Luxury hotel holiday The Fortress Koggala

The Fortress in Koggala is a highly recommended holiday destination, boasting an innovative mix of luxury and tradition, offering exquisite authentic and international cuisine and beautifully landscaped surroundings. The opportunity to indulge in the Aquum spa, relax by the elegant pool and enjoy a glass of wine and delicious wood-fired pizza in the authentic glass cave should not be missed. The hotel is located under 10 miles south of Galle and approximately two hours and twenty minutes' drive from Colombo airport, and is suitable as a single-centre beach holiday destination or as part of a touring holiday.The Fortress is an elegant and sophisticated resort offering high standards and excellent facilities.
Included in your Expressions holiday
  • Accommodation in a double or twin room on bed and breakfast
  • Scheduled flights with Sri Lankan Airlines
  • Transport by private car with driver-guide
  • Concierge service and Expressions Holidays regional helpful hints
  • Optional room, board and flight upgrades. Details on request

Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to The Fortress, Koggala

The Fortress is a 5-star hotel in a stunning beachfront location. Spacious, luxurious accommodation, excellent spa and dining facilities alongside immaculate service afford guests a truly relaxing and indulgent experience.

Facts in brief

Official star rating 5

Location In a coastal village, approximately ten miles from Galle

Annual opening All year

Closest airport Colombo International Airport

Distance from airport About 2 1/2 hours by car

Hotel facilities and services

2 Restaurants, Terrace with bar and restaurant service, Lounge bar, Sri Lankan tea bar, Wine cave, 52-metre swimming pool, Spa with Ayurvedic centre, Gym, Bicycles for hire, Little Adventurer's Room, DVD library, WiFi internet access, Gift shop, Laundry service, Wedding pavilion, Weddings arranged by a wedding planner.

Land sports

Gym, Yoga pavilion, Bicycles for hire.

Out and about nearby

Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Museum, Galle and its Dutch Fort, Koggala Lake, turtle hatchery, Handunagoda Tea factory, Kanneliya, Kottawa and Hiyare Rainforest reserves, Samakanda organic farm, Snorkelling, Windsurfing, Kayaks, Sailing, Diving, Cycling, Whale-watching boat trips.

Sports nearby

Water sports centre and Scuba diving nearby. 

Special offers for this holiday>

What particularly impresses us each time we use your services is that ‘what we expect we get’ eg car hire, rooms selected, all with no hassle. Not sure how you do it!!
Mr W, July 2022

Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Fortress room for 7 nights

From about

£1,590

Holiday Code WW101

The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.

Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to The Fortress, Koggala

Room descriptions

The Fortress has 51 bedrooms and suites. All rooms have open-plan bathroom with rainfall shower, air conditioning, DVD player, minibar, safe, telephone.

Fortress room with garden view
Ocean room
Beach room On ground floor with Jacuzzi
Beach Splash room
Ocean Loft suite On two floors with living room and indoor plunge pool
The Fortress Residence suite On upper floor with two bedrooms and bathrooms, separate living area, outdoor dining deck, plunge pool and 24-hour butler service

Special offers for this holiday>

What particularly impresses us each time we use your services is that ‘what we expect we get’ eg car hire, rooms selected, all with no hassle. Not sure how you do it!!
Mr W, July 2022

Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Fortress room for 7 nights

From about

£1,590

Holiday Code WW101

The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.

Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to The Fortress, Koggala

The journey and how you get there

For a holiday to The Fortress in Sri Lanka, our clients fly to Colombo, usually with Sri Lankan Airways on a direct flight from London Heathrow (or with Emirates from other UK airports via Dubai). This hotel is 2 hours and 30 minutes' drive from Colombo airport and is either a stay in its own right, in which case you will have a car transfer to the hotel and back, or it is stayed at as part of a tailor-made touring holiday with a driver-guide, in which case the hotel is usually approached from Tea and Hill Country to the north or from Yala National Park.

Additional information

Minimum stays: A minimum stay of 4 nights is required for the period 25 December to 7 January.

Children: Children of all ages are welcome. Family rooms and suites are available. Cots are available free of charge and must be booked at the time of room booking.

Other information: The hotel offers an all-inclusive option.

Special offers

Call to make your booking and save an extra £50 per adult Call us instead of emailing us when you are thinking of booking a holiday and save an extra £50 per adult (in addition to any special offers that might be available). We want to talk to you to discuss your requirements and a phone call is usually the best way for you to define what you want enabling us to respond more accurately. We want to talk to you and you save an extra £50 per adult.

