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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kukku baba" data-source="post: 11748784" data-attributes="member: 249844">This is the first government financed and run hotel to open on the east  coast after the end of the war. Visually from the brochure and web site,  it looks OK but in reality is not. <img src="http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/02/3a/26/17/maalu-view.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /><a href="http://www.maalumaalu.com" target="_blank">http://www.maalumaalu.com</a>Not only does it take 8 hours to get  to by road from Colombo airport (so factor in a night's hotel expense  on route if you can't bear such a long and tortuous journey), but the  area is one vast building site. Scores of hotels are semi constructed  and in very close proximity to each other around this bay, including  next doorto Maalu Maalu. <img src="http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/02/3a/26/15/building.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />Corals are being smashed up in the bay (and  used as hard core foundations which is scandalous) presumably to give a  smoother foot fall when swimming. The rainey season here is November to  March. I was at the hotel end November 2011. There were only 2 rooms  booked by 8 Sri Lankans, no foreigners. Maalu Maalu has 40 palm leaf  cabana type apartments which, even after 6 months from opening, are  showing signs of wear. It will be interesting to see the state of this  place after the first monsoon has finished. The rooms are basic Sri  Lankan style but with an added flat screen TV. The best front line  apartment with sea view is US$324 per night for 2 persons, or US $420 if  3 persons: half board. There is nowhere else to eat in the area so you  are committed to eating dinner here too at US $27 each person, or US$30  if "BBQ style" meal. Factor in 10% service charge and 12% VAT on top.  There is nothing to do in the area except explore the building sites all  around you. The sea is rough so there is a large swimming pool to  compensate. Take lots of books as none are available and hope the TV  works ! On no account order a cappuccino as this conists of a sachet of  coffee and creamer that has had a quick whip with a fork and will set  you back a staggering Rs300 (for a 10cent sachet of coffee). As the new  hotels will provide 2000 beds (eventually), one wonders just how awful  this area will be. A once magical bay, now being destroyed by  insensitive over development for which there will be no tourists happy  to climb off a 10 our flight and drive 8 hours to get to. Even if and  when the new airport at Hambantota opens, the drive will still be  tortuous. My advice is stick to the south coast of Sri Lanka. The newly  opened southern express highway means it is just one hour's drive from  Colombo, whereas it used to take 5 hours. Ths south coast has the  infrastructure - it will be years before the east coast does.<img src="http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/02/3a/26/14/front-line-apartment.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></blockquote>

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