Alankuda Beach features a mix of four open-style single-roomed wattle and daub cabanas, two double roomed villas, a striking open pavilion restaurant overlooking the Indian Ocean, a beach bar and a 40 meter fibre optic-lit pool - all laid out in a whimsical and intriguing mix of the traditional and the new.

The food is generous and delicious local fare and the staff are graciously hospitable and unobtrusive.

The main attraction at Alankuda Beach is the rare opportunity to see dolphins and whales in their natural habitat. You can go out in the early hours of the morning, as the improbably calm sea glitters under the gently rising sun, to search for playful dolphins and awe-inspiring whales.

Water sports on offer include sailing, wind surfing, kayaking, canoeing, kite surfing and snorkeling.

For those who wish to explore the land around them, a visit can be made to the small, nearby town of Kalpitiya. It’s a vibrant and unspoiled fishing town with an interesting mix of historical buildings from its eventful colonial past.

For those who wish to explore the island's ancient history, the many attractions of the Cultural Triangle, with its ruined cities, temples and statues, is within comfortable reach. About two to three hours away, it contains no less than four of the island’s seven World Heritage Sites.

Wilpattu National Park, the island’s largest wildlife sanctuary, where you can find one of the highest concentrations of leopard in the world along with myriad other wildlife, is an hour’s drive away.

The 17th century St. Anne’s Church in Talawila, a mere five miles away, is the island’s most renowned Catholic shrine. Legend has it that a Portuguese trader had a vision of St Anne while resting under a banyan tree and returned to build the church that now sprawls over the site. In March and August each year, St. Anne’s hosts the largest catholic festivals in the country, when up to 700,000 pilgrims come to pray.

Munnesweram Kovil is a much-storied Hindu temple whose origins date back to great antiquity. A highly revered temple dedicated to Shiva and associated with Kali, its deity’s name can be translated as the ‘Lord of Antiquity’ and its goddess’ as the ‘Goddess of Beautiful Form’. About an hour and a half away, it is well worth a visit.

The Puttlam salt pans are a half hour drive away for those interested in learning what one of our most basic condiments goes through before it ends up on our tables and in our food.