We have now visited the Lighthouse Hotel three times, once in 1998, again on New Year's 2000, and again in December of 2002. It remains one of our favorite hotels anywhere, at any price. Over the span of these five years, the business at the Hotel has picked up considerably, and it continues to expand. The Lighthouse was adding with a new spa and pool area in 2003. Here is an overview of this wonderful place. (Some of the pictures and commentary are from 2000 and some of it is from 2002.)
 

Tired from the demands of teaching (and grading, grading, grading), we set our sights on some rest and relaxation in a warm, sunny climate. We decided to return to Sri Lanka, a veritable tropical paradise. So, we left cool overcast Beirut on Qatar Airlines, bound for Sri Lanka. After a day visiting in Colombo, we headed down the southwest coast along the Galle Road in search of sunny weather, gorgeous beaches, and palm trees swaying in the breeze. This picture shows the beach of the Lighthouse Hotel, along the Galle Road.
 
   

Looking out from the backside of the hotel, the traditional dwellings of Sri Lankans are visible across the Galle Road.











 

The theme of the Lighthouse Hotel is exploration, especially the exploration and colonization of this region by the Portuguese. The entryway to the hotel proper is via this grand staircase which celebrates the exploits of Bartholomew Diaz with life-size bronze conquistador figures, a close-up of which is shown  in the photo the left. Other explorers are also featured at the Lighthouse. Among them are Ibn Battuta, who brought Islam and technology to West Africa, and Fa-Hsien, the Chinese monk who took Buddhism back with him to China, where it became their most populous religion. These are shown in the photo to the right. My kind of place!
 
 

From the entrance, the hotel opens onto a flat area overlooking the coast. Pictured here is the open bar area which looks out over the rocks on the coast. The pounding surf puts up a constant spray! The views here at sunset were magnificent.
 
 
 
 

 

The Lighthouse offers two dining options, a casual dining area with buffet downstairs, and a fine dining in the Cinnamon Cafe upstairs. The photo to the left shows the entrance to the fine dining area, while the photo to the right shows the view from the lower level dining, looking toward Galle. It was there that we ushered in the millennium. Both offer Indian Ocean views on two sides, and the a la carte menu from downstairs is also available upstairs. The difference is the more refined menu and atmosphere offered upstairs. The room is furnished in as a grand dining room in an old teak plantation would be, complete with a beautiful wooden floors, rustic beams and chandeliers. It also offers a higher vantage point on the Indian Ocean. The downstairs floor plan is a bit more crowded, and it also caters to the tour buses that stop here. On the other hand, they offer a shrimp tempura that can't be beat. The downstairs dining room is also where breakfast is served.
 
 

Next to the fine dining room is the pool room and bar area, also located on the wrap-around veranda with a splendid view of the Indian Ocean Next to the full-service bar is a rather large room with tables and chairs, the perfect place to watch the sunset.





 


The rooms at the Lighthouse are adjacent to the dining and deck area. There is a row of rooms adjoining the deck area, and these are shown in the photo to the left. This area is enclosed by a sloping courtyard, shown in the photo to the right; this is a favorite area for newlyweds to be photographed following their nuptials. We have seen numerous such occasions on our three visits to the Lighthouse.










Another enticing feature of the Lighthouse was the large pool, located right outside the balcony of our room. (As a point of reference, the pool is directly behind the walkway shown in the photo above right.) In addition to the bar/restaurant that you can see in the background, the pool also offered an unfettered view of the beach area below. Speaking of restaurants, the food here was exquisite, especially the seafood. Since seafood is so hard to come by in Beirut, we had a steady diet of prawns, crab, and lobster. Prices for these delicacies ranged from $3 to $15 for a main course. The remainder of the Lighthouse guestrooms are located around the pool area.
 
 
 
 
The rooms at the Lighthouse are beautiful, and one of the main reasons for returning here on holiday. They have a light and almost Caribbean flavor, with a white bed and couch, brightly colored pillows and shuttered doors and windows, and beautiful teak floors, bed, and doors. (photo to the left) The room also had a balcony which looks out over the pool toward the Indian Ocean. Here is Tracy, (photo to the right) styling before we head out to the Cardamon Cafe for dinner. Most nights we ate in the casual atmosphere of the restaurant that overlooks the rocks pictured above. For the millennium, however, we dined in the formal Cinnamon Room, a teak beamed and floored room with panoramic views of the sea. We rang in the New Year on the connected terrace, watching the fireworks show.
 

Of course, what is a resort without a beach? Here is a shot of the beach area of the Lighthouse. While it is a lovely place for sunning and wading, the waters of the Indian Ocean can be treacherous, especially in winter, when a strong riptide is present. Most people prefer to sunbathe in the green area adjacent to the beach (the site of the new spa) and restrict their beach activity to wading. By the way, the weather this time of year in Sri Lanka is difficult to take: 25-30 degrees Celsius (80-90 degrees Fahrenheit).

 
 

Much of our time was devoted to lounging in the verdant area adjacent to the beach. Attended by a staff of sarong-clad waiters whose mission in life was to keep us supplied with drinks and towels, we braved the tropical weather.
 
 
 

During the late afternoon on New Year's day, we were roused from our lethargy by the sounds of drums. A young western couple had chosen to stage a Sri Lankan wedding at the hotel. The dancers and drummers processed floor by floor of the hotel, eventually escorting the groom (in the back, dressed in white) to the grassy area by the beach, and then returned to fetch the bride. All in all a very colorful spectacle, the carefully orchestrated movements of the dancers was similar to the dancing we witnessed at Kandy (where the temple containing the tooth of Siddhartha--the Buddha--is found) two summers ago.
 

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