Cloisters Villa

Cloisters Villa Sri-Lanka with its location close to Galle in the south of Sri Lanka is a lovely 4-bedroom beachfront villa sleeping up to 8 people with private swimming pool and gorgeous mature tropical gardens. The location of Cloisters Villa is hard to beat. The Villa is close to Galle and many of the country's main tourist attractions including the UNESCO Heritage Galle Fort. There are lots of casual restaurants within walking distance serving the freshest of Sri Lanka cuisine.

The beach in front of the Cloisters Villa is called Mihiripenna Beach and is virtually private. The beach is naturally beautiful with a picturesque rock outcrop immediately in front of the villa. There is a lovely rock pool which is perfect for splashing around in high tide directly in front of the villa. For proper swimming, there is an excellent sandy area 100 meters along the beach suitable for good swimmers. One kilometer brings you to a perfect calm swimming area with aquamarines seas that are protected by the reef.

The overwhelming feeling when you enter The Cloisters is one of peace and serenity. There is a collective feeling of leaving your strains and stresses at the door and replacing them with calm and joy. The décor is lovely with beautiful pieces of artwork and several period pieces of furniture lovingly collected by the villa owner on her travels around the world. Well-known Sri-Lanka Shayan Kumaradas have architecturally designed cloisters Villa. It provides a perfect combination of luxury and art.

The tropical gardens at the Villa are set on over three-quarters of an acre. The beautifully designed gardens create an oasis of calm and blissful relaxation. The lush green gardens contain a gorgeous 50-foot swimming pool that stretches down to the ocean. There is also a large fishpond and an ancient coconut lined walkway leading the whole way from the Villa down to the turquoise sea beyond.

There are three beautiful 6-foot King-sized four-poster bedrooms and a small children's bedroom. The accommodation at the Cloisters Villa is spread over two floors. The master bedroom on the first floor is particularly lovely with direct access to a wraparound terrace and yoga pavilion.

The terrace is enormous and is a beautiful spot to enjoy the sounds of the sea, relaxing with a book or just gazing at the moonlit ocean. There is an additional children's room located directly off the master bedroom. The master bedroom also has breathtaking views of the sea, pool and gardens. Also, on the first floor, is a large comfortable drawing room with a galley kitchen. It is fully air-conditioned. Also on the first floor is a mini kitchen with a small fridge, wine fridge, sink, two-burner induction hob. The first floor is self-contained and has a separate entrance.

The second two king 6-foot four-poster bedrooms located on the ground floor adjacent to the pool both have lovely terraces. Tastefully designed outdoor showers with white terrazzo finishes adjoin the bathroom. Both rooms have giant chess and draft boards. One of these bedrooms is dividable into two beds for added flexibility. Each of the bedrooms has a high degree of luxury with large wardrobes, dressing tables, safe, air-conditioning and mosquito nets.

The beautiful cloistered entrance to the Villa with a large indoor fish pond as its focal point is extremely impressive. The entrance leads directly onto the open plan living and dining area. The sitting room is very relaxed and comfortable with sofas and armchairs. This room, in turn, leads directly onto the pool pavilion and garden area.

The Cloisters villa in Sri Lanka is an enchanting and peaceful beachfront haven perfect for groups of adults, three couples or a family wishing to have a tropical getaway. It is a piece of pure nirvana on the sea.

For larger groups of up to 24 guests, it is possible to also rent the equally stunning seven-bedroomed Sielen Diva Villa located next door. These villas can be rented together or seperately.

THE BEDROOMS AND BATHROOMS

Bedroom 1 Master: King four-poster bed, air-conditioning, safe, mosquito nets, hairdryer, en-suite bathroom with separate large walk-in shower, twin vanity units, outdoor shower. The master bedroom leads directly onto a large wraparound terrace and yoga pavilion with magnificent sea views. The bathroom is shared with the children's room.

Bedroom 2 Children's bedroom : 2 single beds (Twin room), air-conditioning, mosquito nets, shared bathroom with the master bedroom.

Bedroom 3 Starfish Room: King four-poster bed, air-conditioning, ceiling fan, mosquito nets, safe, large dressing area with built-in wardrobe and seating area with desk. En-suite bathroom with single vanity and outdoor shower with lush green planting. The Starfish Room has a private patio with seating and a giant chess set.

Bedroom 4 Shell Room : King four-poster bed, air-conditioning, ceiling fan, mosquito nets, safe, large dressing area with built-in wardrobe and seating area with desk. En-suite bathroom with single vanity and outdoor shower with lush green planting. The Shell Room has a private patio with seating and a giant chess set.

STAFF
Sri Lanka is famous for many things, but one of its most beautiful assets are the countries warm, friendly and peaceful people. This warmth and friendliness in the team at The Cloisters are particularly wonderful, and guests always comment on how lovely they are and in particular how great they are with children.

• Joseph is The Cloisters butler. He has two young boys and lives nearby with his family. He is also a very talented artist. He has responsibility for running the household.
• Neru is the groundsman and security guard. He lives on the property in his own little house. He is somewhat bohemian.
• Kanthi is the maid and also does some cooking – she is very good at local dishes.

Joseph and Kanthi work from 8 am to 6 pm, but when guests are there, they are very flexible with their times. Neru's hours are flexible, but he is responsible for nighttime security.

