’t really expect anyone to say yes.My dad said He was too old?(don’t ask) & my mum had already booked to go to India with my sister.To be honest at the time I was not really bothered as my mum said we could always have a wedding reception at home at a later date. We were pleasantly surprised when we got six replies of “yes we would love to come”.Close friends & family thought it was a great idea so with eight in our group it was a perfect size.A very dear friend of mine of twenty years who is like a father to me was giving me away & my daughter who was 17 at the time was to be my brides maid it would be perfect.

THE DRESS

Buying the dress was a little tricky. I wanted to look glamorous but not uncomfortable or too hot.I had gone to the Wedding Show at Olympia with my sister & was shocked at how women behave around wedding products.It was all elbows & knees every woman for herself & no excuse me’s in sight.It was scarey & I really just wanted to get out of there!

After a while all the dresses start to look the same,vast amounts of expensive fabric.Totally unsuitable for a hot destination.We were about to leave when we spotted a stand for Monsoon(How appropriate) who had just launched a range of wedding dresses.I instantly fell in love with a floor length sleevless ivory dress.Made of silk chiffon & completely embroidered with ivory glass beads & sequins.It was beautiful , simple & yet in the Sri Lankan sunshine every bead would sparkle like a jewel.I was so relieved!!!!
I bought ivory silk LK Bennet shoes in a sale for half the original price & a Monsoon mother of pearl bag. Buying the outfit was the hardest part of all & took me ages.Obviously....

THE JOURNEY

We had treated ourselves to an upgrade & flew out business class with Sri Lankan Airlines,if you ever get the chance to try business class, do it’s so worth it as a treat .The seats were huge & the food was out of this world.The crew gave us champagne all the way because they knew we were going out to get married. They hung our wedding outfits up in their closet & we took all makeup & toiletries, jewellery & of course the wedding rings with us as hand luggage .No point risking a lost wedding dress it could ruin the day...

The flight was extremely comfortable, we had a quick stop off on the Maldivian airport island which was a taste of what was to come after the wedding .
Ten & three quarter hours flew by & once we had landed & reclaimed our baggage, which had not got lost ,we met our driver for the 3 hour drive to the hotel.
The roads are not brilliant and are full of potholes & if you arrive after 6 am you will hit rush hour traffic .It is always best to catch a night flight & arrive early in the morning.

There is a new water taxi service that has started up that costs £47 per person one way.It takes just 25 minutes to get to Bentota & I would highly recommend it on arrival as it is good to finally get to your room & have a shower after such a long journey.

From previous journeys we knew to pack sunglasses and suntan lotion in our hand luggage.Wear something light and sandals or flip flops on feet.The walk from the plane to the airport building is like a sauna after being in the cool atmosphere of the plane.

THE HOTEL

www.johnkeellshotels.com

We reached our hotel. A magnificent converted old stone fortress , the car drives you directly to a cool drop off point from within the stone walls from which a wide Teak set of stairs takes you straight to the large traditionally decorated reception .Every inch of the ceiling is completely covered in the finest example of Sri Lankan batik work that complements the dark wood that is widely used here.

There is a central square courtyard water garden that is surrounded by glass doors but is open to the elements with a small island in that houses a tree called Araliya.The Araliya or Frangipani also known as “Temple flower” flower all year round.These sweetly fragranced flowers are a favourite offering at Buddhist temples. We were greeted with ice cold face cloths & a fruit cocktail to cool & welcome .The staff there are very friendly & greet you before swiftly checking you in & having a bell boy take you to your room with the luggage not far behind.

We checked in to a Superior room which had two beds pushed together, shower , mini bar ,T.V, balcony a bed & plenty of space.Oh and ladies that all important hairdryer.
The next size up is the Deluxe room which is more spacious but with a larger balcony and nicer soft furnishings, CD/DVD player,double bed.
The best rooms are called Spacious suites,they also have a living room,more space and have a very large balcony.They are situated on top of the main hotel building and allow for a sea view or a lagoon view if sited at the back of the hotel.

You have to keep the doors to the balcony shut at night to stop mosquitoes getting in.During the day there are chipmunks running around and it is not a good idea to get too friendly with them as they will run into your room and sink their teeth into clothing,as I found out to my detriment.It took me ages to chase it out!!!

The hotel staff will spray your room for you every night when you go out with mosquitoe repellent if you request it at reception. We got a can from our room boy and did it ourselves to be sure.

Once we had both showered and unpacked the necessities we went for a walk to check out the facilities.The large air conditioned bar from which you can see the fresh water swimming pool , the lush green grounds dotted with palm trees and the sea beyond,serves good drinks all day long and is extremely well stocked.The bar staff are very friendly and expert cocktail makers.It isn’t long before they know what you drink and you don’t even have to ask but just nod in their direction.
Be sure to sign your drinks bill every night before leaving the bar or you get one huge bill presented after a week and it’s shocking how much you’ve drunk!.

