The Wes
T
No
RTH
o
F C
o
Lom
B
o
The Wes
T
S
Ig
H
TS
&
A
C
TI
v
ITIES
The Wes
T
K
A
LPITI
yA
(^) & D
U
TCH
B
A
y
want to act like a dolphin dancing through
the waves, Kalpitiya, with its near constant
strong winds, is widely considered to have
the best kitesurfing conditions in South Asia.
Until recently, this was an intensely rural
backwater that saw very few visitors. But
it’s not just thrill seekers and nature lovers
who’ve discovered Kalpitiya. The govern-
ment, looking to expand the island’s tourist
industry, is engaged in a project to turn the
peninsula and its string of offshore islands
into one of Sri Lanka’s prime beach tourism
destinations. The blueprints call for invest-
ment in projects as diverse as luxury accom-
modation for more than 10,000 people, a
domestic airport, theme parks, an underwater
amusement park (!), golf courses, high-speed
boat safaris and much more. Environmen-
talists are concerned about the impact these
projects will have on the populations of
dolphins, sperm whales and dugongs, which
use the waters around Dutch Bay.
More importantly, though, a large number
of local people are concerned that their needs
are being overlooked in favour of grandiose
tourist developments. In addition to the ban-
ning of fishing in certain areas, they also have
concerns about the development process itself
(the minister of economic development has
admitted that land deeds have been forged in
some places). According to the Law and So-
ciety Trust, an independent Sri Lankan body,
there is, among other issues, a ‘lack of trans-
parency and duplicity in the state’s process of
land acquisition’, a ‘violation of land tenure
rights and customary rights’ and ‘forceful
land acquisition, violation of private owner-
ship, and illegal land grabbing taking place in
Kalpitiya area’.
However, considering the windy beaches,
the tendency towards overpriced accommo-
dation and the relatively brown waters of
Dutch Bay and the surrounding ocean (in
comparison with the crystal blues of the south
coast), we do wonder if it will all turn into a
bit of a white elephant.
1 ights & ActivitiesS
At Talawila, halfway up the peninsula, there’s
a Catholic shrine to St Anne. The church fea-
tures satinwood pillars and is pleasantly sit-
uated on the seafront. Thousands of pilgrims
come here in March and July, when major
festivals honouring St Anne are held. The
festivals include huge processions, healing
services and a fair.
The two main beaches are Kalpitiya
beach and Alankuda beach a short way to
the south. Alankuda is the busiest and best
for non-kitesurfing beach bums. If you squint
your eyes and blot out the string of giant
wind turbines stretched right out along the
length of the beach, the massive coal-fired
power plant at the far end and its long and
ugly jetty, then Alankuda would be a lovely
beach. But let’s face it, you’re not going to be
able to blot that lot out!
Kalpitiya beach, which can only be
reached after crossing a lagoon, is certainly
the nicer of the two, but its status as a kite-
surfing hotspot means that it can get very
windy here – too windy to really enjoy lying
about on the sand.
Dolphin &
Whale Watching DoLPHIN WATCHINg
Boat safaris to watch schools of hundreds
of spinner dolphins run most mornings
between November and March. Every hotel
can organise a safari, but try and suss out
how knowledgeable your captain is about
dolphins beforehand. Prices start from
US$40 per person.
Dolphins (and even whales) are seen
around 80% of the time in the Octo-
ber-to-May season.
Snorkelling & Diving DIvINg
There are some spectacular offshore reefs
here with plenty of big fish. The prime dive
site is Bar Reef, which sits several kilometres
off the northwest tip of the peninsula and is
said to be one of the finest dive sites in Sri
Lanka. Despite its remote location, it’s also
considered to be a good snorkelling spot.
Most hotels can organise snorkelling and div-
ing trips, with prices starting at about €100.
Kitesurfing KITESURFINg
Kalipitya beach is fast gaining a reputation
for having excellent kitesurfing conditions
and there are schools and board rental places
attached to all the hotels as well as dedicated
kitesurfing camps.
4 Sleeping
There’s been a surge of hotel construction
in the past two years, including a number of
very luxurious options. However, generally
speaking, the cost of accommodation is al-
most universally overpriced and completely
out of sync with the rest of the country. There
are two main areas to stay: Alankuda beach
and Kalpitiya beach.
As well as all the water sports activities,
most places can also organise Wilpattu Na-
tional Park safaris, but it’s a fairly long drive