Away from the humdrum of life on land
There are hundreds of rivers in Sri Lanka but only 16 of them are more than 100 km long, and the Bentota River is not one of them.Nevertheless, in its bid to enhance the tourist product in Sri Lanka, the innovative Jetwing Group decided to borrow an idea from India and replicate the popular houseboats of Kerala and Kashmir on the Bentota River.
A bulky barge from the outside and delicate touches within (right)
The result is possibly Sri Lanka’s most unusual hotel: the first of five planned houseboats, built locally with two ingeniously created bedroom cabins both with balconies and bathrooms ensuite, providing guests with blissful exclusivity on the Bentota River.
I suppose the Bentota River was probably chosen because of its proximity to the tourist beach area, and because the river itself is popular with visitors for day trips by motor boat to view wild life (crocodiles, or are they water monitors?), jungle scenery, sunbathing cormorants, prawn fishermen, and riverine hamlets.
Yathra by Jetwing is moored some 4 km inland from Bentota by the bank of the river at Dedduwa. The houseboat is an extension of the Dedduwa Boat House, also managed by Jetwing, a country-style boutique-type guesthouse of five cosy rooms and a private villa hideaway. The Jetwing website is adamant that there is no accommodation for guides or drivers, thereby emphasising the exclusivity of the boathouse and the houseboat.
Yathra (with its pleasing similarity to the English word yacht) is reminiscent of the padda barges of old that were the island’s transport before roads proliferated. This first yathra looms large, even bulky, when viewed from the approach road. To board, I crossed a moat-like gully running along the guesthouse boundary, stepped over a sandy path, and walked down a short wooden jetty. All the necessities are there to service the boat: power connection, water in and out, fuel pipes.
The first impression is one of amazement at how what seemed so monstrous from afar is so delicate in décor on boarding. The hull is of fibreglass clad in teak, the railings are smooth bamboo, the roof is covered in palm leaf thatch, the wall panels are of processed screwpine, and 
the furniture is of wood bound in green canvas. The effect is “magical marine” – living up to a landlubber’s fantasy of perfect river relaxing and cruising.
Actually, there’s not so much cruising. Although the boat has a draught of less than a metre, the depth of the Bentota River fluctuates. There are also obstructions across the river in the form of low bridges, fishing fences, floating forest debris, etc. However, on command, the Yathra will putter around the sweep of river and include a visit to the Pahurukanda Temple and can cruise for about four hours to Avittewa, a hamlet 18km from Bentota.
Technically, this houseboat is amazing for what it provides in a carefully crafted shipshape manner. It is a 23m-long catamaran (built by Neil Marine) with a breadth of 7m, powered by two outboard motors of 40hp. Its watertight compartments below the wooden deck are accessed by many hatches, one of which opens to the housekeeping hold, and another to the crew accommodation with two beds and one “head.”
The Yathra is under the command of Captain Koralage, retired after 22 years in the Sri Lanka Navy and eager to be of service to guests. He stands proudly at the helm, under a thatched canopy and with state of the art navigation equipment, and will explain all the intricacies of the boat and the river to guests.
There is a sun deck above the cabins, and another deck aft, which is used for dining. Service is from a fully equipped galley adjoining the afterdeck, where the cook can prepare dishes to a basic menu or organise BBQ buffets for groups.
And so to bed. There are two identical bedroom cabins, linked by an entrance parlour that sets the nautical mood with its seaman’s chest as a coffee table. They are compact (22sq m in area including bedroom, bathroom and balcony) but not cramped, thanks to the ingenious design, a smooth combination of hotel bedroom and ship’s cabin. The double bed is comfortable and the gentle motion of the river is a wonderful inducement for sleep.
The bathroom not only has a rain shower but a mini bathtub as well, with hot and cold water. The cabin is air-conditioned. Hair dryer and iron with ironing board are available and there are all the accoutrements (bedroom slippers, robes, bathroom amenities) you expect only in a five-star hotel.
The Yathra is perfect for guests who want solitude on the river in a rural location with so many fascinating places to visit on land close by, such as the Lunuganga and Brief Gardens, the turtle hatcheries on the coast, and the early morning Beruwala fish market. Whether guests choose to cruise gently up and down the Bentota river, or simply laze the days away on Yathra while she is moored to the river bank at Dedduwa, this is a unique way to escape the humdrum of life on land.
Yathra by Jetwing, Dedduwa; www.jetwinghotels.com