Galle Fort Villa 1382

Villa 1382 flanks historic Lighthouse Street, at the heart of a magnificent 17th century Dutch-built fortress on Sri Lanka’s palm-fringed southern coast.  This capacious three-bedroom townhouse, with its elegant furnishings and graceful period features, evokes a heady, homely atmosphere redolent of times gone by. Spacious living and dining areas beneath a vaulted, 30-foot-high roof, beautifully appointed bedrooms, a well-equipped kitchen, modern facilities and attentive staff make this heritage home a peaceful, private and relaxing retreat for families and groups of friends.  Best of all, Galle Fort’s many iconic landmarks, restaurants, cafés and boutiques are mere footsteps away.

About The Villa

Taking pride of place in Galle’s historic 17th century UNESCO-certified colonial fort on Sri Lanka’s south-western coast, Villa 1382, our luxuriously converted heritage home, beautifully blends the old with the new. Striking Dutch-era furnishings, graceful archways, pillared verandas and soaring ceilings paint a nostalgic picture of the past whilst deeply cushioned loungers, lavishly adorned beds and homely, modern facilities bring the villa firmly into the 21st century.

Despite their inner-fort location, our three atmospheric bedrooms are blessed with unique views. On the upper floor, the master room basks in vistas of the fort’s red-tiled rooftops; the second bedroom opens onto the villa’s courtyard garden, and the third engages with the fort by glimpsing at the goings-on along Lighthouse Street. Affording further relaxation are an expansive living and dining room, a cosy mezzanine TV snug, a furnished garden veranda and an alfresco dining table for six – perfect for lazy breakfasts and cocktails at dusk.

Our friendly staff, including a talented cook, take care of all the necessities at the house to ensure your holiday is relaxing and hassle-free. If you’re a family or group of friends in search of a central fort home-from-home, you’ll love this villa, where there’s ample space for socialising or for curling up quietly with a book. Our well-equipped kitchen allows you to self-cater if you feel so inclined, or to prepare meals for children.

Galle Fort’s fabulous attractions are mere footsteps away. Take time to wander the narrow streets to appreciate the hybrid nature of the fort’s striking European architecture, make for the ramparts at sunset, perhaps join in a game of cricket or take a quick dip in the sea to help work up an appetite before dining in one of the fort’s restaurants. Finally, return to the villa, where every home comfort awaits.

Villa Layout

A trellised screen discreetly flanking cobble-stoned Lighthouse Street separates the outside world from the villa’s entrance veranda.

Beyond the veranda, folding doors lead into the villa’s living and indoor dining areas, which unfold beneath a vaulted ceiling and spill onto a furnished garden-side veranda and alfresco dining table beyond. A double bedroom leads off to the right of the entrance and above it is a mezzanine TV lounge. Also on the first floor is the master bedroom with its own terrazzo galley, below which lie the kitchen and third bedroom.

Living Areas

The villa’s expansive fan-cooled open-plan living areas lie beneath a soaring timber ceiling. Custom-made furniture – a striking complement of antiques and reproductions – harks back to the Dutch-colonial era, and injects the interiors with a heady historical atmosphere.

The homely lounge is furnished with a trio of daybeds lavishly capped by burgundy-hued cushions, antique rattan lounge chairs and a glass coffee table. This is a warm and welcoming social space. Folding windows open onto a front veranda, allowing you to keep one eye on the activity of Lighthouse Street as you relax in comfort.

A striking archway demarks the indoor dining area, which is furnished with an impressive three-metre teak table for ten overhung by copper drop lamps that cast a subtle light and create a nostalgic setting for home-cooked meals. A CD player with iPod attachment sits nearby, beside a set of saloon doors that lead towards a fully equipped kitchen, which also opens onto the garden.

Beyond the dining area are twin doors onto a breezy L-shaped garden veranda, edged by white pillars and a pair of carved granite elephants. Relax on the deep daybed here, curling up with that book you’ve been longing to start for months as our staff pour you tea and the fort’s family of exotic birds put on a heady musical performance in the garden. Also within the walled gardens is a six-seater dining table which makes an idyllic spot for enjoying long lazy breakfasts or sipping cocktails at sunset. A canopy umbrella provides shade during the hotter part of the day.

Up on the first floor is a tranquil reading room (an anteroom to the master room) with twin daybeds and a mezzanine lounge furnished with two more cushioned daybeds, a 32-inch flat-screen TV with satellite channels and a DVD player.

Bedrooms

The villa’s three bedrooms are spread across two floors, with the master room upstairs. Each bed is adorned with Egyptian cotton sheets and luxurious padded bedcovers, and all bedrooms offer both air conditioning and ceiling fans and feature modern ensuite bathrooms fitted with showers.

Master Bedroom

Being the only bedroom on the first floor of the house, the villa’s master room is exceptionally private.  Breezily opening through twin sets of folding doors onto a terrazzo-floored galley, the room overlooks the vine-draped red-tiled rooftops of the fort.  Swathed in soft netting, the grand four-poster queen-size bed sits atop polished mahogany floorboards and beneath an impressive pitched timber ceiling.

The master room is accessed via a small fan-cooled reading lounge furnished with rattan day beds suitable for sleeping two small children.

Second Bedroom

This airy double bedroom opens onto the lush garden and a pillared veranda towards the back of the house.  Sitting atop polished floors is a queen-size four-poster bed wrapped in soft netting, positioned so you can lie back and watch the squirrels and chattering birds in the garden.

Third Bedroom

Located just off the living room, this terrazzo-floored bedroom overlooks historic Lighthouse Street through wide folding windows.  A queen-sized bed takes pride of place in the room, complemented by a matching antique wardrobe.

Services & Features

• Cook
• Houseboy
• Babysutters, spa therapist, laundryman available on request
• Wifi internet access
• Mobile phone coverage
• Satellite TV
• DVD player
• CD player
• iPod dock
• Barbecue facility
• Safety deposit box

The Locale

Villa 1382 is located mid-way along Lighthouse Street, in historic Galle Fort, just 150 metres from the grass-topped western-facing ramparts and a further 200 metres from the town’s famous international test cricket stadium. The fort is a world heritage site and dates back over 400 years; a walk along its narrow cobbled streets reveals the fascinating hybrid architecture of three colonial eras – fretwork-fringed and pillarred Dutch abodes, British-era monuments, ochre-hued spice warehouses and interesting museums showcasing the fort’s rich history. There are many restaurants and cafes, as well as boutiques selling handicrafts, delicate lacework, glittering gems and other evocative souvenirs. Within 15 kilometres are a selection of mesmerising beaches, tranquil lagoons and historic temples.