The Romantic Tourist

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Love at First Sight

Built in elegant colonial style with imposing columns and an internal courtyard, the Fortress Resort combines Dutch and Portuguese architectural elements with traditional Sri Lankan mannerisms. Located on Sri Lanka's southwest coast, the resort is about a two-hour drive south of Sri Lanka's capital city, Colombo and overlooks the soft white sands of Kogalla Beach with its attractive groves of palm trees. Near the legendary Galle Fort and the charming fishing town of Kogalla, the hotel is surrounded by beautifully kept gardens that run down to the beach and the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.

Romance

This resort's idyllic location on Sri Lanka's tropical coast gives it romance by the bucket load, and you'll remember strolls along the white sands at sunset for a lifetime. The Fortress provides a full wedding and honeymoon service with dedicated wedding planners available to make sure every detail of your big day is perfect. The resort also offers a variety of special services for couples including shared yoga sessions, private dinners on the beach or in a secluded spot in the hotel's gardens, plus 24-hour in-room dining and breakfast in bed.

Your Stay

The 53 guestrooms and suites have chic, contemporary furnishings and decor and include marble bathrooms. Rooms open on to private balconies or the internal courtyard and all come with air conditioning, tea and coffee making facilities, internet connections and minibars. Other amenities include flatscreen TVs with Bose sound systems, iPods and minibars, and suites also feature jacuzzis.

What to Do

The resort has a fully equipped fitness centre with personal trainers available and an infinity pool overlooking the ocean. The spa offers a comprehensive range of beauty treatments and complementary therapies including specialised Ayurvedic treatments. Between November and April, you can take a trip to Mirissa, a 25-minute drive away, for some spectacular whale and dolphin spotting. A must-see is the historic Galle Fort with its magnificent ramparts first built by the Portuguese in 1588 and subsequently extended by the Dutch. The Fortress offers a number of day excursions including trips to Yala National Park where the wildlife features leopards, Asian elephants, crocodiles, and water buffaloes.

The Food of Love

The Fortress has three restaurants with the al fresco Heat set in the gardens and noted for its signature dish, a seafood platter of lobster and lagoon prawns with pepper sauce as well as Lebanese wraps and fiery Sri Lankan curries. Pepper overlooks the ocean and specialises in traditional Sri Lankan dishes and contemporary Asian cuisine while Duo offers romantic candlelit dinners and a wine cellar with more than 2,000 vintages from the Old and New Worlds.