Six Senses to Manage Resort Built on an Islet in Sri Lanka

Six Senses Hideaway at Dutch Bay Being Developed by Joint Venture Between Six Senses and Swarna Dwee

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. September 29, 2009

SEPTEMBER 29, 2009

The Concept

The Dutch Bay 6 Star Resort Development is a one of its kind and placed within the most beautiful parts of Sri Lanka (Ceylon). The concept of the development is to give substantial, socio-economic and cultural benefits to the country and its communities, by building more than a resort but a future. The Dutch Bay Project is to become a benchmark for other sustainable and echo friendly developments with long-term objectives and action parameters based on:

• Sustainability

• Environmental quality

• Educate travellers to the area in reference to tradition, culture, thus keeping the indigenous culture alive

• Amplification of the tourist season to diminish the belief that Sri Lanka is a seasonal destination

• To create income opportunities to benefit the local communities

• To support and educate the local community to improve their quality of life

• To create a new tourist products supply based on the natural and cultural resources of the Dutch Bay territory

The Location - Latitude 8.17 / Longitude 79.78 - Climatically the area experiences a dry semi arid climate with a constant sea breeze creating a comfortable maritime climate.

The project is situated on an Island in the Puttalam district in the Kalpitiya Peninsular on the Western Coast of Sri Lanka. It is 2 hours 30mts North of the International Airport, which is 103 miles (165 kms) from Colombo.

Kalpitiya is predominantly a fishing community strategically located at the mouth of the Puttalam Lagoon. The economy of Kalpitiya is largely depended on the fishing industry, The Kalpitiya region is one of the most beautiful coastal areas in the North-Western Province and it is located in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka, where the climate is tropical and temperatures range from 21C^0 to 34C^0.

The peninsular separates the Puttalam Lagoon from the Indian Ocean and as such is a marine sanctuary with a diversity of habitats ranging from bar reefs, flat coastal plains, saltpans, mangroves swamps, salt marshes and vast sand dune beaches. Nearly twenty-four species of cetaceans are found along the coastal waters and five species of marine turtles nest in its beaches. Dugongs inhabit the lagoon and the coastal habitats provide nesting and feeding grounds for hundreds of species of resident and migrant birds. This area is earmarked by the government of Sri Lanka for the development of high-end tourism. The Project location is surrounded by many natural attractions and many locations of historic values.

LAND DISTRIBUTION

Dutch Bay is surrounded by the sea and the second largest lagoon of Sri Lanka forming an estuary which has all four ECO-Systems such as Near Shore, Wetland, Salt Marsh and Terrestrial, thereby providing the perfect environmental atmosphere to implement the concept of this project.

The surrounding area of the project location was acquired by the government, which was named as "Phase 1". This area covers a total land extent of 772 hectares, which was earmarked as a high-end Resort Development area. The total extent of "DBR" land is 180 acres expected to be utilized for the project.

OVERALL DEVELOPMENT APPROACH

It is proposed that the Dutch Bay Resorts project will be mixed-use 6 star Hideaway Retreat that will provide exclusive facilities for both Tourists and Signature Homeowners. The Villas will be sold to high net-worth individuals to retire or lease back the Signature home to its 6 star Hotel Operator

THE DEVELOPMENT FEATURES

Resort Facilities for VIP's

Hotel & Administration Building

Premium Leisure and Spa Club

Club House

Housekeeping & Commercial Laundry Facilities

Maintenance Facility Area

Staff Accommodation

Entertainment Facilities

Helipad

Floating Restaurants

PROXIMITY ADVANTAGE

Wilpattu National Park (WNP)

Located 26 km north of Puttalam (approximately 180 km North of Colombo). WNP is only a 45 minute boat ride from the Dutch Bay Island.

The Park spans from the West coast inland towards the ancient capital of Anuradhapura (50 km to the East of the park). Covering an impressive 425 sq miles, the park is Sri Lanka's largest, and having reopened in 2003, is now an increasingly popular tourism destination.

Wilpattu is a fairly thick dry zone jungle interspersed with a number of flood plain lakes banked with delicate white sands. It boasts an impressive variety of flora in huge expanses of forest, and varied wildlife, including deer, elephants, wild boar, sloth bears and leopards.

Barrier Reef

The largest coral reef in Sri Lanka ('Bar reef') is only a few minutes boat trip the Dutch Bay Island, this is declared as a Marine Sanctuary in 1992, in accordance with the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance. This beautiful reef is home to an incredible variety of tropical fish as well as offering sighting of manta rays, reef sharks and the occasional turtle. This natural underwater habitat provides a perfect diving spot for tourists.

Dutch Fort

The fort in Kalpitiya was first developed by the Portuguese in the 16th century and later improved by the Dutch. At present the remains of the fort can be seen as a four sided affair with two whole and two half bastions. The walls are about 4 meters high and inside are the remnants of the chapel, a commander's house, barrack rooms, a prison & several godowns (warehouses). This could be considered as an ideal tourist attraction in the region which stands as a true monument of Dutch influence in the coastal region of Kalpitiya.