Uga Bay escapade

Wednesday, 26 March 2014 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Uga Escapes’ luxurious boutique hotel in Passekudah is a personalised paradise amidst sun and fun

By Marianne David

It’s 6 a.m. in Passekudah and the skies are grey-blue with some low-lying clouds on the horizon. It’s already light out although the sun is yet to rise and it’s time for a jet-ski adventure before it gets too hot to venture out to sea.

Despite the early hour, Manjula, the hotel’s jet-ski expert, is ready and waiting and life jackets on, we’re good to go within minutes. It’s my first time on a jet-ski and I am slightly nervous despite being eager to try it out. Thankfully, Manjula is reassuring and very much in control.

We head out slowly and as I get used to the controls, it’s time to speed up, with this machine able to reach 130 kmph. There’s a world of a difference though when Manjula takes over, switching keys, and he goes full speed ahead. Drenched in sea spray in no time, I am thrilled to bits by the exhilarating experience.

Suddenly he changes direction and as we watch, riding towards the clouds, the sun breaks free and rises into the eastern sky. It’s a brilliant feeling, riding towards the sun rise and being bathed in its heart-warming light– joyful and uplifting, absolutely unexpected.

At 6 p.m., I find myself on the jet-ski with Manjula again and we see the sun set from out at sea, another unexpected encounter that brings on wide smiles all round. Having realised his goal of spreading happiness, Manjula is just as happy as I am.

“I want to make people happy and when they get off the jet-ski happy with the experience, I am also happy,” he says, with a grin.

Slice of paradise

We’re at Uga Bay, a luxurious boutique hotel that offers personalised pampering in Passekudah amidst sun and fun, and I’ve escaped from the stifling heat of Colombo for the weekend to enjoy a weekend in this slice of paradise.

A Rs. 900 million investment, Uga Escapes is the leisure arm of the Finco Group of Companies. The resort is one among a line of hotels on a beautiful and pristine stretch of beach, boasting soft white sand and calm blue seas.

“Passekudah is one of the best beaches in Sri Lanka. With so many hotels next to each other, Passekudah is becoming a fun, hip and happening place again. There are five hotels operational right now and around five more should commence operations this year. Passekudah is an amazing place and excitement is only going to keep building for Passekudah as a destination,” asserts Uga Bay General Manager Roshan Dylan.

Uga Bay is definitely doing its part in this revival, offering guests culinary experiences, exciting excursions, water sports, live bands, a fully-functioning beach bar with happy hours, and a spa which will be up and running under its own brand within two months.

The hotel has been fortunate in getting one of the best stretches of beach in Passekudah and has been built in such a way that all rooms feature ocean views and access to the beach.

Blue, white and green

At Uga Bay, guests can immerse themselves in the brilliant blue and sparkling white, interspersed with a green oasis to soothe the eyes in the form of well-kept lawns and lush greenery, says Uga Escapes Marketing Manager Ashan Wijewickrema.

He’s spot on with this description: As we enter the property, which is built on a Mediterranean theme, the blue, white and green greets us, welcoming us into a luxurious haven.

Having reached our destination in the late afternoon, we stop to gaze at the stunning ocean view beyond the infinity pool lit up by blindingly brilliant sunlight before we head to the restaurant for lunch, where we are served a sumptuous Sri Lankan meal.

Checking into my room soon after, I am tempted to stay there enjoying the panoramic views it offers, located right in front on the beach. The water proves too tempting though and it’s time for a dip, followed by dinner – a barbeque on the beach as a live band plays, providing the perfect setting.

Everything’s designed to ensure a delightful time and as the food sizzles on the action stations and the sushi sits on ice, we relax and enjoy the music, wandering over to the buffet spread from time to time and indulging in the culinary offerings, sipping on delicious drinks all the while.

Exciting excursions

The next morning, fully refreshed after a good night’s sleep in the luxuriously-appointed Beach Studio and breakfast, which starts off with the Uga breakfast tray followed by individual mains, we’re off to Batticaloa to explore the town, including the Fort – where the jarring sight of the gallows is alleviated by the stunning views over the lagoon – and we also visit two kovils and the St. Mary’s Cathedral.

