How three resorts are getting down to business again
Thambapanni retreat, Sri Lanka
Preshan Dissanayake is the most upbeat man in the Sri Lankan resort town of Unawatuna. From beside the pool at his Thambapanni retreat, he is plotting the resurrection not just of his business but the entire local economy.
The tsunami struck a mighty blow to Unawatuna, a popular hangout for both foreign and local tourists. Thirty-five people, most of them guests, died among its palm trees, internet cafes and guest houses. Mr Dissanayake found an Englishman clinging to an electricity transformer trying to avoid being swept away. He talked him down - before the second wave hit.
Mr Dissanayake says he lost track of some of his guests and for days thought they had died. None did but one member of staff was among the fatalities. But for Mr Dissanayake, it is a time to look forward, not back. 'We have 150 people working to clean up and repair the village. In a week's time we are going to start clearing the coral reef of its fridges, TVs and motorbikes. A delegation from the German environment ministry is coming to talk about replanting the mangroves and lost trees,' he says. 'Whether others fund the work or not, we are going to do it.'
Thambapanni, which specialises in Ayurvedic treatments and indulgent relaxation, is built on higher ground and became a refuge and emergency casualty department for 150 tourists, some badly injured.
It reopened a week after the waves struck. But a government injunction prohibiting the rebuilding of damaged property within 100 metres of the sea hangs over Mr Dissanayake and the village. 'People say that if the rule is imposed then that will be the end of business here. We want to avoid a confrontation but we also have to get working again,' he says. 'We need guesthouses and we need a beach. Working changes the focus from what was lost to what we are making.'
