Red Parrot Beach Villa

Red Parrot Beach Villa is a small, stylish beach house directly on the shore at Ambalangoda, on Sri Lanka’s south-west coast, where the sand is wide and often almost empty and the sun drops into the Indian Ocean each evening. Polished concrete, dark timber and white walls give it a calm, contemporary feel, and it is ideal for couples or a family of four who want privacy, quiet and the sea right at the end of the garden. Its sister house, Blue Parrot, sits next door for families travelling together.

The private pool faces the ocean, framed by stone edges and a sandy lounging area under the palms, with a thatched sala and loungers looking straight out to sea. A shaded terrace with a round dining table is where breakfast is served, and a few steps lead from the garden down onto the beach for early walks and sunset strolls past the fishing boats.

Indoors there is a relaxed living room with a striped sofa and shelves of books, and a compact, well-equipped kitchen with open shelving. One bedroom has a king-size four-poster with sliding doors to the terrace, the other has two single beds, and both are air-conditioned with mosquito nets. They share a smart family bathroom finished in polished concrete. Breakfast is included, housekeeping keeps the house fresh, and the cooks can prepare Sri Lankan curries for lunch or dinner.