Passekudah is an ideal base from which to explore Sri Lanka, with good roads and many places of cultural interest located one to two hours away. Places to explore include Minneriya, Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Thoppigala and Batticaloa, amongst others.

“Uga’s excursions are designed in such a way that you have everything you need from start to finish, featuring a personal butler travelling with guests instead of merely handing them a picnic basket. There is an Uga signature experience besides the excursion experience,” says Roshan.

Food to the fore

Uga Bay also pays a lot of attention to food, as our poolside dinner on the second night reveals, where we are served delicious drinks and canapés, followed by a menu featuring several salads, including the signature Uga salad, soups, a choice of mains ranging from Lobster Thermidor (a large serving of an entire lobster, with every bite divine) to Australian Beef Tenderloin, along with vegetarian, chicken, pork and fish options.

The dessert offering is equally extensive but I stick to the chef’s special recommendation – the delicious lava cake, warm chocolate with vanilla ice cream. The tiramisu I had the day before was equally delicious – a pot of pleasure you can’t finish alone, given its richness and size.

“We believe food is a major part of the travel experience and we’ve created the Uga Culinary Group, where all F&B staff and chefs from the group get together in one forum and develop culinary concepts for Uga – that’s how the breakfast tray was conceived. It’s a very good substitute to a buffet in a certain way and gives you what you want to start off your day, when you probably don’t want to think too much,” explains Roshan.

Uga Bay pays special attention to a la carte over buffets and Roshan asserts preparing food to order is the future of how people eat. However, it also features theme nights, Saturday barbeques and Sunday brunches.

Culinary experiences

In terms of experiences, there’s cookie making classes for kids and cooking experiences for adults as well.

One exciting excursion features crab, which starts with catching it and ends with consuming it on the beach. Guests can assist fishermen reel in the crab catch off the coast of Batticaloa, sail back with their pick, partake in a cooking class on the beach and then eat.

To make the experience even more memorable, Uga Bay serves up the crab on little chopping boards with wooden hammers. Later the name of the guest is hand-carved on the hammer, which is presented to them as a memento.

Incidentally, Uga bakes its own bread, makes its own jams featuring local flavours (rhubarb and red chillie is one variety), makes its own sausages according to a special recipe, is looking at making its own tea blends, and grows the greens that go into its signature salads.

Uga’s little greenhouse is a must-visit and Uga also offers a dining experience inside the herb garden, where you sit at a log table surrounded by greenery and watch the chef cook up your meal.

Exciting times

With all this and more on offer, it’s excitement all around for guests and the resort. As Ashan confirms: “This is an exciting time for Uga Escapes as we make a firm commitment to investing in our marketing strategy to raise awareness of our hotels and develop a strong brand presence within the upmarket hotel industry in Sri Lanka and internationally.”

Outlining the story behind the delicate lotus that is embossed in the property’s offerings, Ashan says that for Uga, the lotus represents purity and the cycles of life: “It rises from the muddy earth, through water, light and air, through all the elements of the cosmos, until it blooms and starts its cycle once again. At Uga Escapes, the lotus functions symbolically as an eloquent metaphor for the regeneration of the soul.”

A weekend here will undoubtedly soothe the soul and leave guests relaxed and refreshed, after basking in personalised luxury and enjoying the sun, fun and excitement in a place that is best described as a slice of paradise.

FT Link

For more info, go to http://www.ugaescapes.com/ugabay/

Unique accommodation

The accommodation at Uga Bay comprises 46 spacious 500 square foot rooms, a Bay Suite and a Beach Villa. The architecture is contemporary tropical fused with a Mediterranean theme set amidst swaying palms.

Each cluster features two Ocean Studios and two Beach Studios with direct access to the beach and breathtaking views; complete with plush king-sized beds, gel pillows, high-end entertainment systems and private decks. All units come with modern amenities including a 42” LCD TV, cable channels, IDD phones, complimentary Wi-Fi, tea/coffee making facilities, mini bar, in-room safe, I-pod docking station, individually controlled air conditioning and more.

