Kumu Beach in Balapitiya is a newly built stylish 10-bedroom boutique hotel set in a spacious garden with 23-metre swimming pool bordering the beach. There are three room categories; Deluxe Ocean View Suites (4), Ocean View Bedrooms (4) and Kumu Bedrooms (2); all are light, spacious and contemporary in layout, and some open onto either private balconies or garden terraces. The hotel is broadly symmetrical and features a pair of elegantly appointed lounges, a long dining terrace, an indoor bar for wining and dining and a long timber sunbathing deck. Guests will enjoy and dine on a standout menu of international cuisine that champions seafood and local produce. The beach is a nesting ground for marine turtles, and nearby Ambalangoda the centre for southern crafts such as mask making. Other local experiences include river cruises up the Madu Ganga, water sports in Bentota and touring the glorious country estates of famously talented brothers, Geoffrey and Bevis Bawa.