Thalassa Villa

Thalassa Villa is a gracious two-storey house on the edge of a small palm plantation at Mawella, a long, gently curving beach just west of Tangalle on Sri Lanka’s south coast. Wide verandas, colonnades and a series of gardens give it the feel of a private country estate by the sea, with the beach reached through the trees. Six bedrooms, a large team of staff and generous shared spaces make it a fine choice for big families and groups of friends travelling together.

The heart of the garden is a long, green-tiled pool, around 15 metres in length, edged with sun loungers and overlooked by a pillared veranda that glows under lantern light in the evening. Three gardens surround the house, planted with bamboo, bougainvillea and flowering creepers, and a path leads through the palms towards the sand. Covered terraces offer shaded sofas and armchairs for long afternoons, and there is barbecue equipment for dinners outdoors.

Inside, the house mixes antique furniture with bright fabrics, colourful bookcases and modern art. There are two living rooms, a library-style study lined with books, a room with a piano and a dining room seating sixteen beside the kitchen. The six bedrooms, one with a king bed and five with queens, mostly have four-poster beds hung with mosquito nets, and all have air conditioning, a TV and an en-suite bathroom, some with garden showers and balconies. Staff look after housekeeping, the garden and the pool, and a chef cooks meals on request.