Karmel Villa

Karmel Villa is a Dutch-style single-storey home set in a coconut grove beside the Goviyapana river, just outside Ahangama on Sri Lanka’s south coast, with the beach and the area’s surf breaks close by. It is the main house of a small riverside estate, a green and quiet hideaway. Five bedrooms for up to ten guests make it a lovely choice for extended families and groups of friends.

A long private pool stretches across the lawn in front of the house, with loungers along its edge and palms and flowering plants all around. A timber deck under a peaked roof makes a shaded outdoor lounge with views into the greenery, and a covered verandah with rattan chairs is the place for a slow breakfast. Separate garden pavilions add further quiet corners to retreat to.

Inside, high ceilings, whitewashed walls and tiled floors are warmed by Sri Lankan textiles, carved antique furniture and colourful rugs, and the open-plan living area flows easily from room to room. There is a second sitting room with a TV and a fully equipped kitchen. All five bedrooms have air conditioning and their own bathrooms, several of them open to private garden courtyards with sculpted stone bathtubs, a real highlight. Daily housekeeping is included, and breakfast, lunch and dinner can be arranged on request.