Unawatuna Beach Villa

Rooms

The main house is extremely spacious and spreads across two floors. The open-plan living/dining area leads directly to the verandah and pool (and beach beyond), with three sets of doors opening out to create an indoor/outdoor feel. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms (one kingsize double, two twin), which are all ensuite, and a sea-view balcony that spans the entire front of the house.

If booking the whole property, you also get full use of the second building, which houses four further bedrooms (two kingsize doubles, two twins). All are ensuite. Rooms are cleaned daily, and linen is changed every other day.

The styling is effortlessly cool throughout. Expect concrete floors, whitewashed walls and splashes of blue to hint at the beach setting: distressed-wood doors painted turquoise, modern art depicting seascapes, royal-blue cushions and headboards, and a big blue wardrobe in one of the twin rooms. There’s lots of rattan furniture and wood throughout, giving the villa a luxury beach-hut vibe.

Features include:

• Fan
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

The villa has a fully equipped kitchen with wood-panelled cupboards, concrete surfaces and a breakfast bar. Chances are you won’t be using it much, though: let the in-house cook do the work for you instead! They can prepare all meals for you according to your tastes and preferences - dietary requirements and kids can be catered for. You’ll receive a menu with suggestions, or you can request your own recipes. All ingredients are freshly sourced from the local market - ask the cook if you want to join them food shopping one day, it’s a great chance to immerse yourself in local life and learn about regional delicacies.

Choose to dine wherever you please: in the dining room, on the verandah, poolside, or in the garden. We particularly like the sound of dining by candlelight beside the beach: very romantic.

Alternatively, take a short stroll along the beach to Wijaya Beach Café for seafood, pizzas and drinks (great at sunset), or grab a tuk-tuk into Unawatuna (10 mins) for more choice.

Features include:

• Barbecue
• Chef on request
• Dinner by arrangement
• Full kitchen
• In-house cook
• Lunch by arrangement
• Restaurants nearby
• Shopping service

Activities

• Stay in and relax: by the pool, on the balcony, on the beach, or in the palm-shaded tropical garden. Staff can arrange spa treatments or yoga classes on request
  
• Visit the historic town of Galle (20 mins by tuk-tuk) to explore its famous Dutch fort and international cricket pitch
  
• Swim in the coral bay at Wijaya Beach, with its reef-protected shallows (perfect for kids), then walk up to the nearby temple to watch the sunset
  
• Go surfing. Weligama has gentle waves so is great for beginners, or there are plenty of more advanced spots around the island. Ask the villa manager for recommendations
  
• Snorkelling and scuba diving are also popular watersports along the coast. Explore the reef along Unawatuna beach, or head out to see wrecks 20 minutes away
  
• Visit Udawalawe National Park, known for its roaming elephants. The park is much smaller than Yala and tends to attract fewer crowds

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Historical sites
• Scuba diving
• Snorkelling
• Surfing
• Swimming
• Well being
• Yoga

Kids

This is a great place for a family beach holiday. The villa can sleep up to 14 (or six if just renting the main house) and has lots of twin rooms for kids. The lap pool is a good size, the garden has plenty of space for playing in, and the beach is directly in front of the house. Although swimming is not possible here, there are lots of sheltered bays a short walk away, with watersports (snorkelling, surfing) on offer at many. Baby cots are available to borrow.

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

Baby cots available on request.

Distances:

• Airport: Two hours
• Hospital: 15 mins' drive/8km (Galle)
• Supermarket: Two mins' drive / 10 mins' walk

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Unawatuna Beach Villa is located just outside of Unawatuna, 10km from Galle, on the south west coast of Sri Lanka. It's about two hours from Colombo by road; more by train.

By Air:
Colombo Bandaranaike (165km) is the closest international airport.

From the Airport
The owners can organise a car to collect you from Colombo airport, so enquire when booking. If you're in no hurry you could take the slow but scenic coastal train to Galle, where staff will meet you.

Alternatively, you could consider taking a Sri Lankan Airlines air taxi sevice to Koggala Lake, where you can get a taxi to the house.

Getting Around
It's easy to pick up tuk-tuks for longer journeys, and staff can arrange a car with a driver if needed.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.