One last day of relaxation by the beach, and we will be on our way home to Australia tomorrow. It is another balmly day, not a lot of breeze and plenty of humidity.
A late breakfast was organised and we meet up at 9am. Service in the restaurant is a bit better this morning as the crowds are less due to a large group leaving this morning.
After breakfast some exercise is in order, so we went for a walk along the beach, before it got too hot.
Initially, we thought we would go for a walk up the main entrance way to the main road, along the way being distracted by some monkeys swinging around in one of the stands of bamboo beside the road. Once we got to the main gate, and ventured outside, we were swamped by taxi drivers, tuk tuk drivers, people wanting us to visit their jewellery stores, spas or sightseeing tours. We quickly retreated back in behind the security of the main gate and walked back to the hotel, deciding to walk along the beach instead.
There is a very large hotel next to us and most of the people on the beach appear to be from that hotel.
The Riu Resort Ahungalla
The surf is still quite rough sand the shoreline is lined with people taking photos, but not many are venturing in far.
After our walk we had a swim in the hotel pool and then had to think about lunch. The prospect of eating at the coffee shop or buffet restaurant was not high on our list, so we thought we would give the Sunshine Beach Restaurant a go.
It was only a 10 minute walk from our hotel, and we took a shortcut through the Northern wing of the hotel, which came out near the beach and past yet another large swimming pool that is part of this hotel.
Taking a beachside track we were at the restaurant in very little time. Sharon had to stick to walking on the foliage as the sand was bloody hot, and shoes were not a compulsory part of the dress code.
There were tables available, so we settled in to study the very comprehensive menu.
Some interpretive skills were needed to decode the menu but eventually Carole and John settled for fried noodles, Sharon had the Red Sheper (also known as snapper), and I had the devilled Calamary (calamari).
The devilled calamary took a little longer to prepare, and turned out to be like a Sri Lankan version of sweet and sour with a bit of a chiili kick.
All of the serves were huge, and none of us could eat it all. The food was good and reasonably priced.
After a walk back along the beach waterline, to avoid the hot sand, we were soon back at our hotel, and in no time the girls were in the pool.
We agreed to meet up at 6pm for pre dinner drinks and headed back to our rooms.
Service at the pool bar has not improved and there is a large cocktail party out near the beach which further distracts the bar staff.
As it is our last night in Sri Lanka, we decided to go to the fine dining restaurant, a bit of a risk but we go anyway. We are encouraged that when we arrive at 7.15pm, there is one other couple already there. The menu is ambitious, if not a little too complex, but looks appetising. Sadly the food delivered bore no relation to the descriptions on the menu, and we did not get our main course until 9.15pm.
It is such a shame that such a nice building, albeit getting a bit tired, in such a great location, has such appalling service delivery. It is right across all of the F & B outlets and management must be aware or just don't care. Anyway, we will certainly make the local tour operator (who own this hotel), what we think of it. The housekeeping staff are great.
Not the best way to finish off our otherwise very enjoyable trip to Sri Lanka, and certainly nowhere near the standard of the other hotels we have stayed in.
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