Beyond the lush well kept grounds lays the beach.It looks very tempting but has no shade and is usually covered in sand flies and hawkers selling fruit ,sarongs ,jewellery and cigarettes, some of it genuine some not.At the fence where the hotel meets the beach there is a guard at all times to stop the hawkers coming in while you relax.You can go out and buy from them and any unpeeled fruit is especially cheap compared to hotel prices.I buy fruit from them to feed the elephant and make friends before the big day.

It is advisable not to swim in the water here as the undercurrents are very strong.You should check for the flag and if in doubt stay out..There is a PADI dive school which operates on the lagoon side and also arranges trips out to dive sites at sea.

You will occasionally see a large water monitor lizard maybe four to five feet long ambling slowly across the green to find some shade.Chipmunks live in most of the trees and spend some time each day chasing each other up & down trees squeeking like mad as they run.It is a really funny sight.They will approach any bags left lying around that may contain food,equally if you have a fruit cocktail on the go & you put it down to read don’t be surprised to find a chipmunk hanging on to the edge of the glass and sticking his head in for a drink....

There is a pool bar & outdoor restaraunt,grill , sports facilities , volley ball court although how anyone could play sport in this 30 degree heat is beyond me.Next to the sports centre is an Ayurvedic spa where they offer health treatments like deep detoxing massages and special herbal baths.Ayurveda is an ancient healing practice which has been around for thousands of years and is widely used in Asia to treat all known ailments.It is a system that works on the principal of balance within the body.

Inside the hotel building there are souvenir shops selling wonderful gems and jewellery something the country is famous for.One of the shops sells second hand books, ladies bits, suntan lotion and other staple things you may have forgotten to bring. Next to the bar is the main restaurant where a vast buffet breakfast is served in the mornings and lunch and dinner for all inclusive or dinner for half board. Breakfast is an array of fresh fruit ,juice,yoghurt muesli,eggs cooked how you like by an egg chef,pastries and cakes,sausage and bacon,but not like you get at home ,beans ,tomatoes, fried bread, tea,coffee and also a full selection of Sri Lankan breakfast dishes which are mainly curries.

We had booked all inclusive to save having to carry money or budget.The menu at the main restaurant changes often with Italian,Chinese, BBQ nights ,European and of course traditional Sri Lankan.There is always something for everybody even if you are sick of eating spicy curries.

NIGHTLIFE

The nightlife here revolves around the main bar.Most nights there is some kind of entertainment laid on.One night a week is Kathakali dancing which is a traditional type of dancing and very graceful.There is always a band that does incredibly good covers of old and new songs most of which get everybody singing along and dancing.Most nights however are spent serenely sipping cocktails before going to bed.

There is sometimes a karaoke night if you fancy that?
Those looking for an active nightlife should try Columbo the capital or Hikkaduwa on the southwest tip which is a favourite for divers and surfers alike.

PLANNING THE BIG DAY

Once settled we arranged an appointment with the wedding planner.She was very friendly ,spoke fluent English and talked us through all the legal requirements , our choice of location,the flowers,the cake & all the other things that needed ordering in advance. We booked the ceremony for 16th Feb which it turned out was a full moon. There is no alcohol sold on a full moon as it is a religious day.You can have drinks from the mini bar in your room but you cannot drink alcohol in the main bar. After a short moment of panic & imagining a wedding with no alcohol, the wedding planner is quick to offer a solution. She suggests we hire the pontoon & have all our alcohol put on board the night before. This way we can actually pay for the alcohol the night before or the day after the full moon.This as it turned out was one of the things that made the day even more special.

We chose a simple chocolate cake,not the same as English chocolate, & I decided on a bouquet of cream Araliya flowers which I thought was most appropriate as it is also the national flower of Sri Lanka. She explained the whole ceremony to us as it would be mainly in Sri Lankan,but she would be there on the day to talk us through things.

I started gathering the vivid pink bougonvillea flowers that were blown down every day & drying them in the sun to use as confetti on the big day.You can not use paper confetti as it litters the grounds of the hotel & I thought this was a perfect alternative.

In the days leading up to our wedding and our friends arriving we witnessed several other weddings.This was a good way of learning what the routine would be on our day although each and every couple have slightly different ceremonies as they are all tailor made. I am struck by the fact that the girls can’t have had the advice I had of buying a dress with the heat & humidity in mind & not sunbathing too much before hand in case you get red strap marks from your bikini. I kid you not there are girls in full on white meringue dresses with burnt faces & obvious strap marks. So please beware. Try not to do this it does not look attractive & you will regret it every time you look at your wedding pictures!!

