Mount Lavinia Hotels

Mount Lavinia is a classy suburb and resort area of Dehiwala just south of the Sri Lanka city of Colombo. Its coastline boasts the ‘Golden Mile’, which is a stretch of pristine beaches enjoyed by tourists year-round. The town has a very colourful history, which is probably why it enjoys the reputation of being one of the more liberal areas of Sri Lanka. In fact, Mount Lavinia is the spot for the area’s annual Gay Pride Festival. The area was originally the site of the mansion belonging to Sir Thomas Maitland, Governor General of Sri Lanka (called ‘Ceylon’ back then) in the early 1800s. He named his manor ‘Mount Lavinia House’ after his clandestine lover, a local beauty who became known as the ‘Lady Lavinia’. The house is now the Mount Lavinia Hotel and a main attraction for the town, along with the resident statue of the famous Lady. If you tire of the beaches you can always head north to Colombo to visit the Sri Lanka National Museum or the Museum of Natural History. Kids love the elephant and pony rides at the Colombo Zoological Gardens, and most people enjoy the zoo's daily elephant show.

When To Go

Mount Lavinia maintains warm temperatures year-round, which is why it is a popular beach resort area for Sri Lanka. The daily highs generally range from 29-31°C (84-88°F) while the nightly lows stay around 24-26°C (75-79°F). The monsoon seasons are May through August for the southwest monsoon and October through January for the northeast monsoon. You can expect a lot of rain during these periods, especially during the northeast monsoon when over 30 cm (11.8 inches) of rain falls per month. The annual rainfall for Mount Lavinia is 224 cm (88.2 inches) with the rainiest months being May, October and November. You will find the beaches of Mount Lavinia most enjoyable from January through March when the area is much drier, but you should still expect some rainy days in this sub-tropical region.

· High temperatures 29-31°C (84-88°F); lows around 24-26°C (75-79°F)

· Southwest monsoon: May through August

· Northeast monsoon: October through January

Getting There

You can fly directly into nearby Colombo airport or debark at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake. Both locations are north of Mount Lavinia on the Galle Road. If you fly into Bandaranaike, it is possible to take a train to Colombo, but the trains only run once a day. Buses are the best option for the last leg to Mount Lavinia as they are easy to find and cheap. They are also the main mode of transportation throughout Sri Lanka. Route 187 is the direct route from the airport in Katunayake to Colombo. There are usually free shuttles to the bus station as well. Taxis are used widely for local transport as well. There are airport taxis, local mini-van taxis and hotel taxis that you can hire.

· Air: Colombo or Bandaranaike airports

· Bus: Main mode of travel in Mount Lavinia

· Taxi: Airport, mini-van, hotel transport

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