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ARAMAa few water buffalo. The 12 rooms have a
thatched decor and small sitting patios. There’s
a small on-site cafe. It’s 1.7km east of the main
road after a turn at the Hotel Chandrika.Hotel Chandrika hOTel $$
(%223 7143; http://www.chandrikahotel.com; Kataragama
Rd; r US$80-120; as) This very modern hotel
is very popular with tour groups and is a fine
option with 40 comfortable rooms set around
a palm-lined courtyard and good pool. A
newer wing of rooms have added style. The
staff are attentive and the restaurant does a
tasty curry. There’s an Ayurvedic spa.Hotel Tissa GU eSThOUSe $$
(%077 501 5100; http://www.hoteltissa.com; Main Rd; r
US$35-60; aiW) The eight rooms here are
divided between the main building and quiet-
er block out back. All have air-con, while more
deluxe units have fridges and hot water. Over-
all it’s very basic, but it does offer a popular
pool table.Traveller’s Home GU eSThOUSe $$
(%223 7958; http://www.yalasafarisrilanka.com; Main Rd;
r Rs 2000-6000; aiW) Near the workaday
town centre, this traveller-aware guesthouse
is just off Main Rd, about halfway between
Tissa and Debarawewa. It has a wide variety
of rooms that range from cheapies with fans
and cold water, to ones with air-con and more.There are free bicycles for guests and a good
restaurant. Expect pressure to book a safari.Priyankara Hotel hOTel $$$
(%223 7206; http://www.priyankarahotel.com; Kataragama
Rd; r US$100-160; aWs) The rooms here, with
their high wooden ceilings, dashes of style,
hardwood furnishings and balconies, have
lots of colonial style as well as views over the
gorgeous pool, which in turn has views over
the gorgeous rice fields and duck-filled ponds.The Safari hOTel $$$
(%567 7620; http://www.ceylonhotels.lk; Kataragama Rd;
r US$90-200; aWs) Run by the same group
as Colombo’s Galle Face Hotel, this large ho-
tel is Tissa’s most mainstream option. The
50 rooms are large and comfortable, albeit
slightly bland. Most have unbeatable views
over Tissa Wewa (especially at sunset). The
open lobby leads to a large pool. The includ-
ed morning breakfast buffet is quite good (try
the curry juice).Hibiscus Garden Hotel BUNGA lOW $$$
(%223 9652; http://www.hibiscus-garden.com; off Kat-
aragama Rd; r Rs 9600-13,500; aWs) The 20
rooms aren’t flashy, but they are large, com-
fortable and set in separate bungalow blocks.
There’s good birdwatching in the nearby
marshes and pools, and afterwards the birds
can watch you as you relax around the swim-HAMBANTOTA
Once Hambantota was a dusty little workaday fishing town where nothing much ever hap-
pened. But today this formally sleepy place is now the site of the biggest urban construction
project in Sri Lanka. And it’s all thanks to Sri Lanka’s president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, who hails
from the region and still has a web of family and business ties here.
The bumpy two-lane coast road gives way to huge freeway interchanges as you enter
Hambantota. The new roads are peppered with huge new projects including a hospital,
cricket stadium, wind farms and much more. However, two of the largest projects have been
controversial, even in a country where Rajapaksa’s whims are seldom questioned.
Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport Named for the president’s family, this vast new
facility is 28km north of Hambantota and has cost well over US$200 million. It’s a gleaming
facility that lacks one thing: passengers. Since its opening in 2013, flights have been limited to
a couple of face-saving daily services by state-run Sri Lankan Airways.
Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port Also named for the president’s family, this huge new
port near the centre of town has cost upwards of US$400 million and construction continues.
It is meant to relieve Colombo’s container port, although the low-capacity roads surrounding
Hambantota have restricted use. There has also been much controversy around the port’s
depth: some international organisations claim the port is too shallow for modern container
ships, while the Rajapaksa government claims that dredging has solved the problem.
Most of the new projects are being funded by China. In addition, work is progressing on
extending the railway line east from Matara to Katagama via Hambantota. The first sec-
tions may open by 2017.