With the arrival of friends & family we ventured out of the hotel to a lovely river side restaurant called Aida for dinner.You can expect to pay around £5 for a really nice meal of curry ,rice, vegetable side dish popadoms & lentil dhal.Mosquitoe repellents should be smeared on liberally as evening by the river is a mosquitoes idea of heaven.We got to bed very late as we drank until the early hours.

THE BIG DAY!!

Up early the next morning I asked permission to pick flowers for my hair from the gardener and he said” no problem”. They were cream to match the bouquet.I had a quite short hair cut in anticipation of the heat & had brought my own hair pins to pin the flowers in. Small things like hair pins can be hard to get hold of abroad so I had packed sewing kit, safety pins,spare buttons,boob tape.Better to be prepared.

I downed two G & T’s in my room with my daughter & we had a big hug. Finally the moment had arrived. The wedding planner came to give me my bouquet and take me out for the wedding.But first it’s time for my close up as the photographer & video man came in to take pictures then we head off through the bowels of the hotel. We emerged from an arch at the back of the hotel where a troupe of traditional kathakali drummers and dancers escorted me slowly to the spot where my husband to be & the guests were waiting.The term butterflies in my stomach doesn't really cover that feeling I got as I walked along the stone path to be seated next to my future husband.

THE CEREMONY

The celebrant read our vows & then we both signed the register along with our witnesses. Then we were taken to a small podium which was all decorated in red and gold & on which was sprinkled raw rice. We both had to stand on this while the traditional ceremony took place .

There were various stages to the hour or so long ceremony .I will explain a couple, seven leaves which represent seven promises to each other are scattered to left & right of the couple, lighting a small flame on a brass stand which was covered in a strings of jasmine flowers, this represents our eternal love for each other, it all ends with the cutting of a coconut on the ground with a large machete & the lighting of the fire crackers (which we had all forgotten about & we all ducked thinking it was gun fire because they were so loud!!!)This represents the beginning of a new life together. By now the rice underfoot felt like huge stones cutting into our feet.It was a bit like the princess & the pea.

After cutting the cake, champagne & more photographs it was time to mount the beautifully adorned elephant & ride into the sunset .The mahout gets the elephant to kneel down so you can climb up.Sitting on an elephant is like sitting on top of a big wobbly house & If you end up on the shoulders you rock from side to side. But our elephant Rani was very gentle, graceful & carried us to the beach where we had more photographs before she knelt onto the sand to let us jump off,no mean feat in a wedding dress.

We just had time for a cold towel before we boarded the pontoon for the rest of the day.I wore minimal makeup as it all gets sweated off after a while and I would suggest a steady supply of cold towels as they are a real welcome relief in such heat.

THE PONTOON

The table was beautifully decorated & we had four waiters to serve us .Off we set floating slowly & gently up & down the river passing water monitors, kingfisher , eagles,spoonbills & egrets with our endless supply of food & drink. We had bought duty free champagne as had two of our friends so we started with a toast from the best man.Him & J have been mates since they were four years old so he knows all there is to know about him. He really made a huge effort & had A4 pictures of J at various ages with different dodgy haircuts.,He had us all in stitches including our waiters.

There was a surprise bundle of emails & telegrams from friends & family far away at home who couldn’t make it.We were served the most delicious fresh fish , steak prawns, smoked salmon.As our food was part of the wedding package we asked the others what they would like to eat & they all got to order their favourite meal so everyone was happy.This cost a supplement for our guests. The hotel are very accommodating & given enough notice they can come up with just about anything.

When we finally got off the pontoon all our remaining alcohol & chocolate cake was taken to the best man’s room where we all ended up.By this time all the girls were in flip flops having decided high shoes are not the order of the day when clomping around the hotel drunk at midnight .Especially as most guests had a quiet night without alcohol.We carried on drinking & eating more until early hours of the morning.When J & I got back to our room the bed had been decorated with flowers & balloons.The flowers on the bed read “Happy Wedding” & pinned to the back of the bed was a sign that read “Jolly Honeymoon”.

I believe the hotel has added this as one of the locations you can have your cermony performed and can completely see why.

THE DAY TRIP

No trip to Sri Lanka would be complete without a visit to Pinawella elephant orphanage.J & I had been before & knew the others would love it. A very early start is required to combat the traffic but also because even though the island looks relatively small, with the bad roads it takes time to get around & things are further than they seem on the map.We passed some amazing sights like monkeys sitting in a group on the side of the road,a really tall tree full of sleeping fruit bats,large water monitors and elephants off course earning their keep.

