Wet Zone
Ranweli Resort
Ranweli Resort is situated 18km from the International Airport on an almost-private beach accessible by pontoon ferry. A balance of western comforts and indigenous aesthetics in the furnishing and interior decor of the hotel create an ambiance reminiscent of this ancient land. There are 84 small chalets nestled in 20 acres of lush tropical foliage. All rooms are air-conditioned and solar power is used for hot water. Each has a telephone, safety deposit box, comfortable beds and a small seating area.
The hotel’s checklist of birds exceeds 120 species and it is recognised as a ‘bird-friendly’ hotel by the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka. Birdwatching walks and boat trips explore the local mangroves where impressive numbers of water and forest-edge birds can be observed, and the large water monitor lizard is also frequently spotted. The resort offers a good range of other leisure activities including tennis, table tennis, squash, volleyball, bicycle rental, canoeing and safe swimming in pool or sea.
Facilities include a good restaurant which offers an excellent spread of different cuisines including fresh seafood, local specialities and international favourites. There is also a bar, large swimming pool and BBQ facility, and massage treatments are available or request.
Facilities
Private bathrooms, restaurant, bar, lounge area, air-conditioning, free WiFi (public areas) room service, luggage storage, laundry service, currency exchange, gift shop, swimming pool, safety deposit box, telephone in room.
Local Wildlife
Boat tours along the local rivers and mangroves can produce great bird watching with kingfishers, bee-eaters, birds of prey and huge water monitor lizards commonly encountered.
Optional Activities
Bird watching, boat trips, canoeing, cycling, tennis, table tennis, volleyball, squash and swimming.
Alan Godwin
Area Specialist
Getting to Ranweli is half the fun: you travel north from Colombo and arrive at a pontoon ferry which takes you over a river to the property. Ranweli is very family-friendly.
If you have any questions regarding our Sri Lanka tours, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
We were absolutely thrilled by the whole experience and can only commend the helpfulness and friendliness of everyone who made our holiday so special. We cannot speak highly enough of all of our guides who were extremely knowledgeable and went above and beyond to enhance our Sri Lankan wildlife encounters. We felt very privileged to be with guides who have so much expertise.
