paradise regained; Overcoming last winter's devastating tsunami, Sri Lanka is taking off as one of the season's coolest tropical getaways.

Byline: Richard Alleman

In the historic-and surprisingly hip-port city of Galle, on Sri Lanka's south coast, the town's vast seventeenth-century Portuguese- and Dutch-built fort is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, Amanresorts has just opened Amangalla, a bold redo of the fort's fabled nineteenth-century New Oriental Hotel. With 21 rooms and suites, plus a villa, Amangalla is the last word in exotic chic: Cool white rooms feature jack wood or teak floors scattered with well-chosen antiques. A 21-meter-long pool, lush gardens, a hydrotherapy spa, and a yoga pavilion are also on the property, which serves as a luxurious base for exploring Galle on foot and for biking out to nearby beaches, tea plantations, and nature reserves. Doubles from $550, plus 27.65 percent service and taxes; www.amanresorts.com; 011-65-6887-3337.

Also set inside the thick walls of Galle's fort, the new Galle Fort Hotel & Villas offers great style at lower rates. Originally a grand seventeenth-century Dutch merchant's mansion, the hotel has fourteen minimalist guest rooms and suites, beautiful gardens with a pool, a boutique spa, and one of Galle's best restaurants, where four chefs-

under the direction of co-owner Christopher Ong-do modern versions of classic Sri Lankan fish dishes and curries. (In creating the hotel, Ong consulted with his cousin, world-renowned hotelier Christina Ong, as well as with her friend and associate Donna Karan, who offered tips for ...