The Unforgettable Resort In Sri Lanka – RIU

This Sri Lankan resort in Ahungalla had us at unlimited drinks and food!

And this plate is just a glimpse of the entire spread we had access to.

It had many dishes from different cuisines; so, there was something for every palette. You could choose from seafood to cured meats, authentic Indian and European dishes to woks, salad bars and what not. Heck, you could even assemble your own hamburger out there.

With a live pizza and pasta station, a whole bar dedicated to desserts; we knew we were just where we needed to be after a long drive along the coast of Sri Lanka.

We booked two rooms out of the 501 rooms at RIU, one of the largest resorts in Sri Lanka. It is in fact part of a chain of international restaurants!

For just INR 10k per room each night, which was shared by 2 people, we got a great all inclusive deal! All we had to do was book in advance, because with a last-minute booking you might have to shell out 30k+ for the exact same offer.

After lunch, we headed to the pool!

There are 3 pools at Riu – the first being, an infinity pool with a bar, where we could enjoy unlimited alcoholic drinks. I had a passion-fruit cocktail, tried some local arrack cocktails and then stuck with Baileys for the afternoon.

The other pools were meant for playing games and another elongated one was ideal for taking laps. See those elevated decks in the pool? Many people choose to sunbathe on them. If you don’t want to tan, make sure you apply dollops and dollops of sunscreen!

I can’t swim, so, I just tried floating throughout our Sri Lanka trip. In fact, when I was a child, I used to hide from the trainer, because he would just throw all of us into the pool. Sometimes, after everyone would leave, I’d take my float and play in the kiddie pool. Cut to today, where my friends encourage me to ‘trust float’ and swear that they will save me if I’m about to drown.

This modern and spacious resort also had glimpses of Sri Lankan culture. This Sri Lankan Peacock Devil mask, Mayura Raksha, is believed to bring peace, harmony and wealth.

In the evening the resort arranged for a cultural program, we were amused to see that Bollywood songs were also part of the show! My favorite was though was this band!

After the show and dinner, it was time to hit the private club!

The thing with 24-hour service is that there’s always someone to feed and pamper you.

I don’t remember what time we crashed, but someone managed to click this!

RIU has a spa, shops, multiple restaurants, direct access to the beach (most resorts in the Southern part of Sri Lanka offer this).

The next morning we were up for a walk by the beach, actually just Neha and me. Dipti and Gurpreet were still asleep.

By the beach you will find local artists who create caricatures in minutes, others sell Batik print bed-sheets and some others convince you to come surfing. But a word of advice, research before you head into sea, because during certain months the sea is very rough and you won’t end up seeing Dolphins or the other things they promise. And the waves can make you sea sick, we were lucky enough and politely declined.

All we wanted to do that morning was chill, like this cutie.

And who can resist breakfast?

Each morning the pools close for cleaning, and after wasting 15 minutes deciding what we should do, we ended up entering the pool again! That’s what you’ll keep feeling like doing out there.

Others were enjoying water aerobics and burning those calories! Would you do the same?

So, RIU gets full marks for its round the clock service, all inclusive meals and drinks plus entertainment and other amenities.