The beaches of the deep South of Sri Lanka are always inviting and magnificently attractive, but Kahandamodara, just four kilometres from Ranna stands out from the rest. This unspoilt stretch of beach is the cradle for Sri Lanka’s latest hideaway ‘Ranna 212′.

The hotel is located exactly 212 kilometres from Colombo, by the 212th milepost (or rather kilometre post) on the Colombo Hambantota road – and 12km from the town of Tangalle. Ranna 212 is a trendy 4star resort set on a 11.5 acre property between pristine blue ocean and lush tropical wilderness, close to the Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary and Lunama lagoon.

Barely a year old, Ranna 212 has received brilliant reviews for their top performance and the maintenance of a high occupancy rate during its short span of operations. The Resort is a popular destination especially among local travellers during the April season, where it reached 85% occupancy rate during that time.

VIEW OFFERS FOR RANNA 212 – 50+ TOP SITES

‘Since we came into operation from 30th December last year, we have managed to keep a high occupancy rate with many foreign tourists especially from Russia and the CIS countries. The reason, I strongly believe is the exotic location and the mesmerizing seashore’ said Reyhan Morris, the General Manager of the property.

This fifty five room luxury Resort is fronted by a magnificent wide beach, offering guests a number of water sports activities and excellent sea views. The fifty five suites at Ranna 212 offer guests 42 inch LED TV and DVD player, dual balconies, pillow menu, mini bar, Wi-Fi facilities, king sized bed and other luxurious amenities.

“We just want to offer our guests the best of luxury and I think travellers are looking for something luxurious and comfortable in this part of the country” said GM Morris. “The lack of luxury resorts beyond Galle really creates a vacuum for star resorts in this area”.

“Ranna 212 is there to fulfil the needs of travellers looking for modern comforts. Now the resort is gradually penetrating British, French and German markets too. But the Sri Lankan market is important to us as well and has contributed to our quick success in a big way during the holiday seasons in May and June” said Reyhan Morris, indicating that local tourism is also playing a big role in their success.

Apart from the luxury facilities, Ranna 212 is a popular place for culinary excursions. It has two restaurants- ‘Senses’ and ‘Flame’. “Our specialty is seafood. Authentic South Sri Lankan cuisine too is popular among Sri Lankan clientele. Our Chefs are well practiced in the art of authentic fusion cooking; east, west and local culinary specialities are all available to guests” said Pushpitha Udawatta , the Operations Manager of the Resort.

Senses’ offers all day dining off the buffet or a la carte menu including Italian crespelle al salmone, Indian tandoori chicken and the delightful Ranna Seafood Symphony.

‘Flame’ located on the beach is a BBQ/Grill. Fresh lobster, jumbo prawns and the finest fresh fish of the south coast are delicately marinated to bring out the best flavours. Tonic and Wave are two bars. Tonic offers a mixology menu including delicious concoctions using local ingredients, while Wave is located right on the beach.

VIEW OFFERS FOR RANNA 212 – 50+ TOP SITES

The Resort is well connected to the rest of the country, making excursions to the hills, or any other part of the country fairly easy. Enjoy an excursion by bike (30 minutes) to the Kalametiya bird sanctuary or drive to the magnificent ancient monastery of Mulkirigala, just half-hours drive from the resort. The famous Leopards of Yala Wildlife Sanctuary, the wonders of Kataragama, Ussangoda , Rekawa Turtle Conservation Project, are just some of the wonderful places to visit within one to two hours drive from the Resort.

Whale watching sites off Mirissa, Walave River Safari, Uda Walave Natonal Park and Sinharaja Rain Forest Reserve are just half a day excursions from Ranna 212. “We offer these excursions on request and always encourage even local travellers to visit these adventurous and historic sites in and around the Southern Province’ said Pushpitha.

The resort will be adding 70 new rooms including 25 water villas and 45 luxury rooms with a US$7.5 million investment, by February 2013. The new wing will consist of its own pool and two restaurants. The opening of the Ruhunu Magampura International Port and the scheduled opening of the Mattala International Airport adds to the potential of Ranna 212.

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