After one week in the Maldivian paradise, we went back to Sri Lanka because we had one more chapter to discover – the amazing beaches!
Even though weather is pretty tricky on the south-west coast in summer time, we decided to take the risk and headed to the most popular beach area in the island – Unawatuna.
I have to say it was a very lucky choice since we caught sunny and hot weather with a pleasant ocean breeze all the time. We still enjoyed some short tropical rains and by short I mean literally 5 minutes rain followed by shinny sun and clear blue sky. Are we lucky or what?
Because I know you are all interested in this matter, I asked around about weather on the south-west coast and I was told that the best months to visit are indeed in the dry season (between December-April), but even in the rest of the time, including August when we visited, only very occasionally is there a full day of rain J
Our hotel choice for this area was KK Beach and I can definitely say that we moved from one paradise to another. This time we had empty golden beaches at our disposal and Instagrammable coconut trees!
THE HOTEL
You arrive in the parking lot, get out of the car and a big wooden door appears in front of you. What you don’t know in that precise moment is that paradise awaits you after opening it!
KK Beach is a 5 stars hotel located in Habaraduwa, Sri Lanka that offers luxury rooms and suites with stunning views of the ocean. The hotel opened its door in mid December 2016 with ten stunning rooms, all offering amazing ocean view, and decided to expand at the end of 2017 with a whole new wing, adding 4 luxurious penthouse suites to die for.
I loved the modern architecture and design of the building and most of all the fact that the hotel only offers ocean view rooms and suites with large windows and balconies.
But what I really appreciated at KK Beach is that all the artwork in the hotel has been commissioned from Sri Lankan artists, giving them an opportunity to showcase their talents and sell paintings. Long story short, if you like the painting in your room, for a fair price, you can put it in your luggage and take it home with you!
PS: This also adds a traditional touch to this modern and luxurious hotel.
OUR PENTHOUSE SUITE
We were lucky enough to stay in one of the penthouse suites of KK Beach, ours being situated at the top floor which obviously meant an even more stunning view of the ocean and coconut trees, if that is possible J
I was impressed by the size of the suite which was composed by a living area & dressing, a huge bathroom with a beautiful bathtub in the middle that you are going to love for sure, the blue and white stylish bedroom and a large terrace with sun loungers included.
If I have to choose my favorite moment from our stay at KK Beach Hotel (although a very hard decision), I think I loved the most waking up and lying in bed with my boyfriend while hearing the sound of the ocean and looking at the coconut trees between the curtains.
Also, I would have stayed on the terrace the whole day without hesitation, one can simply not be bored with that amazing view!
Because I have told you about the beautiful bathroom, I also have to say I got to fulfill one of my dreams at KK Beach – spoiling myself with flower bath! It was such a romantic and relaxing evening, champagne included! J
BREAKFAST TIME
Well, I was looking forward to tell you about my favorite morning in Sri Lanka. The moment we stepped into our ocean front terrace, I knew that this was the perfect place to spoil ourselves the next morning. This is why we talked to the lovely staff at KK Beach and arranged a breakfast on the terrace which we will sure remember for a long time.
But the view wasn’t the only great part, the food was delicious!! Fried eggs with bacon for me, eggs benedict for my boyfriend, slightly salted butter with warm bread, yummy and stylish fruit platter, coffee and, of course, tea because we are in the Old Ceylon, right? I say, hell yes! Bring me all those goodies as soon as possible!
Don’t get me wrong, I cannot complain about the regular breakfast either and by regular I mean that one taken at the restaurant by the pool. The view is stunning either way and the goodies remain the same. You also have yoghurt and cereals at your disposal.
PS: Sri Lankan traditional breakfast is also available if you order it in advance the evening before.
RESTAURANT
Breakfast is not the only meal you should take at KK Beach because lunch & dinner menu is yummy as well. A big plus for all the healthy choices to make which include delicious salads – we tried the one with grilled fish and the one with smoked chicken and we were amazed by them.
If you are really hungry, I recommend trying the club sandwich!
