To be perfectly honest, I wasn't ready to leave my first stop in Sri Lanka, Hikka Tranz behind. I could easily have stayed another two weeks. It felt like there was still so much to experience and see but luckily my next stop, Cinnamon Bey Beruwala didn't disappoint. How could it when you look at that photo above? The lobby was completely open plan with no doors! Not in the back or the front. I guess you could say the same about Hikka Tranz but it wasn't until I arrived at Cinnamon Bey Beruwala that I really noticed. Call it jet lag.
We arrived at the hotel just as the sun was setting and were greeted by hotel manager Christine Chevalaz. She couldn't have made us feel more welcome. When we asked where and when we were going to eat that evening, she replied "Why not try all of our restaurants?"
I've got a big stomach but thankfully not that big. I wish I could have done just that but the food we did try that evening was extraordinary.
Christine suggested we start with a few cocktails and canapés up at the lebanese bar on the roof terrace. I was in Sri Lanka to experience Sri Lankan food but I was going to turn down that offer. When in Sri Lanka, why not do as the lebanese do? It sounded good to me.
Next stop was a restaurant called Rock Salt. What fun! We all cooked our own meals on granite bricks. I ordered the lobster, prawns and a selection of other local fish. I almost managed to eat it all. It was served with a garlic an ginger sauce.
I started the next day with a well deserved hangover but it was worth it. After breakfast, we all met our driver in the lobby and then ventured out to see the area. First stop was a herb garden where they grow everything from curry leaves to cinnamon and peppercorns. Have you ever tasted a cinnamon leaf? You can just pick and chew on them. Nature's candy!
As nice of an experience as it was, you can only watch pepper grow for so long. So we piled back into our van and drove a couple of miles to visit Budist and Hindu temples. We were asked to remove our shoes while we walked around to see it all. This was definitely a day to remember. If I ever get my family over to Sri Lanka, I'll be taking them here. Everyone was so nice and we all felt quite welcome.
After our short but fascinating visit to the temples, it was time to head back for a quick lunch and a swim before heading off to Colombo. Again I felt we just didn't have enough time at Cinnamon Bey Beruwala but it was time to move on.
Disclaimer: I was a guest of Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts. It was a holiday I'll never forget and want to experience again someday soon. I was flown round trip from Heathrow to Colombo courtesy or SriLankan Airlines. I couldn't recommend this airline enough. Excellent service.
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