Special Offer 2024 Book by 31 March 2024 to receive a reduction of 20% off stays with bed and breakfast from 15 February to 31 October 2024. Combinable with selected offers. Applicable to all room categories. Restrictions may apply.

What particularly impresses us each time we use your services is that ‘what we expect we get’ eg car hire, rooms selected, all with no hassle. Not sure how you do it!!
Mr W, July 2022

Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Fortress room for 7 nights

From about

£1,590

Holiday Code WW101

The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.

Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to The Fortress, Koggala

Highlights of Galle and the south coast

Fascinating Galle has plenty to offer the visitor: Galle Fort – UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the few living fort cities in the world; Walk around the ramparts of Galle at dawn or at sunset; Arts & crafts shopping – jewellery, lace, rush & reed, home décor, furniture, antiques, batik and boutiques; The Dutch Reformed Church; Galle Literary Festival in January; National Museum; Maritime Museum in the Dutch warehouses of Galle Fort, just re-opened; Galle Markets; Galle Cricket Stadium; Hot-air balloon ride (December to April); River boat trip. A little way inland from Galle/Koggala: Hiyare Nature Reserve (volunteering possible); Kottawe Nature Reserve; Kanneliya Forest; Samakanda (organic farm, visit, walks and lunches available upon request); Village life bike rides; Handicrafts in the villages e.g. lace-making, rush & reed, woodcarving; Yatagala Temple. On the way from Galle to Yala you can enjoy: Stilt Fishermen; Cinnamon plantations; Unuwatuna beach; Martin Wickramasinghe’s house – museum (literary and 20th century life); Koggala Lake; Hinduangoda White tea factory and estate; Lace-making – Weligama, Dickwella; Surfing – popular surfing beaches from Unuwatuna to Mirissa; Weligama Bay; Coastal villages and fishing harbours; Whale Watching and Dolphin Watching (from Mirissa); Diving (from Mirissa); Deep-sea fishing trips (from Mirissa); Provincial town of Matara (Dutch heritage – fort and church); Dondra Head and Dondra Lighthouse; Kudawala Blow Hole; Mulkirigala Buddhist temple (inland); Uda Walawe National Park and Elephant Transit Home (inland); Sea Turtles laying their eggs on the beach, usually February to July (Rekawa Turtle Project); Kalametiya bird sanctuary; Bundala Nature Reserve (bird-watching mainly); Yala National Park; Kataragama – centre for Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim pilgrimages; Tissamaharama - ancient ‘tank’ and dagobas.

Cultural highlights of Galle and the south coast

There are many places to visit in Galle and the area along the south coast of Sri Lanka. In Galle itself, Galle Fort is home to a national museum housing Dutch and Singhalese exhibits of historical interest as well as a newly-opened Maritime Museum, a lighthouse and a 17th century Dutch Reform Church. The narrow streets within the Fort are fascinating for their architecture, lined with official buildings, shops and old town houses, some of which have been converted to stylish villas and boutique hotels. Outside the ramparts, Galle functions busily as a provincial town and port - brightly painted fishing boats line the shore and there is a lively market area with a whole pavilion dedicated to fish. Galle and the surrounding villages are full of artisans – lace makers, jewellers, woodcarvers, painters and people making things out of coir, rush and reed. The National Crafts Council has a centre by the old entrance to Galle Fort and there are plenty of small shops selling crafts, jewellery and antiques, as well as a few designer boutiques. Slightly further afield, there are numerous beautiful beaches and fishing villages including Thalpe, Unuwatuna, Matara, Koggala, Weligama Bay and Tangalle, as well as a number of National Parks with plenty of wildlife.

Festivals in Galle and the south coast

January: The Galle Literary Festival - this 4-day festival brings together Sri Lankan and international authors from around the world for writing workshops, talks, exhibitions and more at various locations in Galle. Past guests have included Vickram Seth and Gore Vidal. July: Unuwatuna Perahera - a 7-day festival commencing on full moon day. Matara/Dondra Perahera - with dedications to Lord Vishnu. Kataragama Esala Festival - a 10-day festival when pilgrims give penance to the Hindu war god, Skanda. July to September: Kite flying on the ramparts of Galle

Climate in Galle and the south coast

The average temperature on the South coast is 32° C with 65% humidity, though it is cooler and more humid in the west, getting progressively hotter and less humid the further east you go, especially the east of Tangalle. The evenings are a little cooler and the coasts enjoy sea breezes. Rainfall is experienced mainly during the south-west monsoon from May to August. The ‘calm’ season is December to April, when the seas are general calm and there is little rainfall. Whilst the sea appears calm out of the monsoons, there are still undercurrents and riptides.

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