The chic Bay Suite boasts over 1,000 square feet of space, exuding first-class elegance and offers a tastefully designed private haven. The living space overlooks the cantilevered plunge pool with outdoor decks on either side accessible from both bedrooms which sleep four comfortably on king sized and twin beds.

The Beach Villa, its presidential suite, is a romantic two-storeyed villa by the sea, with a private plunge pool and terrace with unobstructed views. An intimate hideaway with spectacular ocean views and an outdoor bar ads to its charm. It has two bedrooms, a large living space on the ground floor which opens to the terrace and private access to the beach through a green oasis.

The Beach House offers butler service which ensures that unique preferences are known and addressed flawlessly not just at Uga Bay but at all Uga Escapes Hotels.

Passekudah push

Set up in line with the Government’s Passekudah push, Uga Bay is part of Passekudah’s post-war revival.

Uga Bay General Manager Roshan Dylan says most Government projects were based on a 14-resort development; however some of the construction has been delayed. While there has been a significant push to finish construction, there isn’t enough infrastructure in place yet.

Roshan opines that Passekudah needs to be marketed as a priority since it is still not known as a destination.

“Thirty years ago Passekudah used to be a hip and happening place. A generation has passed – 30 years is a long time – and people have forgotten that. There were a few hotels and guest houses; there was a strip of bars and reggae music. It was like a mini Hikka. That has to happen again and it will happen,” he asserts.

Island indulgences

Uga Bay delivers delightfully-designed luxuries for those who need to kick-back and relax with the beach between their toes.

Walk just metres from the beach to the reef for shallow dives or snorkels, cast your rod for trevally jack and garouper, speed across the bay on the jet-skis, dive among WW2 wrecks, sail on evening escapes on a private catamaran or simply soak up the sun relaxing by the pool.

Enjoy tropical island indulgences like sunset cocktails in the infinity pool, and yoga in cabana-style hideaways on the beach.

Local fishing boats bring in the fresh catch of the day for delicious seafood feasts and internationally-trained chefs prepare world-class cuisine fused with local spices in state-of-the-art kitchens and at beachside barbecues.

Explore the culture of eastern Sri Lanka, visiting ancient temples, historical forts and traditional villages and experience the incredibly warm hospitality of the people.

Little things that go a long way

The little things make a big difference at Uga Bay.

Take for example the experience for guests who spend hours in the infinity pool. At around 11 a.m., Uga provides them with a bottle of water and a cold towel; at 1 p.m. they are given mini shooters of frozen drinks – such as karapincha and thambili or ginger and orange; at 3 p.m., they are given frozen fruit skewers. During the day, guests are also offered water spray bottles and the pool staff also cleans guests’ sunglasses to ensure they aren’t smudged by sunscreen lotion.

These little touches that ensure extra comfort add to the overall luxurious experience, making it even more memorable.

Sensational sailing experience

Towards end May Uga Bay plans to launch a catamaran experience. The vessel will have two luxuriously-appointed rooms, which can hold about five people, in addition to an Uga butler, chef and marine biologist.

One such excursion will be the eight-hour sail trip to Trincomalee, where guests can start cruising in the evening, enjoy cocktails at sunset, go snorkelling, do a night dive or a wreck dive and arrive at 4 a.m. in Kuchchaveli in time for whale and dolphin watching. They can then get off at Jungle Beach for the Uga breakfast experience and sail back or return by car.

Reaching out to the community

Uga Bay’s CSR project with Valaichenai Hindu College assists east coast students to secure employment in tourism and puts tourism in Passekudah on a more sustainable footing.

The management and staff of Uga Bay implement the community-service project in collaboration with Valaichenai Hindu College and the local educational authorities.

Uga Bay has refurbished the school’s Advanced Level (Commerce) classroom and resource persons make visits to instruct senior Commerce students on employment opportunities in tourism and how best to take advantage of them.

A plot of land on the college premises has been set aside for a vegetable garden where pupils can learn sustainable agricultural methods through practical example under with instructions from Uga Bay’s sustainable gardening experts.