Riverside Araliya is a small three-star hotel on the bank of the Bentota River at Kaluwamodara, on the Aluthgama side of the river, with about 20 rooms. It also trades as Riverside Araliya Water Sport & Hotel, and the river right in front of it is the reason most guests come: jet skis, boat rides and river safaris start from the hotel itself.
The hotel stands at 78 Galle Road in Kaluwamodara, Aluthgama, on the north bank of the Bentota River, a short walk upstream from the estuary where the river meets the sea. Aluthgama railway station is about 0.5 km away and Bentota station about 1.3 km, both on the coastal line between Colombo and Galle, and the beaches of Bentota lie just across the river. Bandaranaike International Airport is 83 km away as the crow flies.
Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) is about 105 km from the hotel by road, and the drive around Colombo and down the coast usually takes 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on traffic. The easiest way to arrive after a long flight is a private airport transfer booked in advance with Lakpura: an English-speaking driver meets you in the arrivals hall and takes you straight to the hotel in an air-conditioned car, van or coach sized for your group, from 2 up to 15 guests, at a fixed price for the whole vehicle rather than per seat. The same service works in reverse for your departure flight. Book the Colombo (CMB) Airport transfer to Riverside Araliya.
The rooms are deluxe rooms, some looking over the garden and some over the river, and there are also triple rooms for small families or friends travelling together. Each has air conditioning, a private bathroom and a flat-screen television, and free Wi-Fi covers the hotel.
The hotel has a restaurant with an à la carte menu serving Sri Lankan and international dishes, barbecue facilities, a bar, a garden and free parking. Its water-sports centre on the river offers jet skiing, boat rides, river safaris and canoeing, and the staff can arrange snorkelling, diving and fishing trips along the coast.
The Bentota River is the main attraction, with boat trips upstream into the mangroves and water sports on its calm lower reaches, while Bentota Beach is just across the bridge. The Kande Vihara temple is about a 15-minute walk away. Inland are Brief Garden, created by Bevis Bawa, and Lunuganga, the country estate of his brother Geoffrey Bawa, and along the coast to the south are the turtle hatcheries of Kosgoda and the mangrove islands of the Madu River. Lakpura can arrange private transfers and day tours to all of these from the hotel.
Ratings and reviews provided by TripAdvisor for Riverside Araliya.
Bookable activities, tours, and tickets within a 25 km radius.
Pre-book a private vehicle for arrival, departure, or onward travel.
