Three Sisters Beach House

Three Sisters Beach House stands on a low headland just beyond Matara, near the southern tip of Sri Lanka, looking over a grove of coconut palms to the Indian Ocean. A gate at the bottom of the garden opens onto steps that lead down through a canopy of pandanus trees to a quiet stretch of beach, popular with surfers in the early mornings. With three bedrooms for up to eight guests and a small, devoted team who look after everything, it is a lovely, relaxed choice for families and groups of friends who want a whole house to themselves.

Outdoors, a twelve-by-six-metre infinity pool sits in the lawn with the sea beyond, with a shallow end for children to splash about and sun loungers along its edge. Frangipani and palms shade the garden, and a long, pillared veranda runs beside the pool, with places to sit, read and watch the waves. Meals can be taken on the sea-view garden deck, on the open terrace or at the dining table indoors.

Inside, the house has a calm, rustic charm, with polished floors, carved wooden furniture and bright artwork, and a living room with an open L-shaped kitchen and an eight-seat dining table. On the ground floor, the Courtyard Room looks onto the garden and the Poolside Room opens to the pool, both with queen four-poster beds and en-suite bathrooms. Upstairs, the Loft is a large family suite with a queen bed, two single beds, its own sitting area and sea views. An in-house chef cooks Sri Lankan and western dishes, and breakfast is included.