Kumu Beach

Style

Seaside serenity

Setting

Golden Balipitiya Beach

Lovers of lesser-trodden coastlines will fall hard for boutique hotel Kumu Beach, a placid 10-room hideout a stone's throw from the golden sand. Set on a raised strip of beachfront on Sri Lanka’s south-west coast, this modern, villa-style property has been designed to encourage a stay of the most serene sort. While the sun sits high in the sky, lounge by the ocean-facing infinity pool or on a day-bed beneath the palms, sampling exotic smoothies and iced Ceylon tea to stay cool. Come evening, dine on coconut-encrusted tiger prawns, seared tuna steaks and Sri Lankan hoppers (bowl-shaped pancakes) at a table on the lawn, watching the sunset give way to an inky sky thick with stars.

Facilities

Rooms

10, including four suites.

Checkout

Noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 2pm.

More Details

Rates usually include à la carte breakfast, daily afternoon tea and a selection of soft drinks in the minibar.

Also

Unfortunately, Kumu Beach is not wheelchair accessible.

Free Internet Access

Pool

Room Service

At the Hotel

Lawned garden; beach; spa treatment room; free WiFi throughout; laundry. In rooms: flatscreen TV; minibar; tea- and coffee-making facilities; free bottled water.

Our Favourite Rooms

Oceanview Suites are the largest of the lot, coming with a living area, private terrace and roomy bathroom. If it’s the view that matters most, book a suite on the first floor, where the floor-to-ceiling windows and terrace look out to the horizon through the tops of palm trees.

Poolside

The 23-metre infinity pool is at the foot of the garden, looking past slender palms to the boulder-strewn beach below. There’s a sun deck with eight parasol-covered sunloungers off to one side, and several shaded tables set up on the lawn.

Spa

There's a one-room spa hut offering a variety of treatments. Pre-booking is recommended.

Packing Tips

Bring breezy clothes in shades of blue, turquoise and white, which will chime nicely with the hotel’s artworks and the ocean. If you plan to visit temples, bear in mind that you’ll need to have your shoulders covered.

Also

The stylish interiors are the work of Annika Fernando, one of Sri Lanka’s leading young designers. If you like what you see (and are making the trip north to Colombo), go for a whirl around her store, PR.

Children

All ages are welcome. Extra beds (US$50 a night for under-12s; US$60 for adults) and baby cots (free) can be added to Oceanview Suites, subject to availability. Babysitting is available for US$10 an hour; a week’s notice is required for booking.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Aim for one of the poolside tables on the lawn, which have the best sunset views and star-gazing potential.

Dress Code

Smart beachwear during the day; flowing dresses and loose-weave shirts at night.

Hotel Restaurant

Owing to the hotel’s size, its restaurant is a fairly intimate affair. There’s an elegant indoor section with rattan chairs and a banquette strewn with blue-and-white-patterned cushions, but the bulk of the tables are outside on the lawns, where diners can make the most of the balmy evenings and palm-framed ocean view. Borrowing from a range of South Asian cuisines, the menu features the best of Sri Lanka’s bountiful waters: offerings like tiger prawns, kingfish carpaccio and seared tuna steak are paired with exotic flavours and warming spices. There’s plenty produce from the land, too, including rack of lamb served Asian style, Australian rib-eye steak and classic Sri Lankan hoppers with black-pork curry.

Hotel Bar

There’s no separate bar; drinks can be ordered in the restaurant or brought to your preferred sunning spot.

Last Orders

The restaurant is open from 7am to 10.30pm. Complimentary tea and coffee is served between 3.30pm and 4.30pm.

Room Service

Anything from the menu can be delivered to your room while the restaurant is open.

Planes

Bandaranaike International Airport is the arrival point for most visitors. From there, it’s a two-hour drive to the hotel. The other option is to hop onto a Sri Lankan Air Taxi service to Bentota, a flight of around half an hour. From Bentota, it’s a 30-minute drive to the hotel. The Smith24 team can arrange flights and transfers; call anytime, day or night.

Trains

Trains run from Colombo Fort to Balapitiya five times a day, but be warned that they can get incredibly busy at times. If you’re happy to compromise on luxury, the hour-and-40-minute journey will bring you face to face with lush landscapes and local life.

Automobiles

Driving in Sri Lanka can be a bit bewildering if you’re used to smooth tarmac and a strict highway code. Unless you’re really determined to make the drive yourself, you’re better off hiring a professional to navigate the island’s roads.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Kumu Beach lends itself wholeheartedly to lazy days by the pool, long lunches and walks along the beach – but that’s not to say exploring is discouraged. If you’re looking to get close to some of the native wildlife (and help protect it), try the Sea Turtle Farm and Hatchery on the edge of Balapitiya Beach. This not-for-profit organisation helps boost the local population of native turtles, rearing them from eggs until they’re large enough to be released into the sea. For more natural thrills, take a boat trip across the Madu Ganga wetland, made up of two lakes, various estuaries and 65 different islands, many of them home to untouched mangrove forests. Unsurprisingly, the area is teeming with life, including hundreds of plant species, crabs and crocodiles. For a slice of the local culture, stop by the Mask Museum in Ambalangoda, a small seaside town in which the locals make vibrant devil masks for various dancing rituals – some of them meant to exorcise demons, others to poke fun at their one-time British colonists.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .