The Lake House

The Lake House stands in four thousand square metres of garden on the shore of Koggala Lake at Habaraduwa, on Sri Lanka’s south coast, a short tuk-tuk ride from the beaches and a short drive from Galle Fort. Designed by an architect around the lake view and built from local materials, it is a serene, open-sided home where the water is always in sight, and with five bedrooms and a warm, attentive team it is a wonderful choice for families and friends travelling together.

From the living space you step straight onto the deck of a seventeen-metre infinity pool that seems to run into the lake, with loungers lined up beneath the upper-floor balconies. The garden slopes down to the water’s edge, where a thatched gazebo and a small jetty look across the lake, and boat trips can be arranged. Within the house is a private courtyard garden with frangipani and a stone fountain, a shaded pergola lounge, and a table tennis table under the trees.

Inside, the layout is fully open, so the living and dining rooms frame panoramic lake views and catch the cooling breeze. Four bedrooms have king beds and one has two singles that can be joined, each with mosquito nets, a sofa, a dressing table and an en-suite bathroom with solar hot water, and three have their own outdoor showers. A dedicated team of six provides daily housekeeping, laundry and round-the-clock security, and the chef cooks Sri Lankan and European dishes, with breakfast included.