For those who love water sports, you’ll be in the right spot at Centara Hotel, Sri Lanka. Centara Ceysands is the only resort in Bentota that has their own water sports facility. You can choose from jet skiing, SUP, snorkelling, canoeing, sailing, wake boarding, knee boarding, the banana boat, scuba diving, fishing and the list goes on.
Jet skis at the ready at Centara Ceysands, Bentota, Sri Lanka. Image © Skye Gilkeson
Bentota Beach can get a little rough at times for those who aren’t strong swimmers, so having the pool on the property and the river on the other side of the hotel is a great option for those less experienced in a surf swell.
If you prefer the comfort of air conditioning, the most convenient way to get moving for the day is at the resort gym. It sits on the ground level, beachside so you get water glimpses while running on the treadmill, riding a bike or using the machine weights or free weights in a clean, new studio space. Staff are on hand all day to assist with the equipment as well.
Fully equipped and comfortably cool gym with water glimpses at Centara Ceysands, Bentota, Sri Lanka. Image © Skye Gilkeson
We couldn’t resist getting out and about, exploring the local area on morning runs around the backstreets and Bentota Beach. Bentota is flat, so it’s an easy place to walk or run around, the only discomfort you may encounter is a little humidity and the streets are narrow, but generally very quiet. We started on the small stretch of road diving the hotel and the beach, we passed locals doing their morning errands, greeting us with a giggle and a smile (I don’t think they see too many tourists running around Bentota).
Our running track leading us around the local area, Bentota, Sri Lanka. Image © Skye Gilkeson
Spa Cenvaree
It wouldn’t be a complete Sri Lanka experience indulging in a little Ayurveda (ancient art of healing that began thousands of years ago in India). I took the opportunity to try Shirodhara, at Spa Cenvaree. Shirodhara is one of the principle treatments in the practice of Ayurveda. A steady stream of warm oil is poured into the third eye, to calm the body and boost mental clarity. I wasn’t sure how I would find the treatment, but once you get used to the oil pouring on to your head, skin and through your hair, it becomes quite meditative, not to mention it’s extremely conditioning for the hair. The spa offers a range of Ayurvedic treatments as well as traditional western-style treatments.
Shirodhara treatment at Spa Cenvaree, Centara Ceysands, Bentota, Sri Lanka. Image © Skye Gilkeson
Morning training sessions on Bentota Beach, Sri Lanka. Image © Skye Gilkeson
Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa
Aluthgama, Sri Lanka , Sri Lanka
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WATCH our afternoon spent in Unawatuna and Galle here
The Fit Traveller was a guest of Centara Hotels & Resorts for this stay. As always, the opinions and words are authentically our own.
Skye is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Fit Traveller.
She is a journalist, writer, photographer, intrepid traveller and a former personal trainer with a passion for helping others reach optimal health.
As a TV journalist and producer, Skye has worked for household names such as 60 Minutes, Sunrise, TODAY and Nine News. She has also written for Women’s Health, Fodor’s Travel and Yahoo7 Travel, among many others.
Equally comfortable in a 5-star resort or hiking a far-off mountain, Skye loves the unexpected and enriching life experiences that each trip brings and can often be found in a backstreet chatting to locals with her camera in hand.
Skye is based in Sydney, working to master the balance between motherhood and her appetite for adventure.
Read more about Skye’s story here.