Welcome to part two of our Sri Lankan Diaries. In the first chapter, we landed in Sri Lanka and began our epic tour of inspecting villas; visited a turtle hatchery and explored the lush mangroves; and had our first villa stay at the beautiful Villa Republic Bentota. Now it was time to hit the beach and explore the historic Galle Fort.
Day 4 – 5: Exploring the South Coast
Welcome to South Point Ocean
After an early breakfast at Villa Republic Bentota, we headed down the coast toward Galle Fort on our way to check in to South Point Ocean in the beach town of Koggala. Situated directly on a white stretch of sand and facing the turquoise ocean, the villa is a massive eight-bedroom property with a magnificent pool and a large dining area – perfect for our large group of 13 people. Divided across three floors, all bedrooms face the Indian Ocean so no one had to feel like they were losing out when we picked out our bedrooms. Our room was on the ground floor with direct access to the sun deck and a lovely lounge area waiting right outside our floor-to-ceiling windows.
Beachfront Bliss
Our meals were all served in the ground floor dining area, with the option of enjoying some added privacy in the upstairs media room. We were lulled to sleep by the roaring ocean and in the morning, we woke up to the sound of the surf and the first rays of the sun. The charm and elegance of our beachfront retreat is hard to put into words – it needs to be experienced first-hand. My son and I spent hours building sandcastles, splashing around the pool and the ocean and watching local fishermen mooring their outrigger boats on the beach. In the evenings, simple beachfront restaurants owned by the families of local fishermen would serve the catch of the day to hungry travellers.
Prime Surf Access
Had I been travelling sans baby, I would have been out surfing the fantastic beach break located right in front of the villa. You could paddle out at sunrise, catch a few waves and then head back to the beach for a healthy breakfast and fresh coffee served at the beachfront restaurant located right in front of the surf break.
Galle Fort
During our time on the south coast, we visited the historic Galle Fort and spent hours exploring the cobblestone streets – so typical for my native Europe but so exotic for far-flung Sri Lanka. Before the Portuguese invasion and the Dutch colonial period in the 17th century, Galle was the island’s largest port. Nowadays, Galle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where you can wine and dine as well as shop for jewellery, clothes, souvenirs and art pieces – and of course, marvel at the surrounding beauty and the tall lighthouse towering above the aquamarine ocean.
White Party
Besides checking out the sights, we hosted a cool white party while staying at South Point Ocean. The whole team got all dressed up in all-white ensembles, with a musician playing our favourite songs. That night we met with a villa owner and found out that his father owned a local tea plantation. We were invited to tour the plantation the following day.
Handunugoda Tea Estate
Handunugoda Tea Estate is the only tea plantation in coastal Sri Lanka, famed for its unique “virgin white tea.” Today, the plantation doubles as a public museum with visitors invited to witness the process of brewing tea; learn more about the culture and process of preparing tea and of course, sample different tea varieties! After finishing our tour at Handunugoda Tea Estate, we headed south to the up and coming beach town of Mirissa for a three-night stay at the mind blowing The Nine Mirissa.
Day 6 – 9: Mirissa
Checking in at The Nine Mirissa
Before leaving for Sri Lanka, we were given an itinerary listing all the activities and villa stays planned for our trip. From riverfront retreats to beachfront beauties, all the villas looked fabulous – but even on a computer screen, The Nine Mirissa had some real wow factor. This astonishing estate wowed us right on arrival at the front gate: towering above all neighbouring properties, the villa is built over nine floors (hence the name) and features seven bedrooms along with heaps of living space perfect for hosting big groups, whether that’s families, friends or retreat groups. You can read all about our stay at The Nine Mirissa here – now let’s talk about the location!
The Nine Mirissa is located in the trendy and fairly developed area of Mirissa. The villa sits just a short walk from the beach, restaurants, grocery stores and ATMs, but it’s still far enough removed to provide a serene environment – this also makes it a great option for families.
Mirissa Beach
The picture-perfect Mirissa Beach is a long stretch of golden sand and unlike many other Sri Lankan beaches, the area is generously dotted with dining venues, sunset bars, surfboard rental shops and supermarkets. This means you can enjoy the natural beauty of the beach while still having easy access to all the modern conveniences you might need. Oh, and there is a spectacular surf spot with a right-hand wave that’s ideal for intermediate and experienced surfers.
Dining in Mirissa
The Nine Mirissa is staffed with a fabulous chef and on the first night, we had a spectacular dinner with the whole team followed by a light lunch the following day. After that, we were curious to try out all the endless dining options available at our fingertips, with nearby restaurants serving everything from local Sri Lankan food to spicy Indian flavours and from fresh Mediterranean fare to Italian dishes (my favourite!) Me and my husband usually opted for local eateries where we could sample some authentic local flavours – rotis, noodles and curries. With so many supermarkets close by, cooking for our young child was also easy.
On our last day in Mirissa, it was time for our team members from Bali and India to fly back home while we stayed on to explore further. Stay tuned for the final chapter of our Sri Lankan Diaries as we experience two stunning beachfront villas and test drive our very first “floating villa”!
