 Nilaveli Beach
by Nilma Dole
The soft sands and the gentle
breeze caresses your cheek as you tread softly on the golden sands of
Nilaveli beach under the sunny sky. Yonder you will see the great Pigeon
Island where a big flock of rock pigeons soar high with their graceful
grey wings doing a sort of air dance. The beauty of Nilaveli is
definitely like no other and after a long journey from he city, the
fresh air and the serenity of the place will make you feel like you’ve
come to heaven.
Smack bang in the middle of the solitude is the Nilaveli Beach hotel
which has been the first luxury hotel to make full use of the bounty
that is known as Nilaveli. Speaking to us was the Resident Manager, Ravi
Ramsay who said that the hotel has being doing well because of the fact
that their efficient and loyal staff have made it so.
Even though there have been certain incidents that have happened due
to the conflict, they were savd because the people from the area
protected it. He said, ‘We are lucky to have staff who treat their work
place as a second home and have done immensely to safeguard it. Even
during the devastation of the tsunami, we suffered greatly and it was
only one of our hotel staff who brought us water from his own well to
sustain us”. Today, he has been promoted as a supervisor and has been
well-looked after for his services rendered.
According to Rasmsay, they are keen on recruiting people from the
Trincomalee area. “The hotel becomes their second home if they work in
the same vicinity. We give a comprehensive training and anybody can work
in the hospitality industry without major starting qualifications and we
give them the opportunity to study once they finish our basic training
course.”
 In addition to this, Ramsay noted, “I would gladly recruit a girl
over three qualified boys because of the trust and dedication to their
work. Girls in these areas might come from very conservative backgrounds
but they are trustworthy and are a benefit to our workforce.” Mentioning
about the hotel itself, Ramsay said that the development and
construction of the hotel go on par with Mother Nature.
“We are careful in maintaining a balance with the environment as we
are progressing further to add more rooms. A special hostel facility is
also being set up for the use of our staff,” he said. Ramsay added, “We
are the first luxury hotel in the East and setting the example that we
are very nature-friendly is important as other hotels will be
mushrooming very soon”. The hope is that many hotels will not only work
hand-in-hand with nature but set an example and get foreign tourists and
domestic travelers involved in keeping the beauty of Nilaveli intact.
Home to wonderful flora and fauna, thriving species of corals and
aquatic life, we should think twice before trampling and destroying our
nature. |
