Villa Clingendael Weligama

Villa Clingendael Weligama is a gracious colonial-style house a short way inland from Weligama, on Sri Lanka’s south coast, with tall white walls, red-tiled roofs and wide lawns that run out towards palms and open paddy fields. It feels like a family home rather than a hotel, with antique furniture, carved doorways and high beamed ceilings throughout. With six bedrooms for up to fourteen guests, it is a natural choice for large families and groups of friends who want space, character and a quiet base for exploring the coast.

Outside, a long rectangular pool with a shallow entry is lined with blue-cushioned loungers and big parasols, set within manicured lawns that give children plenty of room to run. Shaded verandas and seating corners wrap around the house for long breakfasts and evening drinks as the light softens over the palms. Pool towels and umbrellas are provided, and at night the pool and garden are softly lit against the old house.

Indoors, arched colonnades lead through a formal living room with chandeliers and comfortable sofas, a second sitting room with antique cabinets, and an enclosed lounge for film nights whatever the weather. A long dining table seats a big group beside the kitchen. The six bedrooms are spread across the main house and its wings, each with a king bed, air conditioning and its own bathroom, and several have four-poster beds draped in mosquito nets. Daily housekeeping is included, and a private chef can be booked at extra cost.