There’s plenty of security. Tickets are exchanged for wristbands to gain entry. All the guys are frisked before being allowed in. There are about 50 men on the premises who are the Sri Lankan equivalent of the National Guard.

Our table is right by the ocean. The party is huge, easily 1,500 people. Fireworks go off at midnight, and breakfast is served around 3 am. We call it a night at 4:30, but the party is still going strong. It stops sometime after dawn.




We knew about the party & had purchased tickets in advance. However, I feel a little sorry for hotel guests who may not have been aware. When we get back to our room after the party, we find a hilarious, unapologetic note from the hotel manager under the door: “Please be advised that due to the year-end function at the hotel, you will experience noise from music. Since the hotel is in party mode, we invite you to join us to bid farewell to 2006 and welcome 2007. Should the event cause you inconvenience, please bear with us.”