Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapksa was on hand to launch the Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa last week, which is situated on the southwest Bentota Peninsula – sandwiched between the Bentota River and the Indian Ocean.

The 165-key resort features a Spa Cenvaree with traditional Sri Lankan and Ayurvedic Indian treatments along with its range of signature Thai therapies. The spa is connected to a fitness centre, an oceanfront swimming pool with whirlpool and a children’s pool.

“We view Sri Lanka as being of great potential for us, and the island is part of our strategy for developing our market in the Indian Ocean region,” said Thirayuth Chirathivat, CEO of Centara Hotels & Resorts.

Guests must travel by barge across water for two minutes to reach the resort’s arrival lounge at Aluthgama on the inland side of the river.

The resort’s watersports centre offers scuba diving, snorkelling, windsurfing, kayaking, wave boarding, jet skiing, water skiing and banana boat rides. River and deep-sea fishing are also available, in addition to river safaris.

Restaurant facilities include international cuisine and buffet outlet Café Bem, 360 Seafood and snack bar Ceylon Club.

The resort is minutes away from Aluthgama railway station and Colombo can be reached in less than two hours by road. Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport is 100km (62 miles) away from the resort.

Centara operates 29 branches of Spa Cenvaree, and seven branches of the value brand Cense by Spa Cenvaree which provides core spa services for busy travellers.