Thalassa beach villa, sleeps 12, pool, cook.

A secluded two story beach house with six double ensuite bedrooms, all with garden or sea views, set in over 1 acre of garden. The front lawn merges with the soft sand beach that stretches away in both directions. The ocean rolls in boogie boarding waves. Housekeepers & an experienced cook come with the house ensuring time spent relaxing with family & friends is maximised.

Two large bedroom suites are on the ground floor facing the front garden. The other 4 bedroom suites are on the first floor sharing a large sundeck & a small sitting area.

Arriving at the end of a long driveway the sense & reality of privacy coincide. Once inside, with the gates of Thalassa shut, you feel as though you have entered a secluded haven.

The circular entrance area is set around a huge tree hung with vines & a profusion of flowering shrubs, the scent of which is overwhelming. There is a wide porch at one side. An antique light & ancient Dutch chests lead to a long view through the blue pillars of an arcade. This leads into an outside sitting area & through the palm grove garden to the sea.

The pool (43’5” x 19’4”), with its kind shallow rough steps into the water, has yellow, green & blue glass tiles. At the far end it's ten feet deep & there's a wide stone platform for diving or for sitting, under a high bamboo screen.

The open sided dining area with a long table has a huge hatch, which serves as a sideboard, to the kitchen. The staff quarters are to the rear.

Off the dining area, also overlooking the pool, is the air conditioned study / library entered through ancient Jaffna doors.

Opposite the dining area on the other side of the pool, lies the big inside siting room with a high ceiling and old centrally hinged wooden windows. There are white sofas and planters’ chairs as well as an upright piano. The specially sprung Burmese teak floor was recovered from a derelict ballroom in Nuwara Eliya.

From here there is a stone clad path to the two big ground floor bedroom suites. Both bedrooms have Burmese teak floors & great views of the garden & the rising sun.

Upstairs, there is another sitting area overlooking the gardens & a long terrace off which are the remaining 4 ensuite bedrooms.

There are three separate gardens – the one between the front gates and front door is the most experimental, with plants from all over the island that grow happily, free from the salty air.

The inner courtyard garden has some unusual plants in it, especially many varieties of hibiscus and frangipani, the high neem trees and bamboo with bougainvillea growing fifty feet high, and the renowned cannon ball tree. Nestled in this areas is the massage pavilion.

The seaside garden is bordered by stone walls with small indentations for lamps, and there are long concrete loungers with gaudy hand loomed cushions outside the length of the sitting room. There are some 25 palm trees and hammocks beneath them.

And then to the beach that gently sweeps away in either direction & is bordered with private villas & small hotels. At the far end is a fishing harbour whilst at the other are rocks. Carefully clamber across these to reach another small bay. The sand is soft so perfect for walks or jogs & the warm ocean rolls in. It is swimmable but due care & common sense is a must.

Thalassa is a wonderful family beach villa with sufficient space for large groups to enjoy good company & yet have quiet areas for peaceful reflection.