Maya Villa

Rooms

Maya’s 5 spacious bedrooms are divided between the old house and a new wing that faces it across the swimming pool. Soaring ceilings, polished floors and eye-catching brass wall lamps are features throughout, and every room comes with a kingsize bed, a veranda with chairs, and an ensuite shower room finished in plum-coloured terrazzo or polished concrete.

The beautifully restored old house cleverly blends contemporary furnishings with traditional features. Its 2 rooms are set either side of a central dining area and come with regal four-poster beds draped in mosquito netting. Kumbuk is the more private and overlooks the rear garden, whereas Thekka gazes out over the pool towards the paddy fields. The entrance veranda of the old house has been turned into a semi-open lounge, with delicate latticework shutters, a cushion-plumped sofa and floods of natural night.

The 3 rooms in the new wing flaunt private courtyards and doorless bathrooms (not to everyone’s taste, but very chic nonetheless). They lack views but excel in privacy. Amba and Ehela sit side by side and come with the largest courtyards; cute corner room Kohomba has a cobbled terrace and its own miniature palm-topped lawn. To the front of the new wing is an open-sided wooden pavilion with minimalist blue and white daybeds and a poolside dining table for 10.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• WiFi

Eating

Maya’s food is some of the best in Tangalle. Not only is this down to the chef’s obvious talents in the kitchen, but also because the rural paddy-side setting is so deliciously divine. You can dine in the old house’s vaulted dining room, poolside in the new wing pavilion, or in the privacy of your room or courtyard.

Hearty breakfasts start with a choice of Sri Lankan apas (bowl-shaped rice flour pancakes) with seeni sambol (red onion chutney) or filling Full Englishes with all the trimmings. This is followed by tropical fruit, cereal, creamy buffalo curd and kithu (palm sugar) treacle - a wonderful local speciality. Fresh bread is made in-house.

Lunches and dinners are three-course leisurely daily changing set menu affairs served when and where you want, perhaps in the Garden Pavilion on the edge of the paddy fields. The fusion food mixes Asian influences with western dishes, so perhaps chicken lemongrass skewers, zesty crab salad with a zingy ginger dressing, prawn tempura and fish curry with okra. Vegetarian options are always available - just ask. Additionally, i-escape guests are offered a complimentary 8-dish Sri Lankan curry dinner - we feasted on this and it was truly delicious. You can BYO alcohol with you to dinner, there's no corkage fee but you might need to bring the receipt for proof of purchase.

Maya is a 15-minute drive from the beaches of Tangalle, which is where you’ll find the best options for eating out (staff can arrange transport). Sleek hotel Amanwella, set on a gorgeous crescent-shaped swathe of sand, has 2 restaurants; its Beach Club with a Mediterranean-inspired menu was our favourite choice for relaxed seaside meals.

Features include:

• Children's meals

Activities

• Top up your tan by the pool, lounge in a hammock, or kick back on the veranda with a book
  
  
• Be pampered by the masseur, or take your relaxation further by booking a session of yoga or tai chi with a visiting instructor in the Garden Pavilion
  
  
• Watch the abundant birdlife in the villa’s garden. There are binoculars and birding books to borrow
  
  
• Challenge the staff to a game of cricket on the lawn, or enjoy a leisurely session of croquet, volleyball, badminton or petanque (equipment is provided)
  
  
• Learn the secrets of Maya's chef during a cooking lesson (available by arrangement from May to November)
  
  
• Borrow a bicycle and head off to explore Aranwella and its hinterland - make your first stop the Buddhist temple next door. Villa staff can guide you around the area and pack up picnics if required
  
  
• Head to the coast (staff can arrange transport) 15 minutes away to spend a day on one of the beaches; Silent Beach, Mawella, Palm Paradise and Seenimodara are some of the prettiest. Afterwards, travel back to Maya via the market in Tangalle
  
  
• Travel 15 minutes to the north to marvel at Mulgirigala Rock Temple, a Buddhist temple perched 210m above the surrounding forest. The 360-degree views from its peak are sublime
  
  
• Head to Rekawa Beach to wait for egg-laying marine turtles to come ashore. Combine this after-dark treat with dinner at nearby hotel Buckingham Place
  
  
• Take off on a half-day trip to seek out wildlife in one of the region’s national parks - Yala, Uda Walawe and Bundala. You might spot leopards, elephants, monkeys and bears
  
  
• Brave a crack-of-dawn wake up to go whale-watching off the shores of Mirissa, an hour up the road. It’s well worth the early start for the potential sightings of blue whales, sperm whales and acrobatic spinner dolphins (best from December to April)

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cooking classes
• Cycling
• Hiking
• Shopping / markets
• Wildlife
• Yoga

Kids

Although the hotel wasn’t designed with kids in mind, children of all ages are welcome and will adore having the run of the 2-acre garden. It’s big enough to kick a ball, and there are plenty of spots for playing hide and seek. That said, the atmosphere is very tranquil, and children could be disruptive to guests staying for wellness purposes; we advise staying during school holidays when there's a more family-friendly vibe. when we visited, the staff were great at keeping our kids engaged, arranging family-friendly films and even a kite-making class! For a bit of excitement there’s nothing like a tuk-tuk ride to the beach to go boogie boarding.

Best for:

Children (4-12 years)

Family friendly accommodation:

Travel cots are available, and extra single beds (free for children under 6) can be added to all rooms.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Maya Villa is 8km inland from the coastal town of Tangalle, in southern Sri Lanka. It’s set in the rural village of Aranwella, a 3-hour drive (or a 45-minute flight) from the capital Colombo.

By Air:
Fly into Colombo Bandaranaike International (230km away).

From the Airport
The hotel can arrange road transfers from Colombo (see Rates), or you can take the speedy Cinnamon Air or SriLankan Airline's air taxi service to Dikwella Lagoon (15 minutes from Maya). Maya staff can meet you at Dikwella.

By Bus:
You can catch a direct bus from Colombo to Tangalle (15 minutes from the hotel) or to Matara (an hour from the hotel). From there you can finish the rest of the journey by tuk-tuk, or arrange for staff to pick you up.

By Car:
If you want to hire a driver and car for your whole holiday, enquire through our Tailormade Tour Operator; they can collect you at the airport when you land, drive you down to Maya, then drive you to your onward destination after your stay. Drivers can be accommodated at a local hotel nearby, (see Rates).

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.