In the 1960’s the Sri Lankan elephant was endangered but thankfully is now protected.The best time to arrive at the orphanage is around 12:30 to get a good spot at the baby feeding pen. Here the smaller orphans who still depend on milk are fed using large bottles.The milk goes down very fast so you have to take your pictures quickly. I saw some German tourists pay the men who feed the babies to feed particular ones more than their quota just so they could get a better picture.This infuriated & upset me!!!So if you go please don’t do this it is not fair on the others.There are plenty of chances to get good pictures.

After feed time we walked up a small hill to an area where all the other orphans of all ages and sizes live.It is like walking into Jurassic park.The elephants are in a huge clearing ,not fenced off, & hang around in small groups some mothers with tiny new borns.All around the clearing are palm trees & forest & in the distance mountains.There was one elephant who was tied up but he was in must, this is basically when the male is in heat & can be very dangerous.Next stop was a restaurant across the road next to the river to watch the elephants have play time.If you hang around in the narrow street leading to the river they will pass right by you. It’s an unforgettable sight .There is one elephant who has had half the bottom of his leg blown off by a landmine a long time ago ,they call him Stumpy, & all the other elephants are very gentle with him patiently waiting while he hobbles along the road.

The journey to the orphanage is long and you have to get up very early to get there but it is well worth the effort when you get to see what an amazing place it is .You can make this trip as part of a tour also visiting temples,spice gardens,wildlife parks & botanical gardens there is a lot to see on this amazing island.

Another place I would recommend is the Victor Hasselblad Turtle Hatchery.They rear turles from eggs then set them free into the sea usually at night times to give them the best chance.This place is run on the generosity of the public & the work they do is outstanding.Children will love this place as you can pick the baby turtles up.

LAST DAYS

The day after our visit to the orphanage was the last day for our friends so we all had a relaxing day by the pool reading & chatting.The two in the party who didn’t like the heat stayed in the air conditioned bar & drank tea & the local fresh lime juice drink which is refreshing.Add a tiny pinch of salt to this & you have the perfect drink for preventing dehydration other than coconut milk fresh from the nut of course.

Every one decided how much to pay their favourite waiter ,room boy,egg chef.$20 for room boys is about the norm for a two week stay but we always give everybody a bit more.All the staff are so helpful & go out of their way to make your stay a pleasent one.Their wages are so low & they really earn every cent of their tips.

We all had a really lovely time .It was such a fantastic day for us .I packed up my dress & weddiing shoes for my mother in law to carry home for me & while the others were going home we were heading off to the Maldives on honeymoon for another two weeks.

Not before our wedding breakfast of 5 courses the morning after the others had left.You could choose where you had this so we chose to eat on our balcony.A table was brought in & wheeled outside with champagne & so much food it was actually obscene.I must admit I didn’t want to encourage the chipmunks but I did give them some food as I really didn’t want to waste it.

We tip all our staff on our last day.Room boys we give $25,our very good friend who works in the bar(his name is Abey if you happen to go say hello from Bobbie & John)we tip much more generously and all the other staff get between $30 to $50.It may sound like alot but they work very hard and earn a small salary in comparison to us.

The hotel is very family friendly & children are welcome.There is a baby sitting service If you want to go to the bar after their bed time.Sri Lankans have real family values and this is a very safe place to bring children.One of the attractions for the little ones & adults alike is feeding the resident elephant.

We took one month off work & booked the whole thing all inclusive which we never normally do, preferring to eat when & if we like. We flew business class on the way out & we stayed in a water bungalow for our honeymoon.

You must be thinking it cost a fortune well that is not so my friends.£8,300 in total.Compared to one day in a church & a paid dinner for all your mates for £17,000(The average for a London wedding in 2003) I know which I prefer.We had the month of our lives as opposed to one day.

This was off course before the tragedy of the tsunami.

We have been back since & the hotel was about to be renovated.The name has also changed to the Bentota Beach Cinnamon Hotel.Despite all the devastation along the southern coast & the lack of proper government funding people are re building their lives & do rely on the tourist trade.There are sad tales of loss of life the turtle hatchery lost a huge amount of rare or endangered resident turtles that had spent their entire lives there.The man who runs it was very heroic and saved many peoples lives that day. Places like that rely on people visiting & donating small amounts of money.So please if you haven’t decided where to go on your holiday I can promise you ,you will love Sri Lanka as much as J and I do.

We did plan a small reception at a cricket club in Wimbledon for the August after we wed.We got Indian caterers because all our friends and family love Indian food.Very sadly two weeks before the reception date my mum died very suddenly of a heart attack.We had seen her at the end of July and she looked through our hundreds of photographs from the wedding day.She was very happy for me and thought the world of John.

I will always cherish that day and the image of her with a huge smile on her face will stay with me for ever.

Honeymoon review will follow at the end of May hopefully.... 

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