LOCATION
Cloisters Villa in Sri Lanka has a beautiful, peaceful beachfront location close to the town of Galle in the Thalpe southern province. It has its location close to all the islands best tourist attractions including the UNESCO Heritage Galle Forte which is just 8 kilometers. It is a historic 17th Century Fort and is one of the most massive living forts in the world. The fort has undergone a beautiful artistic renaissance in recent years. Strolling through the streets is a delightful experience. Guest love to explore the narrow streets, enjoy ice cream and wander into the iconic boutique store filled with beautiful jewelry, art and clothing. One of the most popular experiences of The Galle Fort is to sit on one of the ramparts and watch the sun setting over the Sri-Lankan sea.

The owl and the Pussycat boutique hotel have its location next door to the Villa. They have an excellent restaurant. Also, walking distance along the beach are lots of small beach restaurants. The town of Galle, which is a 20-minute drive has an excellent selection of restaurants to choose from. The food ranges from local Sri Lanka curries made with the freshest of fish caught locally to Italian a modern Mediterranean cuisine.

There is an excellent selection of watersports available on Unawatuna beach, which is located 2.9 kilometers from the Villa. The watersports include sailing, fishing, coastal cruises, river trips. Sea kayaking, snorkeling, surfing and boating. Mirissa Beach is 25 kilometers from the Villa and also offers numerous water sports.

Nature lovers enjoy visiting Koggola Lake which has many islands inhabited by tropical species of birds. The Koggola lake is about 25 minutes by car. Another enjoyable experience is dolphin and whale watching in nearby Matara, which is about 45 minutes away.

• Colombo International Airport - 154 kilometres
• Galle Town – 9.4 kilometres
• The Owl and The Pussycat Restaurant and Hotel – 100 meters
• UNESCO Heritage Galle Fort – 6 kilometres
• Unawatuna Beach and waterports area – 2.9 kilometers
• Mirissa Beach – 25 kilometers
• Koggola Lake for bird watching– 14.8 kilometers
• Matara for whale dolphin watching – 37 kilometers

AMENITIES
• Beautiful beachfront location
• 3 King bedrooms and one children's room
• Mature private tropical gardens
• Private swimming pool
• Cloistered entrance hall with spacious area and large fish pond
• Fully equipped kitchen
• Lovely sitting area with sofas and sliding doors opening up to the pool and gardens
• Indoor dining area with a large whitewashed table to seat up to 8 people.
• Outdoor dining area
• Pool pavilion with a sheltered area adjacent to the swimming pool
• Sunbeds, tables and chairs
• Beach terrace overlooking the beach.
• Wifi in most of the Villa

Dining
Dining at the villa is self catering, except for breakfast. But Kanthi is always happy to cook an evening meal for guests. The cost of this is $25 per meal plus ingredients. Joseph will go and do the shopping and the $25 per meal should be given to the Butler at the end of each day / week. He will distribute to the staff.

There are lots of dining choices in the vicinity. There is a really nice hotel 3 doors up – turn right when you go out the gate and then look for sign on right “the Owl and the Pussycat”. It is a lovely beach front hotel with excellent restaurant and bar.
A little further on is Era Beach – it looks like a private villa but they will serve food to outsiders as well. Almost immediately opposite Cloisters is the Garden Inn – this is a good (and very cheap) takeaway for chicken fried rice or prawn fried rice but you may need to tell them to go easy on the chillies (or maybe not!). About 1 kilometre away – turning left out of the gate – is Wijaya. Highly recommended. This is a lovely beachside shack that serves great food (including the best pizzas). Also their beach is amazing and very safe for swimming.

Galle Fort – loads of restaurants of every variety. Particularly recommend:

• The Fort printers
• Amangalla – the restaurant in this very famous Aman hotel chain
• Galle Fort Hotel
• Aqua Forte

KK Beach about 4 kilometers on the beach side further south of Cloisters - is fantastic – very up market and really worth visiting. They have a fun event each New Year’s Eve. Another special treat is the main KK hotel (situated a bit inland but not far from Cloisters) – full name Kahanda Kanda – it is well worth a visit.

The Sun House – near Galle – really nice – old property near Galle Fort full of character.
Unawatuna – this is the beautiful bay between Cloisters and Galle – lots of lovely places where you can sit on the beach. Top tip would be Kingfisher.

The Lighthouse Hotel – this is the other side of Galle to Cloisters but a really interesting place to visit – open air restaurant overlooking the rocks and the ocean. Building designed by Geoffrey Bawa – a very famous SL architect.

Food Shopping
There is a little mini market - left outside the gate – opposite side of the road, about half a mile.

Big supermarkets on the road to Galle called Arpico, cargils, keels and also another good one (which looks awful from the outside) but stocks what foreigners like – this is called Sea Fare.

Beer – lots of little booths on the side of the road to buy cans of beer. Wine can really only be found in one shop in Galle market area.
You could also ask Joseph to go and do your food shopping – just give him a float and pay for his transport.

Transport
Tuk tuks are best – they do not have metres and can really rip you off. Before you get in to the tuk tuk don’t forget to ask the price. When getting a tuk tuk back to Cloisters, you can give the Owl and the Pussycat as a landmark and it is 3/4 buildings before that on the Galle side.
The Butler can organise a tuk tuk or vehicles for you