October 2014 marked an exciting new chapter for Sri Lanka's tourism industry as the country welcomed its newest and most glamorous beach resort, Cape Weligama. The second hotel venture for Resplendent Ceylon, owned by the Fernando family of Dilmah Tea, Cape Weligama follows the success of iconic sister hotel Ceylon Tea Trails to offer the perfect complement of 'Tea and Sea'.

Perched on a spectacular clifftop site, just south of Galle Fort on Sri Lanka's south coast, Cape Weligama introduces an elegant 40-key resort overlooking the beautiful bay of Weligama, famed for whale-watching. “Cape Weligama has turned out better than we ever expected” says owner Malik Fernando.  “The combination of an amazing headland site, Lek Bunnag's striking design and unique service offerings we've learnt from 10 years of Tea Trails should make for a timeless property. We hope to set a new benchmark for luxury tourism in Sri Lanka by creating a world-class resort that caters to the new breed of traveller being attracted to our country.”

Infinite 270 degree panoramas of the Indian Ocean are celebrated from every curvaceous corner of the resort which has been masterminded by Thai architect Lek Bunnag (whose former projects include: Four Seasons Langkawi, Maia Seychelles, Pangkor Laut and Ritz Carlton Phulay Bay). Generously sized villas and suites range from 130 to 300m2, set within 12 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds to offer some of the most spacious accommodation in the region. The resort's timeless interiors have been envisioned by JPA Design's Singapore studio and have been designed to celebrate three distinct themes, the island's prominent maritime heritage, its diversity of fauna and the renowned Ceylon tea.

CEO of Resplendent Ceylon, Dominique Nordman, is a hotel veteran with over 20 years living and working in Asia for brands such as Taj and Oberoi, before settling in Sri Lanka ten years ago to launch the company's first property Ceylon Tea Trails.  “Conceptualising Cape Weligama has been an amazing journey driven by a passion for crafting unforgettable experiences for our guests that maximise on this jewel of a location.  We're lucky to have nearly ten years of Tea Trails under our belt and to take all these learnings to Cape Weligama to offer seamless service alongside unique local experiences.”

Dining options include an intimate cliff edge Teppanyaki pavilion seating just twelve guests; an alfresco Sri Lankan restaurant set under the canopy of a giant Kumbuk tree; and a festive dining pavilion where guests interact with chefs to select fresh seafood at the “Pola” (Market). Dining in the pavilion offers guests' insight into the produce of Sri Lanka's unique cuisine with seafood displayed on stylised boat hulls in reclaimed wood and on traditional street foot trollies, all warmly lit by antique lanterns and festoon lamps.  

Other resort highlights include an iconic crescent shaped cliff-top infinity pool; in-villa spa experiences with bespoke products made from local teas and spices; a fully-equipped gym and beachside Dive Centre that also offers whale watching in Cape Weligama's 10-passenger speedboat. 

Residences are arranged in “Wattas” (Gardens) named after old Ceylon explorers whilst suites are in villas named after artists and writers who lived in Ceylon.  Carefully sited in clusters of two or three around generous swimming pools, the design of the villas has been tailored to the site's natural topography and coastal views meaning no two clusters are the same.

Like the company's first resort Ceylon Tea Trails, Cape Weligama is part of Relais & Chateaux, the Parisian association of the world's finest hoteliers, chefs and restaurateurs.  Thanks to the new Southern Highway, Cape Weligama is less than two hours away from Colombo. A seaplane service also connects Tea Trails and Cape Weligama in a scenic twenty minute journey across Sri Lanka's stunning tea country.

Cape Weligama (www.capeweligama.com / +94 11 774 5700) offers rates from $605 per room per night on a half-board basis including: accommodation on a double-occupancy basis, daily breakfast plus lunch or dinner; house wines, spirits & beers; laundry, all taxes & service charges plus one activity per day.

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Nina Derham / Nicole Gordon / Freya Costello

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EDITOR'S NOTES:

Dilmah Tea (www.dilmahtea.com) is a family-run Sri Lankan tea company founded and still run by Merrill J Fernando, a tea producer of sixty years.  His sons Dilhan and Malik share Merrill's passionate commitment to quality, authenticity and ethical business practice. The company is a global leader in tea that is also well respected for its philanthropic work; with a significant part of the profits funding humanitarian (http://www.mjffoundation.org) and environmental projects in Sri Lanka.