Oct 10 2013.
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Villa Vatura: Getaway for your next long weekend
Sri Lanka is ‘blessed’ with a string of long weekends this year, and all we could think about is what holiday destination would make the perfect long weekend. I don’t know about you, but the perfect way to spend a long weekend for me is with my closest friends somewhere on the SL map.
We have our own methods of planning the perfect trip, but for me I need to get the basics right. Call up a few friends, decide on a budget, pick out a destination, sort out transport and most importantly choose the perfect accommodation.
For those of you beach lovers looking for the perfect accommodation, I’ve got the perfect pick for the forthcoming long weekend.
We drove for 3 hours from Colombo on a Saturday night to Kalugalluwawatta, Thalaramba, Kamburugamuwa, a few minutes from Mirissa, and pulled over at a beautifully lit up Talaramba Reef (Villa Vatura & Villa Sulanga) and were welcomed by the pleasant caretaker Deepani. Talaramba Reef is one of the rare beachfront vacation rental properties you will find that has a huge tropical garden featuring local tree species.
Villa Vatura at Talaramba Reef, Mirissa is a contemporary and spacious private beach villa that could accommodate upto 12 persons in 4 spacious bedrooms. The garden is a really quiet and tranquil place to meditate and is the perfect setting for the two villas.
We stayed at Villa Vatura which is equipped with four-poster beds and en-suite bathrooms. The villa is designed to let the light and the air in, with meals taken in a verandah overlooking the garden, and huge lounge areas that can comfortably seat a huge crowd.
Beautiful french doors and Sri Lankan furniture and art pieces complete the simple yet luxurious feel of the villas. Peaceful indeed!
The artifacts at the Villa fascinated me. It featured work of contemporary Sri Lankan artists, and all of the furniture, bed linen and ceramics were designed and beautifully made in Sri Lanka.
French windows open onto wide balconies, where you can sit and take in the stunning views across the reef and the Indian Ocean. You could also lounge in a comfortable seating for a full house in the airy and bright living rooms.
When you are done basking in the spacious living room and garden, the villa also offers an extensive book collection of classics and contemporary literature, a cozy couch, an LCD TV with cable and DVDs in what I like to call the ‘entertainment room’.
Well we didn’t have all the time in the world, so we grabbed ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ from the DVD collection and helped ourselves with some spicy bites and a beverage. Homely indeed!
Villa Vatura Indulgences
At the Villa you can enjoy the finest home cooking. As well as intensely flavourful local dishes, you can choose fresh grilled lobster and fish straight from the fishermen on the beach, or a variety of Western dishes.
The staff will shop, prepare and serve your meals, and you simply pay the cost of the ingredients in the market that morning. We learned that the villa staff could prepare any dish that would suit our palette, if we keep them informed in advance.
Breakfast
We had our fill of toast, local jams and marmalades, eggs as we’d like them, fresh fruit, freshly squeezed juice, tea and coffee.
Dinner
We opted for a BBQ chicken with a Saffron Rice and a complimentary glass of red wine.
Verdict: The Saffron Rice was the show stopper! Simple and flavourful
Lunch
Since we enjoyed the rice dish from the previous night, I felt opting for a wholesome rice option would be perfect on a Sunday afternoon. Our pick. Homemade Nasigoreng served with Chicken Satay.
Verdict: Not too spicy but a nice blend of sweet and sour flavours.
Must Trys
Homemade Cardamom and Orange Ice Cream
Vanilla Ice Cream with Banana Fritters
Things to do
The Mirissa Beach's broad crescent of golden sand and safe swimming is just minutes away.I would suggest a stroll along the beach at sunset is a lovely way to sharpen the appetite before a scrumptious dinner at the Villa or a daytime walk around the headland to Mirissa beach.
The Surfing near Talaramba Reef is fantastic all year round. There are good surf spots a couple of kilometers up the road towards Matara, and in Mirissa, as well as Ahangama and Midigama. Game fishing is available with Mirissa Water Sports out of Mirissa harbor, and there's great shore fishing from the beach and rocks. If you have anything in mind feel free to discuss with the villa staff and they’ll be happy to arrange an excursion in and around the area.
Ensure you make the right choice for your holiday this time. Ensure you book Villa Vatura for a peaceful, private fun-filled long weekend.
Contact:
Email: [email protected]
Text by Keshiya Leitch
0 Comments
M.B.M Hamza says:
Oct 11, 2013 at 12:00 ampls forward me the contact number or email address of villa vatura.I sent a mail to the above email address (andrew@talarambareef) but it's bounced back.