In the evenings on Sundays, KK Beach offers Thai cuisines, Mondays & Fridays seafood barbecue, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays a three course set menu and on Wednesdays they host a traditional Sri Lankan rice and curry buffet.
PS: I have to mention how careful and helpful the staff at KK Beach were with us all the time and thank them for that!
POOL AREA
As you can easily imagine, the pool area is a strong point of the property and we loved spending time there to swim and exercise a little or just to relax, read a book and eat some fresh fruit.
I loved the design of the pool which was not the typical one: 20 meters long infinity edged swimming pool surrounded by Instagrammable coconut trees. Need I say more?
PS: One of our best swims was late at night when no one was around: chilly ocean breeze and warm pool water – the best combination!.
BEACH AREA
As I said above, KK Beach is an ocean front hotel facing Koggala Beach which means gorgeous empty beach at your disposal. Add the cute coconut trees and you get the perfect golden beach to enjoy.
The ocean was pretty mad when we were there with crazy waves which stopped us from swimming far away, but the good news is that KK Beach always has guards to watch over you in order to feel safe.
Those mad waves made us miss surfing and we discovered there are many places nearby where you can practice or even learn this watersport. Even though we had experienced it before in Bali, we took an instructor and jumped on the board again! It felt so good to hit the waves one more time!
ACTIVITIES AND PLACES NEARBY
– There are many activities in the area and you should try as much as you can. I already told you about surfing, but you can also go for snorkeling, scuba diving, bike rides through the rice fields, canoe trips, whale watching, deep sea fishing, cultural tours or boat trips on Kogalla Lake.
– Unawatuna Beach is a very popular area on the south coast and it is situated just 7 km away. I recommend this place for water sports and for restaurants and cute cafés on the beach. It is also a famous place for sunset;
– Galle is a major city in Sri Lanka famous for the Galle fort, the fortified old city founded by Portuguese colonists in the 16th century. Stone sea walls, expanded by the Dutch, encircle car-free streets with architecture reflecting Portuguese, Dutch and British rule. It is located just 11 km from KK Beach and sure deserves a visit. Galle is also a great place to buy some souvenirs for your family and friends;
– Dalawella Beach – This is for sure one place you need to put on your list while visiting the area. Being just 4 km away from KK Beach, this place allows you to swing over the ocean and that looks and feels a lot like freedom. You also have a very good restaurant here with the best pizza ever (even better than in some parts in Italy). The restaurant is called Wijaya Beach and you should give it a try.
PS1: Besides pizza, I tried the tuna steak and fell in love;
PS2: Swinging over the ocean costs around 2 dollars/person, but there is no time limit J
– Mirissa – Last, but not least, I recommend heading to famous Mirissa one day and enjoy the beautiful scenery. You have to drive around 30 minutes to get there (24 km). I saw a place on Instagram full of coconut trees and we had to find it, but had no idea how the place is called. We finally arrived there after asking many locals, but I still cannot give you more details on how to find it except for the fact that you need to enter through a temple. Ask the locals about the spot by showing them a picture and you will be just fine J
PS: After the failed attempt of eating sushi in Ella, we tried it for the second time on the south coast in a restaurant that we found on our way to Mirissa. I have to advise you not to try sushi in Sri Lanka because you will be disappointed as we were: they do not use fresh fish, but canned tuna and the sushi is basic and taste the same no matter the ingredients.
LOCATION AND HOW TO ARRIVE
KK Beach is located in Habaraduwa, Sri Lanka, 20 minutes away from Galle, 2 hours from Colombo and approximately 2 hours and a half from Colombo Airport.
You can either arrive by car, by train or by bus, the hotel being situated just a few minutes away from Habaraduwa Railway and Bus Station.
That being said, this was our adventure on the south-west coast of Sri Lanka and we are so happy that we chose the best hotel in the area. If we ever go back to Sri Lanka, we will sure pick KK Beach again for the loveliest stay and so should you!
*To book a stay, click HERE!
Have a nice weekend,
Blonde around the World
