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| Sunday, 9 June 2002 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Miltons Beach Resort - on the golden sands of Unawatuna by BEVERLEY JANSZ When young Milton de Silva Galappatthy abruptly ended his studies at Hungama Wijayaba Maha Vidyalaya, in the Galle District even without sitting for the GCE(OL) examination due to dire straits, he thought that it was the 'end of the world' for him. To keep the home fires burning, he became a fisherman, sailing the deep sea in his village on an old 'habala' (fishing boat). Milton's hard work soon paid dividends and he became a fish 'Mudalali'. Milton's ambition and vision in life was not to be a fisherman but to be a hotelier, 'I must some day own a hotel, even a small restaurant' he thought. He met his pretty wife, Swarnalatha Pinnaduwa while travelling in a bus from Galle to Colombo. It was 'love at first sight'. After his marriage to Swarnalatha, 'Milton's vision to be a proud owner of a hotel, began to blossom. The couple purchased 1-1/2 acres of land at Unawatuna, Galle. In 1982 when the foundation stone was laid for the Wiska Shining Sun Cabana Gardens, Hikkaduwa, a resort with 11 chalets, it was the happiest day in his life. Milton did not stop at this. He climbed the ladder of success not on as elevator, but ascended it step by step. In July 1987, Milton's vision to be the proud owner of a star class resort, became a reality when the doors of his second hotel, the star class Miltons Beach Resort in Unawatuna, Galle, opened. Miltons Beach Resort has 25 star class rooms which includes 12 air conditioned rooms and 13 non-AC rooms, with all modern facilities, including hot/cold water, telephone and 24-hour room service. Miltons Beach Resort has become popular among the beach-loving tourists, and for family outings due to its close proximity to the beach - the natural beach faces the guest rooms and is a few yards away from the guests rooms. 'Step out of your room and you are in the beautiful sea pool'. Milton says that if not for the fact that all beaches in Sri Lanka are crown property, the beach adjacent to Miltons Beach Resort which is only a few feet away from the guest rooms, would have been the private beach of the resort. It resembles a natural sea pool in the Indian ocean and therefore it is a unique feature of the resort. The resort has a large banquet hall and a restaurant serving delicious Western and Eastern cuisine with special emphasis on seafood. The resort is papular for large scale weddings, and foreign weddings. The banquet hall could accommodate over 500 guests. The resort specialises in boat safaris, deep sea fishing and scuba-diving. Milton Tours and Travels, a subsidiary of the resort, arranges sight seeing, excursions in luxury coaches and luxury buses. Milton recalls that when he left school, he could hardly speak a few words in English. Now he is a proud lecturer on Philosophy. He conducts motivation lectures for the National Cricket Team, Sri Lanka Army, Small and Medium Scale businessmen, and also conducts lectures for Principals and High School students on leadership. He does this service on an honourary basis. The directors of Miltons Beach Resort are Milton de Silva Galappathy Chairman/Managing Director, and Mrs. Asoka Swarnalatha Pinnaduwa (Directress). |
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