The Saffron House

The Saffron House sits on a rocky headland at Dikwella, on Sri Lanka’s far south coast, in around three acres of tropical garden and coconut grove running down to the sea. It is a courtyard house that blends traditional Sri Lankan design with a clean, modern style, built from local materials with hand-finished floors and handmade wooden furniture. Hiriketiya Bay, with its surf and beach cafés, is a few minutes’ walk away, and Dikwella Beach is close by too, making this a relaxed base for families and friends who want space, sea views and a slower pace.

Outdoors, a six-by-ten-metre pool looks straight out over the palms to the ocean, lined with sun loungers and shaded by big umbrellas. The main lawn leads through the coconut grove to the rocky shoreline, where sunrise and sunset are both worth getting up for, and a covered terrace beside the pool is set with cushioned sofas and loungers for long afternoons in the shade.

The living and dining spaces are semi-open, with views across the pool and garden to the sea, a handmade wooden sofa, a long wooden dining table and a fully equipped kitchen. The four double bedrooms all have air conditioning, en-suite bathrooms, thick mattresses and draped mosquito nets: two spacious master bedrooms on the north side of the courtyard each have their own garden and semi-open bathrooms, a third has a private garden and elevated views, and the fourth sits apart, about thirty metres from the ocean, with its own terrace. A team of nine staff look after housekeeping, laundry and security, and the in-house chef cooks Sri Lankan and continental dishes.