 | Sri Villas, West Coast, Sri Lanka |
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| Price: US$ 1,050.00 - US$ 1,870.00 daily incl tax
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| Sleeps: 16 - 20
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| Bedrooms: 9
| Back to Sri Villas |
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| Our Inspection | |
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| | 30-Jul-2010 |
| Character/Charm | 8/ 10 |
| Location | 8/ 10 |
| Outside Area | 7/ 10 |
| Living Area | 7/ 10 |
| Kitchen | 7/ 10 |
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| Bedrooms | 7/ 10 |
| Bathrooms | 7/ 10 |
| Facilities | 8/ 10 |
| Staff | 8/ 10 |
| Value | 7/ 10 |
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| REVIEW |
| Overall Comments: |
| This is definitely Sri Lanka’s best choice for large groups and for entertaining as the property has been designed so well for big parties. The genial setup means that villas are placed at just the right distance from each other to allow for conviviality whilst their individual self-containment means that family units within a group can still enjoy a degree of privacy if they need to. Sharing one big swimming pool between the three villas works out better than having three smaller pools, allowing for lengthy swims. There’s a shallow section in front of Nisala that you access directly from the villa’s terrace, making it a focus for families and therefore the busiest area of the pool. Verandas and balconies offer quiet spots for individual moments if you need to get away from the crowd. We found the staff team to be very able; the food was good (there was lots of choice), the smiles genuine and their experienced system of dealing with guests shone through. I liked that fresh juices were left in the fridge for us to help ourselves to (or brought to us in chilled glasses) and that we could order whatever we liked, when we liked. Typically guests choose to pay their food bills via a grocery system (staff doing the shopping and presenting you with receipts), which we did; however you could otherwise opt to pay $40 per person per day for full-board. |
| Read More |
| Highlight: |
| The villas are genially designed for groups and nearly all bedrooms have views of the sea. They are situated on a great beach which they have direct access onto and there are lots of activities, attractions and conveniences nearby. The staff are used to hosting functions – they can arrange for elephants, Kandyan dancers, drummers, registrars and caterers for bigger parties - so these villas are perfect for celebrating special occasions such as birthdays, reunions and weddings. |
| Surprises: |
| We didn’t think that there were enough sun beds to go around but, as there never seemed to be a time when they were all being used, it wasn’t an issue. Araliya is the closest villa to the staff area and as such has a little less privacy than the others. The hot water tanks in Nisala were evidently too small as there was not enough water for two consecutive showers. |
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| DESTINATION |
| Surrounding area: |
The crashing waves of the ocean in front, the buzz of traffic on the road behind as well as the rumble of the trains on the railway track nearby all form a soundtrack to your stay at Sri Villas. The faint meditative chanting from the Buddhist temple just 150m away can also be heard in the early mornings and evenings. The half-kilometre of wide golden beach in front of Araliya was perfect for a stroll. There’s a rocky outcrop to the northern end, and turtles sometimes come up to this stretch of beach to lay their eggs; in fact one had made the journey from sea to sand just a few nights before our stay. There are no restaurants or shops within walking distance of the villa and, although there are a few small hotels along the northern stretch of Induruwa, we would recommend Bentota (6km) for eating out and souvenir shopping. At the southern end of town, The Villa (a sensitive refurbishment of the Geoffrey Bawa-built Villa Mohotti) serves delicious food – especially seafood and desserts. The setting is beautiful too. Next door, Club Villa – another Geoffrey Bawa construction – also has an excellent restaurant serving reasonably priced local and international cuisine in a tranquil garden setting close to the sea.
This is Bawa country and not only is the region littered with Geoffrey Bawa properties (The Villa, Club Villa and Bentota Beach Hotel are just a few) but also with the two Bawa brothers’ spectacular gardens; Brief and Lunuganga. Geoffrey’s magnificent Italianate garden of Lunuganga is the closest (12km); located 6km inland from Bentota it comprises 25 acres of exceptional landscaping and wonderful architecture overlooking the Dedduwa Lake. You can visit the property to admire the gardens, the houses, the views and the serenity for lunch (book in advance – rice and curry recommended) or afternoon tea. Both are a little pricey but include a tour of the garden.
Other attractions include the Bentota Lagoon where you can enjoy a number of water sports. South of Induruwa at Kosgoda (7km) is a four-kilometre stretch of beach that’s one of the most important sea turtle nesting sites on the west coast. You can visit the Turtle Conservation Project (TCP)’s hatchery during the daytime (year-round) or go there for night-time turtle watches (from 8pm) between January and May when the turtles come up in the biggest numbers. |
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+65 6475 3121
(Singapore, +8hrs GMT)
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| customerservice@phvillas.com |
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